Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 04-03-23

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From: The Macedonian Press Agency at http://www.mpa.gr and http://www.hri.org/MPA.

CONTENTS

[01] VOTE OF CONFIDENCE

[02] THE FINAL NEGOTIATIONS

[03] THE DIALOGUE AT MAXIMOS MANSION

[04] MESSAGES FOR MARCH 25 NATIONAL HOLIDAY

[05] EURO-MEDITERRANEAN PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY IN ATHENS

[06] THODORIS ROUSOPOULOS ON THE CYPRUS ISSUE

[07] GOV'T SPOKESMAN ROUSOPOULOS ON THE ID CARDS ISSUE

[08] PAPANDREOU-COX MEETING ON THE ISSUES OF CYPRUS AND THE MIDDLE EAST

[09] LIBERALIZATION OF ELECTRICITY AND NATURAL GAS MARKETS

[10] US COUNTERTERRORISM SPECIALISTS VISITED "ATHENS 2004"

[11] GAINS IN THE ASE

[12] KARAMANLIS: WE WILL HONOR OUR AGREEMENTS

[13] STATEMENT BY MOLIVIATIS ON YASSIN'S ASSASSINATION

[01] VOTE OF CONFIDENCE

The Parliament approved the government's program statements and provided it with a vote of confidence, with 165 votes for and 135 votes against. Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis expressed his belief that a new period is beginning for our homeland who gave his reassurance that the government will follow through on its commitments towards the Greek people. We are resolute on succeeding, said Mr. Karamanlis. Commitments are not programming statements and that is why we vote against them, stated President of PASOK Giorgos Papandreou, while former Prime Minister Costas Simitis accused the government of a lack of seriousness and arrogance.

[02] THE FINAL NEGOTIATIONS

The Greek Cypriot and the Turkish Cypriot delegations will be leaving for Lucerne, Switzerland, tomorrow, as part of the three-day first phase of the quadrilateral meeting on the resolving of the Cyprus issue. Turkish Cypriot leader R. Denktash will not attend the meeting, and he told the UN Secretary General that the Turkish Cypriot community will be represented by A. Talat, the so-called Prime Minister of occupied Cyprus. Athens will be represented by Foreign Minister P. Molyviatis and Deputy Foreign Minister G. Valinakis. The second phase will begin on Sunday, with the participation of the Prime Ministers of Turkey and Greece, T. Erdogan and C. Karamanlis, while statements on the issue will also be made by the EU Summit.

[03] THE DIALOGUE AT MAXIMOS MANSION

Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis will meet with Archbishop of Athens and all of Greece Christodoulos this Wednesday. The main point to be discussed during their meeting is that of the relationship between the State and the Church and the issues regarding the Holy Synod that are still open. The Archbishop has not visited the Maximos Mansion since the crisis with the Simitis government over the identity card issue. At least ten issues, regarding the State-Church relationship, are expected to be raised by the Archbishop.

[04] MESSAGES FOR MARCH 25 NATIONAL HOLIDAY

The Greek American community all over the United States will honor the 183rd anniversary of the Greek Revolution of 1821. Events will be held in all the communities of the Holy Archbishopric, while large parades have been organized in major Greek centers. The Greek community of Tarpon Springs, FL, marked the beginning of these events with Friday's parade.

In New York, Hellenism will once again show its strength with mass participation in the 5th Avenue parade, where more than 50,000 people are expected to attend, while more than 70 organizations from New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut will participate.

The Greek government will be represented by Deputy Foreign Minister Professor Panagiotis Scandalakis. In his message for March 25, Mr. Scandalakis stated: With the opportunity of the anniversary of our National Rebirth, I feel a special joy addressing you, Greeks all over the world, in celebrating such a major event in Greece's modern history.

Drawing on this anniversary, it is worth contemplating the common values uniting us: Respect for freedom and peace, dedication to international law and human rights, and securing democracy. Based on these values we will proceed to confront the new challenges of our era. In the immediate future, two major issues will occupy Hellenism as a whole: resolving the Cyprus issue and holding the Athens Olympics.

We will respond to these challenges with the knowledge of how crucial they are, during an especially difficult period, as far as international peace and security are concerned. In this effort, I am sure that we will find you supporting us, just as you have supported all our country's efforts for development and progress so far.

The participation of all Hellenism is required in order for Greece to complete the task at hand, to become a factor of stability within and outside its borders, and contribute to the protection of the values it professes.

With these words, I would like to convey the best wishes of Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis, Foreign Minister P. Molyviatis, as well as my own for your every personal success.

In his message, President of the Council of Hellenes Abroad, Mr. Andrew Athens said: Hellenism worldwide is once again dynamically present for the great celebration of Greece's national rebirth. With a sense of responsibility we honor March 25, this expression of freedom, this age-old value Greeks have followed for centuries. We honor and express our gratitude towards the national martyrs of the struggle for freedom in 1821, all those who stood tall and sacrificed themselves for the freedom of our homeland and Orthodoxy. We must not forget at this time, that that struggle was closely connected to real fighting presence of Greeks Abroad, and that it was also the reason for the full expression of the Philhellene Movement in many countries abroad.

At the present, Hellenism abroad, having made the whole earth its home, has not forgotten its history, its roots, its debt to preserve tradition. We support Greece's positions from our second homes by building sturdy bridges of friendship. We utilize the strength provided to us by the Greek state, with the support of all parties, with the foundation of the Council of Hellenes Abroad. We steadily offer our full support to our national issues and care for the promotion of issues that concern Greeks all over the world. We are contributing with all our strength to the promotion of the Athens Olympics with the certainty that they will be successful and safe and that they will make us all proud.

With these thoughts I wish all Greeks all around the world, health, prosperity and progress in all sectors.

A heartfelt, patriotic greeting on behalf of the Regional Coordination Council of SAE of North America, was sent by SAE Vice President Regional Coordinator Christos Tomaras on the double celebration of March 25.

It has been 183 years since our then enslaved ancestors stood high and shouted out loud, Freedom or Death against the four centuries of Ottoman occupation, which not only did not weaken our patriotic sentiment, but on the contrary encouraged the unity and decisiveness of the enslaved Greeks to reclaim the wonderful good of Freedom, underlined Mr. Tomaras in his greeting.

The anniversary of the heroic victory is interwoven with the Annunciation of the Holy Mother which played a decisive role in encouragement of our heroes and is one of the pillars of Orthodoxy. Let this double anniversary inspire in us awe with the sacrifice of our ancestors and the grace of the Holy Mother, pointed out Mr. Tomaras in his message.

[05] EURO-MEDITERRANEAN PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY IN ATHENS

The proceedings of the first Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly were completed in Athens today with the adoption of a declaration based on which, the countries participating in the Barcelona Procedure are committed to cooperate closer for peace, stability and prosperity in the Mediterranean region.

Egyptian Parliament President Ahmed Fathi Sourour was elected first President of the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly, while Greek Parliament President Anna Psarouda-Benaki was elected Vice-President. The next meeting will take place in Cairo in 2005.

Mrs. Psarouda-Benaki met with her counterparts from Syria and Jordan on the sidelines of the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly proceedings. She condemned the recent events in the Middle East and underlined that the Greeks want to contribute to the normalization of the situation in the region.

[06] THODORIS ROUSOPOULOS ON THE CYPRUS ISSUE

Government spokesman Thodoris Rousopoulos referred to the talks on Cyprus to be launched in Lucerne, Switzerland tomorrow expressing the hope that a solution will be reached.

Responding to the question concerning the fact that Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash will not attend the talks and the likely downgrading of the procedure, Mr. Rousopoulos responded that Greece and the Cypriot leadership will enter the dialogue because there is a true will for a just and viable solution and because a request was made by the UN after calling for its assistance for years in order for a solution to be reached.

Regarding the procedure that will be followed, the government spokesman stressed that everything that was agreed upon will be respected.

[07] GOV'T SPOKESMAN ROUSOPOULOS ON THE ID CARDS ISSUE

Greek government spokesman Thodoris Rousopoulos commented on the issue of the identity cards in Greece and stated that the government position is that the State will reach the appropriate decisions through dialogue.

Mr. Rousopoulos stated characteristically that the government intends to meet the commitments it undertook during the election campaign and when the time will come a dialogue will be held and decisions will be made after it is completed.

[08] PAPANDREOU-COX MEETING ON THE ISSUES OF CYPRUS AND THE MIDDLE EAST

The developments in Cyprus and the Middle East, international terrorism, the Euro-Mediterranean Conference and the European Constitution were in the agenda of the talks held between opposition Socialist Party of PASOK President Giorgos Papandreou and European Parliament President Pat Cox.

Both Mr. Papandreou and Mr. Cox condemned the assassination of Hamas' spiritual leader, stressing that such actions do not contribute to the efforts aimed at easing the crisis.

Mr. Cox added that the European Union is going to help in the effort to stop such phenomena of violence from being repeated.

[09] LIBERALIZATION OF ELECTRICITY AND NATURAL GAS MARKETS

The liberalization of electric energy and natural gas markets as well as the simplification of legislation for the creation of a business-friendly environment, are among the priorities of the New Democracy government, according to a report on the Athens newspaper Imerisia, which was based on the speech delivered in Parliament yesterday by Minister of Development Dimitris Sioufas within the framework of the presentation of the government objectives.

On the creation of a business-friendly environment, Mr. Sioufas stressed that measures are being promoted aimed at simplifying procedures, cutting down on the cost of operation for businesses, as well as limiting bureaucracy and management cost.

[10] US COUNTERTERRORISM SPECIALISTS VISITED "ATHENS 2004"

The US State Department counterterrorism agency director, accompanied by other two officials and US ambassador to Athens Thomas Miller, visited the Athens 2004 Organizing Committee offices and had an informative meeting with Olympic Games Organizing Committee managing director Ioannis Spanoudakis.

The foreign specialists also met with Athens 2004 President Mrs. Yianna Angelopoulou-Daskalakis.

[11] GAINS IN THE ASE

Gains were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange today. The general index rose to +1.10% at 2301.3 points, while the volume of transactions was at 118.5 million euros.

Of the stocks trading today, 266 had gains and 58 had losses, while the value of 73 stocks remained unchanged.

[12] KARAMANLIS: WE WILL HONOR OUR AGREEMENTS

His categorical reassurance that New Democracy will fully keep its agreement of honor with the citizens was given by Prime Minister Costas Karmanlis, during his speech at the governing party's Parliamentary Group meeting.

At the same time he called his MPs to function with modesty and humility, and said characteristically: Our goal is to serve the collective interest responsibly. With diligence and effectiveness. Our goal is to constantly serve all citizens, without discrimination, without exclusion, without divisions. It is our duty to do our debt. We must be worthy of the trust of our fellow men and women, without conceit, without arrogance, with modesty and humility.

And to this point I attribute enormous, capital importance. Humility is not a slogan, it is not an announcement. Humility is, above all, a deeply political notion. Because it reveals the view each of us has regarding public life. Put simply, a passion for authority has no place in the new government. We are servants of our fellow citizens, not their rulers. Anyone who has not fully comprehended this is foreign to our mission.

[13] STATEMENT BY MOLIVIATIS ON YASSIN'S ASSASSINATION

Greek Foreign Minister Petros Moliviatis condemned the assassination of Hamas' spiritual leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, speaking from Brussels where he attended the EU General Affairs and Foreign Relations Council.

Mr. Moliviatis pointed out that Greece condemns any illegal act of violence that contravenes international law and the state of law. He also called on the two rival sides in the Middle East to refrain from acts of violence that undermine the peace efforts.

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