MPA NEWS IN ENGLISH (20/06/1996)

From: Macedonian Press Agency <mpa@philippos.mpa.gr>

Macedonian Press Agency News in English Directory

MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH

Thessaloniki, June 20, 1996

NEWS IN ENGLISH

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

TITLES

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

NEWS IN DETAIL

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[01] FLORENCE SUMMIT TO BEGIN TOMORROW

The European Union leaders Summit Conference that will officially open its session tomorrow will tackle major issues that concern the european community, spearheaded by the inter-governmental conference (ICG) regarding revisions of the Maastricht Treaty, the plight of unemployment, the overall EU economic state, and the embargo placed on the beef meat and by-products exports from England that has resulted from the "mad cow disease."

The issue of the ICG will be placed under the light of the outcome of the recently-held EU foreign ministers "conclave".

Prime Minister of Italy -which currently holds the EU Presidency prior to giving relay to Ireland, Romano Pronti stated that the items which should be presented at the ICG as guiding tools for Ireland's Presidency are as follows: Foreign Policy and Security Policy, cooperation on matters of justice and the interior and employment.

Prime Minister Kostas Simitis will raise the Aegean Sea issue and will defend the country's position to block EU funds to Turkey, while actively seeking European support for his positions.

Greece's continued opposition to a European Union agreement with Mediterranean countries is threatening millions of dollars in aid from this year's budget, according to Italian Foreign Minister Lamberto Dini.

Mr. Dini stated yesterday that unless a solution is found soon, "it will be impossible to have a flow of cash."

Currently, 9 pm local time, the EU socialist party leaders are conducting an informal meeting in preparation of tomorrow's session.

[02] PRIME MINISTER DEPARTED FOR FLORENCE SUMMIT MEETING

Prime Minister Kostas Simitis departed for Florence, Italy this afternoon where he will participate at the Conference of European socialist leaders and the European Union's Summit meeting.

Accompanying Mr. Simitis will be the Minister of Interior, Public Administration and De-centralization Akis Tsohatzopoulos as well as other ministers.

[03] EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT ISSUES RESOLUTION DENOUNCING TURKEY'S STANCE

In view of the European Union Summit meeting to be held this weekend in Florence, the European Parliament issued a resolution yesterday denouncing the turkish provocativeness in the Aegean Sea, and emphasized that the repeated threats for the use of force against a country-member of the European Union constitute a serious danger for this country's territorial integrity and the stabiltity in the Aegean Sea.

The European Parliament has called on the EU countries which will be participating at tomorrow's Summit to address Turkey's aggressive stance against Greece.

Meanwhile, a memorandum indicating Ankara's intransigence was issued recently to the italian-held EU Presidency warning the Union not to accept Greece's request regarding european solidarity and protection of external borders.

Greek government spokesperson Dimitris Reppas stated that Prime Minister Kostas Simitis will promote the issues regarding greco-turkish relations and the Gavdos island issue during the Summit.

In turn, the Italian presidency has indicated that it will bring up during th eFlorence Summit discussions the issue of the Meda financing program for which Greece has exercised a veto over Turkey's inclusion to the funding.

[04] ASSOCIATION OF BALKAN NEWS AGENCIES TO MEET IN ATHENS

The Second General Assembly of the Association of Balkan News Agencies (ABNA) will begin in Athens on Saturday with the participation of the national news agencies from Greece, Albania, Bulgaria, FYROM, Romania, Turkey and Yugoslavia.

Attending the conference will be the general directors from each news agency, which are Macedonian Press Agency (in Thessaloniki) Spyros Kouzinopoulos, Athens News Agency Andreas Christodoulides, Anadolu (Ankara) Mehmet Akarca, ATA (Tirana) Ilir Zhilla, BIP (Sofia) Stefan Velev, BTA (Sofia) Milen Vaikov, MPB (Skopje) Milova Stefanovski, Rompress (Bucharest) Neagu Odroiu and Tanjung (Belgrade) Slobodan Jovanovic. Also present will be two observers, Fevzi Khraman, general-director of the Ankara-based independent IHA news agency and Ali Ibranimoglu, IHA's news coordinator.

The conference will address issues such as the progress of MPA's Diavlos program, which envisions the creation of an inter-Balkan news data bank based in Thessaloniki, as well as the preparation for the exchange of financial information between ABNA members.

The Conference's general assembly will begin at 9 am on Saturday at the Asteras resort in Athens' seaside suburb of Vouliagmeni. A dinner will be held on Saturday, honoring the general directors, who will visit Sounio on Sunday. The events are sponsored by the Athens Medical Center.

[05] GREEK AMBASSADOR TO YUGOSLAVIA PRESENTS CREDENTIALS

Greece's new ambassador to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Panayiotis Vlassopoulos, presented his credentials to the Yugoslav President Zoran Lilic today.

Upon presenting his credentials, Mr. Vlassopoulos stated that the two countries are marked by a long-standing tradition of friendhip.

Mr. Lilic's reception was very warm and hospitable and the Yugoslav side emphasized its interest for the further development of relations between FRY and Greece, in all sectors, especially in the economic.

[06] LEGISLATION ON THREE NEW GREECE-BULGARIA BORDER ROADS APPROVED

Legislation ratified the bill introduced by the Ministry of Transport and Communications regarding the opening of three new passage ways at the borders between Greece and Bulgaria was voted by majority rule in Parliament today.

The three new roads will link the two neighboring countries at the Drama, Xanthi and Rodopi municipalities and will aid in the promotion of closer ties between Greece and Bulgaria.

[07] TRANSPORT MINISTRY PRESENTS REFORMS AIMED TO REDUCE CAR ACCIDENTS

Legislative reforms aimed at reducing car accidents and promoting driving safety will be presented by the Ministry of Transport and Communications, according to Under-Secretary George Daskalakis.

Some of these reforms regard changes in the way one acquires a driver's license for cars and motorcycles and intensifying the use of the point system throughout the country.

[08] SUNCREEENS DO NOT CONTAIN CARCINOGENICS, SAYS THE STATE

The National Pharmaceutical Organization (EOF) issued a public service announcement today stating that the chemicals contained in sunscreens are not carcinogenic, while self-tanning products are also safe for cosmetic use.

The announcement recommends that use of a sunscreen be interrupted if one's skin presents allergic reactions, and advises that the use of perfumes during sunbathing be avoided.

[09] OLYMPIC FLAME TO ARRIVE IN WASHINGTON TODAY

The Olympic Flame is expected to arrive in the United States capital today, after having crossed over most of the country since it was lit in Greece's Ancient Olympia on April 27.

The Flame will arrive in Washington this afternoon and will be passed through the city's Greek Embassy where it will be received by Greek Ambassador Lukas Tsilas and a crowd of Greek-Americans.

Meanwhile, more than 40,000 Greeks living in Tampa, Florida are feverishly preparing festivities for when the Flame will arrive at their city on July 3. The Panhellenic Federation of Greek Unions of FLorida, in cooperation with the Olympic Games Committee, will host a series of events at the city's Conference Center. The Federation has also programmed a one-page ad at the St. Petersburg Times (daily circulation 400,000) which will promote the Olympic spirit, as well as Greece's national issues, The ad's $10,000 price tag will be paid by contributions of Greek-American citizens and businessmen.

[10] STATEMENTS BY THE GREEK FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN ON THE TURKISH POSITION THAT THE TREATY OF LAUZANNE NEEDS CLARIFICATION

The turkish "discoveries" concerning "points" in the Treaty of Lauzanne that need clarification, are based on the rationale of piling up claims, stated greek Foreign Ministry spokesman Kostas Bikas responding to a relative statement made yesterday by his turkish counterpart.

Mr.Bikas stated that those "points" were discovered by Turkey "for the first time since the signing of the Treaty of Lauzanne", and added that with this statement Turkey not only maintains the outrageous demand concerning Gavdos but generalizes it in a way that can not be tolerated by the International Community.

The greek Foreign Ministry spokesman also stated that if Turkey has claims over Imia should bring its case to the International Court of Justice in The Hague pointing out that this has not happened yet.

Yesterday, the turkish Foreign Ministry expressed the view that "legal ambiguities" in the Aegean need to be clarified.

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

[11] CYPRIOT PRESIDENT'S PROPOSAL ON MISSING IS A STEP FORWARD, SAYS US

Cypriot President Glafkos Clerides' proposals on the issue of the missing persons is positively viewed as a step forward which could bring the two communities closer to one another, stated the US State Department spokesperson Nicholas Burns.

According to Mr. Burns, the issue of the missing persons was brought up during the recent discussion held between US Secretary of State Warren Christopher and Mr. Clerides.

"Mr. Clerides indicated that Cyprus is ready to exhume the remains of the missing Turk-Cypriots if they are ready to do the same for the Greek- Cypriots," stated Mr. Burns and added that both Mr. Clerides and Mr. Christopher agreed that the investigation on the missing persons should continue.

Also, the two men discussed the efforts currently exerted by the US investigative committee which is looking into the fate of the five Americans missing in Cyprus, since the crisis.

[12] TURKEY'S "SEAWOLF" EXERCISE HAS UNPRECEDENTED SIZE OF ARMAMENTS

The unprecenteded armament size in Turkey's "Seawolf" aeronautical exercise is viewed as an effort to show off Ankara's military might.

According to reports, four turkish submarines have circled Cyprus, while six more have skirmished in the north, central and south Aegean. Also, eight frigates, four destroyers and five missile-carriers have sailed into the shores of southeastern Turkey.

[13] BRITAIN IS ANXIOUS TO SEE A SOLUTION TO CYPRUS PROBLEM, SAYS RIFKIND

Cypriot President Glafkos Clerides stated today that the optimal situation for resolving the Cyprus problems would be one where all the efforts in the matter are synchronized.

President Clerides made this statement in reference to the dinner he attended that was hosted in his honor by British Foreign Minister Malcolm Rifkind.

The Cypriot leader stated that he discussed with the British official all aspects of the Cypriot issue, in talks that were held in a friendly climate, and pointed out Britain's wish and willingness to aid in finding a solution to the problem prior to any direct talks taking place with the Turk-Cypriot side.

In turn, Mr. Rifkind stated that the opportunity he had to hear President Clerides was highly constructive and added that Britain is anxious to support any given opportunity there may exist for settling the issue.

When asked as to how Britain could help in solving the Cyprus problem, Mr. Rifkind referred to his country's obligations as a guarrantor, as a member of the European Union and its participation in the peacekeeping forces that are currently stationed on the island.

Complete archives of the Macedonian Press Agency bulletins are available on the MPA Home Page at http://www.mpa.gr/ and on the U.S. mirror at http://www.hri.org/MPA/