MPA NEWS IN ENGLISH (01/08/1996)

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

Macedonian Press Agency News in English Directory

MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH

Thessaloniki, August 1, 1996

NEWS IN ENGLISH

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

TITLES

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

NEWS IN DETAIL

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[01] GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN REACTS STRONGLY TO STATEMENTS MADE BY THE TURKISH PRESIDENT

Greek government spokesman, Dimitris Reppas gave a strong response when he was asked to comment on the recent statements made by turkish President, Suleiman Demirel regarding the muslim minority in Thrace and the Treaty of Lauzanne.

Such statements, said mr.Reppas are made within the framework of Turkey's efforts to cut free from the position of the accused it is in, as a result of the recent events in the turkish prisons.

It should be reminded that two days ago, mr.Demirel alleged that Greece has shown no respect to the rights of the muslim minority in Thrace and maintained that this has altered the Treaty of Lauzanne. Mr.Demirel also added that the agreements are being made in order to be kept because otherwise, is impossible for anyone to know how far an issue will go and where it will end.

[02] GREECE GIVES VERBAL DEMARCHE TO FYROM ON FRTSKOFSKI'S STATEMENTS

Verbal demarche on behalf of the greek government, on the occasion of the statements made by FYROM's Foreign Minister, Liubomir Frtskofski in a gathering of skopjans living abroad held in Monastiri, was conveyed yesterday to skopjan Foreign Affairs Undersecretary, Oknen Malefski by acting head of Greece's Liaison Office in Skopje, Theodoros Pasas.

According to the skopjan state television, mr.Pasas conveyed the greek government's concern over the views expressed by the Skopjan Foreign Minister regarding the position and the rights of the skopjans living in countries neighbouring to FYROM. He also pointed out that according to the greek government, mr.Frtskofski's statements constitute intervention in Greece's internal affairs.

It should be pointed out that in the gathering of skopjans living abroad, the FYROM Foreign Minister stated among others, that his country's government is reexamining in depth the issue of their living conditions in the neighbouring countries and has decided to make no concessions in the settlement of this issue, which should be dealt within the framework of international treaties.

[03] PARLIAMENT PRESIDENT SENTS CONGRATULATORY TELEGRAM TO NEW ARCHBISHOP

President of the greek Parliament, Apostolos Kaklamanis sent a congratulatory telegram to new Archbishop of North and South America, Spiridon.

In his telegram mr.Kaklamanis expresses the certainty that the new Archbishop will continue to fight for the interests of the greek communities in the region and the greek nation.

Mr.Kaklamanis also mentions that the virtues and the abilities the new Archbishop has displayed until now in his pastoral course, constitute a guarantee for the success of the great mission he has undertaken.

[04] MAIN OPPOSITION LEADER BLASTS GOVERNMENT FOR ITS ECONOMIC POLICIES

Main opposition party leader, New Democracy's Miltiades Evert, has blasted the government over its economic policies.

"The people are suffering, the rural side is deserted, public administration is non-existent," staed Mr. Evert, adding that "it makes one sad to see where they have driven Greece."

Moreover, the main opposition leader noted that the country is suffering from de-industrialization, since employment in the industry sector has been reduced by 75,000 jobs.

Tomorrow, a delegation of New Democracy officials in Thessaloniki are expected to visit the city's port, airport and the Goodyear tire-production factory that closed its doors last month.

[05] MINOR OPPOSITION PARTY CRITICISES PREMIER ON TOURISM AND RELATIONS WITH FYROM

Minor opposition party Political Spring leader Antonis Samaras has issued an appeal to Prime Minister Kostas Simitis in which he urges him to address the crisis plaguing Greece's tourism sector.

Mr. Samaras emphasized the need to offer loan payment extensions to hoteliers and to reduce the number of working days from the current 100 to 70 in order to enable those who work in the tourism industry to collect unemployment benefits.

Today, Political Spring party's spokesperson Notis Martakis referred to the demarche Greece issued to FYROM today and accused the greek government of "outrageous and suspicious inactiivity" in addressing the skopjan provocations.

"FYROM's outrageous provocations that lead to the questioning of greek properties and set forth -quite audaciously- ann issue ot supposed 'macedonian' minority living in Greece, are all natural consequernces on the interim agreement," he stated.

[06] GREEK ATHLETE RANKS SIXTH IN OLYMPIC GAMES TRIPLE JUMP FINAL COMPETITION

Greek athlete Olga Vasdeki came sixth in the finals of the triple-jump competition during the Atlanta-held Olympic Games yesterday, with a performance of 14.44 meters.

Meanwhile, for the first time in the Olympic Games' chronicles, a Greek athlete made it to the 200 meters semifinals when Katerina Koffa finished fourth with :23.4, earning 15th place in the semifinals.

[07] CHILDREN FROM NORTHERN EPIRUS SENT LETTER TO GOLD MEDALIST PYRROS DEMAS

Greece's gold medalist in the Olympic Games weightligfting competition Pyrros Demas, whose origin is from Northern Epirus, has received an emotional letter from a group of Northern Epirus' young children wherein they ask their idol not to forget them.

While on a camping expedition to Greece, the youngsters from Agii Saranta, Delvino and Cheimarra, where the greek minority in Albania mainly lives, wrote to Demas and said "you can see us better from high up there.Remember your birthplace, the things you did without, our pains, our trials, our struggle for justice and equality."

[08] WALL STREET JOURNAL: GREECE CAN SUCCESSFULLY ORGANIZE OLYMPIC GAMES

The Wall Street Journal, the US-based newspaper, has reported that Greece quite capable of organizing professionally the Olympic Games.

The article, written by the newspaper's Athens correspondent, adds that Greece has spent over one billion drachmas since 1980 for the construction of high- caliber facilities and has already completed 90 percent of the projects necessary for hosting the Olympics.

Moreover, the article states, the Greek Olympic Committee has secured over two million dollars from 35 interested sponsors.

The Wall Street Journal compares the organization of this year's Atlanta-held Games with the Greek candidacy for the Centennial Games and concludes that Athens would have managed better since it has hosted numerous events of european and international level.

[09] METROPOLITE PAVLOS BECAME VICAR OF PATRIARCHATE OF ALEXANDRIA THRONE

Metropolite of Ioannoupolis (Johannesburg) and Pretoria, Pavlos was appointed Vicar of the Throne of the Patriarchate of Alexandria by the members of the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate during their special meeting held yesterday afternoon.

In the main duties of the Throne's Vicar is included the commencement of the procedures for the succession of the Patriarch which, according to Patriarchate's sources, are expected to be completed by the end of 1996 at the earliest.

Specifically, the electors' General Assembly which, in the case of the Patriarchate of Alexandria, is made up of clerics and representatives of the faithful (laymen), will select the three strongest candidates from which the Patriarchate's Holy Synod will elect the new Patriarch.

Metropolite of Ioannoupolis and Pretoria, Pavlos was born in Kafr El Zayad, Egypt, near the river Nile, in 1920. He is a graduate of Cairo's Ampetios School and later studied Theology and Law in Athens.

Has served for 12 years as deacon in the Partiarchate of Alexandria and then, from 1954 to 1968 was a parish priest in Harare. In 1968 was elected Metropolite of Ioannoupolis and Pretoria and was made known for his activities aiming at making Orthodoxy stronger in South Africa.

It should be noted that when he assumed his duties in the Metropolis of Ioannoupolis and Pretoria there were only 3 Greek-Orthodox churches in South Africa while today their number increased to 17, the Patriarchal Church of Johannesburg included.

[10] EVROS AUTHORITIES TAKE DRACONIAN MEASURES FOR FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE

Local authorities in Northern Greece's Evros prefecture have decided to take draconian measures throughout the region in light of the recent outbreak of foot and mouth disease that has stricken the area.

According to Evros Prefect George Dolios, part of the preventive measures will be the slaughtering of all animals that even appear to be stricken by the disease.

Mr. Dolios also stated that the disease has been completely wiped out in the Dikella village, while at the Evros river Delta 3,500 cattle have been slaughtered along with 1,150 sheep, thereby reducing the outbreak in this village.

Also, regarding the Thireas community, the Prefect stated that due to an isolated finding of the disease, a whole herd of cattle has been slaughtered.

In addition to slaughtering, other preventive measures include thorough disinfectation of vehicles through special-made trenches.

Moreover, a five-day ban has been placed on the collection of goat milk throughout the prefecture, inlcuding the healthy units, as well as the collection of cow's milk from the protected areas. Cow's milk will be collected only through the supervised zones under strick disinfection measures and in accordance with the Veterinary Authority.

Also, after a decision that is expected to be signed today, fishing is forbidden throughout the Evros river, not only at the Delta, while hunting is banned at the Delta region.

[11] GREEK-BULGARIAN VETERINARIANS TO DISCUSS VARIOLA OUTBREAK ON MONDAY

Evros Prefect George Dolios announced today that representatives of the Veterinary Services of Greece's Evros and Bulgaria's Haskovo will meet on Monday at the Ormenios customs office.

According to Mr. Dolios, the two groups will discuss the potential of cooperation in the efforts to control the variola outbreak that has stricken Bulgaria and the ways to prevent the disease's spread into Greece.

[12] GREECE'S FORMER FOREIGN MINISTER:ALBANIAN ELECTIONS A EUROPEAN ISSUE

Greece's former foreign minister Karolos Papoulias supports that the issue of the recent elections in Albania is one that concerns all those Balkan countries that look forward to inter-balkan cooperation.

Mr. Papoulias, in an interview to albanian newspaper "Koha Jone", stated that the albanian elections also constitute a european issue and as such "Europe must not tolerate the violations of democratic principles and, most importantly, any restrictions imposed on the people's will through elections."

[13] GREEK-AMERICAN LEADERS TO SUPPORT CLINTON'S PRE- ELECTION CAMPAIGN

An impressive amount of money will be given to United States President Bill Clinton in a contribution to his pre-election campaign by leaders of the Greek- American community who are scheduled to attend a White House dinner this evening.

Present at the event will be the President of The World Council of Greeks Abroad Andrew Athens, the President of the Worldwide Coordinating Committee for the Cypriot Struggle Phillip Christoher, Nikos Mugaris, Aggelos Tsakopoulos, Andrew Manatos, congressman Paul Sarbanis and John Brademas, honorary President of New York University.

Also, representatives of the "Greek-Americans for the Democratic Party" organization and its coordinating committee's president Don Fowler will give a press conference tomorrow, formally announcing their support to President Clinton.

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

[14] POPULATION CENSUS TO BE HELD IN OCCUPIED CYPRUS BY TURK-CYPRIOTS

The turkish-cypriots in Northern Cyprus' occupied territory will perform a population census in December, in cooperation with the Turkish State Statistics Institute.

According to the turkish news agency "Anadolu" the cooperation agreement was signed in Ankara yesterday and will be sent to the turk-cypriots through "Cyprus Consultancy" a company of consultants for which no addtional information is available.

It should be reminded that turkish-cypriots are increasingly protesting that, due to Ankara's settlement policy, they have been reduced to a minority in Northern Cyprus, where following the invasion of 1974, the greek- cypriots were turned into refugees on their own island by Turkey.

[15] BE READY FOR SUDDEN SOLUTION IN CYPRUS, SAYS KNOWN TURKISH JOURNALIST

Turkish journalist Ali Birandt, reported today that the West is determined than ever to reach a solution to the Cyrpus problem, adding that he has never seen the two communities on the divided island to be so close, yet, at the same time, so far from one another.

Mr. Birandt, one of the most famous turkish journalists,who writes for the turkish daily "Sabah" noted in his commentary that the issue does not have the appropriate coverage it ought to in the media.

"For four months now, mediators are being appointed, the files are complete and all the scenaria are prepared, but the case will close with last minute negotiations, behind closed doors, just like in the Bosnia."

According to the turkish journalist, the turkish- cypriot authorities agree on three points: not to withdraw, for the time being, the turkish military forces from the island, the "turko-cypriot community" should direct its interior issues by itself, and, prior to any solution, an agreement must be reached on the issue of property exchange.

[16] ELECTIONS IN BOSNIA ARE A MISTAKE, SAYS EUROPARLIAMENTARIAN

The president of the European Parliament's committee that oversees the election process in Bosnia-Herzegovina maintains that elections in this war-torn region are a mistake.

The German Christian-Democrat, Doris Pack, in an interview with the "L'Alsace" daily, enumerates a series of reasons supporting her beliefs.

"First," she stated, "the people cannot walk about freely and, as such, a truly effective pre-election campaign cannot be carried out.

"Second, there is no political will to enforce the accords of the Dayton Agreement. Third, the elections will legitimize the existing leaders, the war lords, the Mafia who want things to remain as they are. Hate and racial cleansing are being continued."

According to Ms. Pack, who is a former member of the Council of Europe's Parliaments and the Western European Union, the refugees are not able to return to their houses and the inernational aid cannot really achieve its task of re-constructing the country."

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