Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 98-02-25

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

Macedonian Press Agency: News in English Directory

MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH

Thessaloniki, 25 February 1998

NEWS IN ENGLISH

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

TITLES

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

NEWS IN DETAIL

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[01] PENSIONS TO RISE SLIGHTLY ABOVE INFLATION

Prime Minister Kostas Simitis is to announce this afternoon pension increases that will amount to a figure slightly higher than the inflation rate, that is they will not surpass the four- percent-mark.

Meanwhile, the country’s teachers and professors are embarking on a 24-hour strike today, with rallies being held in Thessaloniki, Athens, and other big cities throughout the country.

[02] MAIN OPPOSITION’S HONORARY PRESIDENT NOT PART OF EXECUTIVE COM’TEE

The honorary president of Greece’s main opposition party, New Democracy’s Konstantinos Mitsotakis, was excluded the party’s executive committee session held yesterday.

His exclusion was announced by the party’s president Kostas Karamanlis, during a press conference, wherein he also lashed against the government’s policy in both national issues and the economy.

[03] MILITARY AND HUMANITARIAN AID TO GEORGIA

Two Greek naval vessels will depart from Thessaloniki tomorrow for Georgia bearing military aid under the terms of a bilateral agreement signed last year in Tbilisi by Greek Defence Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos.

The 30-meter patrol boat "Lindos", a gift from the Greek Defense Ministry to the Georgian navy, was built at the Skaramanga shipyards in the early 1980s. To be renamed "Iberia", it will be used to patrol Georgia's coasts.

Accompanying it is the tank landing craft "Samos" which is to deliver humanitarian aid to Georgia's ethnic Greeks as well as equipment for Georgia's armed forces.

Greek navy divers travelling on the "Samos" are to assist the Georgians in trying to salvage ships sunk during the 1993 civil war between Georgians and Abkhazians.

[04] GREEK TEACHERS, PROFESSORS ON 24-HOUR STRIKE TODAY

Greece’s teachers and professors have embarked on a 24-hour strike today, conducting rallies in Thessaloniki, Athens and other large cities throughout the country.

The participation rate has reached the astounding 90% mark for teachers, while about half of the country’s professors took part in the strike.

They ask that their economic demands be met, while they are also opposed to the state’s system of valuation and they ask that the post-placement list be gradually abolished.

[05] THE TURKISH AMBASSADOR TO ATHENS MET WITH THE GREEK DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER

Turkish ambassador to Athens Ali Tuygan met with Greek deputy foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou, one day after Athens rejected the new proposals concerning the Greek-Turkish affairs that were submitted by Turkish foreign minister Ismail Cem.

Mr. Papandreou stated that they discussed the recent letters exchanged by the foreign ministers of the two countries, while Mr. Tuygan left open the possibility for Mr. Cem to accept the invitation issued by Mr. Pangalos for a meeting in the Aegean island of Rhodes on the sidelines of the Western European Union Summit.

Specifically, the Turkish ambassador stated that Ankara studies carefully the letter of the Greek minister and will give its response. When asked about the issue of the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice in The Hague over the Turkish claims, Mr. Tuygan stated that Turkey does not rule out any method leading to a solution but added that first the two sides should talk.

[06] THE PRIME MINISTER MET WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF PENSIONERS

Pensioners’ unions representatives met with the prime minister in Athens. Mr. Kostas Simitis is expected to announce pension increases that will be at 4%, slightly over the inflation rate.

Meanwhile, the social solidarity benefit will be given in March to 160.000 people who receive very low pensions. In the money order they will receive will be included the benefit payments for the months of January and February as well.

[07] THE GREEK FOREIGN MINISTER WILL VISIT BELGRADE ON MARCH 6

Greek foreign minister Theodoros Pangalos will visit Belgrade on March 6 at the invitation of his Yugoslav counterpart, according to an announcement issued by the Yugoslav foreign ministry.

The two ministers will discuss issues of bilateral interest as well as the problems of the wider Balkan region.

The situation in Kosovo is expected to be among the issues that will be discussed due to the latest unrest and the continuous killings of members of the Serb and Albanian population.

[08] MITSOTAKIS IS DISPLEASED WITH KARAMANLIS

Right-wing main opposition party of New Democracy honorary president Konstantinos Mitsotakis expressed displeasure over the statement made about him by party leader Kostas Karamanlis. Mr. Mitsotakis said that New Democracy moves backwards instead of moving forward.

Party deputy Dora Bakoyiannis observed in the party’s executive bureau meeting yesterday that New Democracy has no concrete policy and under such pre-conditions it can not be the winner in the next parliamentary elections.

[09] THE ARCHBISHOP OF ATHENS IS HOSPITALIZED WITH INFECTION

Archbishop Seraphim of Athens and All of Greece is hospitalized since yesterday suffering from a serious infection.

The medical bulletin issued at noon today on the condition of his health mentions that the infection was caused from the continuous dialyses he had to undergo due to his kidney problems.

His doctors pointed out that the situation is under control in spite of the Archbishop’s bad state of health but added that they can not say when he will be released from hospital.

[10] IMPORTANT REFORMS AND CHANGES TO THE GREEK ECONOMY BY THE YEAR 2000

Important reforms and decisive changes will take place in the Greek economy by the year 2000, as the Greek government promotes ten structural interventions that are expected to radically change the country’s economic scene. The ten axes on which the economic policy of the government will be based were presented by undersecretary of national economy and finance Mr. Giorgos Dris.

Specifically, the structural interventions include the merger or the abolition of 1.750 public agencies, the privatization and modernization of state firms, the step-by-step freeing of the market in the sectors of tele-communications, energy and transportation, the modernization of the legislation on development, the promotion of legislation for the independence of the Bank of Greece, the freeing of the job market, the safeguarding of the viability of the social security system, the modernization of the capital markets, the strengthening of the private sector and the increased participation of private capital in the state banks.

[11] THE FIRST PARTS OF THE EGNATIA ROAD NETWORK WILL BE OPEN TO TRAFFIC BEFORE THE END OF 1998

The first parts of the Egnatia road network in the regions of Kavala, Veria and elsewhere will be open to traffic before the end of 1998, according to Egnatia Ltd president university professor Dimitris Fatouros who spoke to reporters on the occasion of the two-day conference on the road-bridges’ design problems that will be held in Thessaloniki in February 26 and 27.

About 576 small and large bridges are planned to be constructed within the framework of the Egnatia road network project. Their total length will be 43 kilometers and their budget is estimated at 130 billion drachmas. Tunnels with a total length of 30 kilometers will be added to those bridges and together they will make up 10% of the project.

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

[12] UN CHIEF OPTIMISTIC OVER PEACE AGREMENT IN PERSIAN GULF

United Nations secretary-general Kofi Annan briefed the UN Security Council on the agreement he signed with the Iraqi vice- president, concerning the weapons inspections in Iraq.

Mr. Annan expressed his optimism that the will secure the support of the SC’s 15 members, However, both the United States and Great Britain has warned Ira’s leader Saddam Hussein that if he does not uphold the agreement the consequences will be formidable.

[13] GREECE’S FOREIGN UNDERSECRETARY IN CYPRUS, MEETS WITH CLERIDES

Greece’s Foreign Under-secretary Yiannos Kranidiotis, met with Cyrpuot Preisdnet Glafkops Clerides in Nicosia today, within the framework of the preparatins taking place forthe island’s negotiaiotns for accesison tot he European Uni on.

Presidnet Clerides anfd Mr. Kranidiotis also discussed the former’s visit to Athens next month, scheduled for March 10.

The Greek Foreign Under-secretary is also scheduled to meet with Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides and House President Spyros Kyprianou, political party leaders, Archbishop Chrysostomos and the commander of the National Guard.

He will have talks with Britain's representative for Cyprus Sir David Hannay, who will be visiting the island, US ambassador Kenneth Brill as well as EU special envoy to the Middle East.

[14] EXHIBITION ON BYZANTIUM OPENS IN LONDON ON FRIDAY

An exhibition on the Byzantium showcasing coins and photographic materials will open Friday in London as part of the "Greece in Britain" series of cultural events.

The exhibition focuses on the travels to the east and west by Emmanuel II Paleologos, the father of last Byzantine Emperor Constantinos XI Paleologos. It will be housed at London's Greek Cultural Center.

In addition, a concert at St. Paul's Anglican Church, under the auspices of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, is scheduled for March 4.

[15] SOFIA INVITED FYROM TO PARTICIPATE IN THE INITIATIVE ON KOSOVO

Sofia issued an invitation to Skopje to participate in the initiative aimed at finding a solution to the problem of Kosovo. The invitation was issued after the intervention of Greek foreign minister Theodoros Pangalos.

The invitation arrived in FYROM yesterday, while at the same time Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas was confirming the information reported by a radio station in Athens according to which, the same invitation had also been directed to Ankara and Bucharest.

Mr. Reppas added that Mr. Pangalos, in his reply letter to his Bulgarian counterpart Ms. Michailova, had pointed out that the EU and FYROM should be among those parties invited to participate in the initiative.

[16] CLERIDES-KRANIDIOTIS MEETING

Greek undersecretary of foreign affairs Yiannos Kranidiotis met with Cypriot president Glafkos Clerides in Nicosia within the framework of the contacts for the coordination of the moves regarding Cyprus’ EU accession negotiations.

Mr. Kranidiotis will have meetings with all the political party leaders in Cyprus as well as, with US ambassador to Cyprus Kenneth Brill.

[17] THE INSTALLATION OF THE S-300 MISSILES IN CYPRUS WILL BE COMPLETED IN AUTUMN

The installation of the Russian S-300 anti-aircraft missiles in Cyprus will be completed in the fall, stated Russian ambassador to Nicosia Georgi Muratov responding to questions made by reporters on whether the time-table for the installation of the missiles will be kept by the Russians.

The question was made on the occasion of information, according to which US assistant Secretary of Defense Mr. Lontal has warned the Cypriot government not to move ahead with the purchase of the missiles to avoid a new tension in Cyprus.

Mr. Muratov, after stressing his government’s firm position to respect the contract it has signed with the Cypriot government, stated that only the full demilitarization of Cyprus can cancel the installation of the missiles.

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