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Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 98-09-04

Macedonian Press Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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


MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, September 4, 1998

SECTIONS

  • [A] NATIONAL NEWS
  • [B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

  • NEWS HEADLINES

    [A] NATIONAL NEWS

  • [01] THESSALONIKI'S 63rd TRADE FAIR TO BE INAUGURATED TONIGHT BY PREMIER
  • [02] SCORE OF OFFICIALS TO ATTEND INAUGURATION OF 63RD TIF
  • [03] PRESIDENT OF HELLENIC REPUBLIC TO VISIT FLORINA PREFECTURE THIS WEEKEND
  • [04] TURKEY IS IN CONFLICT WITH THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY
  • [05] THE BIGGEST INCREASE OF THE YEAR IN INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION WAS RECORDED IN JUNE
  • [06] THE NUMBER OF CHARTER FLIGHTS TO GREECE HAS INCREASED BY 8.5%
  • [07] TWO GREEKS AND 8 OF GREEK ORIGIN WERE AMONG THE PASSENGERS OF THE SWISSAIR PLANE
  • [08] THE EUROPEAN STOCK MARKETS ARE ON A POSITIVE COURSE
  • [B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

  • [09] EIGHT GREEKS WERE AMONG THE PASSENGERS OF SWISSAIR'S FLIGHT SR111
  • [10] ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH VARTHOLOMEOS SENDS WISHES TO TIF
  • [11] GREECE AND TUNISIA SIGN DEFENSE AGREEMENT
  • [12] GREECE OPENS CONSULATE IN YUGOSLAV CITY OF NIS, FIRST COUNTRY TO DO SO
  • [13] UN SECRETARY-GENERAL INSISTS ON BI-COMMUNAL TALKS IN CYPRUS
  • [14] RUSSIA'S DUMA TO CONVENE TODAY OVER CERNOMYRDIN'S APPOINTMENT
  • [15] THE S-300 MISSILES ARE AN ANTI-AIRCRAFT DEFENSE SYSTEM ACCORDING TO A US STATE DEPARTMENT REPORT
  • [16] TEN GREEKS AMONG THE VICTIMS OF THE SWISSAIR PASSENGER PLANE CRASH
  • [17] THE GREEK-AMERICAN INSTITUTE PROTESTED AGAINST THE DENKTASH PROPOSAL

  • NEWS IN DETAIL

    [A] NATIONAL NEWS

    [01] THESSALONIKI'S 63rd TRADE FAIR TO BE INAUGURATED TONIGHT BY PREMIER

    Thessaloniki is to be the city at the heart of Europe for a course of ten days, thanks to the 63rd International Trade Fair that is to be inaugurated this evening by the Prime Minister Kostas Simitis.

    The Premier will be accompanied by a large delegation of government officials.

    Government spokesperson Dimitris Reppas stated that, in his speech, Mr. Simitis will insist on the adherence to the present fiscal policy and will grant emphasis on the promotion of reforms that are expected to propel the country into the Economic and Monetary Union.

    [02] SCORE OF OFFICIALS TO ATTEND INAUGURATION OF 63RD TIF

    A score of officials are to attend this evening's inauguration ceremony of Thessaloniki's 63rd International Trade Fair.

    The inauguration will take place at 8 p.m. with an address given by the Prime Minister Kostas Simitis, who is expected to arrive in the city at 6:15 p.m.

    The ceremony, held at the Fair's "Ioannis Vellidis" convention center, will be attended by US Assistant Secretary of Commerce Mary Fran Kirchner, the Commerce, Industry and Tourism Minister of Cyprus, the Ukrainian Public Order Minister, the Ukrainian International Economic Relations and Agriculture Undersecretaries and the Polish Finance Undersecretary.

    The Premier will unveil the government's economic policy for the next 12 months during tomorrow evening's speech, to be given at 9 p. m.

    At noon on Sunday, Mr. Simitis will give a press conference spanning all issues. This year's TIF is to the participation of the People's Republic of China, whose pavilion is one of the biggest and covers 500 square meters.

    [03] PRESIDENT OF HELLENIC REPUBLIC TO VISIT FLORINA PREFECTURE THIS WEEKEND

    The President of the Hellenic Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos is to conduct a two-day visit to the prefecture of Florina this weekend.

    According to the announcement issued by the President's office, Mr. Stephanopoulos will visit the cities of Amynteo, Florina, the guardhouses of Niki, Koula and Agia Paraskevi, as well as the Prespes lake.

    [04] TURKEY IS IN CONFLICT WITH THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY

    Turkey moves to the opposite direction with that of the decisions and the wishes of the international community and repeats the provocation toward Greece, stated Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas.

    Mr. Reppas made the statement when he was asked by reporters to comment on the statements made by Turkish prime minister Mesut Yilmaz, who spoke of accelerated procedures for the incorporation of the Turkish occupied northern Cyprus into Turkey.

    [05] THE BIGGEST INCREASE OF THE YEAR IN INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION WAS RECORDED IN JUNE

    Industrial production increased by 6.4% in June, which is the biggest increase recorded this year. The encouraging facts provided by the National Statistics Agency multiply the expectations of the government's economic staff for a considerable contribution of the industry sector to the strengthening of the GDP in 1998.

    The increase observed is linked to a great degree to the increase of the general index of mine, industry and electricity- natural gas production. This index increased in June by 8%, while the electricity-natural gas production index alone showed a notable increase of 28.7%.

    [06] THE NUMBER OF CHARTER FLIGHTS TO GREECE HAS INCREASED BY 8.5%

    The charter flights arrivals in Greece showed a rise of 8.5% during the second trimester of 1998. The number of passengers who selected this way to come to Greece for their vacation was recorded by the National Statistics Agency.

    Specifically, 1.545.890 people arrived at the airports of Thessaloniki, Athens, Iraklio, Rhodes and Corfu in the April-June period, while at the same time last year they were 1.424.788.

    The largest increase was recorded at the airport of Corfu by 17.81%, while also impressive was the increase observed at the airport of Iraklion with 633.999 passengers. On the contrary, the situation is less encouraging at the Athens Airport where the number of charter flights arrivals in the April-June period showed a decline of 6.08%.

    [07] TWO GREEKS AND 8 OF GREEK ORIGIN WERE AMONG THE PASSENGERS OF THE SWISSAIR PLANE

    Two Greeks and 8 of Greek origin are included in the list with the names of the 229 passengers of the Swissair plane that crashed yesterday. Their names are Peter and William Karipidis, Gabriela Karipidis, Chronoula Bonanou-Economopoulou, Nikos Kefalidis, Evgenia and Platonas Spanopoulos, Christos Tsolis, Maria Tzamargioudaki and Zenios Marinos.

    Swissair has announced that the 14 crew members were Swiss, while of the 215 passengers, 136 had a US passport, 30 were French, 28 Swiss, 2 Greeks and the rest 21 came from different countries.

    [08] THE EUROPEAN STOCK MARKETS ARE ON A POSITIVE COURSE

    The European stock markets are on a positive course today in spite of yesterday's losses in the New York Stock Exchange.

    Meanwhile, in Russia the efforts continue for the easing of the stock market crisis. Russian president Boris Yeltsin promised more powers to the Communist dominated Lower House of Parliament, known as Duma, in order to win its approval of prime minister designate Victor Chernomyrdin.

    [B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

    [09] EIGHT GREEKS WERE AMONG THE PASSENGERS OF SWISSAIR'S FLIGHT SR111

    Eight Greeks, six of whom were traveling on foreign passports, were among the 229 passengers of the Swissair flight SR111 that crashed off the coast of Canada yesterday, killing all abroad.

    The victims' relatives left for Halifax yesterday in order to identify the remains of their loved ones. Swissair launched an emergency plan yesterday and offered to the families of the victims a round-trip flight to Canada and $20,000 in immediate aid for each passenger killed.

    A Swissair spokesperson in Athens said that nineteen of the 215 passengers on the flight were booked on connecting flights to the Greek capital.

    The MD-11 airliner was en route from New York to Geneva when the pilot saw smoke in the cockpit. He warned the passengers and the 14 crew members that they would be making an emergency landing in Halifax. Instead, it crashed off the coast of Nova Scotia.

    The plane, a three-engine McDonnell Douglas aircraft, went down in the Atlantic at 9:30 p.m. Wednesday (0130 GMT Thursday), an hour and 40 minutes after takeoff from New York's Kennedy Airport.

    Yesterday's crash was the first suffered by Swissair since 1979, when a DC-8 overshot the runway in Athens. Fourteen people died when that plane burst into flames.

    [10] ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH VARTHOLOMEOS SENDS WISHES TO TIF

    The Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos has forwarded a message to the International Trade Fair of Thessaloniki, wishing for its success.

    In his message, to be read during this evening inaugural ceremony, the Patriarch also expresses his regret that he will be unable to attend the event, to which he is invited every year, due to previously undertaken commitments.

    [11] GREECE AND TUNISIA SIGN DEFENSE AGREEMENT

    Greece's Defense Minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos, winding up an official visit to Tunisia yesterday, signed a defense agreement with his Tunisian counterpart Ben Yahia providing for cooperation in the defense and military sectors.

    Mr. Tsochatzopoulos said that the countries of the Mediterranean region could contribute decisively to the maintenance of stability and security in the region, overcoming the problems arising at a localized level.

    Mr. Yahia said that the agreement aims at "not only defense but at peace in the region of the Mediterranean."

    While in Tunis, Mr. Tsochatzopoulos held talks with a number of Tunisian government officials on bilateral, regional and international issues, including the Cypriot problem and the need to respect United Nations Security Council resolutions.

    In his meeting with Tunisian President Ben Ali, he asked for Tunis's support for Greece's bid to sit on the Security Council as a non-permanent member.

    [12] GREECE OPENS CONSULATE IN YUGOSLAV CITY OF NIS, FIRST COUNTRY TO DO SO

    Greece is to inaugurate its consulate in the city of Nis today, being the first country covering the region of southern Serbia as well as Kossovo.

    Aiming at the facilitation of Yugoslav tourists and businessmen wishing to obtain visas for Greece, the consulate will also serve the city's big Greek community, comprising primarily students and businessmen, and will contribute towards the development of economic and cultural relations between Serbia and Greece.

    The inauguration will be conducted by the Foreign Ministry's Administration and Organization Secretary General Konstantinos Zoras in the presence of the Mayor of Nis Zoran Zivkovic and other Serb officials.

    [13] UN SECRETARY-GENERAL INSISTS ON BI-COMMUNAL TALKS IN CYPRUS

    Following a brief meeting with Cypriot President Glafkos Clerides in Durban yesterday, United Nations Secretary-general Kofi Annan reiterated that the UN's Security Council would not waiver from its insistence that Cyprus peace talks be held on a bi- communal basis.

    Commenting on the Turkish Cypriot confederation plan, which aims to initiate peace talks between "two equal states", Mr. Annan said that "I think this issue has been already raised and brought to the attention of the UN Security Council, which has already given its response."

    Mgrs. Clerides and Annan met on the sidelines of the Non- Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit held in South Africa in order to discuss the situation in Cyprus and UN efforts to reduce tension.

    Mr. Clerides said he was satisfied with the brief meeting and suggested there were prospects for a new UN initiative to start the peace process.

    The Cypriot President repeated his condemnation of the confederation proposal and stressed that demilitarization is the only way to secure a peaceful solution.

    He described Turk-Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash's confederation proposal as "totally unacceptable", saying it aimed at "destroying Cyprus as a sovereign and independent state and becoming a Turkish protectorate."

    [14] RUSSIA'S DUMA TO CONVENE TODAY OVER CERNOMYRDIN'S APPOINTMENT

    Russia's lower house of parliament (Duma) is to vote today on prime minister-designate Victor Cernomyrdin in the second of three possible votes, although it has made clear its overwhelming rejection of President Yeltsin's choice of premier.

    If Mr. Cernomyrdin is rejected by the Duma three times, President Yeltsin will have to dissolve the House and call an early parliamentary election. Mr. Chernomyrdin won the support of only 94 of the Duma's 450 members last Monday. In order to be elected, he needs at least 226 votes.

    [15] THE S-300 MISSILES ARE AN ANTI-AIRCRAFT DEFENSE SYSTEM ACCORDING TO A US STATE DEPARTMENT REPORT

    The US State Department categorically rejected the Turkish allegations that the Russian S-300 missiles Cyprus is planning to buy can be used for offensive purposes as surface-to-surface missiles, characterizing them as anti-aircraft defense system.

    This conclusion is included in a US State Department report that was given to publicity by the British-American Council of information on issues of security. The report was drawn up last January by the team of former US envoy to Cyprus Richard Halbrooke.

    The report, part of which was broadcast by the BBC radio, refers to the capabilities of the S-300 missiles and describes them as a defense security system, while taking under consideration that Turkey was alarmed by their possible use for offensive purposes, to conclude that those concerns are groundless.

    [16] TEN GREEKS AMONG THE VICTIMS OF THE SWISSAIR PASSENGER PLANE CRASH

    Ten Greek names are included in the list with the 229 victims of the Swissair passenger plane crash, while the causes of the tragic accident are still unknown. It should be reminded that the airplane, that was on route to Geneva from New York, crashed in the frozen waters of the Atlantic, off the Nova Scotia coasts in Canada.

    The rescue crews have picked up 44 bodies as the search continues in bad weather conditions. Light on the causes of the tragedy is expected to be shed by the two black boxes of the MD-11 passenger plane, while the US pentagon spokesman has ruled out the likelihood of a terrorist action.

    [17] THE GREEK-AMERICAN INSTITUTE PROTESTED AGAINST THE DENKTASH PROPOSAL

    The Greek-American Institute calls on the US government to reject the Denktash proposal for the creation of a confederation in Cyprus.

    With a letter addressed to US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, the US Congress, US State Department officials and US ambassadors to Athens, Nicosia and Ankara, the Institute criticizes the initial reaction of the US ambassador to Nicosia concerning Denktash's proposal as well as, the reaction of US State Department officials characterizing it as inadequate and weak.

    In the letter it is pointed out that the Denktash proposal is in effect a recognition of two separate sovereign states in Cyprus and violates the declared positions of the United States and the United Nations. According to the Greek-American Institute protest letter, Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash acts following the orders of the Turkish armed forces that continue to occupy 40% of the island and underlined that his proposal is the last in a series of provocative statements that undermine the stability in the Aegean and eastern Mediterranean.


    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/


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