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Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 98-12-18

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, December 18, 1998

SECTIONS

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

  • NEWS HEADLINES

    [A] NATIONAL NEWS

  • [01] CABINET DISCUSSES LARGE PROJECTS
  • [02] DISGRUNTLED STUDENTS OCCUPY HIGH SCHOOL BUILDINGS
  • [03] PARLIAMENT TO VOTE ON BUDGET MONDAY AT MIDNIGHT
  • [04] GREEK DEFENSE MINISTER: US, BRITAIN ARE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS
  • [05] ALTERNATE FM: THE EU SHOULD TAKE AN INITIATIVE OVER IRAQ
  • [B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

  • [06] NATO DEFENSE MINSTERS CONVENE IN BRUSSELS
  • [07] RAIDS OVER IRAQ CONTINUE, WORLD OPINION IS DIVIDED
  • [08] GREEK EURODEPUTY: THE EU COULD HAVE STOPPED THE WAR
  • [09] CLARK: MILOSEVIC IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SAFETY OF OSCE'S OBSERVERS
  • [10] UKRAINE IS AGAINST ATTACKS ON IRAQ

  • NEWS IN DETAIL

    [A] NATIONAL NEWS

    [01] CABINET DISCUSSES LARGE PROJECTS

    The Cabinet convened today in a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Kostas Simitis, where the participating ministers discussed the course of the country's large infrastructure works, while the Iraq crisis was also brought up.

    Deputy Foreign Minister Yiannos Kranidiotis stated that the United States have not requested military assistance from Greece in regards to the raids launched against Baghdad. The Undersecretary of Defense Dimitris Apostolakis stated that the government is closely watching the developments and is hopeful that the raids will soon stop.

    [02] DISGRUNTLED STUDENTS OCCUPY HIGH SCHOOL BUILDINGS

    High school students throughout Greece continue to barricade themselves in their high school buildings, occupying 48% of them throughout the country, and vow to spend the Christmas holidays at their empty desks if the academic reforms are not canceled.

    In Thessaloniki, students are planning another march through the city's major arteries, which will disrupt traffic to the center of the city. Meanwhile, Education Minister Gerasimos Arsenis is concerned that the students are misinformed on the proposed changes, but states that he will proceed with the reform as planned. Meanwhile, Archbishop Christodoulos, who favors the reforms, has appealed to the students that they return to class.

    [03] PARLIAMENT TO VOTE ON BUDGET MONDAY AT MIDNIGHT

    The 1999 state budget, submitted by the ruling PASOK party, will be voted upon by the country's parliamentarians on Monday at midnight.

    Until yesterday, 162 deputies were lined up to take the podium during the -at times- heated debate. PASOK's mover Minas Stavrakakis emphasized that the proposed budget justifies the government's policies, while main opposition party mover, New Democracy's George Voulgarakis proposed another draft for the budget, aimed at improving the economy.

    [04] GREEK DEFENSE MINISTER: US, BRITAIN ARE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS

    Greece's Minister of National Defense Akis Tsochatzopoulos, referring to the US-Britain air raids over Baghdad, stated that there was no prior discussion of the event within NATO.

    Moreover, Mr. Tsochatzopoulos said that the matter has a certain peculiarity since two members of the Alliance decided to deal with the refusal of Iraqi President Saddam Husein to comply with the Security Council's demands.

    "The two countries which proceeded to take this action are solely responsible," Mr. Tsochatzopoulos stated, adding that Greece has expressed its chagrin since "the diplomatic venue did not lead to a positive outcome, as was the case with Kosovo."

    Furthermore, the Greek Defense Minster said that the government would prefer that political solutions were adopted, a mean it supports with Kosovo being an example.

    [05] ALTERNATE FM: THE EU SHOULD TAKE AN INITIATIVE OVER IRAQ

    Greece's alternate Foreign Minister George Papandreou expressed the hope that the military operation in Iraq will come to an end soon and that the international community will undertake initiatives to resolve the matter through political means.

    Furthermore, Mr. Papandreou stated that aside from the conduct of Iraq's leadership, which, as he said, has been condemned by all, the world must not forget the Iraqi people whose need for food and medicines will increase after the latest raids.

    "We have a duty as the European Union to handle , even at this hour, the matter with gravity. If we truly want to fortify the European identity, especially when it concerns the Common Foreign Policy and Security Policy, the EU needs to have its own voice," Mr. Papandreou said, stressing that Greece is expressing its readiness to contribute to diplomatic and humanitarian initiatives, within the framework of international law principles, which should be enforced with the due respect to all.

    [B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

    [06] NATO DEFENSE MINSTERS CONVENE IN BRUSSELS

    The Defense Ministers of the Alliance's member-countries, with the exception of the Russian Federation's Igor Sergeyief, convened in Brussels this morning, while the committee for the NATO-Russia association, presided by Greece's Defense Minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos also convened and Russia was represented by its permanent representative in NATO.

    Secretary-General Javier Solana stated that the Iraq crisis is not a matter that concerns the Alliance, and it is an issue of the United States ands Britain.

    [07] RAIDS OVER IRAQ CONTINUE, WORLD OPINION IS DIVIDED

    Another air strike was launched against Baghdad last night by US and British aircraft. According to the Iraqi Minister of Health, 25 persons have been killed and hundreds have been wounded. United States Vice President Al Gore and Britain's Defense Secretary have stated that the raids could continue during the Muslim religious holiday of Ramazani.

    Meanwhile, high-ranking military officials have announced that the raids have caused extensive damage to Iraqi military targets such as the information center of Iraq's armed forces. Russia, indignant over the raids, has recalled its ambassadors from Washington and London.

    [08] GREEK EURODEPUTY: THE EU COULD HAVE STOPPED THE WAR

    The imminent impeachment vote against United States President Bill Clinton on the one hand, and the European Union's absence from the dramatic developments in Iraq on the other, constitute the primary assessments of Greece's eurodeputy Alekos Alavanos (Coalition of the Left and Progress) over the US-Britain air strikes over Baghdad.

    Speaking to the Macedonian Press Agency from Strasbourg, Mr. Alavanos stated that the true motives of the American attack do not aim at punishing a regime that violates international regulations, but, rather, in order to buy time for the US government and grant President Clinton the time to convince some Representatives not to vote for his impeachment.

    In regards to Europe's stance, Mr. Alavanos stated that Europe was once again absent and, to the degree that it was present., it was divided.

    "Europe could have, in my opinion, stop this development, but it lacked this ability since many states, and I say this with great sadness, see Europe as a subsidiary of the United States, they think Brussels is an annexation of Washington," he stated.

    [09] CLARK: MILOSEVIC IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SAFETY OF OSCE'S OBSERVERS

    The President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Slobodan Milosevic is fully responsible for the safety of the 2,000 unarmed observers assigned to Kosovo and working for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, according to NATO's supreme commander in Europe Wesley Clark.

    "In case the Yugoslav President does not fulfill this obligation, NATO knows what actin to take," Mr. Clark stated.

    Belgrade views the rapid intervention force as a threat to its national security, especially in the case operations are conducted in Kosovo.

    [10] UKRAINE IS AGAINST ATTACKS ON IRAQ

    The Ukrainian government is opposed to the US and British missile attacks against Iraq and has expressed its support to the innocent victims, according to an announcement issued by the Foreign Ministry in Kiev.

    Furthermore, the announcement stresses that Ukraine supports the resolution of conflict through diplomatic means and does not advocate the use of military force.


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