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Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 99-06-25

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, June 25, 1999

SECTIONS

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

  • NEWS HEADLINES

    [A] NATIONAL NEWS

  • [01] INVESTIGATION IN ORIGIN OF FRUIT JUICES PRESENTLY UNDERWAY
  • [02] N. GREECE FIRMS SENT THOUSANDS OF RELIEF PACKAGES TO KOSOVO
  • [03] EARTHQUAKE ROCKS CORINTHIAN BAY, FELT THROUGHOUT ATHENS
  • [04] MR. PAPANDREOU WILL SEND A REPLY LETTER TO MR. CEM TODAY
  • [05] KARAMANLIS: THE PRIME MINISTER HAS NOT RECEIVED THE ELECTION MESSAGE
  • [06] THE ARRIVALS OF NATO FORCES IN THESSALONIKI CONTINUE
  • [07] PROPOSAL TO CUT THE OVERSEAS FLIGHTS IN ORDER TO SAVE OLYMPIC AIRWAYS
  • [B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

  • [08] GREEK PM MEETS WITH PRESIDENT OF ARGENTINA IN BUENOS AIRES
  • [09] GREEK PM IN BUENOS AIRES FOR SOCIALIST INTERNATIONAL
  • [10] TIRANA ARCHBISHOP: RELIGION SHOULD NOT INCITE, IT SHOULD HEAL
  • [11] GREEK OPPOSITION PARTY LEADER TRAVELS TO LONDON TODAY
  • [12] KLA TORN BY INTERNAL CONFLICT, "EVERYONE WANTED TO BE CHIEF"
  • [13] U.S. OFFERS $5 MILLION FOR REPORTS LEADING TO MILOSEVIC ARREST
  • [14] SERB TV REPORTS ATTEMPT ON ITALIAN FM'S LIFE IN KOSOVO
  • [15] EU ENVIRONMENT MINISTERS TO TIGHTEN CONTROLS ON G-M FOODS
  • [16] BTC SOON SOLD TO GREEK-DUTCH TELECOMMUNICATION GROUP
  • [17] GREEK AMBASSADOR TO F.R.Y. VLASSOPOULOS VISITS KOSOVO
  • [18] PRIME MINISTER SIMITIS MET WITH THE PRESIDENT OF ARGENTINA
  • [19] THE RUSSIAN UPPER HOUSE OF PARLIAMENT APPROVED A PEACEKEEPING MISSION TO KOSOVO
  • [20] ISRAELI JETS BOMBED TARGETS IN LEBANON
  • [21] PROTEST DEMONSTRATIONS ARE PREPARED BY THE KURDS IN RUSSIA
  • [22] A CIA AGENT HAD WARNED NATO OF A "WRONG TARGET" BEFORE THE BOMBING OF THE CHINESE EMBASSY

  • NEWS IN DETAIL

    [A] NATIONAL NEWS

    [01] INVESTIGATION IN ORIGIN OF FRUIT JUICES PRESENTLY UNDERWAY

    The preliminary investigation ordered by the Athens prosecutor in the country's fruit juice market, is presently underway in order to ascertain whether or not the juices labeled as Greece-made are in reality imported from abroad.

    Specifically, the prosecutor will look into reports which claim that these juices are imported frozen and in turn are liquefied and sold as fresh.

    [02] N. GREECE FIRMS SENT THOUSANDS OF RELIEF PACKAGES TO KOSOVO

    Northern Greece's firms have actively proven their sensitivity to the plight of Kosovo's refugees by forwarding 10,000 humanitarian relief packages not only to Yugoslavia, but to FYROM and Albania as well.

    Each of the packages, whose overall cost amounted to GRD70 million and has a total weight of 160 tons, contained enough food to feed a four-member family for a week.

    Half of the aid was given for distribution to the Greek, non- government organization "European Perspective" in FYROM, while 3,300 packages were sent to the Metropolitan Church of Nis, in Yugoslavia and the remaining 1,700 were given to the Metropolitan Church of Koritsa, in Albania.

    The initiative for this humanitarian aid mission belongs to Thessaloniki Chamber of Trade and Industry, with 43 firms participating in the effort, among them the: Egnatia Bank, S.A., Salko S.A., Ath. Hatzopoulos S.A., Masoutis S.A., Odysseas Fokas S.A., E. Malamatinas, Tsantalis S.A., Aget Heracles, Haitoglou Bros.

    [03] EARTHQUAKE ROCKS CORINTHIAN BAY, FELT THROUGHOUT ATHENS

    A strong tremor measuring 4.7 on the Richter scale occurred at 10:42 a.m. today in the Corinthian Bay and was felt in Athens and Lamia.

    According to the National Observatory of Athens, the quake's epicenter was located 95 kilometers northwest of the capital.

    [04] MR. PAPANDREOU WILL SEND A REPLY LETTER TO MR. CEM TODAY

    Greek foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou will send today his reply letter to his Turkish counterpart Ismail Cem. Acting Greek government spokesman Yiannis Nikolaou stated that Mr. Papandreou in his letter describes a number of issues on which proposals for cooperation between Greece and Turkey could be made such as, tourism, economy, security, public order and the countering of terrorism and drug trafficking.

    On the major issues and the claims made by Turkey, the Greek foreign minister reiterates the already known Greek positions.

    [05] KARAMANLIS: THE PRIME MINISTER HAS NOT RECEIVED THE ELECTION MESSAGE

    The prime minister is more weakened than ever before and the government is at the verge of collapse, maintained today right- wing main opposition party of New Democracy leader Kostas Karamanlis, speaking in the first post-election meeting of his party's central committee and parliamentary group.

    Mr. Karamanlis accused the prime minister that he has not understood what was the message of the elections and that he selected the EU Commissioner responsible for social issues based on political party criteria refusing to reach a decision in consultation with the rest political parties, while he also accused the prime minister of offering extra benefits that put at risk the country's course toward the EMU.

    [06] THE ARRIVALS OF NATO FORCES IN THESSALONIKI CONTINUE

    Increased mobility is being observed in the port and the airport of Thessaloniki today where the arrivals of NATO troops as well as, the transportation of supplies for the peacekeeping force that is being deployed in Kosovo continue.

    Four C-17 US military aircraft carrying 50-60 US soldiers and a small number of military vehicles are expected at the city airport today. Three US aircraft arrived yesterday with 50 US soldiers, who will undertake the construction of roads, public buildings, bridges and other infrastructure that have been destroyed by the bombings and hostilities in the Serb province.

    Meanwhile, an Italian ship sailed into the port of Thessaloniki at noon today carrying 80 containers with supplies, 50 military vehicles, 20 personnel carriers and 10 armored tanks.

    [07] PROPOSAL TO CUT THE OVERSEAS FLIGHTS IN ORDER TO SAVE OLYMPIC AIRWAYS

    A firm of consultants has suggested, according to a front page article of the Athens newspaper "Kathimerini", the abolition of the overseas flights of Olympic Airways to Australia, South Africa, Thailand, the United States and Canada after agreements are reached with other airlines that will undertake to transport the passengers from Greece to those destinations.

    According to the firm of consultants, the economic damage that will be caused by those flights will be unbearable for the Greek national airline, estimated to reach 10 billion drachmas. The consultants' firm proposes that the number of the profitable domestic flights should increase in spite of the fact that the competition with tens of private airlines in this area is tough.

    Minister of transportation, Tasos Mandelis, speaking in the Athens radio station "Flash", reiterated that the Speedwing solution was the last chance for Olympic Airways and underlined that the new management of the Greek airline will be monitored every month and the contract signed will be given to publicity within the next few days.

    Meanwhile, the Olympic Airways Employees Federation has announced a 24-hour strike that will be held next Thursday.

    [B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

    [08] GREEK PM MEETS WITH PRESIDENT OF ARGENTINA IN BUENOS AIRES

    Greece's Prime Minister Costas Simitis, presently in Buenos Aires for the Socialist International Conference, met with the President of Argentina Dr. Carlos Saul Menem with whom he discussed issued related to a common agricultural policy.

    This evening, Mr. Simitis will address the S.I., of which he is vice-president, where he is expected to stress the need for capital flow controls within the framework of the economy's globalization, in order to avert repercussions on the weaker nations.

    [09] GREEK PM IN BUENOS AIRES FOR SOCIALIST INTERNATIONAL

    Greek Premier Costas Simitis is presently in Argentina in order to attend the Socialist International Conference which got underway in Buenos Aires last night.

    The Conference will deal with issues concerning the globalization of the economy, the repercussions of free capital movement, common efforts for development and cooperation in the sectors of social justice, poverty and solidarity.

    The Minister of Press and Media Dimitris Reppas and alternate foreign minister Yiannos Kranidiotis, who are accompanying the Premier, have already had a series of contacts with other delegates attending the conference.

    After the end of Socialist Int/nl, Mr. Simitis will depart for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which will host the European Union- Latin America summit conference on June 28-29.

    [10] TIRANA ARCHBISHOP: RELIGION SHOULD NOT INCITE, IT SHOULD HEAL

    The Archbishop of Tirana and All of Albania Anastasios has called on all religions to work together for peace.

    "With sincerity and with pain, by word and by action, the Autocephalus Orthodox Church of Albania has repeatedly expressed its full support to the brothers forced out of Kosovo, " the Archbishop stated in a press release yesterday.

    "At the same time it has persistently proclaimed that the oil of religion should not be used by any side to incite conflict, but to heal wounds and quiet the hearts", the release said.

    "Now, after the end of the hostilities, all religions are called to cooperate for peace and conciliation. Particular respect is required toward all religious symbols and monuments ... A basic precondition for peace and justice, that we all desire in our region, is (to have) above all respect toward everything dedicated to the God of peace and justice."

    [11] GREEK OPPOSITION PARTY LEADER TRAVELS TO LONDON TODAY

    The President of Greece's minor opposition party Democratic and Social Movement (DIKKI) Dimitris Tsovolas, is to travel to London this evening in order to attend tomorrow's conference on peace in the Balkans.

    The conference, organized by the British Committee, will deal with issues concerning the consequences borne by NATO's raids over Yugoslavia, the Alliance's new military dogma - a threat to world peace - and the formation of international alliances for the reconstruction of Yugoslavia and the Balkan region.

    [12] KLA TORN BY INTERNAL CONFLICT, "EVERYONE WANTED TO BE CHIEF"

    The Kosovo Liberation Army, a.k.a. UCK, is suffering from internal conflict, marked by violence and driven by a thirst for power, according to an article published in today's edition of The New York Times.

    According to the report which quotes current and former commanders in the rebel army and some Western diplomats, UCK senior commanders have carried out assassinations, arrests and purges within their ranks to thwart potential rivals.

    The report, bylined by Chris Hedges, also states that at least six top UCK commanders were killed under the order of Hashim Thaci and two of his lieutenants, Azem Syla and Xhavit Haliti.

    While none of the KLA officials interviewed saw Thaci or his aides execute anyone, they recounted, and in some cases said they had witnessed, incidents in which Thaci's rivals had been killed shortly after he or one of his aides had threatened them with death.

    "When the war started, everyone wanted to be the chief," said Rifat Haxhijaj, 30, a former lieutenant in the Yugoslav army who left the rebel movement last September , adding that "for the leadership, this was never just a war against Serbs -- it was also a struggle for power."

    Thaci's representative in Switzerland, Jashae Salihu, denied accounts of assassinations.

    "These kind of reports are untrue," he said.

    The U.S. State Department has also challenged some aspects of these accounts.

    "We simply don't have information to substantiate allegations that there was a KLA-leadership-directed program of assassinations or executions," James Rubin, the State Department spokesman, said.

    However, western diplomats stationed in the Balkans have also reported the participation of Albanian secret service agents in UCK's activities, which is being confirmed by former members of the rebel group who said that the Albanian government had offered the use of its secret agents to UCK.

    [13] U.S. OFFERS $5 MILLION FOR REPORTS LEADING TO MILOSEVIC ARREST

    The U.S. State Department United States will pay a remuneration of five million dollars for information leading to the arrest of Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic and Serb President Milan Milutinovic, both accused by the International tribunal for former Yugoslavia of having committed war crimes.

    Meanwhile, the Yugoslav Parliament has decided to lift the country's state of war that had been declared when NATO began its air raids in March.

    [14] SERB TV REPORTS ATTEMPT ON ITALIAN FM'S LIFE IN KOSOVO

    The state-run RTS Serb TV station reported yesterday that an attempt on the life of Italian Foreign Minister Lamberto Dini was staged during his trip to Kosovo on Wednesday.

    According to a wire report from the Russian news agency Itar- Tass, the broadcast said that the Italian minister, who was in Kosovo together with his counterparts from Great Britain, Germany and France, was fired at by the militants of the Kosovo liberation army. As proof, the TV showed CNN footage in which Mr. Dini was shown completely surrounded by plain-clothed bodyguards and KFOR soldiers. No other sources of the report were mentioned.

    The anchorman said KLA decided to scare Mr. Dini, who planned to visit Italian soldiers in the town of Pec, because the Italians were actively protecting Serbs there.

    The head of the Sava monastery, who met NATO Secretary General Javier Solana yesterday, said some 20 Serbs had been killed over the last days in Pec, 30 were taken hostage and several women raped.

    [15] EU ENVIRONMENT MINISTERS TO TIGHTEN CONTROLS ON G-M FOODS

    The European Union's Environment Ministers agreed today on a draft directive tightening regulations on genetically-modified foods.

    The EU Ministers, with only France, Ireland and Italy abstaining, backed the amendments to the regulations in force since 1992.

    According to the French news agency AFP, there was no agreement on a suspension of authorizations to grow genetically- modified crops, which France had backed, and the ministers finally issued two separate statements, supported by five and six countries respectively.

    [16] BTC SOON SOLD TO GREEK-DUTCH TELECOMMUNICATION GROUP

    Bulgaria's state-owned telecommunications organization BTC is to soon fall into the hands of the Greek-Dutch telecommunications consortium OTE-KNP, which was the sole bidder for the purchase of 51% of the company's shares.

    According to the Bulgarian Foreign Investments Agency (BIFA), Bulgarian vice-president Evgeni Bakargiev stated that BTC will soon be sold to OTE-KNP and added that the agreement is expected to be highly profitable.

    The 51% controlling stake is estimated at between $600 million and one billion dollars.

    Bulgaria's telephone network is relatively developed with 2.7 million telephone lines and its 1998 profits rose to $300 million.

    [17] GREEK AMBASSADOR TO F.R.Y. VLASSOPOULOS VISITS KOSOVO

    Greece's Ambassador to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Panayotis Vlassopoulos visited Kosovo on Wednesday where he met with the head of the United Nations mission in Prishtina Sergio de Melo, the President of the Serb executive council Zoran Angelkovic, the bishop of Prizren Artemios, the members of the Greek humanitarian mission and visited the Greek peacekeeping force in Urosevac.

    In his meeting with Kosovo's Serb leadership, Mr. Vlassopoulos noted their urgent requests for border controls and for substantial security provided to the region's Serbs, which he relayed to Mr. de Melo.

    Mr. Vlassopoulos called on the Greek soldiers to facilitate the safe departure of the few Serbs remaining in Urosevac who are exposed to daily attacks by the Albanians. He said that the mission of the Greek force is to provide security for all ethnic groups in the area and expressed hope that necessary conditions for the peaceful cohabitation of all ethnic communities will be created soon.

    Referring to potential reactions by the Albanians against the Greek military presence in Kosovo, Mr. Vlassopoulos said limited problems will exist at the beginning but the contribution of the Greek force combined with Greek humanitarian aid will eliminate every phenomenon of dispute.

    Mr. Vlassopoulos also visited the town of Nis and inspected work being carried out at the Greek consulate which was seriously damaged by the bombings.

    The mayor of Nis, Zoran Zivkovic, thanked the Greek Ambassador for the aid and moral support provided by Greece to his city.

    [18] PRIME MINISTER SIMITIS MET WITH THE PRESIDENT OF ARGENTINA

    The need to control the globalization of the economy will be underlined by Greek prime minister Kostas Simitis in the Socialist International Council meeting that will be held in Buenos Aires this afternoon.

    There is a need to control the capital movement to avoid unfavorable effects on the weaker countries, stated Mr. Simitis and added that the balanced development in the world must be reinforced.

    Prime minister Kostas Simitis met with Argentine president Carlos Menem. The two men discussed mainly issues of common agriculture policy. The Greek prime minister backed the adoption of measures that will help the small producers and assist in the development of rural areas.

    The day after tomorrow, Mr. Simitis will be in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil to represent Greece in a joint summit meeting of the European Union with the Latin American countries. The prime minister is accompanied by minister of press and mass media Dimitris Reppas, deputy foreign minister Yiannos Kranidiotis and Euro-deputy Anna Karamanou.

    [19] THE RUSSIAN UPPER HOUSE OF PARLIAMENT APPROVED A PEACEKEEPING MISSION TO KOSOVO

    The Russian Upper House of Parliament approved with an overwhelming majority a peacekeeping mission to Kosovo. The first Russian troops are expected to leave for Kosovo on Monday. The agreement with NATO provides for the deployment of a Russian force that will number 3.600 men.

    Meanwhile, the Serb province is facing a wave of vandalism and revenge attacks launched by the ethnic Albanian refugees against the Serbs.

    [20] ISRAELI JETS BOMBED TARGETS IN LEBANON

    Israeli fighter jets bombed electricity production plants and bridges in Lebanon yesterday and today in retaliation to the missile attacks launched by the Hezbollah in northern Israel.

    Ten people lost their lives when Hezbollah rebels launched missiles against northern Israel, near the borders with Lebanon, while other 7 people were killed in the Israeli air strikes.

    The Israeli army chief has stated that even though Israel does not want the escalation of the crisis it will not remain inactive for as long as the Hezbollah forces attack unarmed civilians.

    Based on the 1996 agreement signed by Israel and Lebanon the rebel forces from both sides should avoid attacking populated areas.

    [21] PROTEST DEMONSTRATIONS ARE PREPARED BY THE KURDS IN RUSSIA

    A group of Kurds living in Moscow will start a hunger strike in a show of protest against the trial of Kurdish PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan which is underway in Turkey.

    A protest demonstration had been scheduled to be held next Tuesday in Moscow when the Turkish court decision will be issued but according to the Russian news agency Itar-Tass, the demonstration will be postponed for July 1 because the Russian authorities had not been informed on time.

    Representatives of the Kurdish community have stated that protest demonstrations will be held in regions of Russia with considerable Kurdish communities as well as, in Armenia and the Ukraine.

    [22] A CIA AGENT HAD WARNED NATO OF A "WRONG TARGET" BEFORE THE BOMBING OF THE CHINESE EMBASSY

    Three days before the NATO bombing of the Chinese embassy building in Belgrade a secret agent and CIA analyst had warned his colleagues and the European military officials that the alliance had chosen the wrong target but his views did not reach his superiors according to US officials, based on a Reuters report.

    The US newspaper "Washington Post" was first to refer to the CIA agent warning. NATO bombed the Chinese embassy building in Belgrade on May 7 killing 3 people and injuring 20, while the alliance characterized the bombing as a tragic mistake.

    In spite of the fact that the United States have apologized to China the relations of the two countries have entered a crisis and the explanations given by US assistant secretary of state Thomas Pickering to the Chinese leadership last week were not found to be convincing by China.


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