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Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 99-07-27

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, July 27 1999

SECTIONS

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

  • NEWS HEADLINES

    [A] NATIONAL NEWS

  • [01] K. SIMITIS IN KOSOVO
  • [02] TALKS BETWEEN GREECE AND TURKEY RESUME
  • [03] MEETING ON THE HOUSING OF THE BALKAN RECONSTRUCTION ORGANISATION
  • [04] MR. SIMITIS ARRIVED IN KOSOVO
  • [05] 400 SOLDIERS FROM THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES HAVE ARRIVED IN THESSALONIKI
  • [06] ONE DEAD FROM THE COLLISION OF TWO GREEK CARGO SHIPS
  • [07] THE WORLD COUNCIL OF HELLENISM FROM PONTOS RESPONDED TO THE STATEMENTS BY THE THREE MUSLIM DEPUTIES
  • [08] THESSALONIKI WILL HOST THE SEAT OF THE ORGANIZATION FOR THE RECONSTRUCTION OF THE BALKANS AND THE STABILITY PACT SECRETARIAT
  • [09] THE CABINET MEETS TOMORROW ON THE IMMIGRATION POLICY
  • [10] THE US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES RESOLUTION WILL BE EXPLOITED THROUGH DIPLOMACY
  • [B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

  • [11] THE FIRST PHASE OF THE GREEK-TURKISH DIALOGUE IS BEING COMPLETED
  • [12] THE US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CALLS ON TURKEY TO RESPECT THE BORDERS IN THE AEGEAN
  • [13] THE GREEK-TURKISH DIALOGUE CAN PROMOTE BILATERAL RELATIONS
  • [B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS


    NEWS IN DETAIL

    [A] NATIONAL NEWS

    [01] K. SIMITIS IN KOSOVO

    Premier Kostas Simitis and Defense Minister, Akis Tsohatzopoulos leave today for Urosevac, Kosovo, where they will visit the Greek peacekeepers who are based there. On Friday the prime minister will arrive in Sarajevo in order to participate in the summit for the Balkan reconstruction. Thirty prime ministers and state leaders will take part in the summit, including US President, Bill Clinton.

    [02] TALKS BETWEEN GREECE AND TURKEY RESUME

    Talks between Greece and Turkey resume today, for the second day in Ankara, at a specialists' level. The two delegations will meet today with Turkish Foreign Minister, Ismael Cem. The talks were constructive and fruitful according to a Turkish Foreign Ministry official. On Thursday and Friday, the dialogue will be held in Athens on the subjects of fighting crime, terrorism and narcotics. On Friday, in the sidelines of the Sarajevo summit, Foreign Ministers of Greece and Turkey, Giorgos Papandreoy and Ismael Cem will have a meeting.

    [03] MEETING ON THE HOUSING OF THE BALKAN RECONSTRUCTION ORGANISATION

    A meeting on the building that will house the Balkan Reconstruction Organisations will be held this afternoon, under deputy Foreign Minister, Giannos Kranidiotis and Minister of Macedonia and Thrace, Giannis Magriotis. Earlier, the two ministers met in the Macedonia-Thrace Ministry with the prefect and the mayor of Thessaloniki, and afterwards they visited buildings that are likely to house the organisation.

    [04] MR. SIMITIS ARRIVED IN KOSOVO

    Prime minister Kostas Simitis and minister of defense Akis Tsochatzopoulos arrived in Urosevac at noon today and visited the Greek soldiers participating in the multi- national peacekeeping force in Kosovo.

    The mission of the 600 men of the 501 mechanized infantry battalion is to escort refugees regardless of nationality as well as, convoys with humanitarian aid. Also, their mission is to mark the minefields and protect the local populations.

    In his statements Mr. Simitis stressed that the presence of the Greek soldiers in Kosovo is a tangible proof of Greece's interest in the normalization of the situation and the return of peace in the region. Referring to Greece's policy during the crisis in Kosovo he pointed out that Greece has gained in reliability, strength and prestige, while it remained an oasis of security and stability in the Balkans.

    Mr. Simitis will meet neither with representatives of the international organizations based in Kosovo nor with representatives of the ethnic Albanians and the Serbs living in the region as the visit has been planned to be neutral.

    On Friday, the prime minister will visit Sarajevo to take part in the summit meeting on the reconstruction of the Balkans. The meeting will be attended by 30 prime ministers and state leaders among them US president Bill Clinton.

    [05] 400 SOLDIERS FROM THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES HAVE ARRIVED IN THESSALONIKI

    Four hundred soldiers from the United Arab Emirates have arrived at Thessaloniki's Macedonia Airport on their way to Kosovo.

    The Arab soldiers will stay at the port of Thessaloniki tonight awaiting for the ship that will arrive tomorrow with their military equipment and vehicles.

    Also, four Russian ships with 220 soldiers and military equipment are expected to arrive at the port of Thessaloniki tomorrow. The Russians will leave for Kosovo immediately.

    [06] ONE DEAD FROM THE COLLISION OF TWO GREEK CARGO SHIPS

    Two Greek cargo ships, the "Pel Mariner" and the "Del Ranger", collided while in Turkish territorial waters possibly as a result of the thick fog in the region at the time of the accident that happened south-west of the island of Tenedos late last night. The first ship sunk and one sailor was been drowned.

    In the rescue operation participated the cargo ship "Olga M.", while the Turkish authorities offered no help whatsoever in spite of the fact that the Greek ministry of merchant marine had informed the operations' center in Ankara over the accident.

    [07] THE WORLD COUNCIL OF HELLENISM FROM PONTOS RESPONDED TO THE STATEMENTS BY THE THREE MUSLIM DEPUTIES

    The World Council of Hellenism from Pontos attributes the recent letter signed by three Muslim deputies in the Greek parliament, which calls for the recognition of a "Turkish and a Macedonian minority", to circles that serve Turkish interests and attempt to create non-existent minorities in Greece with obvious destabilization goals.

    The World Council's Board of Directors asks the Greek foreign minister to present the following demands to Turkey on the occasion of the dialogue that has been inaugurated with Ankara.

    The World Council of Hellenism from Pontos wants Turkey to recognize the genocide it committed against the people in Pontos in the period 1916-1923, stop the looting, destruction and falsification of the history of the monuments that were left behind in Pontos and stop persecuting the hundreds of thousands of Greek-speaking Muslims who have remained in Pontos to guard the sanctities of Hellenes in the region.

    [08] THESSALONIKI WILL HOST THE SEAT OF THE ORGANIZATION FOR THE RECONSTRUCTION OF THE BALKANS AND THE STABILITY PACT SECRETARIAT

    Thessaloniki will host the seat of the organization for the reconstruction of the Balkans and the stability pact secretariat, stated deputy foreign minister Yiannos Kranidiotis in a press conference he gave in Thessaloniki today.

    The decision on the building where the organization for the reconstruction of the Balkans will be housed will be reached within the next few days. The organization will start operating in September with an initial funding of 250 million Euro by the European Union and with 40-50 employees. He said that the organization for the reconstruction of the Balkans will be under the European Union while the EU Commission will bear the main responsibility. Thessaloniki will host the organization's main agencies and its activities will develop in the countries where the reconstruction will take place.

    On the stability pact, Mr. Kranidiotis pointed out that it is different from the organization for the reconstruction of the Balkans and added that in it participate 30 countries outside the European Union that want to assist in the reconstruction of the Balkans.

    Mr. Kranidiotis stated that it is made up of a coordinating body and three working groups that consider issues such as, democracy and human rights, economic development and security. He said that it was agreed with the general secretary of the stability pact that a small secretariat of the Brussels based coordinating body will convene in Thessaloniki.

    [09] THE CABINET MEETS TOMORROW ON THE IMMIGRATION POLICY

    The cabinet in its meeting tomorrow will discuss the major issue of the immigration policy Greece will have to follow in an effort to limit illegal immigration and the crime rate linked with it.

    Minister of interior Ms. Vaso Papandreou stated that the government will examine a plan that will be based on the control of the borders, the inclusion of immigrants into the job market and the imposition of time restrictions in their stay that will depend on the local and seasonal needs of the job market.

    Ms. Papandreou also said that if an immigrant stays in Greece for many years will be able to establish citizenship rights.

    Based on press information, the government plans concern those with a green card that will undergo a renewal process only under certain pre-conditions such as, their job state and their involvement in law violations. Regarding the immigration situation from now on, the borders will be guarded more effectively, those who enter the country illegally will be deported immediately, while offices will be opened in neighboring countries that will issue entry and work permits.

    Ms. Papandreou speaking in the Athens radio station FLASH, criticized right-wing main opposition party of New Democracy leader Kostas Karamanlis as the only one of the political party leaders who did not submit proposals to the prime minister concerning the ways in which illegal immigration and the crime related issue can be tackled. In response, New Democracy deputy Ms. Dora Bakoyiannis stated that the party has already submitted in parliament its proposals on the issue.

    [10] THE US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES RESOLUTION WILL BE EXPLOITED THROUGH DIPLOMACY

    Greek deputy foreign minister Yiannos Kranidiotis characterized as positive the resolution passed in the US House of Representatives, which calls on Turkey to respect the existing borders in the Aegean as they were set by the Treaty of Lauzanne and the 1932 Italy-Turkey accord, stressing that it will be exploited through the diplomatic route.

    Mr. Kranidiotis stated that it has been stated repeatedly that Greece's sovereign rights are non negotiable and the firm Greek positions on the Aegean are always in effect.

    [B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

    [11] THE FIRST PHASE OF THE GREEK-TURKISH DIALOGUE IS BEING COMPLETED

    The first phase of the Greek-Turkish dialogue held at specialists' level is being completed in Ankara today with the discussion on issues of trade and economic cooperation.

    The talks will continue in Athens on Thursday and Friday on issues of illegal immigration and bilateral cooperation in dealing with organized crime and drug trafficking. The delegations of the two countries will meet today with Turkish foreign minister Ismail Cem.

    [12] THE US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CALLS ON TURKEY TO RESPECT THE BORDERS IN THE AEGEAN

    The US House of Representatives unanimously adopted a resolution calling on Turkey to fully respect the existing borders in the Aegean, which were set by the Treaty of Lauzanne and the 1932 accord between Italy and Turkey.

    The US House of Representatives also calls on any party, Turkey included, which disagrees with the existing borders in the region to appeal to the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

    [13] THE GREEK-TURKISH DIALOGUE CAN PROMOTE BILATERAL RELATIONS

    The Greek-Turkish dialogue can promote bilateral relations between Greece and Turkey even though it is limited to the so-called issues of low politics as there is a void of cooperation in those specific sectors, stated deputy foreign minister Yiannos Kranidiotis.

    Mr. Kranidiotis expressed guarded optimism commenting on whether the improvement in the climate of bilateral relations will contribute in the effort to deal with the major issues of national importance.


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