Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 99-12-17
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, December 17, 1999
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] CABINET CONVENES TODAY TO REVIEW CULTURE-
RELATED MATTERS
[02] ASE'S SMALL INVESTORS COUNT THEIR LOSSES AS
PRICE INDEX FALLS
[03] TURKISH AIRCRAFT VIOLATE ATHENS FLIGHT
INFORMATION REGION
[04] S.E. EUROPEAN INSTITUTES MEET IN
THESSALONIKI TODAY
[05] PARTIES GET READY FOR PRE-ELECTION PHASE
AFTER CHRISTMAS
[06] ILLEGAL ALIENS DISCOVERED STASHED INSIDE
ITALY-BOUND FERRIES
[07] FLIGHT DELAYS AND CANCELLATIONS HAMPER
OLYMPIC AVIATION
[08] THE CABINET DISCUSSED ISSUES CONCERNING THE
MINISTRY OF CULTURE
[09] PAPANDREOU: A NEW PAGE WAS TURNED IN
HELSINKI
[10] REACTIONS TO THE MASS VIOLATIONS OF THE
GREEK AIRSPACE BY TURKISH JETS
[11] THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE SESSION CLOSED
WITH GAINS
[12] THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A DIRECT ACTION RADIO
NETWORK AND AN ETHICS CHARTER FOR JOURNALISTS IS
PROMOTED BY ERA
[13] FORMER PRIME MINISTER GEORGIOS RALLIS IS IN
FAVOR OF MR. STEPHANOPOULOS' RE-ELECTION TO THE
PRESIDENCY
[14] THE DRAFT BILL ON THE GREEKS FROM THE
FORMER SOVIET UNION WILL BE PASSED IN PARLIAMENT
NEXT MONTH
[15] GREECE CAN HAVE SIGNIFICANT BENEFITS FROM
THE HELSINKI DECISION, SAID MR. MITSOTAKIS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[16] LANDMARK DEAL TO BE SIGNED FOR NAZI VICTIMS
COMPENSATION
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NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] CABINET CONVENES TODAY TO REVIEW CULTURE-
RELATED MATTERS
Prime Minister Costas Simitis is to chair a
cabinet meeting today where the agendaed items
include culture-related matters.
Yesterday evening the Premier hosted a
Christmas gala in honor of the ruling PASOK
party's parliamentary group. Mr. Simitis has
already formed the party's central committee for
the next elections and the participants are to
convene on January 14.
[02] ASE'S SMALL INVESTORS COUNT THEIR LOSSES AS
PRICE INDEX FALLS
More than 300,000 of small investors on the
Athens bourse are counting their losses, which
in some cases range between 30-35%, after
yesterday's general price index dropped by 4.41%
, closing at 5,192.7 with a low transactions
volume that amounted to 202 billion drachmas.
According to financial analysts, new
investors capital was estimated at 3.5 trillion
drachmas, while losses have already surpassed
the one trillion mark.
Bank of Greece governor Lukas Papademos
said that the losses recorded in the Athens
Stock Exchange are not due to the disappointment
of investors but are rather a result of stocks
liquidated by institutional investors and the
lack of cash flow.
[03] TURKISH AIRCRAFT VIOLATE ATHENS FLIGHT
INFORMATION REGION
Fourteen Turkish military aircraft violated
Greece's flight information region yesterday,
between the islands of Lesvos and Chios and east
of Rhodes.
Greek aircraft intercepted the Turkish
military planes on three occasions.
[04] S.E. EUROPEAN INSTITUTES MEET IN
THESSALONIKI TODAY
The first meeting among the Institutes of
Southeastern Europe is to be hosted by
Thessaloniki today and tomorrow, December 17-18,
aiming at the establishment of a permanent
cooperation forum among the academic and
research centers.
The event will feature the participation of
representatives from 30 S.E. European research
centers and is taking place under the initiative
of the Center of International and European
Finance Law, the Institute of International
Public Policy Law, the Institute of Balkan
Peninsula Studies and the Center for the Study
and Development of Greek Culture of the Black
Sea.
Among the keynote speakers on Saturday's
session will be the Minister of Foreign Affairs
George Papandreou, Minister of Development
Evangelos Venizelos, Minister of Macedonia-
Thrace Yiannis Magriotis, the representative of
the Republic of Cyprus, Ambassador S.
Epaminondas, European Parliament Deputy Petros
Efthimiou (PASOK) and the secretary-general of
the Foreign Ministry's European Affairs
Department Stellios Perrakis.
[05] PARTIES GET READY FOR PRE-ELECTION PHASE
AFTER CHRISTMAS
A mere few days following public opinion
polls that give the ruling PASOK party an edge
ahead of the main opposition of New Democracy,
signs are prominent that the country will enter
a pre-election period after the holiday season
is through.
Prime Minister Costas Simitis announced
yesterday the formation of a pre-election
committee which will convene the first week of
January, while New Democracy leader Costas
Karamanlis address a crowd of supporters last
night in an event that had all the makings of a
pre-election rally.
[06] ILLEGAL ALIENS DISCOVERED STASHED INSIDE
ITALY-BOUND FERRIES
Forty-four illegal immigrants were
discovered hiding aboard two ferries conducting
routes from Greece to Italy, among them a two-
year-old child who was hospitalized in Italy for
sickle-cell anemia.
The first group of 17 aliens were located
on the Super Fast Ferry 1, the Patras-Bari
route, 14 of whom were stashed inside a lorry
that had been sealed by Bulgarian authorities.
While a three-member family will remain in Italy
where its child is now undergoing medical
treatment, the rest of them will be returned to
Greece for deportation.
A second group of 27 Kurds was located
inside the garage of Super Fast Ferry 2,
traveling from Patras to Ancona. They were
discovered by crew members inside a tank truck
where one of the aliens had already passed out
from the fumes. This ship will too return to
Greece.
[07] FLIGHT DELAYS AND CANCELLATIONS HAMPER
OLYMPIC AVIATION
Serial flight delays and cancellations are
hampering the operation of Olympic Aviation, the
subsidiary of Olympic Airways, as a result of
the strike declared by flight crews and ground
support staff.
Eleven flights were canceled today and the
situation is expected to remain just as dire
until tomorrow when the two-day strike will end.
The workers are demanding salary increases
through collective bargaining and are also
asking that the company's seasonal staff be
hired on a permanent basis.
[08] THE CABINET DISCUSSED ISSUES CONCERNING THE
MINISTRY OF CULTURE
Today's cabinet meeting that was held under
prime minister Kostas Simitis focused on issues
concerning the ministry of culture and
especially the issue of the Cultural Olympiad.
According to information, a Cultural
Olympiad organization, made up of non
governmental organizations and international
personalities, is expected to be established.
The results of the Helsinki EU Summit were also
discussed in the cabinet meeting.
Meanwhile, the five-day discussion on the
new state budget will open in parliament this
evening. The voting on the new budget will take
place on December 22.
Prime minister Kostas Simitis, speaking in
the cabinet meeting, expressed satisfaction for
the achievements of his government in the
sectors of foreign policy and economy and called
on his ministers to keep up the work. He
reiterated that the present parliament can elect
a president while he added that the opposition
will be responsible if early elections are
called.
[09] PAPANDREOU: A NEW PAGE WAS TURNED IN
HELSINKI
A new page was turned in Helsinki that will
have long-term results and the isolated
incidents must not be exaggerated, stressed
Greek foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou
referring to the violations of the Greek
national airspace by Turkish fighter planes.
Meanwhile, his Turkish counterpart Ismail
Cem expressed the certainty that a period of
permanent friendship will get underway between
Greece and Turkey. Speaking in an event in
Istanbul Mr. Cem stressed that bilateral
relations become better day by day.
The Turkish foreign minister stated that
the problems between Greece and Turkey will be
solved faster than predicted, characterizing as
brave the choice made by prime minister Kostas
Simitis and foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou
on the issue of Turkey's EU candidature. Mr. Cem
congratulated Mr. Simitis and Mr. Papandreou on
their decision speaking in an event on "The
relations between Turkey and the EU after the
Helsinki Summit" organized in Istanbul by the
Economic Development Foundation.
Mr. Cem underlined that he believes that
the two countries will solve their problems in a
friendly way sooner than expected and added that
the whole Europe will see that the choice made
by Mr. Simitis and Mr. Papandreou was right.
[10] REACTIONS TO THE MASS VIOLATIONS OF THE
GREEK AIRSPACE BY TURKISH JETS
Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas
commenting on the violations of the Greek
airspace by Turkish fighter jets, stated that it
appears that certain people find it very hard to
adjust to the new era that dawned in Helsinki.
Right-wing main opposition party of New
Democracy press spokesman Aris Spiliotopoulos
said that an effort is being made to downgrade
the Turkish violations and called on the
government to accept the proposal of ND for an
immediate meeting of the political party
leaders' council under the president of the
republic and the establishment of a National
Council on Foreign Policy.
[11] THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE SESSION CLOSED
WITH GAINS
The session of the Athens Stock Exchange
was characterized as a thriller today. The
general index dropped to 3% at noon today but it
managed to cover the losses and the session
finally ended with gains. The general price
index closed at 5.224,67 with gains of 0.65%,
while the volume of transactions reached 318.4
billion drachmas.
The leading role in the change observed was
played by the bank and industry shares which
closed with satisfactory gains. One hundred and
forty one stocks had gains, losses were recorded
in 153, while 27 remained stable.
[12] THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A DIRECT ACTION RADIO
NETWORK AND AN ETHICS CHARTER FOR JOURNALISTS IS
PROMOTED BY ERA
The contacts a Greek State Radio, ERA,
delegation will have in Sarajevo, Banja Luka,
Belgrade and Podgorica starting tomorrow are
aimed at the promotion of two plans that were
drawn up by ERA for the establishment of a
Direct Action Radio Network and an Ethics
Charter for Journalists.
Also, efforts will be made for the further
improvement of relations with the Yugoslav state
radio networks in Belgrade, Nis and Montenegro,
in Bosnia and the Bosnian Serb Republic.
An ERA delegation will visit for the same
purpose Slovenia, Croatia, FYROM, Albania and
Kossovo by mid January.
[13] FORMER PRIME MINISTER GEORGIOS RALLIS IS IN
FAVOR OF MR. STEPHANOPOULOS' RE-ELECTION TO THE
PRESIDENCY
Former prime minister Georgios Rallis, who
visited president Kostis Stephanopoulos at the
presidential building in Athens today, stated
that he is in favor of Mr. Stephanopoulos' re-
election to the post.
Mr. Rallis stated that Mr. Stephanopoulos
exercises his duties in an impeccable way and
strongly criticized the members of the right-
wing main opposition party of New Democracy who
exert pressures to the New Democracy leader
seeking early elections.
[14] THE DRAFT BILL ON THE GREEKS FROM THE
FORMER SOVIET UNION WILL BE PASSED IN PARLIAMENT
NEXT MONTH
The draft bill on the Greeks from the
former Soviet Union republics will be passed in
parliament by the end of January.
The draft bill that was presented in a
joint press conference of foreign minister
Giorgos Papandreou, Macedonia-Thrace minister
Yiannis Magriotis and undersecretary of foreign
affairs Grigoris Niotis provides for the issuing
of Greek nationality status to the Greeks of the
former Soviet Union without them having the
obligation to come to Greece in order to be
eligible for it.
[15] GREECE CAN HAVE SIGNIFICANT BENEFITS FROM
THE HELSINKI DECISION, SAID MR. MITSOTAKIS
The belief that Greece can benefit
significantly from the Helsinki decision, was
expressed by right-wing main opposition party of
New Democracy honorary president Konstantinos
Mitsotakis speaking today in a diplomatic corps
event.
Mr. Mitsotakis said that it is to the
interest of Greece to support and encourage
Turkey's turn toward Europe, adding that the
sooner this turn is completed the sooner the
contradictions and the deadlocks inherited by
the 20th century will be left behind.
ND honorary president made a quick
retrospection to Turkey's course in the past
century and added that the opportunity for it to
become westernized must not be missed. He also
said that Cyprus' accession into the EU is now
certain and it will go ahead regardless of
whether the political problem is solved.
On the contribution of the United States to
the recent developments in the Greek-Turkish
relations, Mr. Mitsotakis said that US president
Bill Clinton was more determined than his
predecessor George Bush. He also stressed that
with the exchange of populations and the
movement that will be observed when Turkey
enters Europe the Greeks will be able to return
to their lost homelands.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[16] LANDMARK DEAL TO BE SIGNED FOR NAZI VICTIMS
COMPENSATION
A five-billion-dollar landmark agreement
calling for compensation to Nazi concentration
camp survivors is to be ratified in Germany
today between German Chancellor Gerhard
Schroeder and US Secretary of State Madeleine
Albright.
About 12 million people were forced to
perform labor during the Nazi era.
The compensation fund is to be paid by German
companies who had profited from the labor
performed in the camps.
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