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Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English, 97-06-10Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Macedonian Press Agency at http://www.mpa.gr and http://www.hri.org/MPA.BRIEF GREEK NEWS BULLETIN BY MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCYThessaloniki, June 10, 1997TITLES
NEWS IN DETAIL[01] S.E. EUROPE'S FOREIGN MINISTERS CONFERENCE TO BE COMPLETED TODAYThessaloniki, June 10 (MPA)The Foreign Ministers Conference on Security, Stability and Cooperation in South-Eastern Europe, to be completed today in Thessaloniki, is an event that is hailed as having exceptional significance for the overall security and establishment of peace in the region.During the second day session, the Foreign Ministers are discussing issues related to building security and trust measures in the region, developing economic cooperation, establishing specific plans of action for environmental protection, promoting humanitarian, social and cultural collaboration and coordinating the efforts to combat organized crime, terrorism, drug and arms smuggling. The two-day meeting features the participation of FMs from Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, FYROM, Greece, Romania, Turkey and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, while participating as observers are the United States, Russia, Britain, France and Germany. Also, over twenty countries and international organizations are represented at the Conference, among them Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Italy, Slovenia, Moldova, Ukraine, Sweden, the United Nations, Council of Europe, European Commission, World Bank and CEDEFOP. The Foreign Ministers leading the remaining Balkan countries' delegations are as follows: F.R.Y.: Milan Milutinovic; Bulgaria: newly-appointed FM Nadejda Michailova; Romania: Andrei Severin; Russia: alternate FM Nicolai Afanasievski; Turkey: assistant undersecretary of Foreign Affairs Ali Tugan; Albania: Adrian Starova; FYROM: Blagoj Handiski, this being the first time an FM from FYROM officially visits Greece. A.F. [02] DECLARATION OF PEACE IN THE BALKANSThessaloniki, June 10 (MPA)The Foreign Ministers from the South-Eastern European countries will sign a declaration on establishing peace, stability and cooperation in the region, during the Thessaloniki-held Conference that is to conclude today.Yesterday, the Foreign Ministers adopted the proposal to annually hold an informal summit conference of leaders from the region's countries. Concurrent with the Foreign Ministers Conference, a Balkan business forum is taking place in Thessaloniki and among the issues discussed are the creation of an oil pipeline to cross through Thessaloniki, Skopje and Belgrade, the developments in the Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline, the Elsinki -Alexandroupolis motorway and the great bridge of the Danube River. A.F. [03] GREEK FM: THESSALONIKI'S CONFERENCE MARKS THE BEGINNING OF A NEW ERAThessaloniki, June 10 (MPA)The Conference on Stability, Security and Cooperation in South-Eastern Europe, currently held in Thessaloniki, is to be established as an institution to be held again next year in Turkey, in Romania the year 1999 and in FYROM the year 2000.As Greece's FM Theodoros Pangalos stated, the Conference marks the beginning of a new era in Balkan relations. A.F. [04] GREECE, RUSSIA TAKE COMMON INITIATIVE ON S.E. EUROPEAN COOPERATIONThessaloniki, June 10 (MPA)Greece and Russia are undertaking a common initiative for the promotion of stability and cooperation in South-Eastern Europe and are proposing that a summit meeting of representatives from the region's countries be held prior to 1998, with the participation of the United Nations, the Security Council's permanent members , the European Union and other international organizations.The initiative was unveiled by Greece's Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos and his Russian counterpart Nicolai Afanasievski. As per the agrement, the first step would be to hold a high- level working session in the fall of 1997, in preparation of the Summit Conference. Also, the initiative proposes that during the first half of 1998 a meeting be held among the region's ministers of foreign affairs, energy, transportation and coomunications and that the Summit Meeting be held towards the end of 1998. Russian undersecretary of Foreign Affairs stated that Thessaloniki's conference was marked by success and will constitute a milestone in the course of South-Eastern Europe and the overall continent. Moreover, he stressed that Russia supports all the initiatives that promote stability and security in the region and Thessaloniki's cofnerence gives a new impetus to this effort. A.F. [05] TURKEY'S GOVERNMENT COALITION ON THE BRINK OF COLLAPSEAnkara, June 10 (MPA)Turkey's government coalition is on the brink of collapse as yesterday the party of the Great Union withdrew its support from the Islamists, thereby rendering them a minority in Parliament.Earlier, the opposition party's leader Mesut Yilmaz had stated that he may submit a censure vote the following week. The vice-president of the True Path Party M. Giolhan said yesterday that the country has entered the elections phase. A.F. [06] ALBANIAN PREMIER BASHKIM FINO IN TURKEY TODAYGjirocaster, June 10 (MPA)Albanian Prime Minister Bashkim Fino has embarked on a two- day official visit to Turkey today, following an invitation issued by his Turkish counterpart Necmettin Erbakan.Mr. Fino is accompanied by a delegation of government officials, headed by Albania's Public Order Minister Belu Celio. Messrs. Fino and Erbakan are to discuss issues concerning the recent developments in Albania and bilateral relations. Moreover, Mr. Celio and his Turkish counterpart are expected to sign a police cooperation bilateral agreement. A.F. [07] EU ECONOMY MINISTERS MEET IN LUXEMBOURG, EMU IS PRIMARY TARGET OF ALLLuxembourg, June 10 (MPA)In spite of the misgivings expressed by the French government, the European Union's Economic and Monetary Union is the primary target of the Community's "15", as was ascertained during yesterday's meeting of EU Economy Ministers held in Luxembourg.France's Economy Minister stated that his country needs more time to examine the Maastricht Treaty's details concerning the EMU, stressing that his country would like to give greater emphasis, at this time, to face the plight of unemployment. Greece's National Economy Minister Yiannos Papantoniou, according to the BBC, supported the French positions which, if adopted in the Amsterdam-held meeting, will create the appropriate grounds that would allow the Greek government to promote its positions on other issues, always within the framework of the standing negotiation. A.F. [08] BULGARIA ON PATH TO PRIVATIZATION OF ALMOST ALL BUSINESSESThessaloniki, June 10 (MPA)Bulgaria's government of "United Democratic Forces", headed by Ivan Kostov, is looking into the possibility of embarking on the privatization of all of the country's businesses, with the exception of those in the sectors of the arms industry, transportation and electrical energy production, which are to remain under state control.Speaking to the Macedonian Press Agency, the deputy director of the Bulgarian Privatization Service, Stoyan Todorov, stated that his country's new government aims to privatize at least 60 percent of the businesses by the end of the year. Up to now, 12-12.5% of Bulgarian businesses have transferred into private hands which has resulted in public revenue of over one billion dollars. According to Mr. Todorov, in light of the recovery of Bulgaria's banking system it woud be prudent to privatize at least 75-80% of the country's banks. Regarding the sector of Bulgaria's energy, Dimitar Buckov, director of the Committee of Energy and Energy Resources, told the Macedonian Press Agency that its basic duty is to adjust prices that would secure its self-maintenance. Regarding Kozlodui's nuclear energy plant, Mr. Buckov characterized it as "absolutely safe" and pointed out that the 25 million ECU funded by the European Union for improving the plant's security are being absorbed. Also, Mr. Buckov expressed his optimism for the construction of the Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline, since, as he stated, a number of political and economic interests coincide therein. "Russia will be able to export oil to the Mediterranean, Bulgaria will carrry the role of a bridge, given its geo-political placement, while Greece will employ its fleet." Yet, the Bulgarian official stressed the need for the project's funding from a strong conglomerate. A.F. 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/Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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