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Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English, 98-05-25Macedonian 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 THE MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCYThessaloniki, May 25, 1998TITLES
NEWS IN DETAIL[01] GREEK DIRECTOR EARNS PALME D’OR AT CANNES FILM FESTIVALThessaloniki, May 25 (MPA)The Cannes film festival critics have awarded the prestigious Palme d'Or to the Greek film “Mia Eoniotita Ke Mia Mera”, or “Eternity and a Day”, directed by Theodoros Angelopoulos. The film, which focuses on a poet's struggle with memory and death, took the top award at the 51st French film festival. Mr. Angelopoulos received a rousing reception at the closing ceremony. He said that “awards are welcome, but I wouldn’t change the moment when the audience was standing up and applauding for any award.” Set in Angelopoulos’s trademark fog and rain, the film charts a writer's quest on the eve of his death to find memories of happier days with his late wife Anna. As he drives through the streets of the Greek city of Thessaloniki, Alexander, played by Swiss actor Bruno Ganz, crosses the path of an Albanian boy who has fled his country.[02] ALL BANKS CLOSED TODAY IN PROTEST TO YESTERDAY’S SWAT TEAM RAIDAthens, May 25 (MPA)Workers at all of Greece’s banks are on a 24-hour strike today, in a sign of protest to yesterday’s raid conducted by SWAT teams at Ionian Bank’s computer headquarters in Piraeus . Meanwhile, Ionian’s management last week decided to initiate legal proceedings against the bank’s unions in an attempt to put an end to the strike. The court is to issue its ruling today.[03] THOMAS MILLER TO VISIT CYPRUS TODAYNicosia, May 25 (MPA)The United States special coordinator for the Cyprus issue Thomas Miller is expected at the island today where he will meet with Cypriot President Glafkos Clerides.Mr. Miller is expected to exert pressure on the Cypriot government to cancel the order of the Russian- made S-300 anti-aircraft missiles. [04] MAIN OPPOSITION LEADER CRITICIZES GOVERNMENTThessaloniki, May 25 (MPA)The leader of the main opposition party, New Democracy’s Kostas Karamanlis, sharply criticized the government and its policies, during an address he gave last night at the city of Yiannitsa in central Macedonia.Mr. Karamanlis announced that should his party win the next elections, then he will form a government of young and uncorrupted people. "We will form a government that will not disappoint the people, one that will be responsive to their expectations" he stated. Addressing agricultural issues, the main opposition leader accused Agricultural Minister Stefanos Tzoumakas of being incompetent and held the ruling PASOK party responsible for the agricultural crisis hitting farmers. He also lashed out against the Prime Minister Kostas Simitis, accusing him of being out of touch with reality. [05] KING AND QUEEN OF SPAIN EMBARK ON OFFICAL VISIT TO GREECEAthens, May 25 (MPA)King Juan Carlos of Spain and Queen Sophia are embarking today on a five-day official visit to Greece, invited by the President of the Hellenic Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos. The royal couple will be received by the Prime Minister Kostas Simitis, and will inaugurate the "Classic Greece in Spain" exhibition in Athens. Spanish Foreign Minister Abel Matutes, who will accompany the royal couple, is to be received by his Greek counterpart Theodoros Pangalos. On Thursday, May 28, the royal couple will visit Thessaloniki where they will be received by the Minister of Macedonia-Thrace Philippos Petsalnikos and on May 29 they will visit the archaeological sites and museum of Vergina.[06] INTERNATIONAL MEDIA CONFERENCE HELD IN ATHENSAthens, May 25 (MPA)A five-day conference, featuring the participation of journalists, scholars and activists from Europe, the Middle East Africa and America opened in Athens yesterday, in order to review the role of corporate and government control of news and information.The event, organized by the Andreas Papandreou Foundation in collaboration with the Institute of Strategic and Development Studies -Andreas Papandreou (ISTAME) is titled "A 21st century dialogue: A media-run world". Addressing the conference, Press Minister Dimitris Reppas spoke of the risks lurking in the domination of the mass communication media and new technologies, stressing the need for formulating policies on a European Union level, with the criteria being the maintenance of human qualities and collective goods. In turn, Alternate Foreign Minister and president ISTAME, George Papandreou, said that those controlling technology, along with those producing, interpreting and transmitting information were all crucial to the future of democracy. Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Christodoulos attended the opening of the conference. Among those scheduled to speak are Jean-Bertrand Aristide, the former president of Haiti, who will speak on "What the Media doesn't print: Neoliberalism and structural adjustment policies"; Ramsey Clark, the former U.S. attorney general, who will speak on "Media Manipulation of Foreign Policy"; and renowned Egyptian writer and novelist Nawal El-Sadawi, who will speak on "Western Cultural Imperialism reflected in the Media and International News". [07] ASTRONAUT NEIL ARMSTRONG IN ATHENS, INAUGURATES INFOWORLDAthens, May 25 (MPA)Neil Armstrong, the first man to step on the moon, was in Athens yesterday, to inaugurate the Infoworld 98 exhibition at the capital’s Peace and Friendship Stadium.Mr. Armstrong gave a brief speech on space history and the roles of technology and information. He stated that man’s next quest into space will be the solar system. [08] MEDITERRANEAN POETS MEET IN NORTHERN GREEK CITY OF KAVALAKavala, May 25 (MPA)Poets from Greece, Lebanon, Algiers, Spain, Syria, Tunisia, Egypt, Palestine, Morocco, Turkey, Cyprus, Italy and France are to meet this Thursday in the northern Greek city of Kavala in order to hold the third symposium titled “The music of poetry and the poetry of music”.The event, organized by the House of Letters and Arts of Kavala will be held until May 31 and will concern poetry set to music. Works of all the participating poets have been turned into songs in the country of their origin. Among the Greek poets who will participate in the event are Takis Varvitsiotis and Antonis Fostieris, as well as the composer Christos Leontis. [09] US TO PERSEVERE WITH EFFORTS TO RESOLVE CYPRUS ISSUEWashington, May 25 (MPA)The US Secretary of State for Political Affairs Thomas Pickering has stated that the American initiative to resolve the Cyprus issue will not be deterred by the failure of Presidential Emissary Richard Holbrooke's recent mission to the island. Speaking at a lunch organized by Europe Magazine in Washington, Mr. Pickering stated that the US was disappointed with the outcome of Mr. Holbrooke's mission, and in particular with Turkey for raising preconditions for further talks, including the recognition of the 'TRNC' and the suspension of Cyprus EU accession talks. But in spite of this, he said, the US would "keep on moving" in the area. There was, he added, no reason to abandon the process, stressing that what was needed was harder work "to persuade those who are not yet ready to move the process ahead." The US was, Mr. Pickering concluded, justifiably anxious to get somewhere on Cyprus, as the situation always posed a threat to stability, tensions and security in the region.[10] GREEK BORDER TOWN HAS WORLD’S LARGEST FLAGDidimoticho, May 25 (MPA)In celebration of the anniversary of its liberation, the Greek border town of Didimoticho yesterday hoisted what is believed to be the world’s largest flag on its Byzantine tower. The flag, which measures 480 sq. meters and weighs 130 kilos, will be featured in the Guinness World Book of Records next edition.The flagstaff, whose construction has not yet been completed, will measure 53 meters high and will cost three million drachmas. Present at yesterday’s ceremony were the Metropolite of Didimoticho Nikiforos, various parliamentarians, a score of locals and many Greeks who live abroad and who arrived just for the magnificent event. [11] BULGARIA’S FM IN THESSALONIKI, SPEAKS TO MPAThessaloniki, May 25 (MPA)Bulgaria’s Foreign Minister Nadejda Michailova visited Thessaloniki yesterday in order to inaugurate the new building of the Bulgarian consulate. During her brief visit, she met with Greek foreign minister Theodoros Pangalos with whom she discussed matters of bilateral interest, as well as the recent developments in the Balkan region, specifically Kossovo.Ms.Michailova presented Mr.Pangalos with a letter wherein she briefed him on her government’s positions concerning bilateral matters, among them the Burgas- Alexandroupolis oil pipelines, the three new road axes between the two countries and the visa issuance process. Speaking to the Macedonian Press Agency, the Bulgarian Foreign Minister expressed the hope that the Greek government will soon adopt the draft law concerning seasonal employment of Bulgarian nationals in Greece. Ms.Michailova said that Greece’s participation in the Schengen Accord poses a hurdle when it comes to granting a visa to Bulgarian citizens but she added that she intents to discuss the matter further with Mr.Pangalos. She stressed that Greece is one of Bulgaria’s most fervent supporters for this country’s accession to the European Union. In regards to the three new highways, which are to be built in Eastern Macedonian and Thrace in order to improve transport between the two countries, Ms.Michailova said that the slow pace of progress was due to technical, of political problems. Lastly, the Bulgarian Minister expressed the hope that the protocol to bypass double taxation, which was recently drawn up by Greek and Bulgarian experts in Athens, will soon be completed. 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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