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Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English, 99-06-16

Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: The Macedonian Press Agency at http://www.mpa.gr and http://www.hri.org/MPA.

BRIEF GREEK NEWS BULLETIN BY THE MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY

Thessaloniki, June 16, 1999


TITLES

  • [01] PASOK TO UNDERGO SERIES OF REFORMS, IN VIEW OF ELECTION RESULTS
  • [02] PRESIDENT OF GREECE CONDUCTS OFFICIAL VISIT TO ROMANIA
  • [03] NATO EXTENDS DEADLINE FOR WITHDRAWAL OF SERB TROOPS
  • [04] SERBS DEPART FROM SOUTHERN KOSOVO, MEETING NATO’S DEADLINE
  • [05] BELGRADERS RUN FOR COVER AFTER MISTAKING THUNDER FOR ATTACK
  • [06] SERB PRESIDENT REJECTS RESIGNATION OF RADICAL PARTY MINISTERS
  • [07] UNHCR DEEPLY CONCERNED OVER MASS EXODUS OF SERBS
  • [08] FOCUS INITIATIVE GROUP COORDINATES HUMANITARIAN AID EFFORT
  • [09] KIDS WHOSE PARENTS WERE KILLED IN WAR ARRIVE IN THESSALONIKI
  • [10] BOVINE IMMUNE DEFICIENCY DISEASE REPORTED IN NETHERLANDS
  • [11] ALTERNATE FM: G8 STATEMENT ON CYPRUS IS A POSITIVE RESULT
  • [12] GREEK MARBLE FIRM FOUNDS PERMANENT EXPOSITION IN CHINA
  • [13] BULGARIA TO TRANSPORT KOSOVO REFUGEES ON RAIL VIA GREECE

  • NEWS IN DETAIL

    [01] PASOK TO UNDERGO SERIES OF REFORMS, IN VIEW OF ELECTION RESULTS

    Athens, June 16 (MPA)

    On the aftermath of the defeat the ruling PASOK party suffered during Sunday’s European Parliament elections, Prime Minister and party leader Costas Simitis has announced that he intends to carve a series of reforms from within. These changes are to take place after the party’s central committee convenes on July 9- 10. Mr. Simitis stated that, in spite of the fact that the party fought a tough battle under unfavorable circumstances during the Euro-elections, the government will not waver from its policy on major issues such as the country’s course to the Economic and monetary Union, the country’s economic development and national issues. He further vowed that the government will display a higher degree of social sensitivity.

    “We are aware that we need to improve (when it comes to ) facing issues such as unemployment, agriculture, crime and quality of life,” he stated. A.F.

    [02] PRESIDENT OF GREECE CONDUCTS OFFICIAL VISIT TO ROMANIA

    Athens, June 16 (MPA)

    The President of the Hellenic Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos is presently on an official, three-day visit to Romania, accompanied by a delegation of Greek businessmen, at the invitation of his Romanian counterpart Emil Constantinescu.

    During his stay in Bucharest, President Stephanopoulos will meet with President Constantinescu - with whom he will sign a bilateral agreement- as well as other state and political leaders.

    Tomorrow, the President will give an address at the Economic Forum and will also visit the Romanian Parliament where he will hold talks with the Speaker and vice president of the House. He will also meet with leading members of the Greek-Romanian community and with the Greek students in Bucharest. Later in the day, he will meet with Patriarch Theoktistos, while he will also inaugurate the Greek art exhibit at the National Museum of Art. A.F.

    [03] NATO EXTENDS DEADLINE FOR WITHDRAWAL OF SERB TROOPS

    London, June 16 (MPA)

    NATO has complied with Yugoslavia's request for a 24-hour extension of the deadline for the withdrawal of Serb military units from southern regions of Kosovo until mid- night, Lieutenant-Colonel Robin Clifford, spokesman for NATO force in Kosovo, has announced.

    According to the Russian news agency Itar-Tass, Mr. Clifford pointed out that this decision by NATO was motivated by technical complexities which hindered the Serb units from leaving the Territory before Wednesday morning. A.F.

    [04] SERBS DEPART FROM SOUTHERN KOSOVO, MEETING NATO’S DEADLINE

    Prishtina, June 16 (MPA)

    The deadline for the withdrawal of Serb troops from southern Kosovo and Prishtina expired at midnight last night and, according to reports, there have been no major problems so far. Nevertheless, the withdrawal of the Serb troops has caused concern among Kosovo’s Serbs who are abandoning the region by the thousands. At the same time, British Lt. General Mike Jackson has called on the Serb civilians to remain and plead that both sides display self-restrain. A.F.

    [05] BELGRADERS RUN FOR COVER AFTER MISTAKING THUNDER FOR ATTACK

    Belgrade, June 16 (MPA)

    When a strong thunderstorm broke out in Belgrade last night, many of the locals - who had survived 78 days of NATO bombings - ran for cover after mistaking the tempest for a military strike. According to the Russian news agency Itar-Tass, the successive lightning resembled the fire of Yugoslavian air defenses, while thunder was similar to explosions of NATO bombs. Many city districts were once again covered by darkness, just like during the air strikes, as electricity supplies were cut off . The outpour of rain brought in a monthly norm of precipitation in a course of two hours, causing a great number of floods. Municipal authorities are presently working hard to cope with the situation while the electrical supply is being gradually restored. A.F.

    [06] SERB PRESIDENT REJECTS RESIGNATION OF RADICAL PARTY MINISTERS

    Belgrade, June 16 (MPA)

    Serb President Milan Milutinovic has refused to accept the resignation of 15 government ministers of the ultranationalist Radical Party (SRS) of Vojislav Seselj, according to a statement published by Yugoslavia’s Tanjung news agency. Mr. Seselj, Serbia's leading hardliner, and his party quit the government on Monday, accusing Belgrade of "betraying" Kosovo. The SRS has 82 out of 250 seats in the Serb parliament. The statement said that under the state of war, which was imposed in Yugoslavia the night of March 24 when NATO began its air campaign, Milutinovic can order all government members to remain at their post because it is "vital" for Serbia. A.F.

    [07] UNHCR DEEPLY CONCERNED OVER MASS EXODUS OF SERBS

    United Nations, June 16 (MPA)

    The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) yesterday expressed its deep concern over the exodus of thousands of Serbs from Kosovo. The UN agency said it was witnessing the same pattern of displacements of Serbs seen in Western Slavonia in December 1991, in the Krajina and August 1995 and in Sarajevo after the 1995 Dayton peace agreement.

    According to a UN press report, The High Commissioner's Special Envoy, Dennis McNamara, discussed the outflow of Serb civilians with Lieutenant General Michael Jackson, the commander of the Kosovo Force (KFOR), who confirmed that his troops would do their best to provide security for all of Kosovo's citizens, but stressed that under the circumstances, there was unfortunately a limit to what could be done.

    In an effort to stabilize the situation, UNHCR is also talking to the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) and to the Serb leadership in Kosovo. However, the agency said tensions were high and there were likely to be more departures. Serbs arriving in Montenegro say they fear reprisals and are uncertain of their future in Kosovo. UNHCR is using both local radio and international networks to send out the message that KFOR troops will provide security to all people regardless of ethnicity. UNHCR estimates 13,000 Serbs have crossed into Montenegro since Thursday but it is not known how many Serbs are crossing directly into Serbia. The Serb population of Kosovo is estimated at between 100,000 and 200,000 people. At the same time, UNHCR reported a rush of refugees returning to Kosovo from neighboring countries. People in cars, tractor trailers and on foot were lined up at the borders of Albania and FYROM. UNHCR estimates more than 3,000 refugees in vehicles and an indeterminate number on foot crossed back into Kosovo yesterday. At least one mine explosion on the Kosovo side of the Blace border crossing killed one returnee and injured another. Three people from Albania were also injured in a separate mine explosion. A.F.

    [08] FOCUS INITIATIVE GROUP COORDINATES HUMANITARIAN AID EFFORT

    Belgrade, June 16 (MPA)

    Officials from the four countries comprised in the Focus initiative (Greece, Russia, Switzerland and Austria) met in Belgrade yesterday, with the participation of Yugoslav government representatives, in order to coordinate the content and size of the humanitarian aid to Yugoslavia.

    Following the meeting, Russia’s Minister for Emergency Situations said that "we got a full picture of the destroyed and damaged infrastructure, energy and health care sites. We will give priority to their restoration." As the NATO air raids denied hot water and central heating o almost one million residents of the Yugoslav capital and the authorities ask for the assistance to the restoration of a thermal power plant in Belgrade by winter.

    The supply of medicines, including pain-killers, was another item on the agenda. Their shipment was hindered by the fact some of the medicines contain narcotic substances. The Russian Ministry for Civil Defense and Emergencies will ship the medical supplies to Belgrade tomorrow. A.F.

    [09] KIDS WHOSE PARENTS WERE KILLED IN WAR ARRIVE IN THESSALONIKI

    Thessaloniki, June 16 (MPA)

    A group of children whose parents (journalists) were killed during NATO’s raids against the Yugoslav television station RTS, as well as kids of the Tanjung news agency’s staff are arriving in Thessaloniki this evening for a 15-day visit, on the initiative of the Macedonian Press Agency.

    The 35 children will be hosted and entertained at summer camps in the Chalkidiki peninsula, an event sponsored by the Municipality of Kalamaria.

    The children will be in the limelight during tomorrow’s welcoming event, where they will be greeted by the Mayor of Kalamaria Christodoulos Economides and the MPA’s General Director Spyros Kouzinopoulos.

    As it has previously been reported, Tanjung, which is Yugoslavia’s official news agency, constituted one of NATO’s imminent targets. Understandably, Tanjung’s staff members and their families were subject to an unfathomable psychological ordeal that lasted the full duration of the war, 2 1/2 months. The MPA had extended the invitation to host the small children on May 20 and while the bombings were occurring at full scale. The Municipality of Kalamaria rushed to embrace the MPA’s initiative by undertaking the majority of the costs. Anther lucky bunch of children will be hosted by the MPA the following month, comprising children of the Albanian Telegraph Agency’s staff, as well as children of Kosovar journalists who were forced to flee their houses and seek refuge in Albanian and FYROM shelters. A.F.

    [10] BOVINE IMMUNE DEFICIENCY DISEASE REPORTED IN NETHERLANDS

    Brussels, June 16 (MPA)

    European consumers now have more cause for concern over what they put in their mouths, as hundreds of cows in the Netherlands are reportedly infected by a deadly disease that has symptoms similar to AIDS.

    According to a report issued by the Netherlands Ministry of Agriculture, the bovine immune deficiency disease first broke out in February, when authorities ordered the slaughter of 1,500 cows at 12 Dutch farms. Six thousand Dutch cattle breeders have reported to state veterinarians that their animals have fallen ill by the disease which may have been caused by expired inoculations performed in 1998. The sickness represents no threat to dairy products, a spokesman for the Netherlands Agriculture Ministry stressed. The confederation of Dutch cattle-breeders believes that the disease is not a new development and maintains that it has to do with the inoculation against other bovine illnesses. Meanwhile, the confederation has blocked large quantities of beef destined for exportation to Greece. A.F.

    [11] ALTERNATE FM: G8 STATEMENT ON CYPRUS IS A POSITIVE RESULT

    Athens, June 16 (MPA)

    The foreign ministers of the “Group of 8” (the world’s most industrialized nations plus Russia) have issued a statement regarding Cyprus, wherein they call on both sides to resume dialogue based on UN Security Council resolutions and to avoid heightened tension on the island. The statement, which was issued in Cologne earlier this month, has been characterized as a positive development by Greece’s Alternate Foreign Minister Yiannos Kranidiotis who said that "the statement by the G8 foreign ministers constitutes a positive development and offers a new opportunity, provided the Turkish side will also respond positively, for a resumption of intercommunal dialogue under the general secretary and in the framework of the UN. Mr. Kranidiotis added that "the fact that the G8 session preoccupied itself with the Cyprus issue underlines that it is an exclusive international political problem for which the international community has responsibility." Mr. Kranidiotis said that a fortunate end to this process, combined with the European prospects of Cyprus, will allow all the people of Cyprus to "enjoy the fruits of an encouraging European future." A.F.

    [12] GREEK MARBLE FIRM FOUNDS PERMANENT EXPOSITION IN CHINA

    Thessaloniki, June 16 (MPA)

    The Greek marble firm CosmoMarmara S.A. is to establish a 300 sq. m. permanent exhibition site in Shanghai, China, a first step in the company’s projected expansion into markets abroad. CosmoMarmara S.A. comprises six marble manufacturers, seven of which are headquartered in Northern Greece, the country’s marble haven, and with the eighth being active in the commercial sector, all involved in the areas of production, distribution, promotion and facility supplies. The firm’s operational targets include improving innovation and production, increasing exports, reducing unemployment and contributing to environmental protection. It receives state funding of GRD286 million for the execution of investments amounting to GRD475 million. A.F.

    [13] BULGARIA TO TRANSPORT KOSOVO REFUGEES ON RAIL VIA GREECE

    Sofia, June 16 (MPA)

    Officials from Bulgaria’s Railway Organization (BDZ) have embarked on negotiations with their counterparts from Greece’s Railway Organization (OSE) regarding the route to be followed by two Bulgarian trains that will transport refugees from FYROM to Kosovo via Greece. According to the Sofia daily “24 Hours”, the vice- president of Bulgaria Evgeni Bakargiev announced in Skopje earlier this week that Bulgaria is willing to provide two trains for the transport of refugees from FYROM to Kosovo.

    However, there is a hitch since there is no direct railway route between Bulgaria and FYROM as the railroad section between the cities of Giesevo and Kumanovo has yet to be constructed. Whether and when the two Bulgarian trains will set off for FYROM will be determined with OSE’s cooperation but it is anticipated that 4,000 Kosovars will return home this way on a daily basis, with the overall number of returnees expected to surpass the 270,000-mark. A.F.


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