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Athens News Agency: News in English, 96-12-21

Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.forthnet.gr/ape>


NEWS IN ENGLISH

Athens, Greece, 21/12/1996 (ANA)

MAIN HEADLINES

  • Simitis to meet with farmers on Monday
  • Parliament to vote on 1997 budget at midnight
  • PNO calls off strike, ferry boats scheduled to sail
  • Civil aviation strike suspended
  • More aggressive economic policy for Balkans, E. Europe considered
  • Gov't: Ambassador in Peru instructed not to return to guerillas

    NEWS IN DETAIL

    Simitis to meet with farmers on Monday

    The government announced today that Prime Minister Costas Simitis would meet on Monday with the presidiums of the country's three biggest farmers' labour unions.

    ''Within the framework of dialogue concerning the problems facing Greek agriculture, which must be held with the broadest possible participation, the prime minister will meet on Monday with the presidiums of the Panhellenic Confederation of Agricultural Cooperatives (PASEGES), the General Confederation of Agricultural Associations (GESASE) and the Democratic Confederation of Agricultural Associations (SYDASE),'' government spokesman Dimitris Reppas said.

    The spokesman said that the meeting would take place at 14.30 local time, adding that Simitis would also meet at 18.00 local time with the coordinating committee representing farmers of Macedonia and Thrace.

    Simitis has persistently refused direct dialogue with the farmers for the past three weeks, as their protests have blocked road and rail links throughout the country, saying that dialogue was not possible under the pressure of the blockades.

    In recent days however, farmers in numerous places around the country have de-escalated their protest action, culminating yesterday in the decision of the farmers of Macedonia and Thrace to lift all blockades until mid-January when they will review the situation.

    In contrast, the Panthessaly Farmers' Coordinating Committee decided after a four-hour meeting yesterday to ''continue the struggle'' and the blockades of national and provincial highways in the greater region.

    Farmers in the Peloponnese are also continuing their blockade of the Patras- Athens national road at Aigio.

    The Panthessaly committee meanwhile was expected today to decide whether to allow people travelling on the occasion of the Christmas holiday to pass the roadblocks or to harden their stance.

    Parliament to vote on 1997 budget at midnight

    Parliament will take a vote tonight on the 1997 state budget in a session expected to be addressed among others by Prime Minister Costas Simitis and the opposition party leaders.

    Voting on the budget will begin at midnight.

    Yesterday evening's budget debate in Parliament was marked by a renewed clash between National Economy Minister Yiannos Papantoniou and main oppositon New Democracy party leader Miltiades Evert on the issue of absorption of European Union funds.

    Mr. Evert produced national economy ministry figures, claiming that funds amounting to 1.85 trillion drachmas had been lost in the last three years. The minister replied, acknowledging that funds had indeed been lost during the first six months of the initiation of programmes, chiefly due to the lack of planning by the previous New Democrcy government.

    He added that there was an upward rate in the absorption of funds, which was 45 per cent in 1994, 70 per cent in 1995 and 100 per cent this year. He reiterated that all available funds would be absorbed and that the Thessaloniki metro and the Aheloos River diversion projects would be implemented.

    PNO calls off strike, ferry boats scheduled to sail

    More than 15 passenger ferry boats were expected to sail from Piraeus until the early morning hours, carrying more than 5,000 passengers and 2,000 trucks with goods to Aegean islands, Crete and the Dodecanese, after a decision by the Panhellenic Seamen's Federation (PNO) last night to call off their strike.

    PNO members had begun their strike on Monday, which affected all Greek- flagged vessels throughout the world.

    Earlier, the finance ministry announced that it had committed itself to finding a commonly acceptable decision with the seamen's union, the General Confederation of Greek Workers (GSEE) and the Piraeus Labour Centre on merchant marine issues, which will provide the basis for a debate in Parliament.

    The announcement came after a meeting between Merchant Marine Minister Stavros Soumakis, Finance Undersecretary Giorgos Drys, and other bodies involved.

    The PNO originally called a 48-hour strike in support of their demand that the government not proceed with plans to abolish seamen's special fiscal status, according to which their income is taxed.

    It was subsequently extended for two days and then, yesterday, for a further 24 hours.

    In a related development, a Piraeus court ruled Thursday that the strike was illegal and asked the PNO to immediately call off all protest action.

    "We do not accept coercion from the shipowning companies which are asking Greek captains not only to carry on sailing vessels but also to impose sanctions on striking seamen," PNO general secretary Yiannis Halas said.

    Civil aviation strike suspended

    Airport employees suspended a 24-hour nationwide strike scheduled for yesterday, and all domestic and foreign flights were carried out normally.

    The strike was called by the Federation of Civil Aviation Employee Associations (OSYPA) demanding that four employee benefits be excluded from the new scalary sale, an 8.0 percent salary increase and legislation of overtime and holiday remuneration.

    More aggressive economic policy for Balkans, E. Europe considered

    Development Minister Vasso Papandreou held a business summit at her own initiative at the industry ministry yesterday, which was attended by business leaders Vardis Vardinoyiannis, Sokratis Kokkalis, Dimitris Kopelouzos and Spyros Latsis.

    The meeting focused on the government's plan to implement an aggressive economic cooperation policy with Balkan and eastern European countries in the sectors of industry and energy. In the framework of promoting the government's plan, more meetings will be held with business representatives and finalised decisions will be announced after an enlarged meeting ischaired by Prime Minister Costas Simitis.

    Gov't: Ambassador in Peru instructed not to return to guerillas

    The government said yesterday that its ambassador in Peru had been instructed "to use the opportunity given to him to escape" from the Tupac Amaru guerrillas, who are still holding about 200 people hostage at the Japanese ambassador's residence in Lima. " This was the message given to (Ambassador Alcibiades) Karokis, when he was a prisoner, through his wife," government spokesman Dimitris Reppas said in reply to press questions. The Greek envoy was released by the guerrillas along with three other ambassad ors to negotiate with the Peruvian government on their behalf. Mr. Karokis, like the ambassadors of Germany and France, did not return to the embassy. Only the Canadian ambassador returned. Diplomatic sources said all the European diplomatic mission s in Lima agreed with the decision on the European ambassadors' getaway. Asked why Mr. Karokis did not play the role of mediator as requested by the guerrillas, Mr. Reppas replied that ambassadors are representatives of their respective countries and "the Greek government did not assign the role of mediator to our envoy in Lima."

    WEATHER

    Scattered showers and moderate winds in Attica, temperature 10-16C. Similar weather in Thessaloniki with light winds, temperature 6-13C.

    FOREIGN EXCHANGE

    Closing rates (Friday) - buying U.S. dlr. 245.351 Can. dlr. 179.373 Australian dlr. 195.300 Pound sterling 409.478 Irish punt 407.117 Cyprus pd 519.598 French franc 46.721 Swiss franc 183.837 Belgian franc 7.657 German mark 157.867 Finnish mark 52.969 Dutch guilder 140.695 Danish Kr. 41.291 Swedish Kr. 35.940 Norwegian Kr. 37.976 Austrian Sh. 22.439 Italian lira (100) 16.072 Yen (100) 215.076 Spanish Peseta 1.875 Portuguese Escudo 1.564

    (S.S.)


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