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Athens News Agency: News in English, 96-12-23

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, 23/12/1996 (ANA)

MAIN HEADLINES

  • Greece to wait and see Iranian mediation proposal
  • Inquiry on gunboat sinking released
  • Gov't committed to solving farmers' problems, spokesman says
  • Parliament approves 1997 budget
  • New Democracy extraordinary congress for February-March
  • Christmas wishes to expatriate Greeks
  • Tsovolas predicts New Democracy split
  • Council of State hears environmental case
  • Prosecutor calls for deportation of four Iraqis wanted by Interpol
  • 10 illegal immigrants picked up on Symi

    NEWS IN DETAIL

    Greece to wait and see Iranian mediation proposal

    Greece said today that it was unaware of any specific intention on the part of Iran to mediate between Athens and Ankara.

    "If a delegation from Iran wants to visit Athens, Greece will listen to its views because there is no reason to reject any effort before the fact," government spokesman Dimitris Reppas said.

    Reppas was responding to questions regarding reports that Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Velayati would send a delegation to Athens in the near future to mediate in disputes with Turkey.

    The reports, carried by the official Iranian newws agency IRNA on Sunday, said Turkey had welcomed the mediation proposal.

    "On the basis of our positions we are open to seeing what each initiative is," Reppas added.

    Inquiry into gunboat sinking released

    A Hellenic Navy inquiry into the ramming and sinking of the missile boat "Kostakos" in early November has revealed serious omissions on the part of both the Kostakos crew and the crew of the ferry-boat which rammed it, the "Samaina".

    Four Kostakos crewmen lost their lives in the accident.

    The report, which was released today, was compiled by a Hellenic Navy committee of experts,

    The Kostakos was taking part in the all-service "Parmenion" military exercise when it was rammed by the "Samaina" off the coast of Samos in the northeastern Aegean.

    According to the report, ensign Mihalis Damoulkas left his post on the bridge of the missile boat, thus losing visual contact with the Samaina. The report says Damoulkas acted on the conviction that the Samaina was sailing at a "safe distance."

    Having left his post, Damoulkas was not in a position to realise that Samaina had changed its course, and therefore did not take the necessary steps in order to prevent the accident.

    The report also blamed the Samaina for ineffective use of the radar system and captain Matheos Pnevmatikakis the ineffective use of navigational instruments and excessive speed.

    Reppas: government committed to solving farmers' problems

    Government spokesman Dimitris Reppas said today the government would do everything possible to find solutions to the farmers' problems within the existing economic policy while expressing satisfaction at the normalisation of the situation following the farmers' decision Sunday to suspend protests and lift the blockades in a Christmas goodwill gesture.

    "The government is satified because a sense of realism, prudence and responsibility has prevailed," Reppas said.

    Commenting on Prime Minister Costas Simitis's meeting, earlier in the day with the leadership of the three main agricultural groups, Reppas said a new round of systematic dialogue will officially commence on 10 January when the prime minister will announce the government's agricultural policy at the Agricultural Policy Council meeting.

    Stressing the need for understanding, Reppas said the government has and continues to show good intentions for the finding of a "common language" based on the axis of the existing policy.

    Greece started moving again on Sunday as the last of the road blocks on the nation's highways and rail links were lifted by farmers, ending a 24-day protest that had brought the country to a virtual standstill and dealt a crippling blow the economy.

    Parliament approves 1997 budget

    Parliament approved in the early hours yesterday the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) government's budget for the year 1997, designed to bring Greece closer to fulfilling EU Maastricht criteria.

    The budget was passed with 160 votes in favour and 136 against. Four deputies were absent from the vote.

    Main opposition New Democracy party and Democratic Social Movement (DHKKI) party deputies, however, voted in favour of the national defence ministry's budget. Closing a five-day parliamentary debate on the government's economic plans for 1997, Prime Minister Costas Simitis said that the government's budget was the "only conclusive proposition" to the economic problems of the country.

    "Participation in Economic and Monetary Union is a matter of national survival, development and security," the premier said stressing that Greece is last on the list of EU member-states to qualify for EMU membership.

    "The dilemma is clear," he said. "Either Greece will play the ostrich, raising protective walls to international competition, a road amounting to national catastrophe ... or it will get on the road for international competition."

    Stressing that the proposals put forward by the opposition parties would lead nowhere but, rather, would worsen problems, the premier reiterated that "all Greeks should contribute accordingly to the national effort... in order to strengthen those weaker financially."

    "Greece is one of the very few EU countries to give real increases in incomes while also increasing social policy funds," the premier said.

    Accusing the opposition of being overwhelmed by "an atmosphere of misery and barren reaction," the prime minister said that since ruling PASOK took office, inflation has fallen to 7.7 per cent from 12.3 per cent while the deficit came down to 7.6 per cent from 14.2 per cent. He admitted, however, that problems do exist, but expressing the conviction that a huge step towards resolving them will be made in 1997.

    Main opposition New Democracy party leader, Miltiades Evert, described the budget as "a document of political deceit" and a "monument of non- credibility" and "inconsistency."

    Mr. Evert said the government's economic measures were "cruel" and "unfair, " adding that "the low inflation target forecast by the budget is to deceive employees regarding the government's income policy and limit pay increases and pensions."

    "This," Mr. Evert said,"is political deceit."

    New Democracy extraordinary congress for February-March

    The New Democracy party Executive Committee yesterday formally approved leader Miltiades Evert's recommendation for the holding of an extraordinary congress, with most likely dates February 28 or March 2.

    The Committee rejected two proposals by leadership contender George Souflias for discussion and agreement in the party's Political Council on enlarging the representation at the congress from the party base.

    Christmas wishes to expatriate Greeks

    Parliament President Apostolos Kaklamanis has addressed a message on the occasion of Christmas and the New Year holiday to expatriate Greeks, stressing that their compatriots back home continue to view their achievements with pride.

    "Your compatriots, relatives and all Greeks are proudly mindful of your achievements, because, indeed, with your spiritual and material progress, you do justice to the name of Greece everywhere," he said.

    Tsovolas predicts New Democracy split

    Social Democratic Movement (DHKKI) leader Dimitris Tsovolas has forecast a break up of the New Democracy party in the life of the present parliament, which will also have repercussions in the ruling PASOK party.

    Speaking in Thessaloniki on the first anniversary of his party's founding yesterday, he said DHKKI must form a broad social-developmental front with the forces of labour and production, which would have to be activated in the framework of a new Europea n progressive movement.

    Council of State hears environmental case

    Council of State Associate Judge Maria Karamanov proposed this morning that a permit to the Mamidakis Group of Companies for installation and operation of a fuel storage tank at the Geras Bay on the island of Lesvos be revoked.

    Karamanov said such permit was incompatible with the need to protect a region of natural beauty, at the same time stressing the need to protect the bay that is teeming with fish.

    The case was referred to the Council of State - Greece's highest administrative court - by an ecological group and a Lesvos community and requests that an environment, town planning and public works ministry approval of the environmental study for the installation of the fuel tank be revoked.

    The case is still pending.

    Prosecutor calls for deportation of four Iraqis wanted by Interpol

    A Serres prosecutor today requested the immediate deportation of four Iraqis believed to be members of an international ring dealing in stolen passports.

    The four - identified as Aziz Mohamed, 28, Hussein Simpik, 33, Hamid Siad, 28 and Rashid Halil, 34 - were arrested by customs officials at the Greek- Bulgarian border after being found in possession of stolen passports.

    The four are wanted by Interpol for allegedly stealing 100-150 passports from public services and travel agents in Belgium in 1993.

    WEATHER

    Cloudy with local rainfall in western Greece. Rest of the country will be partly cloudy with possible rain at night. Southwestern winds getting stronger in the western regions and the Ionian islands and the eastern parts. Athens partly cloudy with sunny spells and temperatures ranging from 10-18C. Same for Thessaloniki with temperatures between 6-14C.

    SPORTS

    Weekend results of the Greek First Division soccer championship
    Xanthi - Panathinaikos 1 - 3
    Edessa - OFI           1 - 2
    AEK - Veria            3 - 1
    Kavala - Ionikos       2 - 0
    Panahaiki - Heraklis   0 - 0
    Aris - Kastoria        2 - 0
    Athinaikos - Kalamata  1 - 1
    Olympiakos - PAOK      1 - 0
    
    Pyrogos-Apollon match to be played today.

    Standings (points)

    Olympiakos    32
    Panathinaikos 29
    OFI           29
    AEK           26
    Kavala        22
    Pyrgos        21
    Panahaiki     20
    Veria         19
    Kalamata      18
    PAOK          15
    Ionikos       15
    Xanthi        13
    Aris          13
    

    FOREIGN EXCHANGE

    Closing rates - 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

    (M.P.)


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