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Athens News Agency: News in English, 96-12-30

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, 30/12/1996 (ANA)

MAIN HEADLINES

  • Freighter capsizes off Evia; 12 still missing
  • One dead as storms hit Greece
  • Foreign policy, economy expected to take centre stage in '97
  • Commencement of Thessaloniki as "Cultural Centre"

    NEWS IN DETAIL

    Twelve out of 21 persons on board a capsized Greek-flagged freighter beached off Kymi, Evia, remained unaccounted for this morning, as search efforts continued at daybreak.

    Nine bodies from the freighter "Distos" have been recovered by rescue units, while one crewmember, 18-year-old merchant marine cadet Christos Anagnostou, was picked up alive after he jumped into the water when the vessel began to list.

    The vessel, owned and operated by the AGET Iraklis Cement group, was laden with 5,300 tons of cement when it capsized in rough seas Saturday night east of Kymi. The Distos was headed for Piraeus after leaving Volos on Thursday, and after previously seeking shelter in the island of Skiathos' port on Friday due to bad weather.

    According to shipping circles, rough seas can cause a cement cargo to shift, making it a particularly dangerous cargo to transport in bad weather.

    After the vessel was located by the coast guard, it was subsequently towed to approximately one nautical mile from the Evia coast in about 35 metres of water.

    Among the 21 on board the vessel were two wives of crewmembers and a 10- year-old girl.

    AGET general manager Nikos Mavros told a press conference yesterday afternoon that the vessel had left Skiathos at the decision of its captain Yiannis Tsitsirikis.

    The ministry notified AGET that the Distos was in trouble after being warned by a Spanish satellite station, which had received a signal from a specially fitted communications device on the vessel.

    According to reports, when the ministry notified AGET that the Distos was in trouble Saturday night, the company considered it a false alarm.

    Gov't statement

    Speaking to reporters earlier, Merchant Marine Minister Stavros Soumakis said an investigation to possible negligence by port authorities was continuing.

    In later statements, Mr. Soumakis said that "according to first reports from divers who had entered the ship, the vessel's compartments were full of water."

    The minister said a preliminary investigation had been ordered, which is being carried out by senior coast guard officials on the site.

    One dead as storms hit Greece

    Twenty-nine villages in three prefectures throughout the country continue to be isolated in the wake of on-going poor weather conditions.

    According to the public order ministry, as a result of snowfall yesterday, communications have been disrupted with 11 villages in Achaia prefecture, 11 villages in Evia and seven villages in Fthiotida prefecture.

    Many vehicles have been immobilised on the national and regional network due to weather conditions. A total of 85 traffic accidents have occurred from Friday afternoon until last night killing 13 people and injuring 125.

    A 65-year-old woman died yesterday after slipping and hitting her head in her backyard, which turned to ice following snow and freezing rain that pounded her village over the past few days in northern Greece. Dozens of people, particularly elderly persons, were rushed to hospitals in the last few days suffering from fractures from falls on ice.

    Snow continued to fall yesterday in many parts of the country, cutting off villages in mountainous areas and creating transportation problems.

    Foreign policy, economy expected to take centre stage in '97

    Prime Minister Costas Simitis has every reason to be satisfied with the outgoing year, a particularly difficult year for Greece's foreign policy and economic sectors, since he admittedly played a leading role in 1996.

    Mr. Simitis succeeded the late Andreas Papandreou at the socialist PASOK party's leadership and won general elections last September, keeping PASOK in power for a second consecutive term.

    The death of Andreas Papandreou (which may signal the end of an entire era), the prevalence of Simitis in Greece's political scene, a crisis in Greek- Turkish relations and the farmers' mobilisations late in the year, are considered the most important ev ents in 1996, and will probably pave the way for what is expected to develop in 1997.

    On the domestic political front, Mr. Simitis can be considered the leading figure since at the present stage he has neither any substantive intra- party criticism to face nor a main opposition party having a steadfast and unified policy, as the conservat ive New Democracy party is faced with its own serious internal problems, and consequently, he can address the country's problems unimpeded.

    Mr. Simitis will have to tackle two main problems in the new year, namely, Greek-Turkish relations and the state of the economy.

    The crisis over the Imia islets in January 1996, when Greece and Turkey came to the brink of war, substantively shaped the framework and the climate - the worst in past years - in Greek-Turkish relations, and according to all indications the disputing b y Turkey of all islets lying close to the Turkish coastline will constitute a permanent headache for foreign policy in the future.

    One could say that Greek foreign policy, more than ever, is orientated towards confronting Turkish designs in the Aegean and Cyprus. Additionally, Athens is pursuing this purpose both through the European Union and through Washington, as well as a unifi ed defence doctrine with Cyprus.

    Backstage manoeuvres are also taking place to improve Greek-Turkish relations, while US President Bill Clinton is expected, on the basis of pre- election statements, to take initiatives on Greek national issues.

    Meanwhile, Greece's relations with the neighbouring Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) are also pending, after a prolonged period of recession, since talks in New York sponsored by UN mediator Cyrus Vance failed to produce results. Consequent ly, the settlement of the landlocked state's name is to be expected in 1997, or at least a clarification of its prospects.

    Many fear that the state of the economy and the restrictive policy the government is obliged to follow to allow the country to align itself with Maastricht Treaty criteria might lead to social tensions. The danger was clearly visible with mobilisations by protesting farmers and pensioners, which the government handled steadfastly and successfully.

    However, the situation is not easy since the government might be faced with additional problems in the health and education sectors and since it will have to maintain its social image in the light of its steadfast economic and incomes policy.

    Opposition parties

    The picture in ND's camp is particularly grim.

    Party leader Miltiades Evert lost last September's general elections and in the wake of this defeat his intraparty foes virtually consider him to be "a leader with an expiry date."

    He is faced with a sustained internal opposition headed by George Souflias, who is seeking the party's leadership, as well as a party congress in late February or early March, where a new leader is expected to be elected.

    Political Spring party leader Antonis Samaras, who failed to keep his party in Parliament after it fell below the 3 per cent margin necessary for a party to elect deputies, is also in a difficult position.

    On the other hand, Communist Party of Greece (KKE) Secretary General Aleka Papariga, Coalition of the Left and Progress leader Nikos Constantopoulos and the leader of the recently established Democratic Social Movement (DHKKI) party, Dimitris Tsovolas, have every reason to feel satisfied with their forces.

    Commencement of Thessaloniki as 'Cultural Capital'

    Thessaloniki will welcome its assumption of the European Cultural Capital 1997 title with a 24-hour, open-air celebration replete with singers, actors, clowns, magicians, artists, musicians and participating residents.

    An open-to-all party beginning on New Year's Eve and lasting until dawn the next day is also being thrown by the city's Cultural Capital Organisation. In addition, five open-air tents will be set up at central locations in the city to house musical and theatrical groups.

    Other events welcoming the new "cultural year" will start tomorrow morning . Musical groups and singers will perform traditional carols while appearances by several well-known Greek and foreign performers are scheduled in front of the White Tower.

    WEATHER

    Overcast in most parts of the country with snowfalls in the mountainous regions and rainstorms in the west and the islands. The weather will gradually improve later in the day. Athens will be overcast with scattered showers and temperatures ranging from 9-16C. Same for Thressaloniki with temperatures between 2-8C.

    FOREIGN EXCHANGE

    (Friday's closing rates - buying)

    US dlr. 245.054 Pound sterling 413.029 Cyprus pd 521.594 French franc 46.797 Swiss franc 182.131 German mark 157.639 Italian lira (100) 16.056 Yen (100) 213.379 Canadian dlr. 179.473 Australian dlr.194.948 Irish Punt 408.605 Belgian franc 7.658 Finnish mark 52.774 Dutch guilder 140.641 Swedish kr. 35.760 Norwegian kr. 38.013 Austrian sh. 22.429 Spanish peseta 1.874 Portuguese escudo 1.564

    (C.E.)


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