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Athens News Agency: News in English (PM), 98-05-01

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

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

NEWS IN ENGLISH

Athens, Greece, 01/05/1998 (ANA)


MAIN HEADLINES

  • Reppas dismisses Yilmaz statements
  • Pangalos: "Close Olympic Airways now"
  • Three separate labour rallies held in Athens
  • Seven dead in road accidents in just one day
  • Three arrested, police officers implicated in bogus papers case
  • Aftershock shakes Kalamata
  • International law on Athens side
  • No Cyprus-EU accession 'a problem'
  • Premier brushes off talk of new devaluation
  • Simitis calls Turkish threat 'strong'
  • Gov't backs Pangalos over recent Chirac criticism
  • Athens condemns dismissals of two Turkish journalists
  • Kozloduy issue raised during Simitis' recent Sofia visit
  • Greece and Italy call for strong Albanian military
  • Defence minister to visit Sweden
  • Papoutsis voices concern over lifting of cabotage
  • Ecumenical Patriarch on new Greek Prelate's election
  • Cutbacks in expenditures envisioned
  • Auction for state securities
  • Weather
  • Foreign exchange

NEWS IN DETAIL

Reppas dismisses Yilmaz statements

Greece has dismissed as an "unacceptable provocation" statements by Turkish premier Messut Yilmaz that Athens was deeply hostile towards Ankara. "The statements by the Turkish premier are an unacceptable provocation and confirm once again Turkey's weakness to adjust itself to international legality," government spokesman Dimitris Reppas said late on Thursday. Parliament President Apostolos Kaklamanis today rejected Yilmaz's statements as "anachronistic, provocative and lacking any historical basis".

Pangalos: "Close Olympic Airways now"

Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos called on Thursday for state-run Olympic Airways to be shut down immediately, saying "no reasonable person" would fly with the ailing carrier. "We can't go on like this for even another week. It's over. The workers have dealt the fatal blow," Pangalos, a former transport minister, told Athens daily Eleftherotypia in an interview. "Olympic is a black hole which has sucked in 700 billion drachmas coming from the Greek people. Have we realised this?" Pangalos said.

Three separate labour rallies held in Athens

Workers turned out en masse in Athens to celebrate Labour Day but the trade union front was not united as illustrated by the holding of three separate rallies almost simultaneously in the city centre. What was supposed to have been the major event, the rally organised by the General Confederation of Greek Labour (GSEE), the Civil Servants' Supreme Administrative Council (ADEDY) and the Athens Labour Centre attracted only an estimated 2,000 workers. Addressing the rally, GSEE president Christos Polyzogopoulos accused the organisers of similar events "just a few hundred metres away" of harming the unity of the trade union movement. In contrast, the rally organised in Syntagma Square by trade unionists affiliated to the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) attracted an estimated 6,000 workers. They urged trade unions to become more militant and not participate in the social dialogue with the government and employers. Trade unionists affiliated to left-wing parties not represented in Parliament organised a separate rally in Omonia Square, followed by a march to nearby Kolokotroni Square, where they joined groups of Turks, Kurds, Africans, Albanians and other immigrants.

Seven dead in road accidents in just one day

Seven people died and 98 were injured - 15 seriously - in 78 road accidents around the country since Thursday afternoon, the police said today. Traffic on the country's main highways and secondary roads has increased since yesterday as large numbers of city dwellers took advantage of the Labour Day public holiday falling on a Friday and left to spend three days in the provinces.

Three arrested, police officers implicated in bogus papers case

Three people have been arrested and at least six others are wanted by police for questioning in connection with offences involving the use of forged documents, official seals and bribery to furnish foreigners with papers supposedly granting them Greek citizenship. According to the police, the three arrested claimed during questioning that a number of police officers with positions in aliens bureaus were involved in the case. According to the police, the gang has supplied at least 1,000 people with false citizenship documents for a payment of between 5 and 7 million drachmas in each case.

Aftershock shakes Kalamata

The Athens Geodynamic Institute reported today that it had recorded an earthquake registering 5.0 on the Richter scale, an aftershock of the 5.9 quake yesterday which originated from the seabed 120 kms south of the Peloponnese city of Kalamata. There were no reports of injuries or damage. The quake was registered at 1.59 p.m. local time. Seismologist Vassilis Karakostas told the ANA that there was no cause for alarm as the epicenter of the quake was situated a distance from any built-up area, off the coast of the Peloponnese. He said that the area was prone to aftershocks in the wake of yesterday's quake. The largest of these aftershocks yesterday registered 4.2.

International law on Athens side

International law and the Treaty of Lausanne clearly define the Greek sovereignty of islands and islets in the Aegean, Defence Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos said today. Speaking at a flag-raising ceremony on the MEKO- 200 frigate "Psarra", the second of three being constructed by the Skaramanga Shipyards, Tsohatzopoulos said that if Turkey had any doubts about the sovereignty of islands in the Aegean then it should refer to the International Court of Justice at The Hague to get this clear answer.

No Cyprus-EU accession 'a problem'

Foreign minister Theodoros Pangalos said today there would be no European Union enlargement if anyone created a political problem over Cyprus' accession. "If a political problem is created in Cyprus' accession course, this would undermine the smooth function of the EU itself and consequently there will be no enlargement," Pangalos said in an interview with the Athens afternoon daily Eleftherotypia. Cyprus, he said, was part of package with the other membership candidates. Negotiations would be held separately with each candidate and each candidate would be judged on the basis of its pros and cons, the minister added.

Premier brushes off talk of new devaluation

Prime Minister Costas Simitis yesterday dismissed media reports that a second devaluation of the drachma was pending. Reports of a new devaluation have been fuelled by speculation that a European Union summit over the weekend to launch the euro will readjust the parities of currencies in the EU's Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM). "(The rumours) are absurdities coming from speculators who want to recoup the money they lost in the March devaluation," Mr. Simitis told a meeting of the ruling PASOK Parliamentary group.

Simitis calls Turkish threat 'strong'

Prime Minister Costas Simitis yesterday said the Turkish threat was strong and the government did not underestimate it. Addressing the ruling PASOK's Parliamentary group, Mr. Simitis also warned that Greece should not be dragged into a "mentality of rhetoric", which only benefitted Turkey. The premier further said that Greece was not opposed to Turkey's European orientation, adding however, that Athens' acceptance hinged on such conditions as Ankara's acceptance of international treaties, its contribution to a resolution of the Cyprus pro blem and improvement of its relations with Greece.

Gov't backs Pangalos over recent Chirac criticism

The government fully shares Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos' concern and interest in vigorously promoting Athens' positions and defending national rights, government spokesman Dimitris Reppas said yesterday in reply to a question regarding the Greek FM's harsh criticism this week of French President Jacques Chirac. Mr. Reppas said that it was not the French president that provoked criticism by the Greek foreign minister, but Paris' policy in terms of EU-Turkey and Greek-Turkish relations, saying France finds it difficult to understand the reason why Athens was ins isting on maintaining its veto of the EU financial protocol for Ankara. France repeatedly has supported the unconditional withdrawal of the Greek veto for EU aid to Ankara.

Athens condemns dismissals of two Turkish journalists

Government spokesman Dimitris Reppas yesterday said that the firing from a major Turkish daily of two Turkish columnists on Tuesday is a reaffirmation that democracy does not function in that country and that human rights are not respected. In a related development, Eurodeputy Yiannis Roumbatis denounced the actions against "Sabah's" Mehmet Ali Birand and Cengiz Kandar to the European Commission and the European Union Council of Ministers in Brussels.

Kozloduy issue raised during Simitis' recent Sofia visit

Government spokesman Dimitris Reppas yesterday said that during his recent visit to Bulgaria, Prime Minister Costas Simitis emphatically raised the issue of the Kozloduy nuclear power plant. He was responding to a question concerning the construction of a nuclear power plant on the southwestern coast of Turkey. Mr. Reppas said that according to Athens' information, construction of the plant has not proceeded and that the entire process is at a preliminary stage. He further said that Greece is following the issue and its development.

Greece and Italy call for strong Albanian military

The defence ministers of Greece and Italy pledged on Wednesday to help rebuild Albania's military so that it can effectively defend its borders in view of the escalating crisis in neighbouring Kosovo. "Greece and Italy have a joint responsibility to support the Albanian military so that it can defend its borders on its own," Italian Defence Minister Beniamino Andreatta told reporters after talks with his Greek counterpart Akis Tsohatzopoulos. Both Greece and Italy sent troops to Albania last year as part of a multinational force to restore order in the poor Balkan nation after widespread disturbances.

Defence minister to visit Sweden

National Defence Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos will pay an official visit to Sweden from May 17-19 at the invitation of his Swedish counterpart Bjorn von Sydow. Mr. Tsohatzopoulos will also meet with Swedish Foreign Minister Lena Hjelm Wallen and visit the installations of electronics giant LM Eriksson.

Papoutsis voices concern over lifting of cabotage

The likely adoption of a text on coastal shipping by the EU's ship-ping ministers' council, containing a series of amendments of the EU Directive on cabotage, will have adverse effects on Greek shipping, according to EU Commissioner Christos Papoutsis. Athens' concerns are focused on the number of crewmembers on passenger ships and their working hours.

Ecumenical Patriarch on new Greek Prelate's election

Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos stated yesterday that he is looking forward to a "close and friendly" cooperation with new Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Christodoulos. "We are particularly close with the new Archbishop, we are friends," he told ANA, stressing their "strong spiritual link". "We are looking forward to receiving him at the Ecumenical Patriarchate with particular joy," he said, adding that he hopes to visit Athens soon after.

Cutbacks in expenditures envisioned

Expenditures contained in the 1999 budget will freeze in order to facilitate a decrease in the deficit, according to a target set by the Convergence Programme. Considerable cutbacks are anticipated in special categories of expenditures, such as operational expenses (electricity, water, telephone, etc), transport costs and civil servants' travel expenses. Cutbacks in expenses are anticipated in a circular on the preparation of the 1999 budget, expected to be sent to all ministries and public agencies next week, to enable them to start processes for a new budget. The main points in the circular were annou nced beforehand by Finance Undersecretary Nikos Christodoulakis.

Auction for state securities

An auction of state securities will be held on May 4, according to an announcement by the finance ministry. The date of issue and settlement will be May 6, 1998. The securities to be auctioned will be treasury bills of a three-month duration amounting to 70 billion drachmas and six-month T-bills amounting to 50 billion drachmas.

WEATHER

Fair weather is forecast for most parts of Greece today with scattered showers in eastern Macedonia, Thrace, the islands of the eastern Aegean, and the Dodecanese. Athens will be sunny with temperatures between 10-22C. Possibility of scattered showers in Thessaloniki with temperatures from 9- 21C.

FOREIGN EXCHANGE

Thursday's rates (buying)

U.S. dollar 313.502 British pound 523.538 Japanese yen(100) 237.812 French franc 52.078 German mark 174.622 Italian lira (100) 17.674 Irish Punt 441.400 Belgian franc 8.460 Finnish mark 57.625 Dutch guilder 155.099 Danish kr. 45.801 Austrian sch. 24.822 Spanish peseta 2.058 Swedish kr. 40.519 Norwegian kr. 42.061 Swiss franc 209.753 Port. Escudo 1.708 Aus. dollar 204.347 Can. dollar 218.637 Cyprus pound 596.886

(S.S.)


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