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Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 96-12-27
From: The Greek Press & Information Office, Ottawa Canada <grnewsca@sympatico.ca>
ATHENS NEWS AGENCY BULLETIN (No 1075), December 27, 1996
Greek Press & Information Office
Ottawa, Canada
E-Mail Address: grnewsca@sympatico.ca
CONTENTS
[01] Weather front brings snowfall, low temperatures
[02] Apostolopoulos group signs major agreement with Montenegro
[03] Tsohatzopoulos expected to visit Greece's Bosnia contingent
[04] Greece - Yugoslavia telecommunications link approved
[05] Makeshift bomb exploded outside Citibank branch in Kypseli
[06] Council of State reassigns Thessaloniki water supply projects to
Ergomihaniki
[07] Kavala trade delegation concludes visit to Belgrade
[08] Yiannopoulos to visit Germany
[09] US embassy statement issued on copyright infringement
[10] Kimmeria imam charged in illegal construction incident
[01] Weather front brings snowfall, low temperatures
Athens, 27/12/1996 (ANA)
Northern Greece is celebrating a belated "white Christmas" as a
rapid deterioration in the weather in the early morning hours
Thursday resulted in heavy snowfall in Thessaloniki. There was
also light snowfall reported in central, western and eastern
Macedonia and Thrace.
The snowfall was accompanied by a sharp drop in temperatures,
which ranged from 1-7 degrees Celsius, with the lowest
temperature (zero C) registered in Florina.
Snow was expected to fall around Athens' peaks, while tire
chains are necessary in many parts of the country. Heavy seas
have also been reported, with winds clocked at up to nine on the
Beaufort scale.
Meanwhile, in a related issue, a total of 21 people lost their
lives and another 133 were injured in some 93 traffic accidents
throughout Greece between Christmas Eve and yesterday afternoon,
traffic police reported.
[02] Apostolopoulos group signs major agreement with Montenegro
Athens, 27/12/1996 (ANA)
The Athens-based Apostolopoulos group has signed a major
agreement with the Montenegrin government providing for
establishment of a joint venture to set up an ultra-modern
medical diagnostic center in Podgorica.
The agreement also leaves the Apostolopoulos group as
Montenegro's exclusive representative in Greece with respect to
establishing Montenegro-based offshore investment companies.
In addition to the medical and offshore sectors, the
wide-ranging deal further provides for co-operation between the
two sides in the trade, media and insurance sectors as well as
establishment of an offshore bank.
According to reports, the medical center - covering an area of
1,000 square meters - will meet European Union standards, employ
state-of-the-art medical equipment, and will accept
state-insured patients. It also aims to attract patients from
Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia.
Furthermore, the Apostolopoulos group, which operates two
"Iatriko Kentro" medical centers in Athens and is also
constructing a center in Thessaloniki, will be the exclusive
representative in Greece of Montenegro's shipping interests,
with authorization to register vessels with the Montenegrin
registry.
Montenegro, with a population of 700,000, is located between
Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Adriatic Sea. Since April
1992, it comprises the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia together
with Serbia.
[03] Tsohatzopoulos expected to visit Greece's Bosnia contingent
Athens, 27/12/1996 (ANA)
National Defense Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos is scheduled to
visit the Greek contingent of NATO's stabilization force in
Bosnia on Sunday to extend to them New Year's wishes, sources
said yesterday.
He will return to Athens either on the same day or Monday
morning, the same sources added.
[04] Greece - Yugoslavia telecommunications link approved
Athens, 27/12/1996 (ANA)
The Hellenic Telecommunications Organization (OTE) board of
directors has approved an agreement for financing of the
Greece-Yugoslavia telecommunications link-up
"Corfu-Bar-Belgrade".
The OTE board also approved development of a phone-card service
by consumers in 1997.
[05] Makeshift bomb exploded outside Citibank branch in Kypseli
Athens, 27/12/1996 (ANA)
A makeshift bomb exploded outside the Citibank branch in the
central Athens district of Kypseli early yesterday afternoon.
According to reports, an unknown man later called a private
radio station and claimed responsibility for the attack on
behalf of a group he identified as the "anarchist cells of
revolutionary violence."
The device, consisting of a fuse connected by a piece of cloth
to a can filled with gasoline and two small liquid gas
canisters, was planted beneath the bank's automatic teller
machine (ATM), which was destroyed in the blast.
No injuries were reported, although the explosion caused a small
panic in the area.
A Citibank branch in the Athens district of Halandri was damaged
in a bomb explosion last Thursday, Dec. 19. That blast, which
was not claimed by any individual or group, was caused by three
kilograms of dynamite. The same Citibank branch had been the
target of an attack by the elusive "November 17" terrorist group
in 1991.
[06] Council of State reassigns Thessaloniki water supply projects to
Ergomihaniki
Athens, 27/12/1996 (ANA)
The Council of State has ruled that "urgent reasons of public
interest" necessitate the immediate assignment of projects for
Thessaloniki water supply to the firm Ergomihaniki S.A.
The 5.2 billion drachmas projects concern water supply to
Thessaloniki from the Aliakmon River and completion of a
pipeline from the Axios River to the Sindos pumping station.
With this ruling, the Council of State overturned a decision of
the government's suspensions committee, which had suspended a
tendering process for the project after recourse by the Meton
S.A., Thessaloniki S.A. and Northern Greece S.A. consortium.
[07] Kavala trade delegation concludes visit to Belgrade
Athens, 27/12/1996 (ANA)
A strong presence of foodstuff and beverages industries from the
northern region of Kavala has met with a positive response at
the Belgrade international trade fair.
The Kavala Chamber of Commerce had the opportunity to collect
valuable information on the prospects for trade and economic
co-operation with Yugoslav counterpart organizations.
Chamber president Apostolos Mardyris met, among others, with his
counterparts of the chambers of commerce of Yugoslavia, Mihailo
Milojevic, and of Serbia, Mr. Stoilkovic.
The Greek ambassador to Belgrade, Panayiotis Valassopoulos, also
hosted a reception for the 20-member Kavala delegation.
One of the issues discussed was the problem concerning delays in
the granting of entry visas. It was agreed that special efforts
will be made for a solution.
[08] Yiannopoulos to visit Germany
Athens, 27/12/1996 (ANA)
Justice Minister Evangelos Yiannopoulos will visit Germany
beginning today until Dec. 30 at the invitation of the State of
Hesse and the Greek organization "SPD" Hesse, it was announced
Tuesday.
During his visit, Mr. Yiannopoulos will address several Greek
organizations and visit a narcotics detoxification center in
Frankfurt.
[09] US embassy statement issued on copyright infringement
Athens, 27/12/1996 (ANA)
US copyright holders are suffering "significant" losses in
Greece due to piracy of their works, particularly motion picture
producers whose films are routinely broadcast on Greek
television without payment of royalties, a US embassy
announcement claimed on Tuesday.
The United States Information Service (USIS) press release said
measures taken by Greece in the past to address the problem had
been inadequate.
It added, however, that following consultations between Athens
and Washington, the Greek government had developed and presented
to Washington an "action plan" of specific steps to tackle the
problem.
"Greece has committed itself, through this action plan, to take
necessary measures to protect the rights of American copyright
holders. I applaud this action. Although the plan could have
gone further, it is a step in the right direction. I now look
for ward to full implementation of the action plan and
satisfactory resolution of US copyright concerns by April 30,
1997," a US embassy trade official said.
[10] Kimmeria imam charged in illegal construction incident
Athens, 27/12/1996 (ANA)
The imam of Kimmeria, Xanthi prefecture, and 16 local residents
have been charged with violating building construction codes
during work on a new mosque.
Imam Ahmet Indris, 51, Kimmeria president Hussein Pantak, 42,
and 14 other community residents are due in a Xanthi court on
Jan. 3 to face charges of commencing construction without a
proper building license.
End of English language section.
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