Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 97-12-22
From: The Greek Press & Information Office, Ottawa Canada <grnewsca@sympatico.ca>
ATHENS NEWS AGENCY BULLETIN (No 1373), December 22, 1997
Greek Press & Information Office
Ottawa, Canada
E-Mail Address: grnewsca@sympatico.ca
CONTENTS
[01] Parliament approves '98 state budget
[02] ... ND criticism
[03] ... Papantoniou
[04] ... Constantopoulos
[05] 'Athens Declaration' issued at end of Israeli-Palestinian meeting
[06] Pangalos questions Ankara's plan for huge military spending
[07] Greece rejects Turkish claim of espionage
[08] Focus turns to 'black box' of crashed Ukrainian airliner
[09] ... C-130 crash
[10] ... Gov't, opposition
[11] ... Opposition to radar installation continues
[12] Train collides with boulder, partially derails near Lamia
[13] Greek delegations attend Albanian Socialist party conference
[14] Olympic flame arrives at Kalavryta
[15] Illegals transported from Turkey detained on Samos
[01] Parliament approves '98 state budget
Athens, 22/12/1997 (ANA)
Parliament last night passed the 1998 state budget by a vote of
163 in favor, and 136 against. All of PASOK's deputies voted for
the budget, along with a one-time Democratic Social Movement
(DHKKI) MP turned independent.
The 1998 budget expresses the choice of a strong Greece, which
is claiming an equal position in European unification, as well
as choices of national security and social justice, Prime
Minister Costas Simitis earlier stated in Parliament during
parliamentary debate.
"We will continue our policy decisively in spite of doubts and
reactions being voiced," he said.
In a lengthy speech, the prime minister replied in detail to
criticism mounted by opposition parties during the five days of
the debate, underlining that "the government had been elected in
office to follow neither the monetaristic policy of the New
Democracy party, nor the contradictory positions of those whose
only care was to make a failure of all efforts".
The premier accused the opposition of inconsistency in charging
the government of failure to participate in the first phase of
Economic and Monetary Union, saying that if the government had
implemented the policy proposed by the opposition, then it would
have implemented much tougher incomes, taxation and monetary
policies.
Mr. Simitis said the opposition had to look into the essence of
issues, not the surface.
Regarding what he called the recent Greek diplomatic success at
the EU Luxembourg summit, the PM said that it was neither easy
to achieve nor arbitrary, but due to the fact that Greece's
voice had secured a significant place, as well as
persuasiveness, which was in turn due to reliable policy and a
stronger economy.
Mr. Simitis defended the gradual approach in meeting the
Maastricht criteria.
"We avoided the choice of a quick and sudden adjustment, namely,
the strategy of shock that ND had chosen", he said.
Commenting on accusations over social insensitivity, the premier
said that such criticism was misleading, since salaries had been
raised in real terms, compared to a cumulative drop in wages of
13 per cent during the ND's term (1990-1991).
Mr. Simitis rejected allegations of a tax raid, "on the
contrary", he said, "efforts are being made for bringing about
tax equality, with more taxes now being put on businesses which
have enjoyed benefits of high rate development and stability
over the past few years."
Referring to the latest international monetary and economic
crisis, the premier said only the United States and Germany
could sustain negative repercussions, while Greece was exposed
only to a medium risk and remains on alert since the global
economy was still unstable.
He added that extra measures should be taken in order to protect
the drachma.
Speaking on privatizations, Mr. Simitis said that as far as
public utilities and banks were concerned, the process will be
accelerated, and that by the end of 1998 the Business
Restructuring Organization will be shut down.
[02] ... ND criticism
Athens, 22/12/1997 (ANA)
Speaking during budget debate in Parliament the leader of the
main opposition New Democracy party Costas Karamanlis charged
that the government's economic policy had failed.
He charged that the government had devised a concocted budget,
saying it is a "bogus budget".
The government, Mr. Karamanlis added, was primarily responsible
for what he called phenomena of pervasive partisanship in the
state's apparatus, as well as ineffectiveness.
The ND leader also criticized the government for not being able
to deal with large-scale emergencies, such as forest fires,
flooding and other disasters, asking how it was possible that
no-one in government was ever blamed or punished.
He also spoke of lack of seriousness in the sectors of
education, public administration and in rendering services to
citizens.
Furthermore, the main opposition leader described incomes policy
as extremely tight, saying that in the past two years it had
been clearly designed to serve partisan interests. Mr.
Karamanlis added that the government had continued to cater
exclusively to its own party cadres.
He further cast doubt on economic restructuring and spoke of
improper arrangements with cases of ill administration which
raised certain questions.
Mr. Karamanlis went on to accuse the government of social
insensitivity, stressing that the government's inability to
follow a credible and innovative policy was burdening the weaker
classes.
He spoke of gross deviation in previous budgets, underlining
that the country will not be able to meet criteria for
participation in the EU's Economic and Monetary Union (EMU).
The government, according to Mr. Karamanlis, either did didn't
or did not want to understand the main opposition's positions
and proposals. He said ND proposed a policy of restructuring and
development, while the government opted for a policy that
preserves and perpetuates crisis.
[03] ... Papantoniou
Athens, 22/12/1997 (ANA)
Responding, National Economy Minister Yiannos Papantoniou
described Mr. Karamanlis' claim of a "bogus" budget as
"comical", and stressed that the European Union carried out
three major audits in the basic indicators of the economy
annually.
Regarding the charge that Greece would not achieve the aim of
participation in EMU during the first phase, Mr. Papantoniou
assured that Greece would join on Jan. 1, 2001, stressing that
the country's convergence rate was four times the EU average.
"You should not be talking, given the abysmal economic situation
you (ND) handed over in 1993. It is a miracle that we made these
leaps in the economy, rather than simple steps as in the rest of
the EU," he said.
Mr. Papantoniou also described as "audacious" the charge of
pervasive partisanship in state appointments, given the main
opposition's record when in government.
The leader of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) Aleka Papariga
described the 1998 budget as "fake", noting that it did not
include the balance sheets of public utilities (DEKO), nor the
accounts for state securities or figures related to an armaments
program.
The KKE leader charged that the government was silent on the
drop in industrial production, while giving examples of a "tax
assault" aimed at collecting about one trillion drachmas from
the wage earners and the middle top lower classes. At the same
time , she said that "new concessions are being given to the big
capital through legal tax-deductions and widespread tax evasion".
Commenting on the convergence program with the EU, Ms Papariga
said that even if Maastricht criteria had been met, it would not
mean elimination of poverty, unemployment and social inequality.
She further said that her party proposed that as of January
1998, the daily minimum wage should be raised to 8,000 drachmas
and a minimum monthly salary be raised to 200,000 drachmas,
while the working week be lowered to 35 hours.
"By voting against the budget, KKE votes against the government
and its policy", Ms Papariga said.
[04] ... Constantopoulos
Athens, 22/12/1997 (ANA)
Coalition of the Left and Progress leader Nikos Constantopoulos
charged that the government had failed in the quest for
convergence with other European Union economies despite
austerity measures.
"You asked the people for sacrifices in order to attain the
targets of convergence and the targets were not attained," he
said.
He referred to the economic indicators regarding the public
debt, deficits and inflation.
"The budget does nothing but develop the multitude of
ossifications and structural deficiencies of the last 15 years,"
he said, noting that the 1997 budget was also marked by "huge
divergences".
Concluding, Mr. Constantopoulos forecast that the budget would
fail because it "secures neither the developmental conditions
nor the terms of social support. It wears the same repulsive
mask of government self-complacency, arbitrariness, social
apathy and contempt".
[05] 'Athens Declaration' issued at end of Israeli-Palestinian meeting
Athens, 22/12/1997 (ANA)
The second "Athens Meeting" on the Middle East peace process,
involving several well-known Israeli and Palestinian
personalities and politicians, wound up last night after four
days of deliberations and with the adoption of the "Athens
Declaration".
Both delegations expressed in the declaration their deep concern
at the current state of the Mideast peace process, addressing a
call to both sides to "refrain from unilateral actions which
contravene with the letter and spirit of the signed agreements"
as well as to proceed with their speedy implementation. Israeli
and Palestinian delegates also stressed the importance of
building trust between the two peoples and their leaderships,
which are urged to call regular meetings in order to diffuse
tension and build confidence.
The Israeli government and the Palestinian National Authority
are also urged to embark upon programs on education for peace,
jointly and separately, with each side working among its people,
particularly the young.
The declaration calls on the two sides to work towards the
establishment of a joint monitoring committee with international
participation to ensure that there is full respect for, and
adherence to signed agreements, as well as implementation of an
interim agreement that would facilitate the final status
negotiations.
The two delegations also call for the establishment of
appropriate conditions, conducive to Palestinian economic
development, the lifting of closures, for open borders and
freedom of movement, which, "would, in turn, create economic and
other links between the West Bank and Gaza first and then with
Israel".
Participants included Israeli Foreign Minister David Levy's
brother, Palestinian official Faisal Husseini and the EU's
representative for the Middle East issue, Miguel Angel Moratinos.
Participants also expressed their appreciation for the Greek
government's proposal to convene a third Athens meeting next
year. The first took place last July.
[06] Pangalos questions Ankara's plan for huge military spending
Athens, 22/12/1997 (ANA)
Meanwhile, at the same conference, Foreign Minister Theodoros
Pangalos said that Turkey's recently announced 25-year armaments
program, with a figure given at US$ 250 billion, gave rise to
three basic questions.
The first question, according to Mr. Pangalos, was how one could
predict the amount of required military spending a nation would
need in the next 25 years, since defense and weapons technology
was advancing rapidly.
The second question is why Turkey, a nation he said faces
immense economic trouble, wants to spend such a huge amount of
money, as well as the issue of where that money will come from
since Turkey is already heavily in debt.
Finally, he asked what rationale was behind the projected
massive armaments program.
Mr. Pangalos stressed that spending in defense and armaments
mainly served political goals, and that in our times, when a
form of collective defense has prevailed, most countries in the
world belong to some kind of organization jointly safeguarding
the security, such as the NATO alliance, of which Turkey is a
member.
Asked about Ankara's military agreement with Israel, the foreign
minister said that defense industries in all countries were free
to do business with whoever they wish. He added that Greece was
not in a position to recommend to third countries not to sell
weapons to Turkey.
However, the foreign minister noted that in case the agreement
was a simple one, there was no harm. But if it was a wider
political-military agreement, which some analysts believe could
form some type of defense axis, then such an agreement would not
only disturb Greece but other countries in the region too, since
a defense axis is destined by default to turn against third
parties.
The question here, according to Mr. Pangalos, was which country
that would be.
Nevertheless, the Greek foreign minister stressed that Athens
respected Israel, its sovereignty, its autonomy in its foreign
policy and its interests.
Replying to another question, the foreign minister said that
trade between Greece and Turkey was free and developing at a
fast pace. He also noted that various business, cultural and
social exchanges were taking place between the two countries.
Regarding the Oslo agreement, Mr. Pangalos said it provided
Israelis and Palestinians with a framework for talks, stressing
that despite efforts to establish a similar framework in
relations between Greece and Turkey had proved impossible, since
"that country did not approve of the rules of the game."
He added that Turkey's relations were now troublesome not only
with Greece but also with the European Union and Washington,
since it was now commonly stressed that in cases of territorial
disputes recourse should be taken to relevant international
arbitration.
[07] Greece rejects Turkish claim of espionage
Athens, 22/12/1997 (ANA)
Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos yesterday rejected
accusations that a Greek consular official in Istanbul was
implicated in espionage, warning that if the official was
expelled from Turkey, Athens would act likewise. Mr. Pangalos
was replying to media questions on a report in the Saturday
edition of the Istanbul daily "Sabah" that carried a statement
by a Turkish foreign ministry spokesman, who cited the imminent
expulsion of the Greek consular official.
Mr. Pangalos, speaking on the sidelines of a news conference
held after the "Athens Meeting" on the Middle East peace
process, said Greece would respond to a possible expulsion on
the basis of reciprocity.
Turkish Foreign Assistant Under-secretary Inal Batu on Saturday
also confirmed that the Greek official, Efstratios Charalambous,
had been asked to leave Turkey on the grounds that his
activities were incompatible with his duties.
Mr. Charalambous arrived in Athens on Saturday.
Meanwhile, "Sabah" yesterday admitted that a picture of the
"agent, Col. E. Balanos", published on Saturday, belonged to
someone else, and that possibly the spy case "may have involved
two, and not just one person".
The daily "Cumhurriyet" reported yesterday that "Sabah's" report
"carried a picture of the Greek military attachi in Ankara,
Constantinos Balanos, instead of the individual accused of
espionage."
[08] Focus turns to 'black box' of crashed Ukrainian airliner
Athens, 22/12/1997 (ANA)
Civil Aviation Authority officials yesterday were reported to be
still examining the flight data recorder of a Ukrainian airliner
which crashed in the Pieria mountains, southwest of Thessaloniki
last Wednesday evening.
The riddle of the whereabouts of the airliner, missing since it
was preparing to land at Thessaloniki's Macedonia Airport, was
finally solved on Saturday morning - some 60 hours after it was
reported as missing - ironically at about the same time as a
Hellenic Air Force C-130 transport plane, participating in the
search operation, was going down north of Athens.
All the bodies of the 71 people, 63 passengers and eight
crewmembers aboard the ill-fated Ukrainian airliner had been
recovered yesterday, and the process of identification began.
Meanwhile, all five crewmembers of the C-130 "Hercules"
transport plane that crashed on the sides of a mountain Saturday
morning in southern Viotia prefecture were found dead. The
transport plane had taken off from Elefsina airbase and was due
to pick up commandos at Tanagra airbase to take part in the
search operation for the missing Ukrainian Yakovlev-42 passenger
jet.
The wreckage of the Ukrainian airliner was first reached early
Saturday afternoon by army commandos between the villages of
Kato Milia and Aronas, at the foot of the Pieria Mountain Range.
The crash site was found by a Hellenic Navy helicopter a few
hours earlier, located at an altitude of 700 meters, which would
indicate the plane was flying low before it crashed, Civil
Aviation Authority (CAA) sources said.
[09] ... C-130 crash
Athens, 22/12/1997 (ANA)
The air force transport plane assisting in the Yakovlev's search
crashed on Pastra Mountain at an altitude of 1,050 meters, with
the wreckage scattered over 800 meters, officials said.
In later statements, air force officials said information so far
pointed to human error as the reason behind the crash as the
plane's flight path was not the normal air corridor used for
landing.
According to an eyewitness, the C-130 was flying at a very low
altitude near the community of Inoi, while low cloud cover made
visibility in the area difficult.
Funerals will be held on Monday in the Athens and Piraeus area
for the five crewmembers.
[10] ... Gov't, opposition
Athens, 22/12/1997 (ANA)
On Saturday, Prime Minister Costas Simitis said that the
pinpointing of the Ukrainian airliner's position with Greek
means and personnel proves that there was a contingency plan and
that the state did function.
On his part, National Defense Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos
called co-operation between the various government and military
agencies "faultless and effective".
Opposition parties criticized the government for a lack of
planning, reiterating their call that ministers that relevant
ministries resign.
[11] ... Opposition to radar installation continues
Athens, 22/12/1997 (ANA)
On Thursday, government spokesman Demetris Reppas told reporters
it was wrong to link the crash with the absence of the
state-of-the-art approach radar until an inquiry was held.
However, he also attributed responsibility to state authorities
and local residents for the lengthy delay of installation at
Thessaloniki.
In a related development, local authorities on Crete again
refused to allow installation of a European Union-funded radar
system for Irakleio's Nikos Kazantzakis Airport, citing
environmental concerns. The landing approach radar (Instrument
Landing System or ILS), which is due for installation at the Dio
Aorakia site, has been kept in storage for 18 months at the
airport due to residents' protests.
According to the airport's director, the transport ministry will
have to pay 2.5 billion drachmas in penalties to the EU if the
equipment is not installed immediately.
Meanwhile, 11 members of Nea Alikarnassos city council voted
late Saturday against installation, with four votes in favor and
three abstentions.
During a heated meeting, Irakleio Prefect Yannis Garyfalakis and
Alikarnassos Mayor Yiannis Paterakis urged the council to allow
installation.
Residents near Macedonia Airport have opposed the installation
of similar radar equipment, also on environmental grounds.
[12] Train collides with boulder, partially derails near Lamia
Athens, 22/12/1997 (ANA)
The Athens-Thessaloniki rail line will be closed indefinitely,
railway officials said on Sunday, a day after a high-speed train
collided with a boulder that had earlier fallen on the tracks
near Lamia.
Two people, both OSE employees, were slightly injured.
Technicians of the Hellenic Railways Organization (OSE) were
working at the scene of the accident outside the village of
Vardates, Fthiotida prefecture, to disengage two coaches that
were derailed in the collision, and to prevent them falling down
a 1,0 00-meter deep ravine.
OSE officials said it was impossible to estimate when services
linking Athens to Thessaloniki would be resumed due to the
difficulty of reaching the site.
"This is the most difficult area in the rail network because
OSE's machinery cannot be installed to work at that particular
spot in order to restore transportation," the local station
master said.
Hopes are pinned on a crane brought from Athens, although OSE
workers have so far failed to find a site that would allow the
crane to be set up and then revolve. The inter-city locomotive's
engineer told reporters he was unable to see the rockfall in
time to avert the partial derailment due to a bend in the track.
The accident occurred at around 12:20 p.m. on Saturday, as the
train's speed was approximately 50 kilometers per hour.
[13] Greek delegations attend Albanian Socialist party conference
Tirana, 22/12/1997 (ANA - P. Haritos)
Foreign Under-secretary Yiannos Kranidiotis visited Albania on
Saturday to attend the ruling Albanian Socialist Party's
national conference. Mr. Kranidiotis headed a nine-member
delegation from the ruling socialist PASOK party.
The Coalition of the Left and Progress (Synaspismos) party was
also represented at the conference by Eurodeputy Mihalis
Papayiannakis.
In a message to the conference, delivered by PASOK executive
bureau member Stephanos Manikas, PASOK president and Prime
Minister Costas Simitis stressed that Athens welcomed the new
Albanian government's commitment to consolidating democratic
procedures and national reconciliation as well as pushing ahead
with necessary economic reforms.
Mr. Manikas said Greece was aware of the need to support of
Albania with specific programs and that PASOK and the government
would do all it could to include Albania in European structures.
On his part, Mr. Kranidiotis later briefed Albanian Prime
Minister and Socialist Party leader Fatos Nano on developments
in the European Union and the latest decisions taken at the EU
summit in Luxembourg.
The issue of a Greek loan to Albania was also discussed.
On the economic front, both sides agreed to a meeting of a joint
economic committee in February in Athens with the aim of
bolstering bilateral co-operation and discussion of joint
projects included in the EU's Phare and Interreg programs.
Mr. Kranidiotis also met with Albanian Foreign Minister Paskal
Milo, while the Greek delegation was received by Archbishop of
Tirana and All Albania Anastasios. The delegation returned to
Athens on Saturday night.
[14] Olympic flame arrives at Kalavryta
Athens, 22/12/1997 (ANA)
The Olympic Flame arrived in the Kalavryta Alpine Ski Center on
Sunday, were a ceremony was organized.
The ceremony was attended by several government and local
officials, as well as the mayor of the Japanese city Nagano,
which will host the 1998 Winter Olympics.
The flame will be carried by runners to Athens.
[15] Illegals transported from Turkey detained on Samos
Athens, 22/12/1997 (ANA)
Twelve Iraqi illegal immigrants put ashore on the eastern Aegean
island of Samos late on Friday turned themselves into police.
Police said the 12 had crossed the Mykalis strait separating the
island with the Asia Minor coast from Kusadasi, Turkey.
The illegal immigrants said a Turkish national had smuggled them
onto Samos, while they also claimed there were other illegal
immigrants in Turkey waiting to be smuggled across to the Greek
islands.
End of English language section.
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