Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 98-07-01

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

CONTENTS

[01] Simitis calls European Central Bank a lever for continent's unification

[02] Athens welcomes UN decisions on Cyprus

[03] Premier to hold several meetings with ministers today

[04] Europarliament delegation in Georgia

[05] Israeli-Palestinian meeting on Rhodes begins today

[06] Bomb blast at ASEP office building

[07] Street to be named after Seferis in Izmir

[08] Venizelos begins Canadian visit

[09] Karamanlis focuses on DEH during visit to Ptolemaida

[10] Alexandria Patriarch on official visit to Bulgaria

[11] Power cuts hit city as heatwave looms

[12] NATO, PfP crises management seminar begins in Athens

[13] Transport workers get language training

[14] Greeks spend the highest on food in EU

[15] Gov't says bottled waters safe

[16] Gov't forges ahead with privatisation spurred by Cretabank success

[17] Government to release bill on digital TV today

[18] Greek stocks end lower, shrug off Cretabank tender outcome

[19] Greece, Peru tourism agreement

[20] Hellenic Petroleum titles

[21] DEH meeting focuses on power outtage

[22] HEPO participation at apparel exhibitions in Dubai

[01] Simitis calls European Central Bank a lever for continent's unification

FRANKFURT 01/07/1998 (ANA - M. Spinthourakis)

The European Central Bank System is composed of the European Central Bank (ECB) and the 15 Central Bank governors of European Union member-states.

Mr. Simitis, who was speaking at a press conference for Greek reporters in Frankfurt, said "the ECB is the lever by which the process of economic and monetary union will forge ahead."

He said the ECB will manage and take decisions on all issues concerning the euro, adding that the ECB will cooperate with and be linked to the central banks of member-states, demonstrating the federal character of Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) as well as the centralised nature of certain pivotal decisions for the unified European currency.

Mr. Simitis emphasised that the ECB will be independent of the EU's Commission and Council and that its activities will not be the result of political decisions. He added that the ECB will have the possibility of taking decisions on all issues regarding the EU's monetary policy.

"The central target of the ECB's policy is the continuous drop in inflation and interest rates," Mr. Simitis said, adding that stability of economic policy is an essential condition for the achievement of high development rates as well as for the streng thening of employment.

Mr. Simitis added that apart from the economic aspect of European integration, particular emphasis will also have to be placed on the political aspect as well, so as to confirm the process towards European unification P which started 40 years ago.

Referring to Greece and replying to press questions, Mr. Simitis expressed optimism that the drachma will join the unified European currency on the basis of an existing timetable.

"The fiscal deficit and interest rates are already at levels set by the Maastricht Treaty, while the public debt is following a downward trend," he said, adding that in two years' time Greece will also fulfill the criterion of exchange stability from the moment the drachma joined the Exchange Rate Mechanism (March 1998).

Commenting on a recent study by the German Central Bank, which concluded that inflation is being rekindled in Greece, Mr. Simitis said that these predictions will "misfire" and Greece will fulfill the terms and conditions for its participation in the un ified European currency.

Mr. Simitis stressed that there is no reason for special concern over the fact that the drachma will not participate in the unified currency from the start and, consequently, Greece will not be represented in the ECB until the time the drachma joins the euro.

"There is the possibility of participation in the processes for decisions concerning the euro and, consequently, there is no reason for concern on the Greek side," he said.

Replying to questions, Mr. Simitis predicted that Britain will also join the euro because the climate in Britain has changed after the Labour Party came to power.

He also expressed certainty that the euro will be a strong currency, equally strong with the German mark, saying that this will have positive repercussions on the day-to-day lives of EU citizens.

Duisenberg charts ECB course : The Greek premier and other EU leaders gathered in Frankfurt to celebrate the birth of the ECB.

German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and European Commission President Jacques Santer were among officials who met in the hometown of the ECB for a day of speech-making, expected by analysts to be marked more by self-congratu lation than policy statement.

The central bank, housed in an unassuming downtown Frankfurt office tower, officially started preparing for the euro at the first of the month and will take charge of European interest rates on Jan. 1, 1999.

The ECB's executive board began the day with the ceremonial signing of an official register at the Frankfurt City Hall.

"I am a little bit nervous, but I am happy that we can get business going as usual tomorrow," Dutch national Wim Duisenberg, the president of the European Central Bank, told reporters.

In addition to several heads of state, finance ministers and central bank governors from nearly all European states will be on hand at the Frankfurt party.

The ECB stands to become one of Europe's most important institutions, charged with overseeing the health of the single European currency, the euro, and directing interest rates for 11 nations and around 300 million people.

Mr. Duisenberg laid out a key map for European monetary strategy on Monday, saying the ECB could base policy on a mixture of monetary and inflation targets.

He otherwise gave few clues about other contentious issues such as the transfer of gold reserves from national central banks to the ECB, and if the central bank should adopt a minimum reserve requirement for banks.

Athens News Agency

[02] Athens welcomes UN decisions on Cyprus

Athens 01/07/1998 (ANA)

"These are positive references," government spokesman Dimitris Reppas said, commenting on the resolutions adopted by the UN on Monday.

The spokesman added that the international community should deal with Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots in a manner which allows the resolutions to be implemented in practice.

The reference to the importance of demilitarisation was contained in a resolution renewing the mandate of the 1,230-member UN peacekeeping force in Cyprus for a further six months until the end of the year. In another resolution, the Security Council reaffirmed the Council's position that a Cyprus settlement should be based on a state of Cyprus with a single sovereignty.

It also underlined its full support for Secretary General Kofi Annan's efforts to reunite the island, divided since Turkey invaded in 1974 and subsequently occupied one third of its territory, as a federation.

Kranidiotis : Foreign Undersecretary Yiannos Kranidiotis also described Monday's Security Council resolutions as "positive", stressing in particular the importance of their political aspect which refers to the need to respect the independence, sovereignty and territori al integrity of the Cyprus Republic.

Mr. Kranidiotis said that the resolutions indirectly attributed responsibility for the breakdown in talks between the Greek- and Turkish Cypriot communities of the island with the Turkish Cypriot side.

He also welcomed the Security Council's insistence that any settlement of the Cyprus problem should be based on the creation of one state with single sovereignty, a single international entity and single citizenship.

Mr. Kranidiotis said it was particularly positive that the resolutions came at a time when Turkey was trying to "reset" its objectives with respect to Cyprus.

"Since 1974 and until more recently, Turkey tried to promote solutions through which it could dictate its policy on Cyprus...Seeing that Cyprus' course towards European Union accession overturned these plans, Turkey made every possible effort to impede the relevant negotiations. Now that the negotiations have commenced, what Turkey wants is partition...And in order to show that there are two independent states on Cyprus and that the peaceful co-existence of the two communities is impossible, Turkey is creat ing tension and undermining any attempts at rapprochement," Mr. Kranidiotis said.

He added that Turkey must now realise that the international community, the UN, the US and the EU were not willing to discuss any solution other than one based on a bizonal, bicommunal federation.

Athens News Agency

[03] Premier to hold several meetings with ministers today

Athens 01/07/1998 (ANA)

Mr. Simitis will be visiting the under-construction Athens metro tomorrow, while on Friday he will chair a Cabinet meeting which will examine energy policy issues.

Athens News Agency

[04] Europarliament delegation in Georgia

Athens 01/07/1998 (ANA)

Discussions focused on the upgrading of Georgian-EU relations and that country's prospects for EU accession, as well as issues relating to the so- called "Silk Route" to connect Europe and Asia.

Athens News Agency

[05] Israeli-Palestinian meeting on Rhodes begins today

Athens 01/07/1998 (ANA)

The meeting, held under the initiative of the Greek government, is the third of its kind which Greece has hosted in a year.

Foreign Undersecretary Yiannos Kranidiotis, who will open today's meeting, said yesterday that "we have no illusions" about the outcome of the five- day meeting.

"We have no illusions. It does not involve substantial dialogue. The decisions which will be reached will not change the scene or the political reality. It mainly concerns confidence building measures, particularly at a time when there is no official di alogue between the government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority," Mr. Kranidiotis said.

"Greece, as a southeastern Mediterranean country has every interest to see the peace process advance. Our country has particular interests, aims and a presence in the region. Everything that occurs in the Middle East affects Greek foreign policy and the Cyprus issue," Mr. Kranidiotis added. The undersecretary said that Athens' expressed position on the Middle East is for adherence to the "implemen-tation of the Madrid and Oslo agre-ements and to those signed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netany ahu himself."

Taking part in the meeting will be two Israeli ministers, deputies from all the political spectrum of Israel, academics and policy makers. The Palestinian negotiating team will be headed by Faisal Hussein. European Union envoy to the Middle East Miguel Angel Moratinos, and representatives of the EU, the United States and the European Commission will also be present. Delegates will debate the previous joint communique between the two sides, communication issues, the status of Jerusalem and the port and airport of Gaza.

In parallel to the meeting, a conference of journalists will be held on the island starting tomorrow, organised by the International Centre for Peace in the Middle East. The conference, to be addressed by Mr. Kranidiotis, will be attended by about 90 jo urnalists from Israel and Palestine, as well as foreign correspondents based in Tel Aviv, and is held under the auspices of the Greek press ministry.

Issues to be examined include the role played by the mass media in resolving regional disputes, the Palestinian and the Israeli media before and after the Oslo agreement and the role played by the European media in the Middle East.

Athens News Agency

[06] Bomb blast at ASEP office building

Athens 01/07/1998 (ANA)

Police said a caller to a local radio station had warned authorities of the bomb, which caused extensive property damage. The anonymous caller said a group calling itself "Revolutionary Core" claimed responsibility for the attack on a building in one of Athens busiest streets.

The building houses a branch of the Commercial Bank of Greece, as well as the records of the state agency which organises and oversees public service hirings and examinations.

Authorities said the explosive device had been placed on the mezzanine of the building.

The two policemen, who were cordoning off the area, were injured by flying glass.

It was not immediately clear who the bomb was directed against: the Supreme Council for Personnel Recruitment (ASEP), which recently held a recruitment exam for teachers that witnessed five days of violent demonstrations from protesters, or state-run Commercial Bank, whose board recently approved the sale of its subsidiary Ionian Bank in the face of strong union opposition. "Revolutionary Core" last appeared in August last year, when it claimed responsibility for a bomb at the central Athens offic e of former public order minister Stelios Papathemelis.

It was later announced that three police officers were injured in the blast.

Another police officer guarding the building at the time was also slightly injured by flying glass.

Attica General Police Chief Theodoros Papafilis later said that police would be intensifying their efforts to find members of "Revolutio-nary Core."

"The explosive device went off eight minutes before the terrorists had warned it would," he said, hinting that the "warning call" was calculated to lure police.

"This is a fact which concerns the police authorities and holds dangers for the future".

He said ASEP had recently received hoax bomb threats, "but none as specific as today's (yesterday's)".

Opposition : Main opposition New Democracy party and the Coalition of the Left and Progress condemned the bombing.

"We condemn today's terrorist bomb attack against ASEP's offices in the most categorical way," ND spokesman Aris Spiliotopoulos said.

"We call on the government to intensify its actions for the finding, arrest and exemplary punishment of the perpetrators, actions which, we repeat, we support absolutely," he added.

An announcement by the Coalition of the Left and Progress stated that terrorist attacks, from wherever they may come, are directed against democratic institutions and political normalcy.

Athens News Agency

[07] Street to be named after Seferis in Izmir

ISTANBUL 01/07/1998 (ANA - A. Kourkoulas)

Athens News Agency

[08] Venizelos begins Canadian visit

OTTAWA, Canada 01/07/1998 (ANA/I. Afentouli)

Mr. Venizelos embarked on a three-city tour of Canada, also encompassing Montreal and Toronto. In Ottawa, he attended a two-day international conference on international cultural cooperation that ended Tuesday.

Mr. Venizelos and his Canadian counterpart discussed details of a protocol on cooperation in the athletics sector that is due to be signed in September. He also invited Ms Copps to attend an international conference on "Women-Athletics and Sponsorship" to be held in Athens in September.

He further invited the Canadian minister to represent her country as an observer at a meeting of the Culture Ministers of the Euro-Mediterranean Cooperation-Barcelona Process on the island of Rhodes in September, to be attended by 15 European Union and 12 non-EU Mediterranean countries.

The two ministers also discussed exchanges of exhibitions and other cultural initiatives between their countries, as well as Greece's preparations to host the next international meeting of Culture Ministers in the year 2000.

Earlier, Mr. Venizelos gave a speech at the Canadian National Press Club, addressing the issues of the Cultural Olympiad, Greece's position in Europe, the Balkans and the Mediterranean, and also Europe's response to American cultural hegemony. He also s tressed the need for the immediate return of the Parthenon Marbles, currently housed in the British Museum, to their homeland, Athens.

Athens News Agency

[09] Karamanlis focuses on DEH during visit to Ptolemaida

Athens 01/07/1998 (ANA)

He added that DEH will play an important role in the wider Balkan region, even after deregulation will abolish the state monopoly on the production of electricity.

The ND leader made the statements during a visit at the lignite mines of Ptolemaida, within the framework of his four-day tour of western Macedonia.

Mr. Karamanlis, speaking to DEH employees, noted that the key element for the utility to become a leading player in the energy market is increased competitiveness.

He added that future planning is an issue for management, since "there is a lot of room for steps in that direction for higher efficiency."

In a related development, Mr. Karamanlis accused the government over its handling of Olympic Airways and the sale of Ionian Bank, as well as the use of riot police during recent mobilisations by labour unions.

Finally, the ND leader was present at a ceremony changing the name of a Siatista avenue to "Constantine Karamanlis Street" in honour of his late uncle, ND's founder and the former president of the republic.

Athens News Agency

[10] Alexandria Patriarch on official visit to Bulgaria

SOFIA 01/07/1998 (ANA - B. Borisov)

"Every head of an Autocephalus Church who is elected must visit the Autonomous and Autocephalus Orthodox Churches. In this framework, I am visiting the sister Orthodox Church of Bulgaria.

The purpose is to strengthen relations between the two Churches. The visit is also proof that the Patriarchate of Alexandria recognises the canonical Orthodox Church of Bulgaria under the Patriarch of Bulgaria Maximos," he told ANA.

Petros also attended a church service and the awarding of graduation diplomas by the Bulgarian Church together with the representative of the Orthodox Church of Greece.

Athens News Agency

[11] Power cuts hit city as heatwave looms

Athens 01/07/1998 (ANA)

The Meteorological Service issued a bulletin saying that temperatures would ratchet up to as high as 42 degrees Celsius in the next few days, peaking on the weekend.

Temperatures were forecast to come down on Sunday, with a cold front moving in from northern Greece.

The temperature yesterday rose to 37 degrees and the city's residents sought relief inside, overburdening the city's electricity network and resulting in power cuts in many areas.

In the city centre, power failures stopped electric trolley buses in their tracks, causing traffic snarls at a number of central intercections.

Power Company (DEH) officials said an overdependence on air conditioning units in residential homes was the cause of the power failure and said they hoped supply would be restored in the next few hours.

The interior ministry later issued an "exceptionally urgent" announcement to all regional and prefectural administrative bodies telling them to put the 'Xenocrates' plan into effect.

'Xenocrates' is a contingency plan to deal with natural and man-made disasters and provides guidelines for coordination between state, military and medical agenices.

Health and welfare agencies have also been put on standby.

Meanwhile, all power was restored to Athens as of 2 p.m. DEH said about 20 per cent of the power supply in Attica had fallen during the failure of the grid.

Athens News Agency

[12] NATO, PfP crises management seminar begins in Athens

Athens 01/07/1998 (ANA)

The seminar is attended by representatives from 23 countries, NATO members- states and Partnership for Peace (PfP) programme members.

The seminar, to conclude July 3, is aimed at updating participants on the possibilities and means available by the international community to prevent and deal with crises.

Athens News Agency

[13] Transport workers get language training

Athens 01/07/1998 (ANA)

Announcing publication of the aptly entitled "Guide to Everyday Expressions" - which contains simple and useful expressions in English - Transport and Communications Minister Tassos Mantelis said yesterday that it reflected the ministry's interest in up grading the quality of services provided to foreign visitors. Mr. Mantelis said 40,000 copies of the guide would be distributed to employees free of charge through the transport organisations and taxi drivers' federations.

Athens News Agency

[14] Greeks spend the highest on food in EU

BRUSSELS 01/07/1998 (ANA)

Per capita consumption in Greece reached 4,300 Fixed Purchasing Power (FPR) units - a technical currency unit used in the study - as compared to Belgium's 10,700 FPRs.

Furthermore, the study noted that during the 1975-1995 period, consumption in Greece fell, while in the rest of the EU it rose by 40 per cent.

Interesting notes in these statistics were that Germans spend 15 per cent on health care and the residents of Luxembourg 19 per cent on transportation.

The Eurostat study noted across the board trends based on geographical regions.

Athens News Agency

[15] Gov't says bottled waters safe

Athens 01/07/1998 (ANA)

The minister said inspections and sampling carried out by his ministry had found all brands of mineral water safe for consumption.

Health Undersecretary Manolis Skoulakis called on the media to stop what he called a "campaign of defamation" against bottled water, claiming it was equal to "damaging tourism."

Athens News Agency

[16] Gov't forges ahead with privatisation spurred by Cretabank success

Athens 01/07/1998 (ANA)

He was speaking in the wake of a tender for the sale of state-owned Cretabank on Monday that attracted substantial bids, a development he said was a major step in carrying out structural changes in the economy.

The tender's outcome also confirmed that the design of the government's privatisation plan was correct, Mr. Papantoniou said.

The government had to persist in the plan despite reactions by trade unions. Its success in bypassing protests was shown in the case of Ionian Bank, when the government ploughed ahead with its sale plan despite opposition, he said.

A decision on the winner of the tender to sell Cretabank would be issued by a bid evaluation committee but the announcement was a formality as EFG Eurobank had offered the highest sum at 93 billion drachmas, Mr. Papantoniou said.

Asked by a reporter if the high bids submitted for Cretabank would change the climate in the upcoming sale of Ionian Bank, Mr. Papantoniou said:

"I don't want to make any comment on Ionian. It will depend on the price, and how the price is evaluated by the board of (majority shareholder) Commercial Bank of Greece."

The minister was speaking after a meeting to debate implementation of the government's restructuring programme in other public sector enterprises and public utilities, including Hellenic Post Offices, Hellenic Railways Organisation and Athens Urban Bus Transport.

Included on the agenda was debate of changes to industrial relations in connection with the restructuring plan.

Also taking part in the meeting were Labour Minister Miltiades Papaioannou; Transport and Communications Minister Tasos Mantelis; Labour Undersecretary Christos Protopapas; secretary general of the ruling PASOK party, Costas Skandalidis; an advisor to t he prime minister, Theodoros Tsoukatos; and a PASOK official responsible for industrial relations.

Government spokesman Dimitris Reppas said that the bids for Cretabank were a gauge of confidence in the current state of the economy and its future.

The bids demonstrated that the government's privatisation policy was right, Mr. Reppas said.

PM backs mergers, acquisitions in banking : Prime Minister Costas Simitis said he supported a growing trend towards mergers and acquisitions in the domestic banking sector in line with markets abroad.

"The process of concentration, mergers and cooperation in the Greek banking system will continue. It must continue in order to make the Greek banking system competitive," Mr. Simitis told reporters yesterday in Frankfurt, where he was attending celebrat ions to launch the European Central Bank.

"Greek banks on a European and world level are still small. National Bank of Greece, for example, is very large for Greece but it does not appear among the top European banks," he said.

The success of a sale tender for Cretabank showed the confidence of market players in the economy, and in the government's plan to carry out structural reforms. "As (the reforms) are underway, there will be intense interest in other banks ready for coo peration, or slated for sale," Mr. Simitis said.

EFG Eurobank stuns market with high bid for Cretabank : EFG Eurobank surprised the market by offering 93 billion drachmas for state-owned Cretabank, roughly doubling two other bids submitted in an international tender, analysts said yesterday.

The bid on Monday was seen as a show of strength by EFG Eurobank, which is a member of the Latsis Group, the analysts said.

The bank, which recently bought Bank of Athens from a Korean group, is not listed on the Athens Stock Exchange.

Other domestic banks recently bought out by EFG Eurobank are Interbank and Credit Lyonnais.

The market is waiting to see whether it also bids for Ionian Bank, due to be privatised shortly; and whether its high bid for Cretabank helps to nudge up bids for Ionian, the analysts said.

Although EFG Eurobank's bid was the highest, it carried the longest payment term at four years.

The lowest bid was by Ergobank, a blue chip on the Athens bourse, at 48.1 billion drachmas; but payment would be made in full within a month of purchase.

The third bid was a joint one by Bank of Piraeus (75 percent) and Macedonia- Thrace Bank (25 percent), both listed on the bourse. The bid was 52.37 billion drachmas with payment spread over three years.

Beyond banking, the Latsis Group is active in oil and shipping.

Ionian Bank shareholders hold quiet AGM amid tight security : Shareholders of Ionian Bank, which is due to be privatised this summer, held a trouble- free annual general meeting yesterday amid tight security.

Police surrounded the Hilton Hotel where the AGM was held in order to ward off possible protests by trade unionists and bank workers who oppose Ionian's sale.

The bank's management told shareholders that Ionian had widened its customer base and improved its market share in loans and deposits.

Assets rose to 2.2 trillion drachmas in 1997, up 23 percent on 1996.

No dividend would be awarded for 1997 in order to improve capital adequacy, restructure services and modernise. The president of Ionian Bank's staff association, Yiannis Markakis, asked for the bank governor's resignation, saying a continuation of his term of office would be disastrous for the bank.

Ionian Bank workers staged a roughly six-week rolling strike in May and June to protest against the bank's privatisation.

A shareholders meeting of Commercial Bank of Greece, which holds a majority stake in Ionian, was severely disrupted on June 19 by violent protests. It finally took place later the same day, and shareholders endorsed Ionian's sale.

Athens News Agency

[17] Government to release bill on digital TV today

Athens 01/07/1998 (ANA)

Government spokesman Dimitris Reppas said yesterday that the bill covered all aspects of digitally transmitted programmes via satellite and subscriber services.

Greece was among the first European Union countries to draw up a legal and institutional framework governing the operation of digital TV services, Mr. Reppas said.

Athens News Agency

[18] Greek stocks end lower, shrug off Cretabank tender outcome

Athens 01/07/1998 (ANA)

The general index ended 1.77 percent down at 2,365.45 points, reversing an early jump of up to 1.70 percent linked to the launch yesterday of state Hellenic Petroleum shares on the Athens bourse. Trading was moderate to active at 68 billion drachmas.

Traders said the market ignored what appeared to be the successful outcome of a tender to sell state-owned Cretabank following a spectacular bid on Monday by Eurobank EFG, a member of the Latsis Group.

Also bidding were Ergobank, a blue chip on the bourse, and Bank of Piraeus with Macedonia-Thrace Bank in a joint bid. Both are also listed.

Ionian Bank's share price hit the daily 8.0 percent limit up helped by optimism that its privatisation could be effected at a fairly high price.

On the contrary, share prices in Alpha Credit Bank, Ergobank, Macedonia- Thrace Bank and Bank of Piraeus ended substantially lower.

Hellenic Petroleum's share price shot up by 99 percent in early trade to 3, 781 drachmas, later consolidating at 2,485 drachmas. Its entry price was 1, 900 drachmas.

Retail investors protested at the way Hellenic Petroleum's shares entered the market. The investors could not join trade because they had not yet received certificates for the shares they had bought.

They said that domestic and foreign institutional investors were able to buy and sell in the company's share from the start, raking in profits of up to 100 percent.

Sector indices ended lower. Banks dropped 1.69 percent, Insurance fell 2.78 percent, Investment ended 1.04 percent off, Industrials plunged 2.72 percent, Construction ended 2.87 percent down, Miscellaneous fell 1.47 percent, Holding eased 3.20 percent, but Leasing bucked the trend to end 7.76 percent up.

The parallel market index for small cap companies ended 0.97 percent off. The FTSE/ASE 20 index dropped 1.74 percent to 1,413.23.

Broadly, decliners led advancers by 172 to 71 with another 8 issues unchanged.

Hellenic Petroleum, Bank of Central Greece, Phaliro Medical, Ionian Invest, Ionian Bank and Bank of Athens scored the biggest percentage gains hitting the daily 8.0 percent limit up.

Bank of Piraeus, Etma, Barba Stathis, General Bank, Papoutsanis, TEB, Dane and Parnassos suffered the heaviest losses.

National Bank of Greece ended at 38,990, Ergobank at 26,005, Alpha Credit Bank at 24,665, Ionian Bank at 14,353, Delta Dairy at 3,630, Titan Cement at 19,905, Intracom at 10,305, Hellenic Petroleum at 2,485, and Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation at 7,800 drachmas.

Athens News Agency

[19] Greece, Peru tourism agreement

Athens 01/07/1998 (ANA)

The agreement was signed at the Greek National Tourism Organisation (EOT) offices in Athens between EOT President Yiannis Stefanidis and PeruYs ambassador to Athens Martin Yrigoyen.

Mr. Stefanidis said the agreement fell in the wider context of a number of agreements with the various South America countries, who are part of a dynamic market that Greece has not yet utilised.

Similar agreements have been signed with Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Venezuela and a memorandum with Brazil, while talks are being held with Uruguay and Colombia. There are also plans for cooperation in the education sector with Cuba and Ecuador.

EOT proposed a seminar be held in Greece for 20 public and private sector Peruvian executives on tourist marketing and tourist policy.

Athens News Agency

[20] Hellenic Petroleum titles

Athens 01/07/1998 (ANA)

Athens News Agency

[21] DEH meeting focuses on power outtage

Athens 01/07/1998 (ANA)

Athens News Agency

[22] HEPO participation at apparel exhibitions in Dubai

Athens 01/07/1998 (ANA)

The exhibition will coincide with "Leather Show '98" and "Ambiente Arabia '98", also scheduled in the capital of the United Arab Emirates.

Greek firms wishing to be represented at the exhibition may contact HEPO by July 10 at 99.82.100 or 99.82.245.

Athens News Agency

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