Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 98-07-22

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

CONTENTS

[01] Brighter development prospects now appear for Greece-Wulf-Mathies

[02] Pangalos concludes visit to Albania, talks with leadership

[03] Simitis,Tsohatzopoulos confer

[04] Gov't calls Turkish provocations on Cyprus a sign of 'weakness'

[05] State Dept. spokesman refers to Cyprus invasion anniversary

[06] Kaklamanis receives expatriate Greek politicians

[07] US Navy vessels visit Corfu, Crete and Rhodes

[08] Testing for new Thessaloniki radar

[09] Press report on Moscow interest in S-300 sale to Greece

[10] Massive contract between monastery, British firm for tourism development on Crete

[11] PM calls for cooperation regarding Karaiskaki stadium

[12] Kaklamanis receives Japanese, Bulgarian ambassadors

[13] Irene Papas to direct

[14] 4th Kalamata Dance Festival

[15] Ionian Investments posts increased profits

[16] EasyJet gives free tickets away at court hearing

[17] State phone, transport workers to strike tomorrow

[18] Greek stocks surge again, sprint through 2,800 points

[19] Foreign exchange inflows from shipping drop 5.5 pct in Jan-Feb

[20] Bank of Attica announces rates

[21] Agricultural Bank of Greece holds seminar

[22] Gov't says rise in May unemployment figure expected

[01] Brighter development prospects now appear for Greece-Wulf-Mathies

BRUSSELS 22/07/1998 (ANA)

"The Interim Review ( of Structural Funds) allows me to have considerable hopes for Greece's future development and its ability to join Economic and Monetary Union sooner than could have been expected a few years ago," she stated.

"The review also shows that we were right in supporting the Greek government's policy of reform and privatisations. We shall continue in this direction and in the period after 1999," Ms Wulf-Mathies, responsible for regional policy, structural funds and cohesion funds, added.

The Interim Review examined the implementation and utilisation of EU Structrural Fund programmes and resources before the end of the current, 1994-1999, economic support period. It shows that Greece's rate of absorption of structural fund resources is now higher than in the average among EU member-states.

The review, whose initial results were released yesterday, has found that Greek performances, after a slow start, are improving spectacularly in most sectors. More than 10 billion Ecu had been spent until the middle of 1998, representing 70 per cent of the total of Community supports. This is considere d to have provided an appreciable boost to the country's general long-term macroeconomic growth, whose current rate is 3.5 per cent - considerably higher than the average - while unemployment, despite a rise, remains below the Community average.

The review took into account both the results of the independent evaluation and the political priorities of the Union, and it was decided to introduce changes amounting to more than 915 billion Ecu.

These include greater emphasis on improving rail and road infrastructure, with disbursement of 67 and 225 million Ecu, respectively, 44 million Ecu for environmental protection programmes and 230 million Ecu for development of small to medium-sized ente rprises.

The sector of continuous training and development of professional skills has received an additional boost of 240 million Ecu.

Various sums were taken away from projects that seemed to have slim prospects of absorbing the funds originally assigned to them, such as the Rio-Antirrio bridge, the modernisation of the postal service, and the culture and tourism programme.

The review took into account the impact of the devaluation of the drachma in mid-March, which will imply an increase in the total amount of drachmas, with a corresponding amount of Community participation in certain cases.

Second CSF funds to get boost by end-1999 due to devaluation : Funds destined for Greece under the European Union's Second Community Support Framework will rise by 374 billion drachmas as a result of the drachma's devaluation last spring, National Economy Undersecretary Christos Pachtas said yesterday.

The funds, due for release by the end of 1999, will be allocated to projects in sectors including infrastructure, education, the environment, public administration and employment, Mr. Pachtas said.

"The increase will be covered wholly by the Community's participation," he said.

The EU's participation in CSF projects rose to 69.2 percent in March from 66.2 percent, and will hold that level until the end of 1999. Its participation in the entire 1994-1999 programme will average out at 67.2 percent from 66.2 percent, Mr Pachtas said.

He was speaking after a meeting with EU officials on monitoring the absorption of monies in CSF-funded projects.

Farming to get more money under new EU package : National Economy and Finance Minister Yiannos Papantoniou said yesterday that agriculture would receive a higher level of financing under a new package of monies being prepared by the European Union.

Opening an annual congress of the Panhellenic Confederation of Agricultural Cooperatives (PASEGES), Mr. Papantoniou said that funding under the EU's Third Community Support Framework (CSF) would be much higher than under the second CSF, which ends in 1999.

The country's agricultural sector ranked top in the absorption of EU funds, and Second CSF funds would be absorbed a year before expiry of the package, he said.

The government recognised the value of the agricutural sector in the economy and would work to boost growth. Many cooperatives had been unfairly maligned and were profitable, Mr. Papantoniou said.

Athens News Agency

[02] Pangalos concludes visit to Albania, talks with leadership

TIRANA 22/07/1998 (ANA - P. Haritos)

Mr. Pangalos also visited the Greek force in Albania at the Izberis military camp yesterday. He made an address to Greek troops, congratulating them on their work, while also participating at a ceremony for the delivery of military equipment to Albania, accepted by Public Order Minister Perikli Teta for Albania's police.

In the presence of Archbishop of Albania Anastasios, Mr. Pangalos was then given a guided tour of the Orthodox Diagnostic Centre, which is being built by the Archdiocese,with work expected to be completed in the coming months.

The Archbishop said that the free supply of pharmaceuticals to the Albanian people by the Archdiocese exceeds 46 million drachmas, while a programme for the free provision of infants' food to babies of up to one year has already been started.

Addressing the Archbishop, Mr. Pangalos praised both his work and that of the Church and noted that the Church's actions, as well as the transfer of Albanian patients to Greek hospitals, constitute a form of "indirect aid" given to the Albanian people, which exceeds six billion drachmas in all for the health and education sectors.

Mr. Pangalos and his Albanian counterpart Paskal Milo inaugurated the Albanian foreign ministry's new computerised network on Monday, carried out with aid from Athens.

Summing up the results of the visit and the Greek FM's contacts, the Albanian press yesterday singled out Mr. Pangalos' position on Kosovo. He expressed the overall positions of the Greek government and said that Greece supports the positions of the Con tact Group and the OSCE, believing that an international presence must be increased in the region and that there should be an open dialogue.

Athens News Agency

[03] Simitis,Tsohatzopoulos confer

Athens 22/07/1998 (ANA)

Issues included Greek-Turkish relations, the country's armaments programme as well as the Cyprus and Kosovo problems.

Regarding Kosovo, Mr. Tsohatzopoulos said later that in his view a general convergence of views on a political and diplomatic solution was emerging, with a parallel use of NATO's military potential as a means of pressure.

The minister also said the government was resolved to implement most decisions regarding the armaments programme within 1998.

The two men also discussed the ruling PASOK's course towards municipal elections in the autumn, the results of which Mr. Tsohatzopoulos said he was optimistic that they would amount to a renewal of the voters' confidence.

Athens News Agency ANKARA 22/07/1998 (Anadolu/ANA)

Horst Schad, a German bicyclist who is on a world tour to mark the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, arrived in Ankara on Monday.

Schad, 34, is supported by the National Olympiad Committees of Germany and Greece, the Municipality of Olympia in Greece, and the International Olympiad Academy in Athens, aims to conclude his tour of 45,000 km by the 2000 Olympic Games

In Turkey, Schad will visit Cappadocia and Adana.

Athens News Agency

[04] Gov't calls Turkish provocations on Cyprus a sign of 'weakness'

Athens 22/07/1998 (ANA)

Replying to questions on statements and threats made by Mr. Yilmaz, who arrived in the occupied territory yesterday morning to attend events marking the 24th anniversary of the island's invasion by Turkish troops, government spokesman Dimitris Reppas called on Ankara to contribute to normalising Greek-Turkish relations.

"While Greece and Cyprus have made substantial progress, Turkey, despite the boasts of its leaders, cannot with its impertinence and provocativenss make up for ground lost because of its behaviour," Mr. Reppas said.

The spokesman said the presence of Turkish warplanes in the occupied northern part of Cyprus was an "unprecedented provocation" on the part of Ankara which at the same time showed up Ankara's weakness.

"It's as if Turkey's leaders are trying to prove something," Mr. Reppas said.

Commenting on a visit by Turkish President Suleyman Demirel to a Greek border post in Evros on Sunday, Mr. Reppas said although it was something of a "compliment", it was nothing compared to the enormity and provocativeness of statements by Mr. Demirel concerning Cyprus and Greek-Turkish relations over the years.

Replying to a question on whether an initiative by the US exists to avert the deployment of Russian-made S-300 missiles in Cyprus, Mr. Reppas said that there is nothing signalling a start to a relevant American initiative.

He said that a meeting was held in Brussels between the directors of the European Union troika with the US Assistant Secretary of State Marc Grossman, in which the issue of Cyprus was discussed.

He also said that consultations will be held between the Europeans and the Americans with the government of Cyprus on all issues concerning the problem of Cyprus.

Athens News Agency

[05] State Dept. spokesman refers to Cyprus invasion anniversary

WASHINGTON 22/07/1998 (ANA - T. Ellis)

Mr. Rubin stressed, however, that "the display of weapons systems by either side brings about an unnecessary rise in tensions on the island and makes the finding of a solution more difficult".

The US official further underlined that the US administration believes that the passing of 24 years since the invasion makes the need for a solution more imperative.

The US official also referred to a recent meeting at the State Department between US officials and representatives of the European troika.

"Both sides underlined the need for a resumption of talks", adding that the EU will look for ways to include the Turkish Cypriots in Cyprus' EU accession talks and will continue to raise their concerns over the purchase by the internationally recognised Cypriot government of the S-300 missiles.

The two sides also agreed on the need to improve Greek-Turkish relations, he said.

Athens News Agency

[06] Kaklamanis receives expatriate Greek politicians

Athens 22/07/1998 (ANA)

The deputies, who came from Australia, Canada, South Africa and Latin American countries, were also briefed on developments in national issues and the operation of parties by Coalition of the Left and Progress leader Nikos Constantopoulos, Democratic Social Movement (DHKKI) leader Dimitris Tsovolas, Political Spring party leader Antonis Samaras, New Democracy party representative Stavros Dimas and Communist Party of Greece (KKE) representative Stratis Korakas.

Mr. Kaklamanis appealed to the deputies to continue their efforts to examine problems faced by expatriate Greeks and the promotion of national targets. He added that actions and omissions of the past leading us to the Cyprus tragedy must become lessons, while the positive elements of the Greek people must be utilised.

Referring to Greece's relations with Turkey, Mr. Kaklamanis said that Monday's appearance (in Cyprus) of Turkish Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz was provocative and spoke of an escalation in Turkish provocativeness.

The deputies showed interest and concern over national issues and developments in the Balkans.

Athens News Agency

[07] US Navy vessels visit Corfu, Crete and Rhodes

Athens 22/07/1998 (ANA)

A US Navy frigate and the Dutch vessel are in Corfu, while a further three US auxiliary vessels are anchored in Souda Bay, Crete. A further two auxiliary vessels are in Rhodes.

A French warship left Piraeus yesterday.

Athens News Agency

[08] Testing for new Thessaloniki radar

Athens 22/07/1998 (ANA)

According to airport officials, special technicians of the Italian company "Alenia", in charge of the project, will be in Thessaloniki in the first 10 days of August.

According to the newspaper "Thessaloniki", construction work on the site where the radar will be installed is proceeding as scheduled.

Athens News Agency

[09] Press report on Moscow interest in S-300 sale to Greece

Athens 22/07/1998 (ANA)

Athens News Agency

[10] Massive contract between monastery, British firm for tourism development on Crete

Athens 22/07/1998 (ANA)

In a joint press conference, the president of the foundation, Metropolitan Filotheos, theabbot of the monastery Philotheos Spanoudakis, and the foundation's board said the investment, amounting to 500 million pound sterling will change the entire region of 2,600 acres with the construction of a 7,000-bed development.

Athens News Agency

[11] PM calls for cooperation regarding Karaiskaki stadium

Athens 22/07/1998 (ANA)

The stadium, used by the football team for several years, is considered unfit for the 2004 Olympic events.

Olympiakos' administration, led by team president Socrates Kokkalis of the Intrakom group, proposed to take up the cost of rebuilding the stadium as football field only, while track and field facilities would reportedly be constructed next to existing facility.

Athens News Agency Athens 22/07/1998 (ANA)

A German national drowned in the sea region off Kallithea, Rhodes on Monday. The body of Anna Terzenbach, 60, was taken to a Rhodes hospital, while the island's harbour authorities are investigating the incident.

Athens News Agency

[12] Kaklamanis receives Japanese, Bulgarian ambassadors

Athens 22/07/1998 (ANA)

Mr. Topalov renewed an invitation by Bulgarian Parliament President Iordan Sokolov to Mr. Kaklamanis to officially visit Sofia.

Mr. Matsumoto also invited Mr. Kaklamanis to visit Japan, noting that yesterday was the 100th anniversary since Greece and Japan exchanged ambassadors.

Athens News Agency

[13] Irene Papas to direct

MADRID 22/07/1998 (ANA)

The musical and theatrical play "Apocalypse, the Voice of a Woman" by Giorgos Heimonas will be performed at the ancient Roman theatre of Sagudo in Valencia on July 23.

The play, in which a combination of Byzantine hymns, flamenco dance and speech is made for the first time, is a joint effort by the Valencia local government and the University of Valencia.

Athens News Agency

[14] 4th Kalamata Dance Festival

Athens 22/07/1998 (ANA)

Dancers from around the world will perform at the events, ranging from modern to classical performances.

The culture ministry will fund the programme.

Athens News Agency

[15] Ionian Investments posts increased profits

Athens 22/07/1998 (ANA)

The company's investments up to the end of June 1998 were 86.4 per cent in domestic, and 13.6 per cent in foreign securities.

Athens News Agency

[16] EasyJet gives free tickets away at court hearing

Athens 22/07/1998 (ANA)

The tickets, which would normally cost about 70,000 drachmas, quickly ran out and easyJet employees noted the names of people who missed the gift, promising to send them free tickets within two months.

The Panhellenic Federation of Travel Agents is seeking a court ruling that would ban easyJet from using phrases about travel agents in its advertising campaign that the federation considers to be demeaning.

The Athens Court of First Instance will issue its ruling on an unspecified date.

EasyJet's owner, Cypriot businessman Stelios Haji Ioannou, had promised the free tickets to anyone turning up to support the airline at the hearing by the court's provisional remedies department.

EasyJet has sought to attract passengers by offering cut-price air tickets that the company says it can afford because bookings are made directly by credit card, bypassing tickets and travel agents.

The two sides failed to reach a compromise at the start of the court hearing. Testifying in court, travel agent Spyros Ginis claimed that easyJet's advertising campaign misled the public.

Mr. Haji Ioannou told the hearing he had no intention of harming travel agents, and the company's aim was to simply provide low-cost air tickets. "It appears that our effort has irked some, who want to present us as con- men."

Speaking to reporters after the hearing, he said the idea of handing out free tickets to the public attending the court hearing was purely an advertising ploy, and about 800 people would receive the free return tickets for London.

Athens News Agency

[17] State phone, transport workers to strike tomorrow

Athens 22/07/1998 (ANA)

The stoppages are being held by the workers of organisations overseen by the transport and communications ministry.

Employees at Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation and the Greek Railways Organisation will strike for 24 hours.

Bus and trolley workers in Athens and Piraeus are to stay off the job from the start of their shift at 5am until 8 am, and then from 10 pm until the end of the shift.

Workers on the Athens-Piraeus railway are striking from 5am until 9 am and from 9 pm until the end of the working day.

Olympic Airways personnel will hold a work stoppage from 12 noon to 3 pm.

Athens News Agency

[18] Greek stocks surge again, sprint through 2,800 points

Athens 22/07/1998 (ANA)

The Athens general share index ended 1.97 percent higher at 2,825.52 points, and the FTSE/ASE 20 index gained 2.12 percent to finish at 1,727.13 points.

Trade was moderate to active with turnover at 63.9 billion drachmas.

Strong buying interest was reported in National Bank of Greece, a blue chip on the Athens bourse, especially among foreign institutional investors.

The stock finished at the eight percent upper volatility limit, closing at 54,000 drachmas.

Buying interest again was strong in construction stocks with the sector index finishing 6.58 percent higher against gains of 5.96 percent in the previous session.

Other sectors rose across the board. Banks surged 2.20 percent, Leasing rose 0.20 percent, Insurance jumped 3.86 percent, Investment increased 1.03 percent, Industrials rose by 1.58 percent, Holding gained 2.21 percent, and Miscellaneous soared 2.33 per cent.

The parallel market index for small cap companies finished 0.46 percent up.

Of 270 stocks traded, advances led declines at 142 to 109 with 19 shares remaining unchanged.

Closing at the eight percent upper daily volatility limit were Mortgage Bank of Greece, National Bank of Greece, General Trade (preferred), Aegek, National Portfolio, Intracom, Esha, Zamba, Michaniki, Athina, Atemke, Edrassi, Ergas, Evropaiki Techniki, KI Sarandopoulos, Technodomi, Proodeftiki, Lampsa and Paleo Phaliro Medical.

The day's biggest percentage losers were Elfiko, General Trade (common), Britania, Development Invest, Eskimo, Sato, Etma, Eltrak and Karelia.

National Bank of Greece ended at 54,000 drachmas, Ergobank at 33,690, Alpha Credit Bank at 30,050, Ionian Bank at 17,605, Commercial Bank of Greece at 29,305, Delta Dairy (common) at 3,900, Intracom (common) at 13,500, Titan Cement (common) at 24,245, Hellenic Petroleum at 2,660 and Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation at 8,576 drachmas.

Athens News Agency

[19] Foreign exchange inflows from shipping drop 5.5 pct in Jan-Feb

Athens 22/07/1998 (ANA)

In February, shipping forex revenues also declined 5.5 percent to 155 million dollars against 164.1 million dollars in February 1997.

Athens News Agency

[20] Bank of Attica announces rates

Athens 22/07/1998 (ANA)

• Savings deposit, 9.25 percent
• Current account, up to 12 percent
• Time deposits, negotiable above 10 percent
• Operating capital, 17.1 percent
• Consumer loans, 21 percent
• Car purchase, 17.8 percent
• Housing loans, 12.5 percent (floating)
• Business premises, 12.5 percent
• Credit Card, 24.75 percent

Athens News Agency

[21] Agricultural Bank of Greece holds seminar

Athens 22/07/1998 (ANA)

The seminar, which began on Monday, is to last until Friday.

More than 60 senior banking executives from Hungary, Croatia, Slovakia, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Romania and Moldavia are taking part. The seminar aims to provide information and allow participants to develop business links.

Athens News Agency

[22] Gov't says rise in May unemployment figure expected

Athens 22/07/1998 (ANA)

He attributed the increase to the fact that the unemployed, primarily young people and the long-term unemployed, rushed to register at OAED to take advantage of benefits announced by the government in May.

Mr. Reppas said that in this way a false impression is given of an increase in unemployment, while reality is the trend for indentification between registered and real unemployment.

He further said that unemployment has remained stable at 10.3 per cent over the past two years, while in past years it had showed a continuous increase.

Mr. Reppas estimated that in 1998 unemployment will be maintained at the 10.3 per cent level.

The jobless rate surged to 9.8 per cent in June, or 2.86 percentage points higher than the figure for the same month in 1997, hitting a record high in the summer season when unemployment usually drops.

In June, the registered unemployed were 288,299, the highest seasonal figure recorded by OAED, which collected the data.

Criticism : In an announcement on the issue, the Coalition of the Left and Progress (Synaspismos) said "the explosion in registered unemployment, according to official data by OAED, is a slap for the government's triumphant talk on the course of the economy and under lines the huge social deficit in government policy."

"The sharp increase in unemployment to record level in June, combined with the explosion in excess profits of the big stock exchange and banking capital over the same period, clearly prove that the present PASOK has a clearly conservative policy," Democ ratic Social Movement (DHKKI) leader Dimitris Tsovolas said on the issue.

Mr. Tsovolas said that "reality categorically refutes the jubilations and triumphant talk by the government of 'accountants' on the course of the economy and reveals the merciless face of the neo-liberal modernisers."

On his part, the Alternate Secretary General of the General Confederation of Workers of Greece (GSEE), Alekos Kalyvis said that unemployment is increasing threateningly "despite rivers of money given to employers unsparingly in the form of employment su bsidies", adding that "it is high time that tricks and deception must stop."

Athens News Agency

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