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Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 98-08-17Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>CONTENTS
[01] Assumption, Armed Forces Day celebratedAthens, 17/8/1998 (ANA)Celebrations over the weekend for the Assumption of the Virgin Mary as well as Armed Forces' Day were held at the Monastery of Panagia Soumela in northern Greece on Saturday in the presence of most of Greece's political leadership, headed by President of the Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos.Dignitaries attended a morning service officiated by the Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Christodoulos, followed by a procession of the well- known holy icon of the Virgin Mary worshipped at the monastery, with the participation of thousands of pilgr ims from throughout the country and abroad. The Byzantine-era icon had been worshipped for centuries by the vibrant ethnic Greek community of Pontos along the southeastern Black Sea coastal region, in what is now Turkey. It was rescued and brought to Greece in 1930 by refugees, before being place d in a monastery of the same name as the one in Pontos. After the service, Mr. Stephanopoulos stressed the importance of the contribution of Pontian Hellenism to the nation as well as the armed forces' contribution for its defence. "All Greeks want to demonstrate our respect and appreciation to the armed forces of the country and wish health, strength and high morale towards the enlisted (men and women) who defend the dignity, honour and integrity of the nation", Mr. Stephanopoulos said. On his part, National Defence Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos, representing the premier, said that the armed forces "guarantee stability, security, integrity and the peaceful role of Greece in the region, so that Greeks can address the major problems of th e era. "Greece is a force of security, peace and cooperation in the region. At the same time, through the strength of the armed forces, it guarantees support to the Cypriot Hellenism", he said. Meanwhile, main opposition New Democracy leader Costas Karamanlis said that Saturday was a day of multiple symbolisms, a day of national pride for the armed forces. "It is a day of national remembrance, and we do not forget what Pontian Hellenism has been through and what it has contributed", he added. The leader of the Political Spring (Pol.An) party Antonis Samaras in his address also epxressed his confidence in the armed forces. On his part, Archbishop Christodoulos said the Greek nation would repeat its heroic resistance against aggressors if necessary and without hesitation. "We have confronted designs against usIas long as we are grounded in God and the fatherland, as long as the people are inspired by values, then nobody will attempt new threatsIbecause the people will prove they are indomitable, even if the great powers wrong them or just pretend to defend the rights of Hellenism", the Archbishop said. Later, during an official dinner hosted by local Pontian groups in honour of Mr. Stephanopoulos, the Archbishop said that peoples do not perish nor can they be wiped out if they retain their historical memories. "We run the risk, those of us who speak about the unforgotten fatherlands, to be labelled as a people out of touch with reality and against democracy. Those who believe in such ideas, against the grain of internationalism, love our country, and are true Greeks, as much as those who criticise us," Chistodoulos stressed. In addition, widespread celebrations for the Assumption were also held on the Cyclades island of Tinos, another traditional shrine of worship for the Virgin Mary. Annual memorial events for servicemen lost during the sinking of the frigate "Elli" on Aug . 15, 1940, torpedoed by an Italian submarine, were also held. Tsohatzopoulos on security issues: "The Hellenic Armed Forces play a decisive role in the progress of the country, particularly in times of peace, since the majority of nations wish to see the numerous crises in the region solved peacefully," Mr. Tsohatzopoulos later stressed during a rece ption marking Armed Forces Day at the Agios Andreas officers' resort east of Athens. He further accused Turkey of attempting to overturn the status quo, saying Ankara's claims of "feeling threatened" by the reinforcement of Cyprus' defence were ludicrous. Commenting on a recent statement by outgoing Turkish military chief Gen. Ismail Hakki Karadayi that Greece was seeking political benefits from a brief confrontation with Turkey, Mr. Tsohatzopoulos said that it was "beyond all limits of seriousness". The reception was attended by President Stephanopoulos, Parliament President Apostolos Kaklamanis, political party leaders, Archbishop Christodoulos, foreign diplomats as well as the entire armed forces leadership, headed by National Defence General Sta ff Chief Gen. Athanasios Tzoganis. The Greek defence minister added that the government has a stable policy and that Greece will not be drawn by Turkey's dead-end policy on the Cyprus issue and will continue to follow policies of cooperation and peace in the region. Regarding the crisis in Kosovo, Mr. Tsohatzopoulos reiterated Athens' position for a peaceful solution to the problem and stressed that NATO should utilise its capabilities under the auspices of the UN Security Council to apply pressure to both sides a nd thus contribute to the solution of the crisis. Finally, Mr. Tsohatzopoulos criticised Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic for recent military operations in Kosovo, adding however, that it was a mistake on the part of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) to take on the Serbian forces. He also stressed that there was no possibility of independence, only wide autonomy within Serbia. Athens News Agency[02] Turkish press report cites 'fuelling of tension' on Cyprus by USNICOSIA, 17/8/1998 (CNA)The British-American Security and Information Council (BASIC) has reportedly proposed a four-point plan for the reduction of tension on Cyprus, at the same time claiming that Washington's selling of weapons to Greece and Turkey is fuelling an arms race between the two neighbours, according to the Ankara-based "Turkish Daily News".In a dispatch yesterday, the English-language newspaper maintains that the council has prepared a report entitled "Diplomacy and Arms: The West is Sending Confused Signals to the Adversaries in the Aegean," which forwards the main point that both Athens and Ankara "are developing the necessary potential for a war on Cyprus". Citing statements by BASIC analyst Tassos Kokkinidis, the paper writes that while the US State Department is trying to mediate between the two rivals, the US Pentagon is fuelling tension between the two states by selling advanced weaponry. The four-point plan, according to the article, includes the withdrawal of Turkish occupation troops from the Turkish-held portions of the island republic in return for the dismantling of Cyprus' National Guard, as well as a proposal that Greece and Cypr us scrap their joint defence doctrine and freeze all military programmes. Conversely, the council notes that Turkey should end its policy of political, economic and military occupation of northern Cyprus. BASIC is also calling for international pressure on the self-styled "republic of northern Cyprus" to force the Turkish Cypriot leadership to take part in negotiations for "a functional" solution to the Cyprus problem, while the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) should undertake a more active role to control the arms race on the island, according to the Turkish paper. Athens News Agency[03] US State Dept. envoy for Cyprus issue in Ankara todayNICOSIA, 17/8/1998 (ANA - G. Leonidas)Special US State Department coordinator for the Cyprus issue, Thomas Miller, will arrive in Ankara today.Mr. Miller is expected to propose a set of ideas aimed at easing artificial tensions on the island republic in light of the upcoming deployment of Russian-built S-300 anti-aircraft missiles in Cyprus, according to reports. After his contacts in Ankara, the US diplomat will visit Nicosia and Athens. Athens News Agency[04] IMF urges public spending cutbacksNICOSIA, 17/8/1998 (ANA- CNA)The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has urged Cyprus to proceed with measures curbing public spending in a bid to reduce fiscal deficit.According to a Reuters report from Washington the IMF pointed out that "in the absence of corrective policies, the fiscal deficit could widen even further in 1998, leading to a sharply higher debt/GDP ratio". A wider fiscal deficit could also lead to weaker current account prospects and potentially to a loss of investor confidence "during a crucial phase of financial liberalisation", the IMF report noted. According to Reuters, the IMF endorsed the government's proposed fiscal package, which includes a rise in the value-added tax rate, increases in excise taxes and cuts in civil service positions. Revenues from tourism should improve this year, helping to raise output growth to 4.2 per cent, up from 2.3 per cent in 1997, the IMF report said. It also pointed out that economic conditions "were propitiotions "were propitious for fiscal adjustment and the initiation of structural reforms to harmonise with European Union policies". Cyprus, with a per capita income of 12,800 thousand US dollars in 1997, started accession negotiations with the European Union in March. Athens News Agency[05] 37 traffic-related deaths over holiday weekendAthens, 17/8/1998 (ANA)The three-day Assumption weekend posted one of the worst traffic death tolls of the summer, as 37 people lost their lives throughout Greece in road-related fatalities.Authorities said 272 traffic accidents were recorded from noon on Friday until Sunday evening at presstime, with 362 people injured, 67 seriously. Most accidents occurred on the provincial road networks, where police supervision is low to minimal, according to the public order ministry. Authorities cited carelessness and drunk driving as the top two causes of the latest road carnage. Athens News Agency[06] Mass escape from juvenile prisonAthens, 17/8/1998 (ANA)Police have mounted a manhunt for 26 juvenile inmates who escaped on Saturday from an Avlona prison.Forty-one prisoners, all Albanian nationals except one, scaled a low prison fence during exercise time and escaped without being noticed, according to reports. The mass escape was discovered a few minutes later, with police and riot squads rushing to Avlona, about 40 kilometres north of Athens. Fifteen of the escapees were recaptured. Two of them were arrested in the nothern suburb of Kifissia after a brief shoot-out, in which one of the inmates was injured. Earlier, the two had stolen a van. The Avlona facility houses 250 juvenile inmates. The chief of police has ordered a judicial inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the jailbreak. Police and justice ministry officials believe the breakout had been well- planned and carried out with outside help. Meanwhile, Avlona residents told police they had seen a large number of vehicles headed in the direction of the prison shortly before the breakout, while three locals also had reported that their cars had been stolen. The juvenile prisoners were being incarcerated for mainly drug peddling and theft sentences, while one was serving time for manslaughter. Athens News Agency[07] Giant pet python pays unexpected visit on neighbourAthens, 17/8/1998 (ANA)A 38-year-old Athens man woke up on Saturday only to find a 3.5-metre python slithering on his kitchen.Antonis Antoniou, a merchant seaman, discovered the more than 10-kilogram pet snake in the kitchen of his ground floor residence. It had apparently climbed down through a ventilator shaft from the apartment above, whose occupiers were on a short absence . Authorities later employed the services of a snake trainer to end its short spell of freedom. Athens News Agency[08] Fourth World Congress of Thacians beginsAthens, 17/8/1998 (ANA)The Fourth World Congress of Thacians opened in Nea Orestiada, Evros prefecture, on Saturday, bringing together Thrace natives from around the world.Addressing delegates in yesterday's session, Macedonia-Thrace Minister Philippos Petsalnikos underlined the region's advantage as a crossroads. He stressed that Thrace and the wider region of northern Greece are now the starting point of access, communication and cooperation with the peoples of the Balkans, eastern Europe, the Black Sea and southeastern Mediterranean. Among business speakers, the president of the Mechaniki construction firm, Prodromos Emfietzoglou, pointed to Thrace's ability to connect east and west, north and south. "After many years of isolation and marginalisation, Thrace is now, a few years before the new century, taking up its previous role," he said, adding that a large number of projects were either underway or being designed, including interstate road networ ks as well as power, natural gas and telecommunications networks. Democritos University Vice-Rector Philippos Tsalidis touched on the new role that the regionYs top educational institution is called upon to play through the creation of new faculties, such as eastern and Balkan studies programmes, arts and languages. "The Greek state is obliged to decide, and this will be a purely political decision, to further develop the university by creating new departments and research institutes," he concluded. The congress continues today. Athens News Agency[09] ASE rebounds on FridayAthens, 17/8/1998 (ANA)Greek equities strongly rebounded Friday in the last trading session of a turbulent week on the Athens Stock Exchange (ASE).Dealers said a recovery in international markets restored confidence in the Greek market. The general index ended 2.71 percent up at 2,581.43 points with turnover totalling 39.6 billion drachmas. The index showed a net loss of 4.97 percent in the week but remained a spectacular 74.46 percent up this year so far. The week's turnover totalled 258.216 billion drachmas to a daily average of 51.6 billion, up from 41.5 billion the previous week. Sector indices scored gains. The parallel market index for small cap companies rose 1.41 percent, while the FTSE/ASE 20 index increased 2.74 percent to 1,569.05. Broadly, advancers led decliners by 198 to 32 with another 17 issues unchanged. Athens News AgencyAthens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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