Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 98-12-19

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

CONTENTS

[01] Athens monitoring closely developments in Iraq, gov't says

[02] Tsohatzopoulos cites support of most NATO members for Iraq strikes

[03] Gligorov against referral of FYROM name issue to NATO

[04] Royaumont coordinator Roumeliotis concludes visit to Yugoslavia

[05] Commission condemns Athens for failing to ensure EU citizens' hiring in public services

[06] Papantoniou says 1999 budget tailored for EMU accession

[07] PM again points to elections in 2000

[08] UN agency calls for help for refugees

[09] 'Zorba's' grandchildren awarded Greek citizenship

[10] Parliament hears plight of ethnic Greeks from Albania

[11] Thessaloniki metro contract to inner cabinet early January

[12] Domestic bond prices hit record highs

[13] Bank of Piraeus to set up venture capital fund with US firm

[14] Hellas Can shareholders okay acquisition

[15] Stocks end up, boosted by block trades

[16] Ionian Hotels extends Hilton lease

[17] Equities end week lacklustre after early plunge

[18] Domestic exporters to take part in world Cypriot trade fair

[19] Greece's red tuna quota at 357 tons for 1999, 2000

[20] Civil aviation employees, trolley drivers' work stoppages

[21] Bogus bills reported in eastern Macedonia

[22] Athens Foreign Exchange

[01] Athens monitoring closely developments in Iraq, gov't says

On his part, Deputy Foreign Minister Yiannos Kranidiotis also expressed the government's concern over the developments in Iraq.

He told reporters after the cabinet meeting that "instability in the region is something that could have repercussions on Greece, too".

Mr. Kranidiotis expressed his conviction that the operations should be terminated as soon as possible and an effort should be made to find a political solution through peaceful means.

"The international community must exercise its influence so that international law and the international rules are always employed and avoid the phenomenon of double standards," he said, adding:

"The case of Cyprus is another such phenomenon, on which the international community is not as consistently displaying the same zeal it is showing on Iraq".

Mr. Kranidiotis said the situation "should make us thoughtful", noting that Saddam Hussein's regime "is not a regime that one can support because it is autocratic and violates the international rules and the resolutions of international organisations".

Deputy Defence Minister Dimitris Apostolakis said that no request had been made to Greece for the use of bases on Greek territory, and expressed hope that the tension would be defused soon.

Asked what the government would do if its assistance was requested, he said the government would decide (if and when such a request was made), while Mr. Kranidiotis said the government was "very sceptical on such a prospect".

On Thursday night, Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos said the US had acted "undemocratically" and should have informed the UN Security Council before it launched the air strikes on Iraq.

Mr. Pangalos also said Greece was against the practice of the strong attacking the weak. Gov't spokesman: -- Government spokesman Dimitris Reppas said yesterday that the prime minister had told the cabinet that the government was watching developments in Iraq and relations between Iraq and the United Nations very closely.

Mr. Simitis said that the crisis had to end as soon as possible and efforts get under way for a resolution through political means.

Mr. Reppas said that the government regretted the death of civilians but that Iraq could have acceded to the UN's resolutions, destro-yed its arsenal and averted the crisis.

He denied that there was any conflict of opinion between government members or over the government's stance over the Iraqi crisis. Kaklamanis: -- Parliament President Apostolos Kaklamanis also pointed to the double standard being applied by the US in regard to the Cyprus issue.

"For 25 years Turkish troops have occupied 40 percent of Cypriot land and despite UN resolutions which the neigbouring country is indifferent to, the US has not shown interest in ending the occupation," Mr. Kaklamanis told a private radio.

"The reasons put forward for the strikes are a pretext only," he said, "because it was clear that the U.S. used the principles of international law and the decisions of the UN Security Council whenever it believed it was in its interests, whether for st rategic interests or even for domestic reasons".

"The civilians, women and children of Iraq would suffer the consequences of the strikes," he said.

"Nobody can applaud the US-British actions against Iraq," he said. Political parties in opposition:-- The youth group of ruling PASOK yesterday issued a press release noting that "the United States, in the role of an international 'judge' and without even informing the United Nations, decides and punishes Iraq, the 'easy' victim, for the lifting of deaden ds, which are created from time to time in the political, economic and personal level."

The Coalition for the Left and Progress (Synaspismos) condemned the attack against Iraq, noting that it is an "opportunist" action, which is dictated by self-serving motives.

Synaspismos' youth group held a rally in front of the US embassy in Athens to protest the attacks, while its leadership noted that "SaddamYs anti- democratic establishmentIand the decisions of the United Nations, which forbid the use of chemical weapons of mass destruction, does not minimise in the least bit the crime of the Americans and British against the non- combatants in Iraq."

The Communist Ecological Renewal (AKOA) also issued an announcement condemning the US-British attack as "gangster-like".

The announcement added that "once again the leading powers of the 'New Order' showed their real face..." Debate on UNFICYP not on agenda: -- UNITED NATIONS (ANA) - A representative of UN Secretary General Kofi Annan said UNFICYP's mandate renewal was not on next week's agenda, a session scheduled for Dec. 23 but postponed because of the strikes in Iraq.

UNFICYP's mandate ends on Dec. 31.

US writer on hunger strike against Turkish occupation of northern Cyprus: -- NICOSIA (ANA) - An American writer has launched a symbolic hunger strike on the buffer zone dividing the free areas of the Cyprus republic from the Turkish-occupied north, protesting Washington's stance on the Cyprus issue.

Matthew Stowell began a hunger strike on Wednesday morning which was due to end last night.

Mr. Stowell's Limassol-born wife, Olga Glyki, and women relatives of missing persons from the 1974 Turkish invasion of the island republic were keeping vigil with the author.

Athens News Agency

[02] Tsohatzopoulos cites support of most NATO members for Iraq strikes

The Greek minister, who is currently the joint chairman of the council along with his Russian counterpart, Igor Sergeyev, made the statements to reporters yesterday.

He said only four countries, Greece, Luxembourg, Iceland, and Portugal, did not ask to take the floor, indicating in this way that they considered that the Iraq bombings did not concern the alliance.

The Russian representative Sergey Kisliak, who replaced Mr. Sergeyev, condemned the bombings, however, Mr. Tsohatzopoulos said it was a common conviction of all participants that despite particular diferences of views at various times between Russia and

NATO, the Council should continue to function, maintaining the necessary channels of communication between the two sides.

The council also discussed the situation in Kosovo, regarding which the Greek minister everyone should realise that a solution would not be military, and that in the opposite case the crisis wold spread to the broadser Balkan region wit unforeseeable c onsequences.

"If a settlement of the problem is not reached soon, it is possible that in March new conditions of tension in the area will arise," he said.

Regarding the situation in Bosnia, Mr. Tsohatzopoulos said many countries were considering reducing or pulling out altogether their military contingents there, adding, however, that Greece saw their presence as necessary for at least one more year, and in any case, until the full consolidation and smooth functioning of democratic institutions in that country.

Athens News Agency

[03] Gligorov against referral of FYROM name issue to NATO

He stressed that FYROM "had blocked all attempts to change its constitutional name, resulting in serious losses from the pressures and economic blockades used against it," stressing that the situation had changed after the signing of the New York interi m agreement with Greece.

A FYROM foreign ministry statement said Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos' scheduled visit here on Dec. 22 was "a continuation of the political dialogue and expression of the mutual desire for an improvement of bilateral relations and an intensificat ion of cooperation between them."

Athens News Agency

[04] Royaumont coordinator Roumeliotis concludes visit to Yugoslavia

Mr. Roumeliotis, on his second visit to the Yugoslav capital, presented Royaumont programmes and funding for the development of inter-regional cooperation.

A main topic of discussion was press freedom in Serbia.

The Greek Euro-MP further told NGO representatives that the west and EU wish to assist non-government-controlled media in Yugoslavia.

Athens News Agency

[05] Commission condemns Athens for failing to ensure EU citizens' hiring in public services

According to an announcement, following the decision on July 2 1996, Greece has enacted a law which anticipates the employment of EU citizens in public services. But it has not yet issued decrees for the implementation of the law.

Meanwhile, the Commission has recently received new complaints from EU citizens who have not been accepted by Greek public services and, indeed, by Greek universities.

With an avis, the European Commission requests from Greece to take measures to implement the European Court's ruling. If the Greek reply, in a period of two months, is not satisfactory it will lodge a new recourse against Greece.

According to the European Court's ruling, public services must accept citizens from all member-states with the exception of public services exercising public authority.

The European Commission has already imposed, for the first time, a fine on Luxembourg for the same reason: 14,000 ECU (over 4.5 million drachmas) for every day which it does not implement the condemnatory ruling.

The European Commission also decided to activate a recourse process, with an avis, against Greece and Belgium for not honouring directive 271 of 1991 on the management of urban sewage.

The European Commission has activated the recourse process, with an avis, against Greece, Italy and Portugal for neglecting to inform it installations necessary to remove on dangerous sewage.

Directives 442 of 1975 and directive 156 of 1991, which has amended the first directive-framework, refer to the dangerous sewage.

Athens News Agency

[06] Papantoniou says 1999 budget tailored for EMU accession

He said that if the previous budgets were convergence budgets, the 1999 budget is a budget for accession to EMU.

The 1999 budget is characterised by reserved incomes policy to enable the achievement of the target of decreasing inflation to 2 per cent, as well as by security margins, to ensure that there will be certainty that fiscal targets will be achieved.

Despite this, according to Mr. Papantoniou, income will increase next year by 6.7 per cent and the Greek people will pay a smaller share of it in taxes: No new tax will be imposed, nor will any old tax be increased, while there will be no taxation bill.

On the contrary, measures aimed at decreasing indirect taxation in the region of 170 billion drachmas will be initiated.

Referring to the question of a decrease in inflation, Mr. Papantoniou said that from now it constitutes "primarily the responsibility of businessmen" who must restrict profits and freeze prices also in the framework of agreements being promoted by the D evelopment Ministry for the much-desired speedy de-escalation of inflation to be achieved.

Monetary and exchange policy for next year is oriented in the same framework. At the same time, the public investments programme will be strongly developmental since expenditures will increase by 16.5 per cent and concerns a "very big programme amountin g to 2.2 trillion drachmas which leads to the completion of the second Community Support Framework. Greece, together with other Cohesion countries, is conducting tough negotiations in Brussels in the framework of the "Agenda 2000."

Athens News Agency

[07] PM again points to elections in 2000

Mr. Simitis, addressing the cabinet yesterday, said that "the government is not concerned with scenarios that refer to the development of coalition governments, or to changes in the elections law."

The premier said that "the conditions that have developed in our country resemble the conditions prevailing in other developed countries", adding that "the governmentYs statements regarding the countryYs accession to the European Monetary Union (EMU) we re in the past treated as non-sense, while now, (the main opposition New Democracy party) ND considers the accession of the country to the EMU as a given and the only thing it is doing is making accusationsI"

"The government has made significant advances on the legislative level, as well as in the citizensY everyday life", he said, adding that "accession talks for Cyprus are progressing, something that proves the countryYs power."

Mr. Simitis said that the outcome of the Vienna European Summit was satisfactory and that the European Union is an arena of struggle.

Athens News Agency

[08] UN agency calls for help for refugees

The UN organisation says Greece has only one operational refugee camp with a 300-person capacity.

With the announcement, the High Commission invites all to contribute for the refugees with foodstuffs, bedding and construction materials etc.

Athens News Agency

[09] 'Zorba's' grandchildren awarded Greek citizenship

Anna Gaiger and Vangelis Yiantas, the children of Zorbas' youngest daughter, Katerina, live permanently in Belgrade and had been trying for some time to receive Greek citizenship.

Georgios Zorbas provided the role model for Kazantzakis' character of "Alexis Zorbas". He was born in 1878 in the village of Katafygi, near the northern Greek city of Kozani and, after wandering through the Balkans and the world, settled in Skopje, wher e he died in 1942.

At the ceromony, anecdotal letters of the legendary figure to his friend Kazantzakis were presented, in which he appears concerned that he might beIpoisoned by women, while he also cites his involvement in an oil trading affair and reveals his passion o f digging for hidden treasures

The character of Zorbas was immortalised by actor Anthony Quinn in the 1963 film directed by Michael Cacoyiannis and co-starring Alan Bates and Irene Papas.

Apart from the 1963 film, the universal appeal of the character of "Alexis Zorbas" has led to Kazantzakis' book being adapted for theatre, symphony and dance.

The "Zorba factor" has also played a role in politics: In April 1997, composer Mikis Theodorakis, who wrote the score to the film version, performed his symphony "Zorba the Greek" for an audience including Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) P resident Kiro Gligorov and leading members of the Skopje government.

Mr. Theodorakis' concert was part of a programme of events aimed at promoting friendship between the two countries.

Athens News Agency

[10] Parliament hears plight of ethnic Greeks from Albania

Addressing the committee, the president of the Federation of Associations of ethnic Greeks from Albania in Greece, Christos Doutsis, said that after having "migrated to their own homeland", ethnic Greeks are facing difficulties in receiving a special ID card issued for expatriates.

"In our place there are no streets, the water supply is insufficient and there is no electricity", Mr. Doutsis said in an effort to explain the reasons that drive ethnic Greeks to leave Albania.

A labour ministry official said the issue of ethnic Greeks from Albania required adoption of a policy on immigration, while he underlined that integration of economic immigrants in the Greek society was necessary.

Athens News Agency

[11] Thessaloniki metro contract to inner cabinet early January

The document will then be signed and sent to parliament for approval in line with practice for major public works, allowing the co-financed project to begin.

The contract with the Thessaloniki Metro consortium led by Bouygues of France has already been debated by the public works commission, and a few details are still to be clarified, Mr. Laliotis said.

The minister was speaking after a cabinet meeting on progress in public works around the country.

He also said that the central line of the Athens metro being built would be completed at the end of 1999, and a second line in October 2000.

All public works co-financed under the European Union's second Community Support Framework would be completed by the end of 2000, Mr. Laliotis said.

"Not a drachma nor an Ecu of EU funds will be lost," he added.

Government spokesman Dimitris Reppas later told reporters that the government's quality control agency had carried out spot checks on many projects, imposing fines when construction regulations had been breached.

The main opposition New Democracy party charged the government with failing to make full use of second Community Support Framework funds, claiming that in 1999, the last year of their application, only 50 percent of financing had been absorbed.

Athens News Agency

[12] Domestic bond prices hit record highs

Bond prices ended the week 20-30 basis points higher with electronic trade totalling 40 billion drachmas.

The 15-year bond was at 105.05, the 10-year bond at 110.60-100.90, and the seven-year bond at 107.30.

Interbank rates in the money market remained firm with the overnight rate holding steady around 12.20 percent.

In the foreign currency market the drachma remained strong, reinforced by foreign currency inflows.

The national currency currently stands 7.8 percent higher than its central parity in the European Union's exchange rate mechanism

The central bank yesterday absorbed 250 million marks at its daily fix in order to halt the drachma's rise. At the fix, the mark was 167.900 drachmas, the Ecu 329.830 drachmas, and the US dollar 278.540 drachmas.

Athens News Agency

[13] Bank of Piraeus to set up venture capital fund with US firm

The new firm is to start operations early in 1999 with one billion drachmas and 50 million US dollars available in the first phase to aid newly created or expaning businesses, Mr. Sallas told a news conference.

He also said that Bank of Piraeus was still interested in the possibility of buying Ionian Bank, which is slated for privatisation in the first quarter of 1999.

Athens News Agency

[14] Hellas Can shareholders okay acquisition

The acquistion of the Greek company via its Liberian owners - Transatlantic Shipping & Investment Company Limited and Oceanwind Shipping & Investment Company Limited - will be carried out through Hellas Can's Cypriot subsidiary, Mistan Holdings Company Limited.

Approval for the buyout has to be sought from the government's fair competition committee due to monopoly rules.

A decision is expected by the end of February.

Seventy two percent of Hellas Can is owned by Crown of the United States, and remaining shares are listed on the Athens bourse.

Athens News Agency

[15] Stocks end up, boosted by block trades

The general index ended 0.68 percent up at 2,498.73 points in moderate trade bolstered by block trades. Turnover jumped to 71.4 billion drachmas from 49.2 billion drachmas in the previous session on 17,704,000 shares traded.

Around 20 billion drachmas of turnover represented block trades after the close.

The parallel market for smaller cap stocks underperformed the general index, closing 0.47 percent lower.

Sector indices finished mixed.

Banks rose 0.65 percent, Leasing slumped 1.39 percent, Insurance nosed down 0.12 percent, Investment sprinted 1.94 percent, Construction increased 0.52 percent, Industrials crept up 0.27 percent, Miscellaneous edged up 0.05 percent, and Holding gained 0.45 percent.

Of 280 shares traded advances led declines at 137 to 120 with 23 unchanged.

The most heavily traded stocks were Lambrakis Press Organisation, Halyvdofyllon, Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation and Viosol.

Scoring the highest percentage gains at or near the daily 8.0 percent upper volatility limit were Lampsa, Dimitriadis, Despec, Infoquest, Klaoudatos, Bank of Athens (common and preferred), Halyps, General Warehouses and Viosol.

Posting the biggest percentage losses at or near the 8.0 percent limit down were Daring, Hellenic Textiles, Etma, Alysida, Sarandopoulos Flour Mills, Thessaliki, Lanakam, Kyriakidis, Ridenco and Eskimo.

National Bank of Greece ended at 54,100 drachmas, Ergobank at 28,000 Alpha Credit Bank at 26,760, Ionian Bank at 13,390, Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation at 6,800, Delta Dairy at 3,405, Intracom at 12,390, Titan Cement at 19,800, Hellenic Petrol eum at 2,270, Minoan Lines at 6,400, and Panafon at 6,950 drachmas.

Athens News Agency

[16] Ionian Hotels extends Hilton lease

The management lease held by Hilton was due to expire on December 31.

The extension is linked to the privatisation in the first quarter of 1999 of Ionian Bank, which is listed on the Athens bourse.

The lease can be terminated with six-months' warning at any time after December 31, 1999 with no right to compensation.

Athens News Agency

[17] Equities end week lacklustre after early plunge

The general index gained 1.54 percent, or 38.01 points on the week to end at 2,498.73 points against 2,460.72 points a week earlier.

The week's turnover was 301.438 billion drachmas to post a daily average of 60.3 billion drachmas, down from 76.2 billion drachmas a week earlier.

The market's early drop in the week was mainly due to domestic institutional investors indulging in window dressing to enhance their end-of-year books, the analysts said.

Investors abroad bought selectively into blue chips but most foreign capital went into bonds, not equities, they said.

The market tried to consolidate later in the week, also brushing off the Iraq crisis as its repercussions are believed to be minor and short- lived.

The profits of listed companies rose nearly 30 percent in January- September.

A profit increase was forecast by international investment houses Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley, which both expect to see a 20 percent rise on an annualised basis over the next three years.

The bourse's industrial sector posted the highest gains at 1.54 percent, the same as the general index, and Leasing the biggest losses, shedding 3.26 percent.

From the start of the year the index has gained 68.88 percent. It stands 11.57 percent down on its all-time high of 2,825.52 points in July.

Athens News Agency

[18] Domestic exporters to take part in world Cypriot trade fair

The statement said the trade fair would aid exporters to penetrate markets in the Middle East, Africa and countries of the former Soviet Union.

Athens News Agency

[19] Greece's red tuna quota at 357 tons for 1999, 2000

The relevant decision was taken by the European Union's council of fishery ministers in its last meeting of the year yesterday.

Greece was represented at the meeting by Deputy Agriculture Minister responsible for fisheries Dinos Vrettos. He said that the level of the quota for Greece remained open, however, since contacts with France and Spain are pending which are two countries which have agreed in principle to grant a percentage of their quota to Greece in exchange for similar concessions made by Greece to these countries in the past (such as a quantity of cod for Spain).

A penalty is also pending for exceeding production in 1997 by 331 tons. In this case an avis is expected by the Commission's legal service since the wording contained in the relevant text is not clear.

Mr. Vrettos said that the issue will be clarified in about 20 days when fishermen will know the exact quantity of red tuna production allowed.

Athens News Agency

[20] Civil aviation employees, trolley drivers' work stoppages

The court ruling is related to an air traffic controllers' four-hour walkout, slated to begin at 11 a.m. yesterday, and a telecoms technicians' walkout on the same day.

Civil aviation employees said earlier this week that they would hold various walkouts leading up to Christmas to press demands for more personnel and wage-related demands.

The Federation of Civil Aviation Authority Unions (OSYPA) said its members would hold two four-hour walkouts from Dec. 21 through to Dec. 23.

Meanwhile, trolley drivers in the Greek capital yesterday decided to hold new work stoppages to protest a proposal by managment for a two-year collective bargaining agreement, preferring instead one year.

The stoppages will take place on Dec. 23 from 7 to 10 a.m. and from 5 to 8 p.m.; Dec 24 from from 7 to 11 a.m. and from 5 to 9 p.m.; on Dec. 29 from 7 to 10 a.m. and from 5 to 8 p.m.; on Dec 30 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Dec. 31 from 7 to 10 a.m. and from 4 to 10 p.m. and on Jan. 12 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Athens News Agency

[21] Bogus bills reported in eastern Macedonia

One man was arrested in Drama for attempting to pass a counterfeit 5,000- drachma note to a local branch of the National Bank. The man claims, however, that he received the note in a previous transaction. He has been referred to a Drama prosecutor.

Police said they had been notified of a fake 5,000-drachma bill at a branch of Ionian Bank in Kavala and another two 5,000 bank notes at a branch of Ergobank in Kavala.

They added that most concerned about fake 1,000 drachmas notes, three of which have been found in a branch of the Macedonia-Thrace bank in Xanthi.

Bank employees have reported another five cases of fake 5,000 and 10,000 drachma notes over recent days.

Athens News Agency

[22] Athens Foreign Exchange

Banknotes       Buying     Selling
US Dollar        276.312    282.718
Can.Dollar       179.155    183.309
Australian Dlr   171.909    175.894
Pound Sterling   464.911    475.690
Irish Punt       413.565    423.153
Pound Cyprus     561.670    574.693
Pound Malta      685.151    713.699
Turkish pound(100) 0.080      0.083
French franc      49.652     50.803
Swiss franc      205.379    210.141
Belgian franc      8.073      8.260
German Mark      166.557    170.418
Finnish Mark      54.808     56.079
Dutch Guilder    147.763    151.189
Danish Kr.        43.813     44.828
Swedish Kr.       34.502     35.302
Norwegian Kr.     35.910     36.743
Austrian Sh.      23.674     24.223
Italian lira(100) 16.813     17.203
Yen (100)        239.965    245.528
Spanish Peseta     1.957      2.003
Port. Escudo       1.624      1.662

Foreign Exchange Buying  Selling
New York      276.312    282.718
Montreal      179.155    183.309
Sydney        171.909    175.894
London        464.911    475.690
Dublin        413.565    423.153
Nicosia       561.670    574.693
Paris          49.652     50.803
Zurich        205.379    210.141
Brussels        8.073      8.260
Frankfurt     166.557    170.418
Helsinki       54.808     56.079
Amsterdam     147.763    151.189
Copenhagen     43.813     44.828
Stockholm      34.502     35.302
Oslo           35.910     36.743
Vienna         23.674     24.223
Milan          16.813     17.203
Tokyo         239.965    245.528
Madrid          1.957      2.003
Lisbon          1.624      1.662

Athens News Agency

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