Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 99-07-07

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

CONTENTS

[01] Gov't defends nationwide ID checks on refugees

[02] 'Youth Parliament' concludes yesterday

[03] Gov't: EU decision to base reconstruction agency in Thessaloniki binding

[04] ESP session in Brussels Tsohatzopoulos, Kranidiotis attend

[05] Cohen to visit Greece, Turkey

[06] Awards to expatriate Greek media

[07] Mount Athos museums in the works

[08] Athens 2004 organising committee head Stratigis resigns

[09] Bonds slump in line with Europe

[10] Current account shows deficit in January

[11] Prosecutor brings charges against brokerage officials

[12] Stocks drop on profit-taking

[13] Cosmote turns profitable in second year of operation

[14] Prinos oilfield likely to resume operations

[15] OTE's buyout talks for Bulgarian telecom to end soon

[16] Forthnet seeks to join Athens bourse

[17] Athens Foreign Exchange

[01] Gov't defends nationwide ID checks on refugees

Athens, 07/07/1999 (ANA)

The legalisation process was initiated by authorities about two years ago, with successive steps leading first to a temporary residence permit before eligible applicants were to acquire a permanent work permit.

"The course of the procedure for legalising refugees in Greece by granting the relevant documents has led us to certain conclusions. Among others, we have ascertained that there is still a great number (of refugees) in Greece who have not accepted parti cipation in this procedure; while we have offered all possibilities, all opportunities to foreigners living here to acquire legitimate documents, they do not want it, instead they avoid it," government spokesman Dimitris Reppas said, referring to the surprise police ID checks throughout the country.

Speaking at a daily press briefing, he added that "...the state cannot remain indifferent to this development. Therefore, after the (first) phase of implementing these (legalising) measures, we have decided to proceed with an intensification of controls for those living in Greece."

Dismissing charges that police were conducting a "pogrom" against illegal immigrants, Mr. Reppas said "there are useful citizens who are here on a completely legal basis and they are protected by law and the state's agencies. We want them to remain here to become part of Greek society. However, there is a certain segment of refugees which must be dealt with accordingly when we find out that they are in Greece illegally, moreover, when it is ascertained that they have an indirect or direct link to crime...

"The aim of the operation is to detect those who do not have legitimate residency documents so that they may be returned to their countries of origin," he stressed.

The government spokesman added that crime had been drastically reduced recently, due to more effective policing and the establishment of a border patrol force.

More arrests : Police yesterday detained about 500 foreign workers as they continued ID checks around Attica for a third day in a row.

Special teams of about 150-200 police officers arrested about 500 suspected illegal immigrants in the Daphne region. Most of those detained were Albanians.

The group was being held in a local indoor gymnasium while authorities processed and checked their identity, travel and residency papers.

The detainees were also being finger-printed, with records being sent to crime labs to determine whether any of them are wanted for criminal activity.

Officials have said that those found to have legitimate residency papers will be released. Those who are found to be in Greece illegally will be deported - if they are wanted for any crimes, they will be held to face charges.

The operations served a dual purpose, one police official said: First, to combat crime, as well as providing a clearer picture of how many foreigners legally reside in the country.

Police in Thessaloniki, meanwhile, conducted two operations yesterday.

During the action, in the city's centre and the area surrounding the train station, police checked 180 individuals and 50 vehicles - posting six arrests, while 15 foreigners detained for deportation.

In Hania, Crete, authorities announced that they had deported a total of 557 illegals - 398 of them Albanians - since the beginning of the year.

According to monthly data since the beginning of the year, 105 (71 Albanian) illegals were deported in January; 88 (65 Albanian) in February; 115 (83 Albanian) in March; 83 (54 Albanian) in April, and 166 (125 Albanian) in May.

Leftist response : On their part, several left-wing opposition parties and trade unions protested against the police actions.

In an announcement, the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) spoke of "movements of demagoguery and the cultivation of a racist climate", adding that the "tactic of generalised and indiscrimate action against the Albanians is very dangerous during the present conjuncture prevailing in the Balkans".

The Coalition of the Left and Progress (Synaspismos) said "the government's backtracking on the issue of granting the green card (residence permit) under pressure by main opposition New Democracy (ND) "will maintain and intensify the problem of economic immigrants, since the state of illegality will be perpetuated.

"It is a state which will place hundreds of thousands of people at the mercy of illegal rings and gangs, renders any control by the Greek state impossible and condemns the Greek people to insecurity."

The builders' federation spoke of "racism and xenophobia".

Athens News Agency

[02] 'Youth Parliament' concludes yesterday

Athens, 07/07/1999 (ANA)

The assembly, an institution begun by Parliament President Apostolos Kaklamanis, was comprised of 350 teenage representatives - from Greece, Cyprus and expatriate communities - divided into six committees. They met since Friday in Parliament.

Paraskevi Triantafyllopoulou, the education affairs rapporteur, said problems in the sector remained despite the recent reform which should have began from primary school. She called for improved infrastructure, teachers' assessment and back-up tuition from the first day of the school year.

Katerian Tahou, speaking on foreign affairs, focused on the problems of border areas and the need for economic and development incentives, security measures, as well as the tapping of European regional programmes.

She also voiced support for peaceful co-existence in the Balkans, opposition to Turkey's one-sided claims against Greece, while calling for Greece's abstention from what she called NATO's "criminal" acts, as well as punishment for those responsible for the capture of Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan.

Thaleia Staramou, of the finance committee, referred to EMU, the lack of meritocracy in the public sector, consumerism and the transformation of a large section of the population into stock market investers. She said citizens should be informed and part icipate in the planning of any government programme thats demands sacrifices from them, such as accession to EMU. She also called for closer state supervision of the stock market.

Georgia Papachristou, of the social affairs committee, said there were no individuals with special needs, only people with special abilities.

"We must all fight against our prejudices. The way we treat them is a sign of our culture," she said.

Public admiminstration and justice rapporteur, Chrysostomos Karteros, from Serres, said it was unemployment and economic backwardness which created the wave of emigration to cities. He also referred to the control of the media by financial concerns, as well as the need for alternative terms to imprisonment, which "creates criminals," and called for the establishment of proportional representation systems in elections.

Production and commerce rapporteur Nicholetta Papadogianni, from Corinth, noted the concept of "man" as a value was absent from society, and outlines her dreams for a better world in which nature would not be polluted and people would not get killed in the streets, among others.

Athens News Agency

[03] Gov't: EU decision to base reconstruction agency in Thessaloniki binding

Athens, 07/07/1999 (ANA)

Government spokesman Dimitris Reppas confirmed that there were "circles in the European Union" trying to move the agency to Pristina.

European Union leaders meeting in Rio de Janeiro last week decided to base the agency in the northern Greek port of Thessaloniki.

"The decision taken by the 15 (EU members) in Rio will not be changed," Mr. Reppas said.

He added that the issue would be brought up for discussion tomorrow at the COREPER council in Brussels, where Athens will respond "in a convincing manner" to those opposed to the choice of Thessaloniki.

Kranidiotis : BRUSSELS (ANA - M. Spinthourakis) - Alternate Foreign Minister Yiannos Kranidiotis, meanwhile, held consultations with EU External Affairs Commissioner Hans van den Broek and other Commission officials on the issue of the agency's location. Mr. Kranidiotis made it clear that Greece is not willing to make any concessions on the issue, and expects the Commission to respond positively to the political decision of the "15" Union leaders.

In expectation of the Commission's response, Athens has not yet agreed on the issuing of a regulation regarding the Stability Pact, also agreed to in Rio.

The issue is expected to be discussed here tomorrow by the Union's Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER). If there is no positive response from the Commission the decision made before the Rio summit - according to which the new organisation would be responsible only for the reconstruction of Kosovo and would be based in Pristina - could be changed by the Council of Ministers.

However, this would be an unusual development, as decisions reached at summits are usually carried out without further discussion.

Meanwhile, the Commission yesterday announced that 40 EU experts have been in Kosovo since July 1 in order to organise the first activities for the reconstruction of the Yugoslav province, while they will submit their first report on the region's immed iate needs by July 23. The Commission announcement makes no reference to the issue of the organisation's operation in Thessaloniki .

Athens News Agency

[04] ESP session in Brussels Tsohatzopoulos, Kranidiotis attend

BRUSSELS, 07/07/1999 (ANA - M. Spinthourakis)

"Today's European Socialist Party session had as the main issue the socialists' preparation for an integrated proposal to enable a start to the implementation of the stability programme for the Balkans. The first political priority for the socialists is their intention to intervene in an effective way to ensure that on July 30 in Sarajevo, where the European Union's session will take place to finalise the proposal concerning the Stability Accord for the Balkans, the most effective proposals possible wil l be had," Mr. Tsohatzopoulos said afterwards.

He added that what concerns the EU, in particular, is the way of intervening for the overall reconstruction of not only Kosovo and Yugoslavia but of all the Balkan peoples.

Finally, he said a discussion was also held on the posts to be allocated in the new European Parliament which resulted from the recent Euroelections.

Athens News Agency

[05] Cohen to visit Greece, Turkey

WASHINGTON, 07/07/1999 (Reuters/CNA)

Mr. Cohen will travel to Denmark, Norway, Hungary, Albania, Greece and Turkey before returning to Washington on July 15.

Athens News Agency

[06] Awards to expatriate Greek media

Athens, 07/07/1999 (ANA)

Radio Centre-Ville, a multilingual radio station in Montreal and "Hellenicos Typos", a newspaper published in New Zealand, shared first prize for "best information medium of 1998", while a documentary on post-graduate training of Greek children in Toron to - shown by the Canadian CFMT-TV channel - was awarded first prize for "best programme of the year".

Mr. Stephanopoulos praised the national sentiment of expatriate Greeks, "those who left in order to prosper, as well as those who left as refugees, persecuted as such by both places".

Government spokesman Dimitris Reppas said the contest aimed at offering "a stimulus to the mass media of Hellenism abroad...which constitute an information bridge, a channel for cultural transfusion...".

Athens News Agency

[07] Mount Athos museums in the works

Athens, 07/07/1999 (ANA)

Following the success of a 1997 Mount Athos exhibition organised in Thessaloniki, most of the monasteries in the all-male community focused on the better preservation and showcasing of their artifacts.

The Vatopedi and Iviron monsteries will be the first to obtain such facilities.

Athens News Agency

[08] Athens 2004 organising committee head Stratigis resigns

Athens, 07/07/1999 (ANA)

Mr. Stratigis cited personal reasons as the motivation behind his resignation, Mr. Reppas added.

According to sources, however, the cause of Stratis Stratigis' resignation was his insistence to attend the wedding of ex-king Constantine's daughter in London this month. The one-time monarch is reportedly a close friend of Mr. Stratigis.

However, other reports claim Mr. Stratigis' resignation stems from the government's dissatisfaction, as well as the PM personally, over work produced by the organising committee, including strained relations Mr. Stratigis reportedly had with several of Mr. Simitis' close associates.

Moreover, Mr. Stratigis' relations, who was a personal choice of Mr. Simitis, just as in the case of managing director Costas Bakouris, with the other members of the "Athens 2004" board had reached their worst point recently, according to other reports, resulting in many board members threatening resignation.

Members of the International Olympic Committee had expressed their full support for Mr. Stratigis and Mr. Bakouris during their recent visit, including Juan Antonio Samaranch himself, and maintained that a change in the organising committee's leadership is not customary from cities undertaking to host Olympic Games.

ND : Referring to Mr. Stratigis' resignation, main opposition New Democracy party spokesman Aris Spiliotopoulos said it was a development which had been expected "after the complete failure in promoting and carrying out scheduled projects, regardless of whatev er fabricated causes or not."

He said the government's incompetence was also fully confirmed in the case of constructing the projects included in the programme for hosting the 2004 Olympiad, despite the fact that almost two years have passed since the country has undertaken to host the games.

Commenting on the same issue, the Coalition of the Left and Progress (Synaspismos) said the government must provide immediate, responsible and public explanations on the reasons leading to the sudden resignation.

Athens News Agency Athens 07/07/1999 (ANA)

Kurdistan National Liberation Front (KNLF) members rallied yesterday in central Athens before marching to the Turkish embassy, part of a protest against Kurdish rebel leader Abdulah Ocalan death sentence by a Turkish court.

A KNLF spokesman in Greece said PKK's leadership has requested of Kurds around the world to be patient until all issues surrounding the Ocalan case conclude.

The Greek Ornithological Society (EOE) warned yesterday that the Commission will refer Greece to the EuroCourt over violations of the Union's directive on wildlife preservetion.

Specifically, an announcement noted that the Commission will seek recourse against Greece of lack of compliance with Directive 79/409/EEC regarding the preservation of migratory birds.

The Commission has charged the Greek government over its decision to extend the hunting period until Feb. 28, while the Union directive expressly states that the last day of bird hunting should be Jan. 31.

Athens News Agency

[09] Bonds slump in line with Europe

Athens, 07/07/1999 (ANA)

Most Greek paper lost 100 to 130 basis points.

Electronic trade totalled 48 billion drachmas from 10 billion drachmas in the previous session and 28 billion drachmas on Friday.

Around 45 billion drachmas of yesterday's total accounted for sell orders.

The yield spread over German bunds was 161 basis points from 158 basis points a day earlier and 160 basis points on Friday.

German bunds fell more sharply than Greek ten-year paper.

At the central bank's daily fix, the euro rose against the drachma. It was set at 325.490 drachmas from 324.790 drachmas in the previous session.

Fifteen-year bond yield rises : The yield on 15-year bonds rose substantially in yesterday's auction of 150 billion drachmas' worth of paper, the finance ministry said in a statement yesterday.

The bond has a 6.5 percent annual coupon.

The average weighed rate rose to 6.53 percent from 5.90 percent in the previous auction of 15-year bonds on May 4.

The development reflected pressure on euro zone bond markets, said the government's newly created Public Debt Management Organisation.

Bids submitted totalled 226.2 billion drachmas, 1.5 times more than the amount sought.

The finance ministry finally accepted bids totalling 168 billion drachmas.

Athens News Agency

[10] Current account shows deficit in January

Athens, 07/07/1999 (ANA)

At the end of June, foreign currency reserves totalled 20.2 billion euros, or 21.8 billion US dollars.

The trade deficit narrowed by 140 million euros.

Net foreign borrowing by the central government in January-April stood at 1.7 billion euros, down from 6.1 billion euros in the same period of 1998.

Athens News Agency

[11] Prosecutor brings charges against brokerage officials

Athens, 07/07/1999 (ANA)

Already being held in custody is Leonidas Tezapsidis, the former head of the brokerage's Thessaloniki office, the centre of a suspected illegal trading ring that authorities believed handled more than 15 billion drachmas in illicit deals.

The Thessaloniki Court of First Instance has frozen the brokerage's assets following suits brought by retail investors who claim they were defrauded.

Members of the government's financial crimes squad are still auditing Alki's books.

Athens News Agency

[12] Stocks drop on profit-taking

Athens, 07/07/1999 (ANA)

The general index ended 0.81 percent lower at 4,314.70 points after surging to an intra-day high of 4,421.58 points early in the session.

Traders said a new record fall in the euro against the dollar, which undermined European bond markets including Greece's, led many investors to take early profits.

Turnover was 187.764 billion drachmas with 27,620,532 shares changing hands.

Leasing and Miscellaneous outperformed the market ending 6.02 and 0.77 percent higher, respectively.

Other sector indices ended as follows: Banks (-1.06 pct), Insurance (-1.11 pct), Investment (-0.07 pct), Construction (-0.24 pct), Industrials (-0.97 pct) and Holding (-0.22 pct).

The parallel market index for smaller capitalisation stocks ended 0.86 percent off while the FTSE/ASE 20 index fell 1.11 percent to 2,560.01 points.

Broadly, advancers led decliners by 151 to 134 with another 14 issues unchanged.

Ergo Invest, Bank of Piraeus and Strintzis were the most heavily traded stocks. Ergobank, Bank of Piraeus, Eurobank and National Bank led the day's turnover.

A total of 22 shares ended at the day's 8.0 percent limit up.

National Bank of Greece ended at 21,300 drachmas, Alpha Credit Bank at 21, 600, Ergobank at 39,910, Bank of Piraeus 10,700, Titan Cement at 30,350, Hellenic Petroleum at 2,850, Intracom at 19,750, Minoan Lines at 6,040, Panafon at 8,145 and Hellenic Telecoms at 6,780.

Athens News Agency

[13] Cosmote turns profitable in second year of operation

Athens, 07/07/1999 (ANA)

Nikos Manassis, Cosmote's chief executive officer, said the company had made global mobile phone history by becoming profitable in the second year of commercial operation.

Cosmote's subscribers totalled 610,613 at the end of June, of whom 450,378 were contract based while the remaining 160,235 used pre-paid services.

Mr. Manassis said the company was focusing on contract-based subscribers because average monthly revenue from this category of customers totalled 17, 000 drachmas.

Cosmote's roaming services extended to 49 countries and included 79 mobile telephone networks.

Investments are expected to total 116 billion drachmas this year, rising to 230 billion drachmas over a five-year period.

Mr. Manassis said Cosmote would be ready to be floated on the Athens Stock Exchange in 2000, but that the final decision lay with the Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation, its parent company.

Athens News Agency

[14] Prinos oilfield likely to resume operations

Athens, 07/07/1999 (ANA)

The deal was reached during a meeting yesterday chaired by Development Minister Evangelos Venizelos.

Also taking part were deputies in the Kavala prefecture and local authorities.

The new company, to be named Kavala Oil, will have a staff of 249 workers, comprising Prinos' previous workforce.

Contracts are expected to be signed in the next few days.

Eurotechniki will take a 67 percent stake in the consortium, with the rest owned by workers.

The municipality of Kavala holds an option to take five percent of stock from the workers' 33 percent stake.

Workers will have representatives on the company's board.

Athens News Agency

[15] OTE's buyout talks for Bulgarian telecom to end soon

SOFIA, 07/07/1999 (ANA/B. Borisov)

The Bulgarian government had sought a new, higher price for the privatisation of its BTK telecom, and was now awaiting a response from OTE and KPN, which bid jointly for the company.

Bulgarian state television said the government was seeking 500 million dollars for the 51 percent stake in BTK, citing an unnamed government source.

Athens News Agency

[16] Forthnet seeks to join Athens bourse

Athens, 07/07/1999 (ANA)

The company is expected to lodge its application for entry by early August.

The main underwriter for the rights issue is EFG Eurobank and its adviser is Alpha Finance.

Forthnet will be the country's first Internet provider to join the Athens Stock Exchange.

Athens News Agency

[17] Athens Foreign Exchange

Athens, 07/07/1999 (ANA)

Parities in Drachmas

Banknotes             Buying  Selling
US Dollar             316.220 323.552
Can.Dollar            215.919 220.925
Australian Dlr        212.189 217.108
Pound Sterling        496.258 507.764
Irish Punt            409.981 419.486
Pound Cyprus          559.607 572.582
Pound Malta           740.547 771.403
Turkish pound (100)     0.065   0.068
French franc           49.224  50.365
Swiss franc           201.242 205.908
Belgian franc           8.004   8.190
German Mark           165.089 168.916
Finnish Mark           54.305  55.564
Dutch Guilder         146.519 149.917
Danish Kr.             43.430  44.437
Swedish Kr.            37.119  37.979
Norwegian Kr.          40.037  40.965
Austrian Sh.           23.465  24.009
Italian lira (100)     16.676  17.062
Yen (100)             258.803 264.803
Spanish Peseta          1.940   1.985
Port. Escudo            1.611   1.648

Foreign Exchange      Buying  Selling
New York              316.220 323.552
Montreal              215.919 220.925
Sydney                212.189 217.108
London                496.258 507.764
Dublin                409.981 419.486
Nicosia               559.607 572.582
Paris                  49.224  50.365
Zurich                201.242 205.908
Brussels                8.004   8.190
Frankfurt             165.089 168.916
Helsinki               54.305  55.564
Amsterdam             146.519 149.917
Copenhagen             43.430  44.437
Stockholm              37.119  37.979
Oslo                   40.037  40.965
Vienna                 23.465  24.009
Milan                  16.676  17.062
Tokyo                 258.803 264.803
Madrid                  1.940   1.985
Lisbon                  1.611   1.648

Athens News Agency

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