Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 99-10-15

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

CONTENTS

[01] Greece, Israel agree to revise, expand defence agreement

[02] Simitis at Finland meeting to tackle three main issues

[03] Abkhaz gunmen hold hostages, including Greek

[04] Turkish warplanes infringe Athens FIR

[05] Government says will not be brawn on conclusions of Commission report

[06] President ends Iran visit following signature of cooperation protocols

[07] Ambassador says Clinton visit can boost Greek-US relations

[08] Conference on Cyprus: In theory, it can happen

[09] Increase of British tourists to Greece expected

[10] ANA presents specialised bulletins

[11] Northern Greek exporters to visit Turkey

[12] Stocks dive in uncertainty

[13] Secondary market bond prices stay down in brisker trade

[14] Banks have dealt with Y2K problem

[15] US embassy to hold tourism conference in December

[16] Gov't sees no need for change in bourse law

[17] Major firms enter venture capital market

[18] Attica Enterprises okays share cap rise, bourse entry

[19] Mouzakis shows profit rise, sales drop

[20] Athens Foreign Exchange

[21] Christian pilgrims end week-long odyssey

[01] Greece, Israel agree to revise, expand defence agreement

TEL AVIV, 15/10/1999 (ANA)

During the three-hour meeting, Mr. Tsohatzopoulos and Mr. Barak exchanged views on the prospects for expanding bilateral relations between Greece and Israel on matters of security and stability in the wider region, and reviewed proposals for cooperation in the armaments sector.

Details on the contents of the new Greek-Israeli defence accord were not made known, but reliable sources said it concerned collaboration in the fields of electronics, anti-aircraft defence and the defence industry, and joint naval manoeuvres. Mr. Tsohatzopoulos also conveyed an invitation by Greek premier Costas Simitis to Mr. Barak to visit Greece in the immediate future.

The Greek defence minister was due to visit the ELISRA electronics systems military industry and the Hazerin airbase later yesterday.

Last night, he was to attend an official dinner in his honour hosted by Mr. Barak.

Athens News Agency

[02] Simitis at Finland meeting to tackle three main issues

TAMPERE, 15/10/1999 (ANA - G. Papachristos)

He was also due to attend last night's meeting of European Socialist prime ministers.

The special summit will tackle three main issues, asylum and immigration, the fight against cross-border crime and the forging of closer ties in the sphere of justice.

Greek diplomatic sources said that the first two topics are of direct interest to Greece, given the fact that the country has the longest sea borders among European Union member-states, and shares them with poor countries which intensifies the problem.

It was of major importance to Greece that controls at the EU external borders were intensified on the basis of a harmonised and functional systems which will take account of the Treaty of Schengen, the same sources said.

The Tampere summit is expected to endorse the formation of a judges' network, to be named Eurojust, for improved access to justice and its institutions.

In Athens last night, main opposition New Democracy party spokesman Aris Spiliotopoulos said the country was in danger of suffering a heavy defeat at the summit as a result of the government's yielding attitude and lack of strategy.

"If account is also taken of the possibility of Turkey participating in Europe's defence structures due to the future absorption of the Western European Union by the EU, then the envisaged upgrading of Turkey to a candidate country will take the form of a heavy defeat for our country, as Turkey will be heading towards full participation in the EU, unconditionally, and mainly without any backing down from its expansionist designs against Greece," he said.

Athens News Agency

[03] Abkhaz gunmen hold hostages, including Greek

Athens, 15/10/1999 (ANA)

The three, together with four other observers from Germany, Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Uruguay, who were released yesterday, were abducted 75 kilometres northeast of Sukhumi after their helicopter came under fire on Wednesday.

Earlier yesterday Deputy Defence Minister Dimitris Apostolakis said Greece was sending a joint diplomatic and military team to Georgia to assist in negotiations for the release of six UN observers.

The aim of the Greek government, he added, is to try and ensure that no harm comes to the UN observers. He said Greece had asked the Georgian government to be informed in advance about any plans it may have to try and release the observers by force.

The Greek officer is George Kopanos, an artillery captain.

A Georgian foreign ministry spokesman said the abductors were demanding a ransom of $200,000 for their release.

Mr. Apostolakis said if necessary, Greece was prepared to pay the ransom, since the UN's policy is not to negotiate with groups which do not have political motives.

He added that the government believed the abductors to be common criminals.

Government spokesman Nikos Athanasakis said later that the Athens' view on the abduction was that force should not be used to try and release the observers.

"Above all, it must be stressed that the lives of the hostages should be placed above all other considerations," Mr. Apostolakis said.

Athens News Agency

[04] Turkish warplanes infringe Athens FIR

Athens, 15/10/1999 (ANA)

The Turkish aircraft entered the Athens FIR without warning from the sea region between the islands of Rhodes and Kos. In all cases, the Turkish aircraft were recognised and intercepted by Greek warplanes.

Athens News Agency

[05] Government says will not be brawn on conclusions of Commission report

Athens, 15/10/1999 (ANA)

The Commission said Turkey should be considered a candidate country but there was "no question" of opening negotiations now.

This also means that Turkey will not enter the process of inter-governmental conferences which the 15 member-states hold with candidate countries.

On the basis of the Commission's proposal, there are now 13 candidate countries, whose status is differentiated, as negotiations with Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Esthonia, Slovenia and Cyprus have already begun.

As regards Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia and Malta, negotiations will begin within 2000, as with Bulgaria and Romania but under certain conditions.

According to statements by Commissioner responsible for enlargement, Gunter Verheugen, negotiations with candidate countries will evolve gradually and depending on the degree of their adjustment to the Copenhagen criteria.

Commission President Romano Prodi told the European Parliament on Wednesday that Turkey required "special treatment", and was a candidate country although it did not meet the Copenhagen criteria.

"Nevertheless, we believe that its candidacy status, in combination with the partnership status it will receive, will help it meet these criteria," he said.

Mr. Prodi also said that entry procedures for new members will start after the year 2002, when EU institutional reforms will be completed.

According to reliable sources, Greek Commissioner Anna Diamantopoulou sought to have clearly defined the terms on the basis of which negotiations with Turkey would begin. In the end she voted against the proposals of the German commissioner because the final text was not to her satisfaction.

Athens News Agency

[06] President ends Iran visit following signature of cooperation protocols

TEHRAN, 15/10/1999 (ANA)

Iranian President Mohammad Khatami said "the future will show the results of these contacts."

President Stephanopoulos referred again to the importance of economic cooperation and to ground for developing it in his meeting with President Khatami who accepted an invitation to pay an official visit to Greece.

President Stephanopoulos also focused on the proposal by his Iranian counterpart for a "cultural dialogue" between the two countries which, as he said, would strengthen the already robust ties between them.

President Khatami expressed satisfaction over the results of his Greek counterpart's official visit to Iran. He was critical of cooperation between Turkey and Israel and criticised Israel's expansion in the region, saying it was dangerous.

"Israel always constituted a source of tension for the region," he said, adding that "I point this out to all our friends."

The members of the Greek representation visited Isfahan at noon. The impressions of all the members were wonderful, while President Stephanopoulos expressed his admiration for the city's sights, such as the palace with the 40 pillars and the Imam's mosq ue.

President Stephanopoulos visited the Greek community and the Church of the Annunciation in the afternoon. Afterwards, he attended a concert by the orchestra of the Greek Radio's Third Programme. The event was part of the cultural week titled "Greece in Iran."

The Greek representation will visit Shiraz and Persepolis today and will return to Athens at night.

Athens News Agency

[07] Ambassador says Clinton visit can boost Greek-US relations

Athens, 15/10/1999 (ANA)

Mr. Burns said he believed that the focus would be on issues of bilateral interest, such as economic and military cooperation.

"They will also talk about other major issues, such as the peace process in the Middle East, NATO-related issues and of course Cyprus and Greek-Turkish relations," he said.

Mr. Burns was speaking after a news conference to announce details of an international conference on tourism.

He said tourism was an area in which Greece and the U.S. could cooperate constructively.

The US envoy confirmed that President Clinton would be visiting Greece earlier than originally scheduled, on November 13-14.

Athens News Agency

[08] Conference on Cyprus: In theory, it can happen

Athens, 15/10/1999 (ANA)

The Greek and Turkish Cypriots agreed on a series of confidence-building measures and Greece and Turkey signed a non-aggression pact on the sidelines of the conference.

But the results of this conference were simulated - by 25 young academics taking part in an inter-communal role play on the Cyprus issue and focusing on where the obstacles to a just, lasting and viable settlement are.

The participating Turks and Greeks - most postgraduate students of law or young lawyers - took the part of the other side in the role play. The experiment was held in Kavala and its aim was to see if it were possible to contain negative behaviours when they occur between Turks and Greeks.

The scenarios involved a peace conference on Cyprus, with the UN as mediator; an intercommunal meeting on Cyprus in which participants shared personal experiences and problems from their lives; and a multi-ethnic group of journalists who reported on the two previous scenarios.

The experiment was organised by professor of social sciences and philosophy at Germany's University of Marburg Dr. Ralf Zoll and by professor of law at Thessaloniki's Aristotelian University, Beniamin Karakostanoglou. It comes under the Marburg university's peace and conflict resolution programme and was supported by the Greek foreign ministry and the German ministry for education and research.

Athens News Agency

[09] Increase of British tourists to Greece expected

LONDON, 15/10/1999 (ANA - L. Tsirigotakis)

Mr. Yiannakopoulos said "the overall image is that we will have an increase in British tourists by at least 10 per cent next year. Another important ascertainment is that the English market separates Greece from the other major European destinations such as Spain. The English market does not want Greece to become like Spain but to preserve its diversity."

He said British tourist officials consider Greece a very special destination, as an exotic tourist destination in Europe with colourfulness and with natural spaces in a very good condition and added that this image should be preserved.

Athens News Agency

[10] ANA presents specialised bulletins

Athens, 15/10/1999 (ANA)

During an event co-sponsored by the prefectural and municipal administrations of Hania, ANA General Director Andreas Christodoulides and Elyros Managing Director Georgios Markatos presented the Greek-language bulletins, which cover European Union activi ties and programmes currently in progress.

The bulletins cover the agricultural, municipal, legal and economic sectors of the Union's co-funded programmes, as well as relevant regulations.

Furthermore, it was announced that the Elyros bulletins will soon cover social, consumer, medical, research and technology, transport and commercial fishing issues of the Union as well.

Also the programme of publications will include a guide to programmes, initiatives and other activities that are co-funded or totally funded by the Union. This guide's publication will be the first for Greece and will be updated once every two months.

Athens News Agency

[11] Northern Greek exporters to visit Turkey

THESSALONIKI, 15/10/1999 (ANA)

The delegation is to take part in a trade fair on Turkish business partnerships in timber, wood products and paper, a traditional sector in the country that has blossomed recently.

Funded by the European Union, the event is to be held in Istanbul on November 25-26.

In addition to 92 Turkish companies, taking part in the fair are firms from Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal and Sweden.

Athens News Agency

[12] Stocks dive in uncertainty

Athens, 15/10/1999 (ANA)

The general index ended 3.88 percent lower at 5,916.68 points from 6,155.21 at the previous close, slightly off the day's lows of 5,842 points.

Turnover was 412.7 billion drachmas.

Dealers said a sharp correction on Wall Street, nervous European markets and uncertainty over developments in inflation and interest rates created a wave of profit taking in the market.

Sector indices ended as follows: Banks (-2.32 pct), Leasing (-6.57 pct), Insurance (-7.73 pct), Investment (-5.50 pct), Construction (-6.18 pct), Industrials (-4.78 pct), Miscellaneous (-3.84 pct) and Holding (-6.36 pct). The parallel market index for smaller capitalisation stocks ended 6.46 percent lower while the FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavily traded stocks dropped 2.94 percent to 2,976.24 points.

Broadly, decliners led advancers by 270 to 42 with only two issues unchanged.

A total of 97 shares ended at the daily 8.0 percent limit down, while another 14 ended at the daily 8.0 percent limit up.

Computer Logic saw its share price jump 99 percent on the first day of trading in the market.

Lampsa and Hellenic Telecoms were the most heavily traded stocks. National Bank of Greece ended at 23,650 drachmas, Alpha Credit Bank at 24,200, Commercial Bank at 26,840, Titan Cement (common) at 37,990, Hellenic Petroleum at 5,313, Intracom (common) at 17,000, Minoan Lines at 10,332, Panafon at 7,765 and Hellenic Telecoms at 7,550.

Athens News Agency

[13] Secondary market bond prices stay down in brisker trade

Athens, 15/10/1999 (ANA)

Dampening sentiment in the domestic market were statements by European Monetary Affairs Commissioner Pedro Solbes that the drachma's parity in the exchange rate mechanism should be debated.

Institutional investors abroad have kept out of the market for some time and turnover has been slim, dropping to zero on Monday.

Electronic trade yesterday totalled 49.5 billion drachmas from 7.0 billion drachmas in the previous session, 28 billion drachmas on Tuesday and zero at the start of the week.

Sell orders accounted for the bulk of yesterday's turnover.

The benchmark 10-year bond, which is trading below par, was quoted well below Monday's 96.10-96.35 from 96.30-96.95 on Friday.

The paper showed a yield of 7.14 percent from 6.95 percent a day earlier and 6.89 percent on Tuesday.

The 10-year paper's yield spread over German bunds was between 169 and 173 basis points from 165 basis points in the previous session and 159-166 basis points on Tuesday.

Drachma slumps on EU parity statement : The Bank of Greece yesterday intervened in the foreign exchange market to prop up the drachma on talk of a possible review of the drachma's central parity in the European Union's exchange rate mechanism.

Dampening sentiment in the drachma and fuelling demand for euros was a statement by European Monetary Affairs Commissioner Pedro Solbes that the drachma's central parity should be debated.

The central bank sold around 300 million euros in the wake of sales of between 80 million and 90 million euros a day earlier, when the drachma also was volatile.

Yesterday, the euro had risen to 329.15 against the drachma.

At the central bank's daily fix, the euro ended higher versus the drachma.

The European currency was set at 328.950 drachmas from 328.800 drachmas in the previous session and 328.600 drachmas on Tuesday.

The dollar finished lower against the drachma.

At the fix, the US currency was set at 305.440 drachmas from 305.660 drachmas a day earlier and 308.210 drachmas on Tuesday.

Athens Newss Agency

[14] Banks have dealt with Y2K problem

Athens, 15/10/1999 (ANA)

As a result, there should be no panic on the part of the public, the speakers said.

The union has coordinated work on fixing the problem.

In addition, the central bank has said it will make extra liquidity available to banks to deal with any increased demand during the transition.

Athens News Agency

[15] US embassy to hold tourism conference in December

Athens, 15/10/1999 (ANA)

The conference aims to bring closer US companies and firms from Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Georgia, Greece, Estonia, the Former Yugoslav Republic Of Macedonia, Spain, Israel, Italy, Croatia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, the Palestine Authority, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Sweden, Turkey and Finland.

The US delegation will include representatives from the Commerce and State Departments, Export-Import Bank, the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) and US ambassadors from around the world.

Originally to be held in Thessaloniki, the conference was postponed earlier in the year due to the crisis in Yugoslavia.

US ambassador to Greece Nicholas Burns told a press conference that Greek- American economic relations were steadily expanding after starting from a low level. He said that US companies were soon expected to show their interest in the Greek market, which they viewed as fast growing and with a healthy outlook linked to its anticipated entry into the euro zone.

The US ambassador said that the conference organised by his embassy would greatly benefit Greece as tourism would enter the international limelight.

He repeated that Greece was a stable, attractive and safe country that he recommended to Americans as a tourist destination.

Referring to a recent improvement in business ties between Greece and Turkey, Mr. Burns said the US believed that businessmen from the two countries could take the necessary steps, and that Washington supported the effort.

Athens News Agency

[16] Gov't sees no need for change in bourse law

Athens, 15/10/1999 (ANA)

Mr. Athanasakis said that cabinet members shared equal rights with all other Greek citizens but noted that there was a moral and political dimension to the issue. He also dismissed talk of ministers bickering over an effort to repair the damage after a strong quake that hit Athens on September 7.

Athens News Agency

[17] Major firms enter venture capital market

Athens, 15/10/1999 (ANA)

The new company's start-up capital totals five billion drachmas, which may rise to 10 billion drachmas. Each of the four companies will have a 30 percent stake except for Telesis-Dorian Bank at 10 percent.The new company will not limit itself to the sup ply of venture capital to new companies but will also expand into management and organisation operations.

Athens News Agency

[18] Attica Enterprises okays share cap rise, bourse entry

Athens, 15/10/1999 (ANA)

Attica's chairman, Pericles Panagopoulos, said that the prospects were particularly favourable for the company and its affiliates. According to group figures, passenger traffic in the Adriatic routes plied by the company in the period January-September increased by 14 percent, trucks rose by 28 percent, and cars by 19 percent compared with the same period in 1998.

Athens News Agency

[19] Mouzakis shows profit rise, sales drop

Athens, 15/10/1999 (ANA)

In a statement, the company attributed the fall in sales to negative foreign currency developments following the drachma's devaluation in March 1998.

Athens News Agency

[20] Athens Foreign Exchange

Athens, 15/10/1999 (ANA)

Parities in Drachmas

Banknotes             Buying  Selling
US Dollar             302.996 310.022
Can.Dollar            204.253 208.988
Australian Dlr        196.317 200.868
Pound Sterling        501.357 512.981
Irish Punt            414.339 423.945
Pound Cyprus          563.258 576.317
Pound Malta           716.241 746.084
Turkish pound (100)     0.060   0.062
French franc           49.747  50.900
Swiss franc           205.111 209.866
Belgian franc           8.089   8.277
German Mark           166.843 170.712
Finnish Mark           54.882  56.155
Dutch Guilder         148.077 151.510
Danish Kr.             43.910  44.928
Swedish Kr.            37.305  38.170
Norwegian Kr.          39.176  40.084
Austrian Sh.           23.715  24.265
Italian lira (100)     16.853  17.244
Yen (100)             283.216 289.783
Spanish Peseta          1.961   2.007
Port. Escudo            1.628   1.666

Foreign Exchange      Buying  Selling
New York              302.996 310.022
Montreal              204.253 208.988
Sydney                196.317 200.868
London                501.357 512.981
Dublin                414.339 423.945
Nicosia               563.258 576.317
Paris                  49.747  50.900
Zurich                205.111 209.866
Brussels                8.089   8.277
Frankfurt             166.843 170.712
Helsinki               54.882  56.155
Amsterdam             148.077 151.510
Copenhagen             43.910  44.928
Stockholm              37.305  38.170
Oslo                   39.176  40.084
Vienna                 23.715  24.265
Milan                  16.853  17.244
Tokyo                 283.216 289.783
Madrid                  1.961   2.007
Lisbon                  1.628   1.666

Athens News Agency

[21] Christian pilgrims end week-long odyssey

Athens, 15/10/1999 (ANA)

The group, who started out aboard the Cypriot-flag "Nissos Kipros" from Piraeus on October 7, were refused permission to disembark in Haifa this week when Israeli authorities said they were members of a cult called "Concerned Christians" who planned to commit suicide to mark the new millennium and hasten the coming of Christ. The group was also barred from entering Cyprus, which allowed the vessel to refuel for the return to Piraeus, via Rhodes.

A spokesman for the group -- 18 irish nationals, six adopted children with special needs from Romania and their Colombian teacher -- yesterday denied that they were members of any cult.

"Our problems began when we set foot in Haifa. Only a few minutes had gone by and Israeli police detained us," one of the Irish members of the group said upon reaching Piraeus.

"They locked us in our cabins and even prevented us from going to the toilet without an escort. When we asked to see someone from our Embassy, then things got rough, as some people, apparently Mossad employees, told us they would break our fingers," he said.

The group again rejected reports of a planned mass suicide as "figments of journalistic imagination".

Group members said they were Catholic members of a foundation for handicapped people called "Pilgrim".

The group boarded a coach in Piraeus for the central Greek port city of Patras, where they will board a ferry for Italy.

As the group boarded buses for Patras, two women and a young man told reporters that they had suffered at the hands of Israeli authorities.

Telling reporters again that they were Irish Catholics and not members of any cult, but not giving their names, they said that they were physically assaulted and manhandled by Israelis they said were Mossad agents, just four hours after they arrived in Haifa.

They were confined to their cabins for 36 hours, they said, were not allowed to speak to one another, were refused water and to use the toilets, under threat of having their fingers broken.

They said that they had attempted to receive visas enter entry Israel but did not go into any further details.

A member of the boat's crew said that the group had with them some $400,000 and paid their fares in cash.

Athens News Agency

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