Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 00-02-21

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

CONTENTS

[01] First election swing through provinces for political leaders completed

[02] Ruling party lifted Greece out of isolation, PM says

[03] Egnatia Way will boost Greece's economic, political clout, PM says

[04] PM sees natural gas network linking Asia, Europe

[05] Karamanlis pledges crackdown on crime

[06] SYN leader criticises major parties

[07] Balkan business centre signs memorandum with FYROM chamber

[08] New PASOK gov't would ease economic burden on public, Papantoniou says

[09] Australia appoints trade attache to Athens for 2004 Olympics

[10] Seven dead in bus' collision with overturned wrecker truck

[11] Shootout leaves 3 officers wounded, one suspect dead

[12] Two Thessaloniki PASOK party offices damaged in blasts

[13] 39 illegals hidden in truck intercepted, driver arrested

[14] The Athens Sunday papers at a glance

[01] First election swing through provinces for political leaders completed

The first outright pre-election tours of the provinces by major political party leaders took place over the weekend as both the prime minister and the main opposition leader took their campaigns to northern Greece.

"Greece emerged from isolation, shed its debts and moved towards the 11-member 'euro zone' during the ruling PASOK party's term in government," Prime Minister Costas Simitis told a crowd of supporters in the Thracian town of Xanthi on Saturday evening. "We took Greece out of isolation. We are opening new horizons. The era has passed when we had an severely indebted state that sought a prop among the powerful; that was dependent on loans," Simitis, who is also the president of ruling PASOK, stressed.

On his part, main opposition New Democracy leader Costas Karamanlis said his party would clamp down on crime if it wins national elections on April 9.

Speaking in Ioannina on Sunday, he said: "This is a problem that affects the Greek provinces and underprivileged neighbourhoods in the big citiesND's priority is to unrelentingly crack down on crime."

Karamanlis was addressing one of many local ND meetings being held around the country to prepare for the party's national congress in March.

Communist of Party of Greece (KKE) leader Aleka Papariga on Sunday from Thessaloniki charged that the government has unleashed a "myriad of persecutions against the popular movement."

"With these persecutions the government aims at the preventative suppression of the people's campaigns in light of upcoming 'nightmare measures'," she said, warning that such measures will be implemented after the elections, and with the overthrown of the pension funds as the first target.

[02] Ruling party lifted Greece out of isolation, PM says

Greece emerged from isolation, shed its debts and moved towards the 11-member euro zone during the ruling PASOK party's term in government, Prime Minister Costas Simitis said.

"We took Greece out of isolation. We are opening new horizons. The era has passed when we had an over-endebted state that sought a prop among the powerful, that was dependent on loans," Simitis, also chairman of PASOK, told residents of the northern town of Xanthi on Saturday evening. "Today, Greece is powerful. It is entering European economic and monetary union on its own merits. There are concrete benefits in this both for the country and each of its inhabitants," the prime minister added during his tour of Thrace.

He said the main opposition New Democracy party had been proven wrong when it predicted that the government would fail to take Greece into the euro zone and put the country at risk through its foreign policy. He lashed back at ND, saying the party lacked a clear-cut foreign or economic policy.

[03] Egnatia Way will boost Greece's economic, political clout, PM says

Prime Minister Costas Simitis on Saturday called the Egnatia Way, which is being built across the country's northeast and northwest, a guarantee of Greece's economic and political clout across the continent.

Simitis was launching a 27-kilometre stretch of the Egnatia Way between the northern town of Komotini and Mesti, which forms part of a link between Evros and Rhodopi.

The Egnatia Way is also a section of the European Union's integrated road network being integrated or built across the continent. It will firmly establish Greece's position in Europe, the Balkans, the Mediterranean and the Black Sea region, the prime minister told an inauguration ceremony for the new road, which has already opened to traffic.

He added that the government's overall objective was to provide viable and balanced growth for each of the the country's 13 regions, at the same time attaining integrated nationwide development.

[04] PM sees natural gas network linking Asia, Europe

Prime Minister Costas Simitis said on Saturday that he wanted to see the northern stretch of a domestic natural gas network extend to the Turkish border and then link up with other pipelines in Asia and Europe. "Our natural gas will will not stop in Komotini but will reach as far as Evros, at Greece's border with Turkey," Simitis said during a tour of a state-owned natural gas plant being built near the northeastern town of Komotini.

"We want to link our own network with those to be built from Iran to Turkey, and there will be a network between Greece and Italy, so that the natural gas may pass from Asia to Europe through Greece, serving the region and helping the growth of industry," the prime minister said.

[05] Karamanlis pledges crackdown on crime

The main opposition New Democracy party will clamp down on crime if it wins national elections on April 9, its chairman, Costas Karamanlis, said in Ioannina on Sunday.

"This is a problem that affects the Greek regions and underprivileged neighbourhoods in the big cities ... New Democracy's priority is unrelentingly to crack down on crime," said Karamanlis.

He was addressing one of many local party meetings being held around the country to prepare for ND's national congress in March.

Although Karamanlis attributed the source of organised crime in Greece to neighbouring countries, he emphasised that not all economic migrants were criminals, or the foreign nationals who entered the country illegally; and he vigorously opposed racism and xenophobia.

He pledged that if New Democracy won the elections it would strike hard at drug dealers, ringleaders of organised crime and the gangs that terrorised the public.

"Those who today are buying villas and land in our country using dirty money will have nowhere to go tomorrow. The 50 percent or more illegal immigrants who insist on operating illegally cannot remain in this condition," Karamanlis said.

He added that the public was footing the bill for illegal workers due to a loss of revenue from tax and social insurance contributions. In addition, illegal employment meant a rise in joblessness among legitimate workers.

"Those who entered the country legally to work with dignity do not annoy anyone, but no-one may keep entering and leaving the country illegally, remain in the country illegally, and work illegally," Karamanlis said.

[06] SYN leader criticises major parties

Coalition of the Left and Progress party (Synaspismos) leader Nikos Constantopoulos continued a pre-election tour of the Epirus province on Sunday with a speech in Preveza, where he criticised both major parties of engaging in a "bidding war" of promises and state-supplied benefits.

"Packages (of benefits) come and go but the same problems remain," he said, adding that "the true receptors of these packages are parties' major financiers, who guarantee PASOK and New Democracy more than 40 billion (drachmas) that they have planned so far for their pre-election advertising."

[07] Balkan business centre signs memorandum with FYROM chamber

The Balkan and Black Sea Business Centre has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Skopje Chamber of Commerce, officials said on Sunday.

Signature of the memorandum took place on Saturday on the sidelines of a seminar on bilateral economic ties with Greece, itself part of a Greek trade fair being held in Skopje, capital of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

The keynote speaker at the seminar was FYROM's prime minister, Ljubco Georgievski, who called on Greek businessess to take part in his country's privatisation programme.

Georgievski also proposed that companies from Greece and FYROM could also form joint ventures to operate in third countries.

He added that in a year's time, FYROM would have adopted legislation compliant with European Union directives on the liberalisation of markets.

[08] New PASOK gov't would ease economic burden on public, Papantoniou says

National Economy and Finance Minister Yiannos Papantoniou said on Sunday that the ruling PASOK party would ease tight economic policies to aid the public if it wins national elections on April 9.

In an interview to the Sunday Ethnos newspaper, Papantoniou said a new PASOK government would take a softer line on incomes and taxation, reflecting the party's desire to distribute the nation's wealth more equitably.

The shift towards a more socially oriented policy would also be PASOK's objective after the country enters the 11-member euro zone, expected on January 1, 2001, the minister added.

[09] Australia appoints trade attache to Athens for 2004 Olympics

Australia on Saturday announced the appointment of a trade attache to its embassy in Athens who will head a department created to assist the country's companies seeking to invest in Greece before the 2004 Olympics.

Australian firms have shown interest in undertaking projects in Greece following Sydney's experience in preparing for the 2000 Olympic Games.

[10] Seven dead in bus' collision with overturned wrecker truck

At least seven people were killed Sunday afternoon when a tourist coach collided with a 'jack-knifed' wrecker truck on the Athens-Lamia national highway and was subsequently struck by two cars.

Four of the seven victims were in the two cars that crashed into the wrecker-bus collision.

In addition, four bus passengers were reported as seriously injured while another 22 sustained minor injuries, as unconfirmed reports warned that the death toll could rise.

Police said the wrecker truck, loaded with another vehicle and headed towards Athens, had overturned outside the central Greek city of Lamia, leaving its carriage protruding into the opposite lane - the portion that was struck by the Thessaloniki-bound coach.

The bus was reportedly carrying about 50 National Bank employees returning to the northern Greek city from Athens.

Police said a slippery roadway due to incessant rainfall contributed to the accident.

[11] Shootout leaves 3 officers wounded, one suspect dead

Three police officers were wounded during an early morning Saturday shootout with three armed gunmen off a downtown Athens square that also left one of the suspects dead.

According to reports, the trio of suspects replied with submachine and handgun fire at two patrol cars carrying two officers each when the latter attempted to conduct a routine traffic stop on a maroon-colored BMW vehicle near Vathis square in central Athens.

The dead man was not identified, although a passport with the name "Vassili Ion", aged 20, was found in his possession. Authorities are examining the passport's authenticity, while they announced that the vehicle was stolen from the Kallithea district on Jan. 23. In addition, police believe the suspects are Romanian nationals.

All three police officers wounded in the exchange were listed as out of danger. Bulletproof vests and effective counter-measures are credited with avoiding any fatalities on the part of police.

An "Uzi" submachine gun and several spent rounds from automatic handguns were found at the scene.

An investigation is continuing, as authorities believe one of the two escaped gunmen was also wounded during the incident.

[12] Two Thessaloniki PASOK party offices damaged in blasts

An unknown caller to a newspaper on Saturday claimed responsibility on behalf of the Revolutionary Struggle

terrorist group for two blasts in Thessaloniki that slightly damaged local offices of the ruling PASOK party. No-one was injured.

Makeshift explosive devices comprising gas cannisters and fuel exploded outside PASOK's Ambelokipi and Stavroupoli branch offices in the northern port city shortly before 11 pm on Friday evening, police officials said.

According to eywitness accounts, the perpetrators of the two crimes appeared to be the same, the officials said.

[13] 39 illegals hidden in truck intercepted, driver arrested

Thirty-nine Bangladeshi illegal immigrants hidden in a truck loaded with firewood along with the vehicle's driver were arrested early Sunday morning along the 11th kilometre of the Alexandroupoli-Komotini highway.

According to reports, the driver and an accomplice were to receive 19,500 US dollars for smuggling the illegals.

The driver was identified as Constantinos Liaskos, 49, from Mandra, Attica prefecture, while the owner of the vehicle, Armando Payiaulas, 46, was also charged. The vehicle was ordered confiscated, reports state.

[14] The Athens Sunday papers at a glance

ADESMEFTOS TYPOS: "Pre-election deal-making: Seasonal workers hired illegally, illegal buildings made legal, plus other scams"

SUNDAY ACROPOLIS: "New Democracy election candidate list contains old and new faces"

SUNDAY APOGEVMATINI: "Ailing IKA to get 12 healthy supplementary pension funds to cover its deficit"

VIMA ON SUNDAY: "Athens Mayor Dimitris Avramopoulos reveals his plans to Vima"

SUNDAY VRADYNI: "Lump-sum pension payment axed under study to be implemented after the elections"

SUNDAY ETHNOS: "Two front-line ministers explain key issues"

SUNDAY ELEFTHERI ORA: "Royalists, officers and expelled party members: Will you vote New Democracy in the elections?" Will you again shrug off our dead? The 'National Alliance' awaits you nationwide

EPOHI: "Two-faced election talk by government: pledge of concessions for domestic consumption but vow of austerity given abroad"

KATHIMERINI: "Major upheaval for social insurance in sight: Political parties keep low profile but thousands of workers seeking early retirement"

SUNDAY AVGHI: "PASOK, New Democracy caught in frenzy of pre-election concessions"

SUNDAY AVRIANI: "New Democracy tries to upset Athens bourse in order to bring down Simitis"

SUNDAY ELEFTHEROTYPIA: "Five 'don'ts' from Simitis in SOS election instructions"

SUNDAY RIZOSPASTIS: "Simitis government drafts persecution black list"

SUNDAY LOGOS: "Limit up before national polls: Market players trapped in Athens bourse press for pre-election price jump"

SUNDAY PARON: "Athens bourse boomerangs on Simitis"

NIKI: "Kiss of life from Samaras in election derby after Political Spring pulls out of the race"

SUNDAY TYPOS: "Guide to filling out tax returns"

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