Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 00-07-22

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

CONTENTS

[01] Package of measures to restore damage from wildfires unveiled by government

[02] Deputy National Defense Minister Apostolakis concludes contacts in Washington

[03] "Milliyet": Turkey has two years to solve Cyprus problem before island joins EU

[04] Court to rule on injunction against seizure of German property next week

[05] Greek Ambassador to Washington reminds that terrorism can threaten anywhere

[06] Responsibility of choosing the hiring process in the public sector to be transferred to Interior Ministry

[07] Former premier talks on employment reform, Church and other issues

[08] PM Simitis and film director Michael Cacoyiannis discuss Cultural Olympiad

[09] ND leader visits Spata airport and says the project should have been completed sooner

[10] Pangalos says radio should be boosted in audiovisual sector

[11] National Bank of Greece reports 28 pct rise in 1st quarter profits

[12] ETEVA bank shows 40.9 pct rise in H1 profit

[13] National Insurance reports 93 pct rise in pre-tax profits

[14] Lambrakis Press in cooperation deal with Fileleftheros in Cyprus

[15] Silver & Baryte gets Bulgaria deal through affiliate

[16] Greece to auction 40-billion-drachma 12-month bills on Tuesday

[17] Gov't ready to formally invite unions, employers for talks

[18] OTEnet announces speedier access to the Internet

[19] Greek stocks end lower in subdued trade

[20] DEA counter-narcotics training for Greek law enforcers

[21] Former deputy will assume post of President of the Greek Cooperation Committee with UNICEF

[22] Eastern and southeast Europe a Mecca for stolen cars, Thessaloniki police report

[23] Police arrest high-ranking member of Russian crime group in Athens

[24] Cyprus government expresses satisfaction over UN chief's letter

[25] Cyprus strongly protests to UN over repeated Turkish violations of Republic's airspace

[26] President Clerides meets U.S. officials

[01] Package of measures to restore damage from wildfires unveiled by government

Athens, 22/07/2000 (ANA)

Addressing a Cabinet meeting, Simitis said that an integrated series of measures had been agreed Tuesday during an inter-ministerial meeting for restoration of the damages caused mainly by a huge fire on the island of Samos that blazed for nearly 10 days and by fires in other regions of the country.

He said the measures aimed at the immediate relief of the fire-stricken citizens and to aid them in tackling the repercussions of the destruction and the productive rehabilitation of the fire-devastated regions.

The monitoring of the implementation of the measures was assigned to the interior ministry.

Simitis said that, in the past, Greece did not have an extensive system to aid the victims of wildfires, adding that the new measures were formulated on the experience with past fires and earthquakes, and were similar to those taken after the recent earthquakes.

"It is the first time that the State is intervening at such an extent to aid those who suffered loss and damage," the premier said.

Simitis praised the "heroism" of the fire brigade and Air Force pilots, and paid tribute to the two pilots who died when their plane crashed as they were assisting efforts to extinguish a fire near Pelion.

The premier further warned that the wildfire "season" was not over yet, adding that the conditions would continue to be difficult for the remainder of the summer.

"We have the largest number of firefighting planes than ever, more fire engines and a greater number of firefighting personnel than before. The state machine is on constant alert. The co-ordination of all the agencies involved is also at a much better level," he said.

But, he warned, extreme weather phenomena could cause re-percussions that are not easily controlled quickly, and that was why the caution and cooperation of all citizens was required in order to safeguard the environment and contain destruction to a minimum.

The measures are separated into four categories covering households, farm production, businesses, and infrastructures.

They include immediate financial help to families to help pay living expenses and replace household goods, financial aid to pensioners, workers and unemployed and tax relief, speedy loans on advantageous terms, temporary housing in hotels and rent subsidies, and extensions on deadlines for payment of public utility bills.

For farmers and animal breeders, the Agricultural Bank provides financial assistance to replace losses, and credit facilitation.

Opposition parties dismiss measures announced for forest fire victims: The main opposition New Democracy party said on Friday that the Prime Minister, Costas Simitis', announced measures for the rehabilitation of people who suffered loss of property during the recent devastating forest fires did not touch the substance of problems.

"The comparison with the rehabilitation of last September's earthquake victims was unfortunate, as they know that no rehabilitation took place," said the party's spokesman on internal affairs Vyron Polydoras.

He said the government should strive to provide full compensation to victims and restore economic life in the stricken areas. Serious planning is needed in organizing the defense against natural disasters, to ensure that all resources were on a continuous alert to bring results, he added.

The Communist Party of Greece said in a statement that the measures were inadequate, piecemeal and amounted to deception. It further noted that the measures contained no reference to reforestation and the need for protecting public lands from encroachers.

"The destruction of forests in favor of specific vested interests has an incalculable adverse impact on the environment and the health of the people," it said.

Appraisal of destruction: Wildfires throughout Greece since the beginning of the year have partially or totally destroyed an estimated 724,000 stremma of forestland and 282,000 stremma of farmland, according to tentative figures released by the agriculture ministry on Friday.

According to the temporary figures, 723,841 stremma of forest and woodland and 282,272 stremma of farmland were partially or totally destroyed by wildfires between January 1 and July 19 this year.

In a breakdown by crop, the ministry said that 1,377,850 olive and citrus fruit tress, 202,000 fruit trees, 70,000 mastich-producing schinus shrubs, 12,700 stremma of vineyards, and 75,000 stremma of grazing land had been burned since the beginning of the year.

The ministry said that agriculture minister George Anomeritis had briefed an Inner Cabinet meeting on Thursday on the extent of the destruction from wildfires this year.

Anomeritis also said that appraisals were already underway by the prefectural governments to finalize the damage figures and the damage suffered by individual farmers in order to determine the compensation to be provided.

The minister further outlined the additional measures being taken by his ministry to restore the damages to forests, adding that all the burned forest expanses would be reforested, while new aerial photographs would be taken of the burnt expanses.

Further, studies would be conducted for the immediate construction of works to prevent soil erosion and flooding.

[02] Deputy National Defense Minister Apostolakis concludes contacts in Washington

WASHINGTON, 22/07/2000 (ANA - T. Ellis)

Apostolakis, who concluded his contacts here, was speaking on the situation in southeastern Europe, Greek-Turkish relations and the Cyprus issue at the annual session of the Greece-US High Level Advisory Committee.

"Greece is continuing to be threatened by an allied country, Turkey. This situation should change immediately and substantively," he said.

Referring to the situation in southeastern Europe, he said "the region's exit from the whirlpool of the acute social and economic crisis it has drifted into, and where it is continuing to be, should constitute a permanent pursuit of ours."

Speaking on the issue of Cyprus, Apostolakis said "I merely wish to mention the existing resolution of the Grand Turkish National Assembly on casus belli with Greece and the latest provocation in Strovilia (in the buffer zone in Cyprus), while proximity talks in the region under UN auspices are underway."

Apostolakis also referred to bilateral cooperation between Greece and the US, saying that "generally speaking, their satisfactory climate will be judged in two sectors: firstly, the need for the speedy response on the part of the US to the implementation of the Greek armed forces' armaments programmers, pursuant to relative letters of acceptance, and, secondly, to the consistent and full implementation of agreements on joint production and offset benefits as anticipated by orders already placed in the American market."

[03] "Milliyet": Turkey has two years to solve Cyprus problem before island joins EU

ISTANBUL, 22/07/2000 (ANA - A. Kourkoulas)

The newspaper headlined "You have a two-year deadline" and said that the message conveyed to the Turkish leadership by EU Commissioner for enlargement Guenter Verheugen, who recently visited Turkey, was that the EU would let the Cyprus Republic join after that time, regardless of whether a resolution of the protracted problem had been achieved.

The newspaper noted that this was the first time that the EU had set any sort of time limit for a solution to the Cyprus problem.

"The EU wants to play an active role in solving the Cyprus problem," the article says, adding that European diplomats disagree with the view of Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit that the EU must not intervene on the Cyprus problem.

[04] Court to rule on injunction against seizure of German property next week

Athens, 22/07/2000 (ANA)

The court on Friday considered the application, submitted by descendants of victims of a German wartime massacre.

The injunction concerns three prime Athens properties, housing the Goethe Institut in Athens, the German Archaeological School and a German high school, for which a process of appraisal was initiated earlier this month, on the basis of a 1997 Livadia lower court ruling ordering Germany to pay 9.4 billion drachmas in compensation to 296 descendants of 214 civilians murdered by German occupation forces in the village of Distomo during World War II.

Berlin also petitioned the Athens court, which granted the injunction to nullify an order allowing the confiscation of German state properties in Greece. The court suspended the Livadia court ruling until the petition is heard on September 1.

The Athens Supreme Court upheld the ruling, which provided for the seizure and auctioning of German state property in Greece, last April.

The German side also argued that continuing the process would cause irreparable damage to the international image of Germany and its relations with Greece at a time when European Union member-states are obliged to maintain and promote good relations.

On Wednesday, Government spokesman Dimitris Reppas said the matter was very delicate and required responsible handling.

"We have to deal with it in political terms," he said.

[05] Greek Ambassador to Washington reminds that terrorism can threaten anywhere

WASHINGTON, 22/07/2000 (ANA - T. Ellis)

In his letter, published in Friday's edition of the Wall Street Journal, the Greek ambassador said that terrorism could threaten anywhere - in Greece, Oklahoma City, Atlanta or in the World Trade Center.

"The article's suggestion of official U.S. concerns hardly agrees with the recent affirmation by the U.S. Ambassador to Greece, Nicholas Burns, who said on July 3 that American officials, including President Clinton and Secretary of State Madeleine Albright "very much support the efforts of the Prime Minister and Public Order Minister" and that there was "encouragement and cooperation" in combatting terrorism," the Greek ambassador said.

[06] Responsibility of choosing the hiring process in the public sector to be transferred to Interior Ministry

Athens, 22/07/2000 (ANA)

Interior, Public Administration and Decentralization Minister Vasso Papandreou said later that the responsibility of choosing the hiring process in the public sector, the duty of the Supreme Council for Staff Selection (ASEP) to date, would be transferred to her ministry.

"In no way will ASEP be abolished. With these amendments we merely desire to have processes speeded up to enable public administration to be able to handle the issue of unemployment. I do not understand criticism by the New Democracy party. Does it possibly want unemployment to stay at its current levels," she said.

Papandreou said that whoever is appointed in the public sector, either with the test process or on points, cannot participate in a similar process unless five years have passed since his appointment.

On the question of local administration, Papandreou said confusion currently exists between various levels in local administration and the central authority.

"Whenever something bad happens it is usually attributed to the government, while whatever good happens is attributed to others who capitalize on it," Papandreou said.

[07] Former premier talks on employment reform, Church and other issues

Athens, 22/07/2000 (ANA)

He criticized Greece's largest trade union, the General Confederation of Greek Workers (GSEE), for refusing to consider three of the proposed reforms, saying that this would effectively make dialogue redundant. On the 35-hour week, however, which is one of the trade unions' main demands, Mitsotakis said that to consider this would be madness and suicide.

Mitsotakis accused the government of not having the courage to fully deregulate markets and of lying to the citizens, while he said that they should have better prepared public opinion.

He also said that he was satisfied that ND leader Constantine Karamanlis and Dora Bakoyianni had agreed on the party's position on employment issues. Those that disagree with those positions, he added, could leave ND, while he dismissed the criticisms voiced by trade unionist Yiannis Manolis, affiliated to ND, regarding Bakoyianni's positions on this issue.

Mitsotakis also commented on the clash between the government and the Greek Orthodox Church over identity cards, saying that the government should let the matter "rest" until the Council of State had made a decision. He predicted that the CoS would judge the ministerial decision on identity cards to be illegal.

Mitsotakis said the problem should be resolved in a truce, while he described as "foolishness" the government's recent attempt to raise the issue of Church property and of a dormant 1987 law regulating this.

At the same time, he recommended that Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Christodoulos, the head of the Greek Church, cut down his public appearances and be more cautious.

ND's honorary president, himself from Crete, also attacked Environment Minister Costas Laliotis over the issue of the Kouroupitos dump on the island, over which Greece was recently fined by the European courts. Calling Laliotis "the most indecisive man I've ever seen in my life," Mitsotakis said the environment minister should disregard the political cost and make a decision on this matter himself instead of waiting for local inhabitants to agree, because no community wants rubbish.

Mitsotakis also said that he had met the leader of Serbia's main opposition party Vuk Draskovic on Thursday, who he said could play and positive role in Yugoslavia. Regarding the republic, he said that free elections guaranteed by the international community had to be held but he did not hide his concern over developments there, saying that a new upsurge of trouble could cause problems in Greece, also.

[08] PM Simitis and film director Michael Cacoyiannis discuss Cultural Olympiad

Athens, 22/07/2000 (ANA)

According to sources close to the prime minister, Cacoyiannis delivered a plan of action to him on the Cultural Olympiad's preparation.

It was the first of a series of meetings the Prime Minister would be having with Cacoyiannis to be briefed on the plan of action to pave the way for the Cultural Olympiad.

[09] ND leader visits Spata airport and says the project should have been completed sooner

Athens, 22/07/2000 (ANA)

Karamanlis said two problems exist: the relocation of Olympic Airways, the country's national carrier, and the road network to link Athens with the Spata airport.

Referring to the road network, he said there are delays, adding that the contract anticipates penal clauses running into millions of drachmas a day in the event the road link is not completed on the dates agreed.

Karamanlis said the projects should be promoted quickly and medium-term solutions should be found to avoid considerable traffic congestion and the possible activation of penal clauses.

[10] Pangalos says radio should be boosted in audiovisual sector

PARIS, 22/07/2000 (ANA)

Pangalos, who was speaking at a discussion on the MEDIA PLUS programmed in Lille, France, concerning the 2001-2005 period, said that Greece's steadfast position on the budget is an increase in earmarked funds.

He said supplementing the MEDIA programmed with other European Union initiatives and programmers related to the finding of funds for production companies in the audiovisual sector is essential.

Another issue discussed at the informal meeting of EU Culture Ministers was European policy on books in the framework of new technological developments, as well as the linking of national policies with those of the EU in the era of increased market internationalization, which permits electronic trade now.

Greece's permanent representative with UNESCO, Vassilis Vassilikos, referred to Greece's policy on books and said that consensus now exists on the view that new technologies are bringing about changes whose extent will be wider and deeper than those accompanying the discovery of printing.

Vassilikos said that Greece would contribute to the effort undertaken by the French presidency, adding that it intends to organize a conference in February, 2001 on the widening of cooperation between member-states in the books sector, with the aim of gradually creating a European Monitor for books.

[11] National Bank of Greece reports 28 pct rise in 1st quarter profits

Athens, 22/07/2000 (ANA)

The bank's governor Theodore Karatzas said he expected the Group's net pre-tax profits to total 183 billion drachmas in the period January-June from 149 bln last year, up 22 percent.

National Bank's net interest margin was 2.3 percent in the first six months of the year compared with an average 2.4 percent for the whole of 1999.

The bank's pre-tax return on capital is estimated at 37.2 percent in the first half of the year, from 38.4 pct in 1999, while pre-tax return on assets was 2.1 percent from 1.8 percent respectively.

Karatzas attributed the improved profitability to a restructuring of the Group's assets, as recorded in a 23 percent increase in lending (after provisions) compared with the corresponding period last year.

Financial transactions' revenues totalled 104 billion drachmas, while savings totalled 13.7 trillion drachmas from 12.2 trillion in 1999, up 12.2 percent.

[12] ETEVA bank shows 40.9 pct rise in H1 profit

Athens, 22/07/2000 (ANA)

Assets in the first half totalled 670 billion drachmas from 424.8 billion drachmas in the same period of 1999, ETEVA said in a statement.

It attributed the rise in earnings to a healthy across-the-board performance in operations including consultancy services, underwriting, bond sales and trading, stocks and derivatives.

[13] National Insurance reports 93 pct rise in pre-tax profits

Athens, 22/07/2000 (ANA)

Insurance activities' revenues totalled 90.1 billion drachmas in the January-June period from 81.8 bln last year, for an increase of 10.2 percent, reflecting a 22.4 percent rise in damage insurance premiums and a 4.2 percent rise in life insurance premiums.

Revenues from investment activities totalled 17 billion drachmas, up 1.8 percent from last year.

[14] Lambrakis Press in cooperation deal with Fileleftheros in Cyprus

Athens, 22/07/2000 (ANA)

The deal envisages cooperation in publishing and Internet. Under the deal Fileleftheros will have exclusive publishing rights of Lambrakis' magazines. The two companies plan to expand their cooperation with joint publications in the future both in the Greek and Cypriot markets.

The deal also envisages creation of a joint company to set up a new Internet portal in Cyprus offering e-commerce services.

Lambrakis and Fileleftheros also plan to build a new joint printing unit in Cyprus.

[15] Silver & Baryte gets Bulgaria deal through affiliate

Athens, 22/07/2000 (ANA)

Somin of Bulgaria, which won the concession in a tender, is 50 percent owned by Phelps Dodge of the US, with the remaining 50 percent held by Gramex of Bulgaria, in which Greece's Silver and Baryte has a 50 percent stake, and Royal Gold Inc. of the US.

[16] Greece to auction 40-billion-drachma 12-month bills on Tuesday

Athens, 22/07/2000 (ANA)

Settlement date was set Friday 28, July. The organization pays a commission of 0.45 percent.

[17] Gov't ready to formally invite unions, employers for talks

Athens, 22/07/2000 (ANA)

The minister was speaking after talks with leaders of the Association of Greek Industry (SEB), in which he briefed them on the government's proposals.

The talks were construction, Yiannitsis told reporters.

SEB said the government's nine-point plan was positive, but needed to be more concrete.

[18] OTEnet announces speedier access to the Internet

Athens, 22/07/2000 (ANA)

The new service will offer OTEnet's customers a significant comparative advantage with easy access to the Internet on a 24-hour basis.

[19] Greek stocks end lower in subdued trade

Athens, 22/07/2000 (ANA)

Shares in the Leasing and Construction sector scored gains while shares in the miscellaneous sector came under pressure to end lower.

Banks also fell as the market ignored increased profitability in National Bank of Greece and ETEBA in the first half of the year.

The general index ended 0.22 percent lower at 4,054.21 points, but it recorded a 1.19 percent gain on the week. Turnover was a low 63 billion drachmas.

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavy traded stocks ended at 2,265.47 points, off 0.12 percent and the FTSE/ASE 40 index rose 0.37 percent to 577.36 points.

Sector indices ended as follows: Banks: 7,749.47

-0.42% Leasing: 810.30 +1.60% Insurance: 2,501.91

-0.19% Investment: 1,668.98 -0.63% Construction: 2,190.66 +0.66% Industrials: 2,507.09 -0.01% Miscellaneous: 4,029.21 -1.24% Holding: 4,414.45

-0.50%

The parallel market index for smaller capitalization stocks ended at 750.74 points, off 0.50 percent.

Broadly, advancers led decliners by 181 to 144 with another 22 issues unchanged.

Hellenic Telecoms, Doudos, Panafon, Naoussa Spinning, National Bank and Alpha Bank were the most heavily traded stocks.

Leading shares' closing prices (in Drs): National Bank: 14,520 Alpha Bank: 14,200 Commercial Bank: 16,300 Eurobank: 9,550 Lambrakis Press: 10,250 Heracles Cement: 7,550 Titan Cement (c): 13,900 Hellenic Telecoms: 8,055 Panafon: 4,350 Hellenic Petroleum: 3,845 Attica Enterprises: 3,780 Intracom: 13,650 Minoan Lines: 3,645 Hellenic Bottling: 5,295

Equity futures end mixed, tracking bourse: Equity futures traded on the Athens Derivatives Exchange finished mixed on Friday, in line with the indices on which they are based.

The underlying FTSE/ASE 20 index closed 0.12 percent down, and the FTSE/ASE 40 ended 0.37 percent higher.

Turnover was 10.08 billion drachmas from 9.96 billion drachmas a day earlier.

A total of 1,043 contracts were traded on the FTSE/ASE 20 with turnover at 4.74 billion drachmas.

On the FTSE/ASE 40 index, 1,885 contracts changed hands on turnover of 4.34 billion drachmas.

Bond prices slump on profit taking: Bond prices in the domestic secondary market on Friday finished lower in heavy profit taking, mostly in long-term paper.

The Greek benchmark 10-year bond showed a yield of 6.065 percent from 6.107 percent for the two previous sessions.

The Greek paper's yield spread over German bunds was 82 basis points from 79 basis points for three consecutive trading days.

Turnover through the central bank's electronic system totalled 122 billion drachmas from 58 billion drachmas in the session before.

Sell orders accounted for 90 billion drachmas of turnover.

Drachma ends down vs. euro, up vs. dollar: The drachma on Friday fell against the euro and rose versus the US dollar in the domestic foreign exchange market.

At the central bank's daily fixing, the euro was set at 336.990 drachmas from 336.840 drachmas in the previous session.

Also at the fixing, the US dollar was set at 360.400 drachmas from 365.770 drachmas a day earlier.

[20] DEA counter-narcotics training for Greek law enforcers

Athens, 22/07/2000 (ANA)

"These courses, part of our long-standing and excellent cooperation with the Greek police in the area of drug interdiction, will help improve enforcement of drug laws in both Greece and the US," US ambassador to Greece Nicholas Burns said. "The United States and Greece have lengthy experience in intercepting drug traffickers, and we wanted to improve our cooperation even further through these courses."

The first tranche of courses, offered in late May, dealt with working as a boarding officer on the high seas. A course teaching officers how to conduct at-sea boardings was followed by a "train the trainers" seminar. The US Coast Guard's international training division cooperated with DEA on these courses, which involved both classroom instruction and practical training on the water. Forty officers from around Greece attended these classes.

The second tranche of courses, offered in June, focused on using firearms during drug raids. Simultaneous courses in Athens and Thessaloniki taught marksmanship and operation management. The Tenth Special Forces Group (Airborne) of the US Army was the DEA office's partner in teaching these classes.

A recent example of cooperation between Greek and American drug authorities was the seizure of 3,880 kilos of cocaine aboard the "M/V China Breeze" in the spring of 1999 in the US. The complex, months-long investigation involved law enforcement officials from several countries and resulted in the largest-ever drug seizure in Greece.

[21] Former deputy will assume post of President of the Greek Cooperation Committee with UNICEF

Athens, 22/07/2000 (ANA)

A member and friend of UNICEF for a number of years, Kanellopoulos has activated himself to combat poverty and child labor, as well as to handle the problems of economic immigrants in the country, a relevant announcement by the organization said.

[22] Eastern and southeast Europe a Mecca for stolen cars, Thessaloniki police report

Athens, 22/07/2000 (ANA)

Police said that these rings had managed to take at least 250 such vehicles out of Greece, including Mercedes, BMWs but also four-wheel-drive pick-ups, passing them through customs before their owners even had time to report the theft.

According to Vassilis Yiarentzidis, an officer at the Thessaloniki Police auto-theft department, thefts of luxury cars began to rise in Greece after 1991 and the collapse of the communist regimes in the Eastern bloc. These peaked during 1994-1996, the same time as organized crime flourished in these countries, and started to fall off again after 1998-1999, when the tighter regulations of the Schengen Treaty were enforced.

"We went to Bulgaria with evidence that 110 stolen cars were in circulation, 75 were found with Bulgarian license plates but so far only five have been returned," Yiarentzidis reported.

Matters in Albania, he added, were even worse and there was no knowing when and if the four cars found there would ever be returned. Cooperation with FYROM, by contrast, was very good, and 10 out of the 15 cars found there were back with their owners.

[23] Police arrest high-ranking member of Russian crime group in Athens

Athens, 22/07/2000 (ANA)

Rigin had entered Greece on July 2 using a false passport, under the name of Andrey Semenov, 29, who had been murdered in St. Petersburg last January. He was detained after walking into a Greek police station to report that four men had attempted to rob him of US$ 90,000 at his apartment in the Athens suburb of Voula.

Greek police became suspicious, not least because he could not account for how he came by the money, and discovered his true identity through Interpol.

[24] Cyprus government expresses satisfaction over UN chief's letter

NICOSIA, 22/07/2000 (CNA/ANA)

Government Spokesman Michalis Papapetrou told reporters on Friday that "the responsibility now lies with the Security Council, which has the obligation to take the necessary measures to restore the status quo in Strovilia. "He said the issue would remain open for the Cyprus government until the status quo is restored.

Asked if the Greek Cypriot side will raise the matter at the Cyprus talks scheduled to resume in Geneva on Monday, July 24, Papapetrou said "this issue is not part of the negotiations, but in view of developments, the President will take advantage of every opportunity that arises to promote our diplomatic effort for the restoration of the status quo in Strovilia."

In his letter to Mignonette Patricia Durrant, dated July 20, Annan says the restrictions "have adversely affected UNFICYP's operational effectiveness" and asks for the status quo ante to be restored in Strovilia in southeast Cyprus.

He says the measures have added an additional burden to UNFICYP, as it is already stretched very thin along the 180 kilometer-long cease-fire lines.

The regime in the areas of Cyprus occupied by Turkey since 1974 took the measures against UNFICYP and illegally set up an observation post in the village of Strovilia, inhabited by some 15 Greek Cypriots, in retaliation to the non-inclusion of an addendum in the latest Secretary-General's report to Security Council on the Force with its demand for separate consultations for the renewal of the Force's mandate.

Replying to questions, Papapetrou said he is not aware of a document the Turkish side is reported to have circulated at the UN demanding a freeze in the Cyprus National Guard's armaments.

However, he said that "if the Turkish side is interested in an arms freeze or reduction, it should take note of the numerous UN resolutions calling for a significant reduction of arms in Cyprus and the reduction of a large number of occupation troops."

The spokesman said "the government has accepted this provision in the resolutions and calls on the Turkish side to do the same."

It is estimated that Turkey maintains some 35 thousand strongly armed troops on the island since invading and occupying 37 per cent of its territory in 1974.

[25] Cyprus strongly protests to UN over repeated Turkish violations of Republic's airspace

NICOSIA, 22/07/2000(CNA/ANA)

In a letter to Kofi Annan, Cyprus' permanent representative to the UN Sotos Zackheos also dismisses allegations by his Turkish colleague that the Cyprus National Guard has gone ahead with rearmament activities, describing them as an attempt to pre-empt any reactions from the Cyprus government and provide an alibi to actions by its occupation forces illegally stationed on the island.

He also notes a letter sent to the UN chief by President Glafcos Clerides on July 17, on the provocative actions by the Turkish military forces "which created an explosive situation in Strovilia", after they illegally established a checkpoint in the region changing the military status quo.

Referring to the letter sent to Annan by the Turkish permanent representative, dated July 13, concerning alleged National Guard activities, Zackheos describes them as "untrue".

Cyprus' ambassador underlines that in any event "all National Guard activities fall within the legitimate sphere of defense of the Republic of Cyprus, made necessary as a result of the 1974 Turkish military invasion and the illegal stationing of massive occupation forces... ever since."

It is estimated that Turkey maintains some 35 thousand heavily armed troops in the areas of Cyprus it occupies, which have been further reinforced since the beginning of this year.

Zackheos strongly protests these Turkish actions and attitude, as they violate international law and Security Council resolutions, calling for their cessation.

"I would like, once more, to express the hope that the necessary positive attitude will be finally shown by Turkey, so that the proximity talks in progress as well as all other efforts for finding a just and viable solution to the Cyprus problem, on the basis of UN resolutions, will not be adversely affected," he concludes.

[26] President Clerides meets U.S. officials

NICOSIA, 22/07/2000(CNA/ANA)

Dobbins, accompanied by National Security Council Director Anthony Blinken and State Department European advisor Laura Miller, was speaking after a meeting with Cyprus President Glafcos Clerides, who briefed them on Cyprus developments.

"I hope I can play a role in supporting the process that is going on in Geneva," Dobbins said, noting however that he has not brought any ideas on the Cyprus question.

He said he assumed his new responsibilities just a few weeks ago and is on an "acquaintance" visit.

"I dealt with issues related to Cyprus off and on for the last 26 years but this is the first time I had the chance to visit the island," Dobbins said.

The American officials, who are accompanied by US ambassador here Donald Bandler, will due to meet Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash later in the day in the Turkish-occupied area of Cyprus.

The UN has undertaken a new effort to reach a settlement in Cyprus, divided since Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37 percent of its territory in 1974, through proximity talks, separate meetings with President Clerides and Denktash.

In the talks that took place in Geneva earlier this month the UN chief's special adviser for Cyprus Alvaro de Soto gave them some thoughts to reflect on and give their replies when the meetings resume on Monday.

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