Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 00-08-05

Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

CONTENTS

[01] Greece is not relinquishing sovereign rights, spokesman says

[02] Official reception for last of Greek Army mission to Albania

[03] es attribute Falcon jet incident to technical and human error

[04] Stephanopoulos on Samos this weekend

[05] Last rites for Manesis

[06] Capital Markets' Committee approves Bank of Cyprus, ASE listings

[07] Greek stocks fall to 13-month low

[08] Equity futures end down, tracking Athens bourse

[09] Bonds flat in negligible trade

[10] Drachma up vs. euro, down vs. dollar

[11] Bank of Greece publishes auditors' report on Lamia Cooperative Bank

[12] PPC to provide Peloponnese town with heat

[13] Cosmote to seek bourse entry

[14] Third century B.C. symphonic melody outline discovered

[15] N.Y. State schools get acquainted with Ancient and Modern Greece

[16] Univ. of Ioannina again offers Greek-language summer courses

[17] 62 illegals, migrant smuggler arrested on Andros

[18] Deadlock in UN-led proximity talks on the Cyprus problem

[19] UN Special Adviser de Soto wraps up Geneva meetings

[20] Government spokesman comments on Turkish FM's statements

[21] Cypriot merchant marine ranked sixth in the world in March

[01] Greece is not relinquishing sovereign rights, spokesman says

Athens, 05/08/2000 (ANA)

The spokesman added that Greece "exercising these rights (national sovereignty) and continues to do so with the sole criterion the defense of our national interests".

Beglitis criticized Turkey for the "unilateral and arbitrary manner" with which it repeatedly tries to interpret texts by international organizations, which cannot be misinterpreted.

The spokesman sited as a characteristic example a statement made by the Turkish Foreign Ministry on Thursday as to how Ankara views the settlement of the Cyprus issue.

In an earlier statement on Wednesday, Beglitis said Turkey's record in the protection of minority rights was unenviable and justified concern among European Union member-states.

"A historical account of the policies towards minorities in Greece and Turkey is overwhelming against Turkey, and this cannot be disputed by anyone who looks at the fate of the Greek minority in the neighboring country," said Greek foreign ministry spokesman Panagiotis Beglitis in response to statements in an article by Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem in the Italian newspaper "La Stampa", regarding Greece's policy towards minorities and Cyprus.

"Greece, as the other member-states of the European Union, have every reason to express concern regarding the serious democratic deficit in Turkish policy towards all minorities living in the country," Beglitis added.

Regarding Cyprus, he said Turkey's insistence on a deadlocked approach contrasted with international interest and the dynamics now developing for a solution in the framework of the United Nations.

[02] Official reception for last of Greek Army mission to Albania

Athens, 05/08/2000 (ANA)

Paschalidis said the mission had confirmed Greece's role as a force of peace, democracy, stability and cooperation in the area, and this enjoyed general recognition.

"The example of social work which the Greek peace force offered in Albania must be followed up in effort for the reconstruction of the Balkans. This process is not restricted to economic initiatives, but includes efforts to establish and boost democratic institutions and social solidarity. We must all walk together in this common European path," he said.

The Administrative Mission's work in Albania included support to refugees from Kosovo and the building of a hospital in the town of Gjirokaster.

The Greek Army's General Staff Chief, Lt. General Constantinos Panagiotakis, expressed his satisfaction for the success of the mission, which, he said, showed the Army's potential.

Romanian authoriti

[03] es attribute Falcon jet incident to technical and human error

Athens, 05/08/2000 (ANA)

The Romanian authorities' report was forwarded by Transport and Communications Minister Christos Verelis to the public prosecutor and to the Council of Enquiry on Airline Accidents.

The jet, on its way from Athens to Bucharest, was approaching Bucharest airport at the time of the accident.

According to the findings, the jet, at an altitude of 5,000 metres and for 24 seconds, made ten vertical oscillations, resulting in containers coming loose and entering the passengers' cabins, resulting in fatal injuries.

Four causes are given for the accident, a problem with the automatic pilot, which was badly handled by the pilots, non-use of seat belts, excessive speed and the fact that pilots' ignored standard operating procedures.

One of the seven who died included Kranidiotis' son. There were a total of 13 passengers on board. The other six were injured.

The pilots managed to land the jet at Bucharest airport.

[04] Stephanopoulos on Samos this weekend

Athens, 05/08/2000 (ANA)

[05] Last rites for Manesis

Athens, 05/08/2000 (ANA)

The service was held at Agios Dionysios Areopagitis Church in the Athens district of Kolonaki.

Manesis was regarded as the "dean" of Greek constitutional experts, having served as president of the Greek Constitutional Association and president of the Parliament's Constitutional Council. He had also been vice-president of the Greek Union for Human Rights and a member of the Athens Academy.

Speakers stressed that Manesis had not hesitated to clash with political authority, openly castigating as "constitutionally reproachable" King Constantine's dismissal in 1965 of the country's lawfully elected prime minister, Georgios Papandreou.

In 1965, he was elected professor of Constitutional Law in Thessaloniki University and in 1968, he was dismissed by the military junta, which sent him to internal exile. He later settled in France, and taught at the University of Amiens.

Manesis was buried in Thessaloniki.

[06] Capital Markets' Committee approves Bank of Cyprus, ASE listings

Athens, 05/08/2000 (ANA)

The listing plan envisages a share capital increase and a public offering of Bank of Cyprus' shares.

The committee also approved the listing in the main market of Greek Stock Markets SA, operator of the Athens Stock Exchange.

It also approved a share capital increase and a public offering for the listing of CPI's shares in the parallel market for smaller capitalization stocks.

[07] Greek stocks fall to 13-month low

Athens, 05/08/2000 (ANA)

The general index fell below the 3,900 support level to show a 3.28 percent loss in the week.

Traders said heavy pressures in Hellenic Telecoms' and National Bank's shares pushed the market lower.

The general index ended 1.31 percent lower at 3,866.95 points with turnover a low 63 billion drachmas.

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavy traded stocks ended 1.33 percent down at 2,147.14 points and the FTSE/ASE 40 index ended at 542.10 points, off 1.48 percent.

The parallel market index

for smaller capitalization stocks plunged 3.14 percent to 752.51 points.

Broadly, decliners led advancers by 283 to 42 with another 22 issues unchanged. Hellenic Telecoms, Alpha Bank, ELTON, Douros, National Bank and Sex Form were the most heavily traded stocks.

[08] Equity futures end down, tracking Athens bourse

Athens, 05/08/2000 (ANA)

The FTSE/ASE 20 index closed 1.33 percent down, and the FTSE/ASE 40 ended 1.48 percent lower.

Turnover was 8.7 billion drachmas from 9.6 billion drachmas a day earlier.

A total of 1,249 contracts were traded on the FTSE/ASE 20 with turnover at 5.44 billion drachmas.

On the FTSE/ASE 40 index, 1,470 contracts changed hands on turnover of 3.26 billion drachmas.

[09] Bonds flat in negligible trade

Athens, 05/08/2000 (ANA)

The Greek benchmark 10-year bond showed a yield of 6.037 percent for the second straight session.

The Greek paper's yield spread over German bunds was around 85 basis points for the fourth session.

Turnover through the central bank's electronic system totaled 6.0 billion drachmas from 75 billion drachmas a session earlier.

Buy orders accounted for the whole of turnover.

[10] Drachma up vs. euro, down vs. dollar

Athens, 05/08/2000 (ANA)

At the central bank's daily fixing, the euro was set at 337.080 drachmas from 337.110 drachmas in the previous session.

Also, at the fix, the dollar was set at 372.560 drachmas from 372.100 drachmas a day earlier.

[11] Bank of Greece publishes auditors' report on Lamia Cooperative Bank

Athens, 05/08/2000 (ANA)

art proceedings with Lamia's prosecutor against the bank.

The central bank's report said that Lamia Cooperative Bank's assets fell by 11 percent last year along with a decline in the bank's cash flow and bond holdings.

The report also revealed stagnant lending, an increase in overdue loans and a decline in the bank's deposits. "The bank's liquidity is worryingly low," the report said.

Bank of Greece's auditors said Lamia Cooperative Bank's board members and their relatives have taken loans, worth several hundred million drachmas, and urged the bank's new administration to urgently take measures and close their accounts.

The auditing report also revealed several virtual credit accounts and non-signed loan contracts to customers.

"Lamia Cooperative Bank's credibility rate exceeds 27 percent, sharply up from a minimum rate of 7.0 percent", the report said.

The bank's new board said a program for the liquidation of assets and an arrangement of overdue loans was progressing rapidly and expressed the hope that the bank's members would support the institution in its effort to recover.

Lamia's prosecutor has already ordered an investigation on felony charges in the case.

[12] PPC to provide Peloponnese town with heat

Athens, 05/08/2000 (ANA)

The contractor is Ergotem, which is due to complete the 3.5-billion- drachma project by September 30, 2001.

[13] Cosmote to seek bourse entry

Athens, 05/08/2000 (ANA)

State-owned OTE said that Cosmote would offer up to 48,750,000 shares. Of the total, 17,500,000 stocks are for issue by the mobile operator itself and 31,250,000 by its shareholders, including OTE.

The share sa

le will take place in Greece and abroad.

On domestic offer is stock destined for the IPO and private placements to staff and selected OTE shareholders.

In addition, shares will be sold abroad either directly or in the form of Global Depository Shares to institutional investors outside the US, including Greece; and to institutionals within the US, the statement said.

[14] Third century B.C. symphonic melody outline discovered

Athens, 05/08/2000 (ANA)

The outline of a symphonic melody was discovered when archaeologists decoded a series of letters of the Ancient Greek alphabet engraved on a slab of marble dating back to the 3rd-4th century B.C. that was unearthed in the Vrasna region of Thessaloniki.

This, according to archaeologists, is one of the precious few musical texts from antiquity to have been discovered, and the first to be unearthed in Macedonia.

The marble slab was discovered by chance in an unknown archaeological site in Vrasna, and led to the unearthing of a 3rd century B.C. fortress.

The subsequent digging revealed that the slab had been originally embedded in the northern tower of the fortress, strategically placed to overlook the pass from Macedonia to Thrace.

Although the letters on the slab are large and clear, it is difficult to decode the words as the beginning of the text is missing.

The marble slab, 54.8 centimeters by 48.2 centimeters and 19.4 centimeters thick, is now housed in an archaeological museum in the northern Greek capital.

Archaeologist Polyxeni Adam-Veleni took on the ambitious project of decoding the text, assisted by Dimitrios Themelis, a professor of musicology at Thessaloniki's Aristotelion University.

The first attempts to 'read' the slab led Themelis to the conclusion that the writing comp

rised letters of the Greek alphabet -- in the Chalcidian or Attic dialects -- which, however, did not produce phonemes in a rhyme or prose but were most likely notations of musical notes. In other words, the letters represent musical notes that produce a melody.

The 'melody' was decoded by Prof. Themelis based on the tables of ancient Greek music theoretician Alypius (4th century A.D.).

[15] N.Y. State schools get acquainted with Ancient and Modern Greece

NEW YORK, 05/08/2000 (ANA - M. Georgiadou)

The Greek Press Office in New York provided flags, television material, videos and many illustrated pamphlets on the history and myths of Ancient Greece, and on the art, customs, dances, music and landscape of modern Greece, to Primary School 221 of Brooklyn, which held an event with video presentations of antiquities, Greek dances and food.

[16] Univ. of Ioannina again offers Greek-language summer courses

Athens, 05/08/2000 (ANA)

More than 10,000 students -- mostly scholars in Greek, archaeology and literature -- have attended the special University of Ioannina courses in the past 10 years, whereas 300 individuals from 20 nations have completed the entire Greek-language program.

[17] 62 illegals, migrant smuggler arrested on Andros

Athens, 05/08/2000 (ANA)

A total of 62 illegal immigrants and the vessel's skipper, identified as Dionysis Xenoyiannis, are to face a local prosecutor, while a Kurdish man was arrested in central Athens on suspicion o

f acting at the migrants' "contact" in Greece. The group of illegals, all men, is currently being housed at a school on the island.

The owner of the Lavrio-registered barge is also being sought.

[18] Deadlock in UN-led proximity talks on the Cyprus problem

GENEVA, 05/08/2000 (CNA/ANA)

Papapetrou announced that in the time until the September talks, which will take place in New York, the Cyprus and Greek governments, as well as the political parties, would initiate a campaign toward this goal.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded and occupied the northern third of the island.

Two rounds of UN-led proximity talks, separate meetings of the UN with President Glafcos Clerides and Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash, have already been held since December. A third round was wrapped up in Geneva on Friday. A fourth round is scheduled to start September 12 in New York.

The talks aim at preparing the ground for substantive negotiations, leading to a comprehensive settlement.

Papapetrou said that although President Clerides tried to break the deadlock during the third round of talks, the Turkish side appeared fixed on its positions.

Commenting on positions expressed earlier by the UN chief's Special Adviser on Cyprus, Alvaro de Soto, who is conducting the talks, that all issues are under discussion according to UN Resolution 1250, Papapetrou said one could not refer to only some points of the resolutions, which also provide for a federation solution, as opposed to the confederation settlement aimed at by Denktash.

The government spokesman also said that the UN process "must lead somewhere

" and noted that the third parties involved in the peace effort must take "the necessary measures".

He added that if Denktash insists on his unacceptable positions, then "there will be no progress" in efforts to reach a settlement.

[19] UN Special Adviser de Soto wraps up Geneva meetings

GENEVA, 05/08/2000 (CNA/ANA)

Wrapping up the meetings, the UN Secretary General's Special Adviser on Cyprus, Alvaro de Soto, said on Friday he has not given the two sides any ideas to consider until the talks resume in New York on September 12, but underlined one should not be discouraged as the process underway is on-going and aims at a comprehensive settlement. "Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed", he told a press conference at the end of the meetings, held at the UN office in Geneva, noting that the discussions have given the two sides plenty to think about and reflect upon.

"I did not unveil to them a new proposal or a set of ideas", de Soto said, adding that the fact he did not have an important announcement to make "should not disappoint you".

The Peruvian diplomat urged Cypriots to take "a long view" as the goal is a comprehensive settlement, which will leave nothing to be negotiated at the end of the process.

Asked if a demand by the Turkish Cypriot leader for a settlement leading to a confederation of two states, contrary to UN resolutions stipulating a bizonal, bicommunal federation with one international character, is being discussed, de Soto said "a great variety of issues are raised and both sides come talking from their own script or hymn book". He said the four core issues under discussion (constitution, territory, security and refugees-property) have been set out by UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan, "but the Security Counc

il itself has made clear its wish that talks should be open in the sense that all issues should be on the table".

"We consider that practically all issues can be grouped within the ones that have been identified by the Secretary General", he said.

Referring to Security Council Resolution 1250 of 1999, he recalled "it provides that Security Council resolutions are given full consideration and of course we shall abide by that".

"But there are many ways of getting to a settlement and the shortest distance to that lofty goal is not a straight line. This is why the Security Council said that any issue anyone wants to raise they can raise it", he said.

Asked why he did not submit any ideas for a settlement, de Soto described the process as "a moving vehicle" in which the UN will make a substantive input in the light of how the talks are proceeding.

"Just now I haven't done it, but it could happen at any given moment", he said.

The Peruvian diplomat reminded that he had given the parties some thoughts and ideas to reflect upon during the previous talks that had ended on July 12, also noting that there are plenty of ideas "that have been floated in the past by the UN and others", so there is "plenty of material there".

"They have plenty to think about in light of the discussions that we have had here", he told the press conference, adding that at Friday morning's meetings "we had a wrap up session, during which we essentially compared notes with each side regarding where we stand".

[20] Government spokesman comments on Turkish FM's statements

Government spokesman Michalis Papapetrou said on Friday that positions expressed by Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem, in an interview with an Italian newspaper, aimed at pushing the Greek Cypriot side to abandon the talks.

Papapetrou said that the Greek Cypriot side does not express "extreme positions, but ones that have been adopted by the whole of humanity".

Papapetrou said it was high time for Turkey "to stop being a flat note in this inte

rnational approach and to comply with UN resolutions, some of which it has voted for".

The Turkish Foreign Ministry's insistence on a confederation solution, as opposed to the federation settlement provided for in UN resolutions, was expressed again on the eve of the final day of the third round of proximity talks.

[21] Cypriot merchant marine ranked sixth in the world in March

NICOSIA, 05/08/2000 (CNA/ANA)

A statement released on Friday notes that the Cyprus government, in its effort to identify substandard ships, has decided to launch a series of longitudinal strength studies for elderly bulk carriers flying the Cyprus flag, while worldwide statistics indicate the effectiveness of the efforts the Cypriot maritime administration has made on improving the quality of the Cypriot Registry.

Meanwhile, in an effort to increase the safety standards on board Cyprus ships, the Department of Merchant Shipping has formed an ad hoc working group for the harmonization of national legislation with European Union legislation, in the field of maritime training and certification.

During the second quarter of 2000, the government of Cyprus signed a Bilateral Agreement on Merchant Shipping with the Republic of Cuba, increasing the number of such agreements to nine. A new shipping agreement was also signed with Sri Lanka.

Cyprus has also hosted meetings to enhance coordination with the classification societies and establish ties for cooperation on safety policy issues with regard to shipping, as well as for the training and working conditions of seafarers and for the protection of the maritime environment.

Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article