Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 00-11-16

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

CONTENTS

[01] Stephanopoulos addresses Greek-Czech business forum, Charles University

[02] Europarliament adopts Morillon report on Turkish EU candidacy

[03] Yilmaz again critical of EU emphasis on Cyprus solution

[04] Papandreou says Cyprus issue is a component of Turkey's relationship with the EU

[05] Papandreou meets Cyprus House president Kyprianou

[06] Defense minister heralds changes in Greece's defensive strategy

[07] Vasso Papandreou presents proposals on improving services for citizens

[08] Deputy FM Laiou resigns, Niotis returns to post

[09] Simitis postpones meetings with health minister and labor minister scheduled for Wednesday

[10] Armenian president to pay official visit to Greece

[11] Karamanlis receives Union of Greek Gypsies

[12] Kostunica calls Greece Yugoslavia's 'window to the world'

[13] Sale of fresh and frozen meat in all street markets banned as of December 1

[14] Industrialists disappointed in new gov't labor bill

[15] Seven groups express interest in sale of Helexpo stake

[16] International "Supercomputing" award given to Patra University team

[17] Greece holds first trade fair in Turkey

[18] Greek bourse end lower, breaks 3,500 support level

[19] Merchant Marine minister reiterates market deregulation

[20] Simitis inaugurates new line of Athens Metro

[21] Angelopoulos' film to be screened in Canadian festival

[22] Exhibition on Seferis' life opens in Athens

[23] Establishment of itinerant film festival decided in the framework of 41st Film Festival

[24] First Panthessalian conference to be held in US this weekend

[25] Anniversary of unilateral declaration of independence by Turkish Cypriots condemned

[26] Students demand withdrawal of Turkish troops and settlers

[01] Stephanopoulos addresses Greek-Czech business forum, Charles University

PRAGUE, 16/11/2000 (ANA - N. Megadoukas)

At the same time, he noted similar activity by the Czech Republic in central Europe and the prospects for joint business ventures between the two countries.

Deputy National Economy Minister Yiannis Zafeiropoulos, who is accompanying the president on his three-day official visit, also addressed the forum.

Zafeiropoulos referred to the importance of reinforcing the competitiveness and productivity of economies in order to preserve Europe's social character and combat unemployment and the phenomenon of the working poor.

He noted the mutual desires in Athens and Prague to bring bilateral trade transactions to a level corresponding "to their true potential and our expectations," and that the Czechs were making rapid progress in meeting EU criteria, which would also help expand bilateral trade relations.

Finally, he pointed out the possibilities for cooperation between Czech and Greek business concerns in the Balkan region, where he said both sides could benefit from joint action.

Later on Wednesday, Stephanopoulos spoke at the city's Charles University, considered the oldest in central Europe.

Presenting Greece's positions and vision for the 21st century, the president stressed the challenges facing the EU in view of the Nice Summit at the end of the year, including enlargement, institutional reform and modernizing the European economy.

Greece, he said, supports EU enlargement as a political necessity and said that institutional reforms should not become a pretext for delaying this.

Athens, he added, also believes that gradually building up a common European policy for security and defense is an important element in European integration. During recent crises, he noted, the lack of a strong common security policy within the EU had resulted in a credibility deficit, inertia and inactivity that were incompatible with the role the union could play on the international scene.

[02] Europarliament adopts Morillon report on Turkish EU candidacy

STRASBOURG, 16/11/2000 (ANA - O. Tsipira)

On the question of Cyprus, the Turkish government was called on to withdraw occupation forces from northern Cyprus.

Two amendments tabled by Socialist group deputy president and PASOK Eurodeputy George Katiforis call for the Turkish government's clear commitment that it will display a policy of respect for the territorial integrity of EU member-states if it indeed desires, as it has stated, to contribute to an improvement in European potential in the framework of European Defense and Security Policy.

An essential precondition set for economic aid to be provided for Turkey, in the framework of pre-accession strategy, is the implementation of conclusions reached at the EU Helsinki summit, and paragraphs 4 and 9a in particular, concerning Cyprus and Greek-Turkish relations.

Other points contained in the report include the call on the Turkish government to participate in the creation of a suitable climate, without preliminary conditions, for talks between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities to facilitate a viable and just settlement through negotiations which will be in accordance with relevant Security Council resolutions and the recommendations of the UN General Assembly.

It further deplores the violation of the military status quo by the Turkish occupation forces in the village of Strovilia.

Moreover, it assesses that Turkey's accession negotiations cannot possibly start for as long as Turkey fails to fulfill criteria set out by the European Council in Copenhagen.

The report also hails the start to negotiations on confidence-building measures agreed by the Foreign Ministers of Greece and Turkey, George Papandreou and Ismail Cem, on October 31, 2000.

[03] Yilmaz again critical of EU emphasis on Cyprus solution

ANKARA, 16/11/2000 (ANA - A. Abatzis)

Yilmaz, a former prime minister and foreign minister, made the statement during a meeting with visiting German journalists.

Regarding Greek-Turkish relations, Yilmaz was quoted by the semi-official "Anadolu" agency as warning that if Greece "extends its territorial waters to 12 (nautical) miles, then the Aegean will turn into a 'Greek lake'."

He also cited what he called the "militarization" of the Dodecannese, delineation of the Aegean's continental shelf and Cyprus "turning into a Greek island" as threats to Turkey.

"Turkish-Greek problems must be solved through dialogue and independent of Turkey-EU relations," he added.

Greece has long maintained that only the issue of the Aegean's continental shelf ranks as a bilateral difference, pointing repeatedly to the International Court of Justice at The Hague as the proper venue for its resolution. In terms of other Turkish demands, from 1974 onwards, Athens has adamantly stated that international law and several treaties unequivocally quash any claims the neighboring country's leadership may air.

Regarding the long-standing Cyprus problem and provisions listed in the EU-Turkey partnership agreement text, Yilmaz said "the Cyprus issue must be resolved between the two peoples on the island ... promotion of a Cyprus solution as a condition for Turkey's EU accession is unacceptable for Turkey," he noted, adding that Greece's stance led to the condition finding its way into the partnership agreement text.

In a recent development over the Cyprus issue, UN Chief Kofi Annan forwarded his positions through an envoy on what he considers the basis for a "fair and viable" solution on the progress so far in the UN-led proximity talks on Cyprus, which started last December, while inviting the Greek Cypriot and

Turkish Cypriot sides to take the negotiations further by taking into consideration his assessment: Annan's 11-page non-paper referred to a "single international legal personality" of Cyprus, guarantees for human rights in "one sovereign indissoluble common state", points out that state law will overrule regional law, and stressing that the solution should not raise obstacles to Cyprus' accession to the EU and that the legal right to property should be respected.

Tsohatzopoulos comments on Greek-Turkish relations and Cyprus' EU accession: National Defense Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos on Wednesday denied using the word "transaction" during his address at the PASOK party's International Relations Department plenum on Tuesday, regarding Greece's accession to the euro zone and Cyprus' accession to the European Union, saying "I am not accustomed to using such terminology."

"It is evident that when Greece accepted the start of customs union between the EU and Turkey, it contemporaneously secured the start to dialogue between the Republic of Cyprus and the EU on its accession. These are political, objective criteria and I don't think they are disputable and neither do characterizations about bargaining suit them," he said.

Tsohatzopoulos was speaking after meeting Cyprus House of Representatives Speaker Spyros Kyprianou for talks on the Cyprus issue and Cyprus' EU accession course.

[04] Papandreou says Cyprus issue is a component of Turkey's relationship with the EU

NICOSIA, 16/11/2000 (ANA - G. Leonidas)

In an exclusive interview with the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (RIK), Papandreou said an improvement in Greek-Turkish relations could only be completed with an acceptable solution to the Cyprus issue, adding that Greece and Hellenism are not jeopardizing their main national interests in this effort.

Papandreou also referred to results of the fifth round of proximity talks in Geneva and determined the EU's role in promoting a solution to the Cyprus issue, but primarily the expectations of the "15" regarding the content of the solution.

[05] Papandreou meets Cyprus House president Kyprianou

Athens, 16/11/2000 (ANA)

Papandreou said that the rich experience of Kyprianou is very useful and could be very beneficial in the future.

On his part, Kyprianou said that Greece was the "natural" protection of the Cypriot people, while an independent Cyprus is necessary to Greece, adding that it could aid Greece to play the international role it befits it.

[06] Defense minister heralds changes in Greece's defensive strategy

Athens, 16/11/2000 (ANA)

Following a meeting with a group of experts on security and defense. The defense minister underlined the need for changes in the armed forces' infrastructure, technology, training and structure.

He added that the necessity for change stems from Greece's participation in the European defense and security systems, aiming to confront crises in the region.

He stressed that the changes would lead to the upgrading of Greece's role, as well as the prospect of positive developments in the country's national issues.

[07] Vasso Papandreou presents proposals on improving services for citizens

Athens, 16/11/2000 (ANA)

She was presenting the proposals of the newly created "Prompt Intervention Group" which examined four public sectors (insurance funds, town planning, state maintenance checks on vehicles and tax offices) in which the biggest problems are found and where the citizen is confronted by bureaucracy. The examination was conducted in the framework of a pilot program and three months after the group was created.

The group is staffed with informatics professors and, more specifically, system analysts headed by Alekos Sideridis, who was also responsible for the "Group 2000" which successfully handled the problem of the 2000 millennium bug in electronic computers at the end of last year.

[08] Deputy FM Laiou resigns, Niotis returns to post

Athens, 16/11/2000 (ANA)

Laiou, a ruling PASOK party Deputy of State in parliament, university professor and noted Byzantinologist, cited 'personal reasons' for her resignation and told her associates at the ministry that she would retain her parliamentary post and continue to support the government's work from that position.

Niotis, the chairman of parliament's Overseas Hellenism Committee and a PASOK MP elected in Piraeus' B' district, has been named by Simitis to replace Laiou.

Government spokesman Dimitris Reppas said Laiou called on the premier Wednesday morning and submitted her resignation, citing personal reasons.

Reppas said the premier thanked Laiou for her contribution.

Asked by reporters whether Niotis' reinstatement indicated that the premier considered it a mistake that he had not been kept in the post after last April's general elections, Reppas called the observation an "arbitrary conclusion".

[09] Simitis postpones meetings with health minister and labor minister scheduled for Wednesday

Athens, 16/11/2000 (ANA)

[10] Armenian president to pay official visit to Greece

Athens, 16/11/2000 (ANA)

[11] Karamanlis receives Union of Greek Gypsies

Athens, 16/11/2000 (ANA)

Following the meeting, the union's leader, Yiannis Halilopoulos, said that Karamanlis pledged that his party would help them.

The gypsy representatives said that they wanted to maintain their identity and culture and to be incorporated in 21st century Greece.

[12] Kostunica calls Greece Yugoslavia's 'window to the world'

STRASBOURG, 16/11/2000 (ANA)

"Even when Serbia suffered under the weight of sanctions, relations were friendly ... It (Greece) was one of the countries that had a significant role in the support of democratic changes in Serbia. With the opening of the borders and the lifting of sanctions the possibilities for cooperation are even greater," Kostunica said in answer to a press question.

[13] Sale of fresh and frozen meat in all street markets banned as of December 1

Athens, 16/11/2000 (ANA)

Across-the-board BSE checks called for by ND spokesman: Main opposition New Democracy spokesman Theodoros Roussopoulos on Wednesday urged the government to carry immediate checks throughout the food chain for BSE infection, saying that there were currently no effective controls that could guarantee that citizens were protected.

"No one feels safe, no one is briefing consumers in a responsible fashion on what to look out for. No one has a right to toy with the health of citizens," he said.

Roussopoulos said the current legislation was out of date and that a special inspections body established two years ago was still not operating.

Reppas says Greece cannot take measures against BSE unilaterally, projects EU decision on Monday: Commenting on the Europe-wide furor concerning 'mad cow' disease, or Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) among the continent's beef herds, government spokesman Dimitris Reppas said on Wednesday that no country could make decisions or take measures unilaterally on this issue.

Expressing hope that a European Union permanent veterinary committee, which is meeting on Wednesday to discuss the issue, would make a decision, Reppas said that Greece would be stepping up health checks in the meantime.

If no decision is made on Wednesday, he added, then measures would probably be decided next Monday, when the EU agriculture ministers are due to meet and decide on a common approach to the problem.

[14] Industrialists disappointed in new gov't labor bill

Athens, 16/11/2000 (ANA)

The measures would increase labor costs, lower competitive-ness and probably raise unemployment, SEB president Lefteris Antonakopoulos told a news conference.

Antonakopoulos also accused the government of debasing the role of social partners involved in talks on changes in the labor regime; and restricting the negotiations both in duration and content.

One of SEB's gripes is that a measure to make working hours more flexible differs little from the current status quo, and that overall the steps contained disincentives for both employers and workers.

"The (government's) intentions are good, but the choices are wrong," one SEB leader said.

SEB vice president Nikos Analytis added that he feared joblessness could rise to 14 percent in 2001, and that the government's measures ran contrary to those prevalent in the European Union, departing from policies forged at the Lisbon summit.

[15] Seven groups express interest in sale of Helexpo stake

Athens, 16/11/2000 (ANA)

Management of the state trade fair organizer is also being offered, the ministry said in a statement.

The seven groups are as follows:

1. International Trade Exhibitions Group

2. Fiere Internazionali di Bologna-Ente Autonomo

3. Key 3 Media Group

4. A consortium being formed by Generale Location, Package, the Avax group, J&P (Hellas)SA, and ÅÔÅÔÇ SA.

5. A consortium being formed by Mack-Brooks Exhibitions Limited and Damco Energy ÁÅ.

6. A consortium being formed by Äakon SA, Åchpa and Rota

7. A consortium called Thessaloniki International Trade Fair-Anayennisi whose members are the municipality of Thessaloniki and Hermes Expo International.

[16] International "Supercomputing" award given to Patra University team

Athens, 16/11/2000 (ANA)

The study that won the award for a team of scientists was entitled "Is Data Distribution Necessary in OpenMP?", and resolved a computer memory problem that seamed insurmountable.

The team of scientists including, Graduate student Dimitrios S. Nikolopoulos, Prof. Theodore S. Papatheodorou, Prof. Constantine D. Polychronopoulos, Prof. Jesus Labarta and Prof. Eduard Ayguade, submitted the study and won the award in competition with another 62 studies.

HPCLAB is a traditional name given to the laboratory in 1990, since it consolidated the first R&D projects in parallel computing in Greece.

These were carried out in Patra since 1984 and included re-search, the first courses in parallel computing in Greece, projects funded by the European Union and Greek agencies, the introduction of a commercial parallel machine for the first time in Greece (Intel iPSC/2 hypercube), as well as the organization of the first (Athens 1987) and the third (Crete 1989) ACM - ICS conferences.

[17] Greece holds first trade fair in Turkey

ISTANBUL, 16/11/2000 (ANA/E. Areteos)

Attending the inauguration of the trade fair, which ends on Sunday, will be Macedonia-Thrace Minister George Paschalidis.

On Wednesday, Paschalidis told a news conference in Istanbul, the fair's venue, that the Greek government backed business cooperation between the two countries.

Organized by Thessaloniki International Trade Fair, the event spans a wide range of sectors including transport, building materials, plastics, agricultural machinery and dairy products.

Among companies and trade groups taking part are the Association of Northern Greek Industrialists, the Association of Northern Greek Exporters, the National Bank of Greece and Thessaloniki Port Authority.

[18] Greek bourse end lower, breaks 3,500 support level

Athens, 16/11/2000 (ANA)

Traders said a cautious cut in interest rates by the Bank of Greece disappointed the market, which ignored for one more session an improved climate in international bourses.

Instead, the market reacted negatively to the announcement of Alpha Bank's lower-than-expected profits in the third quarter of the year.

The general index ended 1.71 percent lower at 3,472.41 points, off the day's highs of 3,582.47 points and near the day's lows of 3,467.01.

Turnover was a low 47.162 billion drachmas. The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavy traded stocks ended 2.52 percent lower at 1,984.19 points, and the FTSE/ASE 40 index eased 1.07 percent to 416.79 points.

Sector indices ended as follows: Banks: 7,213.82 -3.07% Leasing: 529.02 -1.60% Insurance: 1,598.73 -0.79% Investment: 1,233.50 +0.89% Construction: 1,411.58 -2.80% Industrials: 2,117.45 -0.50% Miscellaneous: 3,195.15 -0.52% Holding: 4,159.65 +0.13%

The parallel market index for smaller capitalization stocks ended 2.40 percent lower at 361.03 points.

Broadly, decliners led advancers by 231 to 105 with another 20 issues unchanged.

Alpha Bank, National Bank, Hellenic Telecoms, Daios Plastics, Piraeus Bank and Panafon were the most heavily traded stocks.

Leading shares' closing prices (in Drs): Alpha Bank:

12,795 Eurobank: 9,480 Panafon: 3,010 Lambrakis Press: 6,390 National Bank: 13,190 Hellenic Petroleum: 3,615 Commercial Bank: 17,300 Attica Enterprises: 2,900 Heracles Cement: 4,795 Intracom: 9,800 Minoan Lines: 1,780 Hellenic Telecoms: 6,215 Piraeus Bank: 5,600 Titan Cement (c): 14,160 Hellenic Bottling: 5,295

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

The FTSE/ASE 20 index closed 2.52 percent lower, and the FTSE/ASE 40 ended 1.07 percent lower.

Turnover was 24.0 billion drachmas.

A total of 5,026 contracts were traded on the FTSE/ASE 20 with turnover at 20.49 billion drachmas.

On the FTSE/ASE 40 index, 2,095 contracts changed hands on turnover of 3.56 billion drachmas.

Bond prices nose up in light trade: Bond prices in the domestic secondary market on Wednesday finished higher in light trade. Some buying from institutional investors from abroad was seen.

The Greek benchmark 10-year bond showed a yield of 5.880 percent from 5.920 percent a day earlier.

The Greek paper's yield spread over German bunds was 70 basis points, the same as in the last five sessions.

Turnover through the central bank's electronic system totalled 60 billion drachmas from 195 billion drachmas in the trading day before.

Buy orders accounted for the bulk of trade.

Drachma recovers moderately against US dollar: The drachma recovered moderately against the US dollar in the domestic foreign exchange market on Wednesday despite a weak euro/dollar rate in international markets.

The Greek currency rose to 395.760 drachmas per dollar at the day's fixing, from 396.180 drachmas the previous day.

The drachma was stable against the euro currency at 340.130 drachmas per euro.

[19] Merchant Marine minister reiterates market deregulation

Athens, 16/11/2000 (ANA)

He said that Greek passenger shipping must be strengthened and noted that nothing could be achieved overnight. "We remain stable to our positions," Papoutsis told reporters.

He declined to comment on allegations by shipowner Gerasimos Agoudimos of a preferential treatment of Attica Enterprises by the government and urged the ND main opposition party to unveil its proposals on the country's passenger shipping sector.

[20] Simitis inaugurates new line of Athens Metro

Athens, 16/11/2000 (ANA)

As he opened the new line, which will add five stations to the existing metro network and take in badly served southeast Athens suburbs, Simitis said that the Athens metro would be the vehicle "that will take us to a new age".

According to Environment Minister Costas Laliotis, the new line will serve an average of 130,000 passengers a day, giving residents of Koukaki, Neos Kosmos, Kallithea, Ymettus, Nea Smyrni and Agios Demetrios access to the subway network. This, he added, would bring the number of passengers using the Athens metro on a daily basis up to 400,000.

The new station at Acropolis also sports numerous archaeological exhibits that are exact copies of the sculpted decorations of the Parthenon (Acropolis station), finds from excavations carried out during the building of the station, compositions from the Parthenon friezes referring to mythological episodes and other monuments.

The new stations are Acropolis, Syggrou, Neos Kosmos, Aghios Ioannis and Dafni.

[21] Angelopoulos' film to be screened in Canadian festival

MONTREAL, 16/11/2000 (ANA - I. Frangouli)

The Cannes Festival award winning film will be screened on Dec. 1 in the Canadian capital and again in Vancouver on Dec. 8 at the local European film festival.

The festival in Ottawa begun on Nov. 18 and will run through Dec.2.

[22] Exhibition on Seferis' life opens in Athens

Athens, 16/11/2000 (ANA)

The culture ministry and the municipality of Athens in honor of the Nobel Prize winning poet, who was born in Ismir and died in Athens in 1971, as 2000 was proclaimed the Year of Seferis, organized the exhibition.

The material of the exhibition showcases the life of the poet and diplomat as Seferis was an employee of the Foreign Service.

The exhibition will remain open until Dec. 20.

[23] Establishment of itinerant film festival decided in the framework of 41st Film Festival

Athens, 16/11/2000 (ANA)

According to a recent announcement by Culture Minister Theodoros Pangalos Thessaloniki will be the headquarters of southeastern Europe's film network.

The members of film organizations participating in the meeting enthusiastically welcomed the decision.

A provisional executive committee was elected during the meeting, which will undertake to prepare the networks charter, and the next meeting to be held in Sofia early next year.

[24] First Panthessalian conference to be held in US this weekend

Athens, 16/11/2000 (ANA)

The Panthessalian Federation of America was established last year.

[25] Anniversary of unilateral declaration of independence by Turkish Cypriots condemned

NICOSIA, 16/11/2000 (CNA/ANA)

Seventeen years after the Turkish Cypriots declared their self-styled regime, which the international community considers "legally invalid", the people of Cyprus came out into the streets, drivers stopped their cars, schools halted lessons and everybody stood still for five minutes.

Political parties and major organizations were holding various events to condemn Wednesday's anniversary.

University students marched on Wednesday morning to the Ledra Palace check point, bordering the UN-controlled buffer zone while associations and clubs from the Turkish-occupied district of Kyrenia, were due to hold on Wednesday evening a seminar with key note speakers the Attorney General Alecos Markides and the Government spokesman Michalis Papapetrou.

The main opposition party AKEL was due to organize in the evening an anti-occupation rally near the buffer zone to protest the continuing occupation of part of Cyprus.

The government and political parties have issued statements denouncing the Turkish secessionist act and vowed to struggle for independence, territorial integrity and unity.

The Turkish Cypriot UDI was declared "legally invalid" by UN Security Council resolution 541 of November 1983, which has called on all states not to recognize the self styled regime and not to facilitate it in any way. Only Turkey, whose troops invaded and occupied 37 per cent of the island's territory in 1974, has recognized the bogus-state.

[26] Students demand withdrawal of Turkish troops and settlers

Greek Cypriot students and pupils on Wednesday called on the international community to exercise its influence on Turkey to help pave the way for a settlement, as they protested the 17th anniversary since the Turkish Cypriots set up their self-styled regime in occupied Cyprus.

The students also warned everybody, dealing with the Cyprus peace effort, that they will not accept the fait accompli the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus has created and gave them a clear message "you are wrong in assuming we shall give up our struggle for freedom and justice."

In a petition to the UN Chief of Mission here, the students express "frustration" for the continuing occupation of part of Cyprus, which they describe as "a flagrant challenge to civilized humanity who claims to protect human rights and fundamental freedoms."

"We call upon the international community once again to exert all influence on Turkey and its representatives on the island to help shift Turkish intransigence and prepare the ground for the

reunification of Cyprus," it said.

The petition, adopted by more than ten students organizations, stressed that "we shall continue the struggle for a just and viable solution" based on UN resolutions and high level agreements, which provide for a bizonal, bicommunal federation.

The students demand the withdrawal of all Turkish troops and illegal settlers, respect for human rights of all Cypriots, implementation of the three fundamental freedoms, and an independent, sovereign, demilitarized and territorial integral Cyprus.

The president of POFNE (students' union) Chrisis Pantelides told CNA this is the seventh consecutive year young Greek Cypriots organize this protest rally, the culmination of three days of protests.

He said organizers cooperated fully with local police and no incidents were reported.

The protest at the Ledra Palace checkpoint, near the UN-controlled buffer zone, concluded with a concert of songs for freedom.

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