Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 01-01-17

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

CONTENTS

[01] Greek premier and Yugoslav president confer on bilateral economic relations and Balkan politics

[02] Joint Greek-Yugoslav committee to examine economic cooperation

[03] Kostunica is affirmative about meeting with UN war crimes tribunal prosecutor

[04] Greek Alternate FM outlines proposals on health and environment

[05] Discussion on revision of constitution begins in Parliament on Wednesday

[06] PM and culture minister discuss constitutional revision, Athens 2004 Olympics and new sports gen. Secretary

[07] Venizelos, Cuban FM discuss development of relations

[08] EU Commissioner concerned over Turkish intransigence on Cyprus problem

[09] Premier has 'informational' meeting with Personal Data Protection Authority chief

[10] Athens bourse to get margin trading in February

[11] European Social Fund to invest 60 billion euro for modernization and restructuring of labor markets

[12] EU sees major deficiencies in 45% of Greek projects

[13] Health minister announces five more bills on health reform in the wings

[14] Greek gov't announces tax breaks on property

[15] Papantoniou urges end to comments on stock market

[16] Greek stocks continue moving lower

[17] Development minister calls for foreign private investment in Greece's tourism

[18] ETEBA announces new chief executive

[19] Thessaloniki trade fair CEO joins Black Sea Bank

[20] Health minister expresses anguish over 'probable loss' of crew and patient in fallen medicopter

[21] FIBA turns down proposal for games in second basketball court during Athens 2004 Games

[22] National Council reiterates commitment to continuation of UN-led talks

[01] Greek premier and Yugoslav president confer on bilateral economic relations and Balkan politics

Athens, 17/01/2001 (ANA)

The Greek premier stressed, meanwhile, that Greece had contributed to these important developments by not seeing the Balkans as an arena for conflicts and disputes but for development and cooperation and by pursuing its interest in promoting stability there.

Despite the progress made, Simitis added, difficult economic and political problems still remained, such as the "difficult problem of Kosovo" and Balkan reconstruction, as well as the consequences of the 1999 Kosovo war for people and the environment.

Greece, he said, was in contact with all parties involved in order to deal with these problems and establish peace in the region, so that it could enter a new era of prosperity for all Balkan peoples.

With regard to Kosovo, in particular, the Greek prime minister said that he agreed with Kostunica on the need to implement UN resolutions "that are not now being fully implemented."

He also pledged Greek economic support for Yugoslavia during this transitional period, saying that there were possibilities for cooperation in sectors such as construction, telecommunications and others.

On his part, the Yugoslav president hailed Greece's contribution to the dramatic changes that took place in Yugoslavia and the Balkans, as well as that of the French EU presidency of the time.

He added that the impact of those changes were already being felt, even though only 100 days had passed since the Yugoslav presidential elections. While admitting that certain issues had perhaps not been handled with due care, he noted that Yugoslavia had now rejoined international agencies and resolved certain domestic problems.

Kostunica said that he and Simitis had also discussed the "very difficult problem of Kosovo" and "the attacks by Albanian terrorists in the Presevo valley," as well as relations between Serbia and Montenegro within the framework of the Yugoslav federation.

According to Kostunica, Yugoslavia was ready for dialogue on these problems, while he noted the restraint shown by Serb forces in Kosovo with regard to the use of force, even when attacked by the other side.

He also pointed to the restoration of diplomatic ties with Albania and the establishment of diplomatic ties with breakaway former Yugoslav republics.

Finally, he said that relations with Greece had also entered a new phase, while he referred to possibilities for cooperation in energy, transport and telecommunications. He announced that he and Simitis had agreed to set up a bilateral committee for economic cooperation.

Kostunica agrees to back Balkan fact-finding team to look into DU-bomb issue: Prime Minister Costas Simitis said that he had discussed the issue of depleted uranium bombs used by NATO in Kosovo at length with Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica on Tuesday, who is currently in Athens for a one-day official visit, his first to Greece.

According to Simitis, he and Kostunica had agreed that there needed to be more information from NATO so that they had a clearer picture and could decide how to deal with the issue.

He reminded reporters that Greece is pressing for a full, in-depth investigation by NATO of the consequences of DU bombs on health and the environment, as well as a separate, independent investigation by the EU. In addition, Greece would like Balkan countries to cooperate in setting up a scientific team to look into the issue on behalf of southeast European nations, to which Kostunica agreed.

Kostunica said that Fed. Yugoslavia had raised the issue of depleted uranium weapons from the time of the Bosnia-Herzegovina war in 1995, but he rather played down the extent of the problem in Serbia, saying that the situation was "under control" and that the greater part of Serbia had not been affected.

He added, however, that his government was ready to cooperate with Greece and any other country on this issue, and that Yugoslavia already had some measurements at its disposal.

Greek and Yugoslav presidents discuss democratic changes, bilateral relations, DU bombs: Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica began his first official visit to Greece on Tuesday by meeting with President of the Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos, for talks that the two men described as having "absolutely political overtones".

In statements afterward, the two said they had discussed the course of democratic changes in Yugoslavia and ways of strengthening its bilateral relations with Greece.

On his part, the Greek president stressed the vital role that Kostunica had played in bringing about the democratic changes in his country, while saying that Greece and Yugoslavia were linked by both a common tradition and common interests.

Kostunica hailed his talks with Stephanopoulos as a "landmark for further cooperation and friendship of two countries that have for centuries been on friendly terms."

"In an area that is troubled and is described as the powder-keg of Europe, Greece and Yugoslavia have harmonious relations and coinciding views, and this is something very difficult," he stressed.

Responding to reporters questions after the meeting regarding the depleted-uranium bombs used in Kosovo by NATO in 1999, meanwhile, the Yugoslav leader was strongly critical of the international community and those who had used these weapons, talking about 'depleted consciences' and actions taken in the name of human rights that were anything but humanitarian in their consequences.

Stephanopoulos said that Greece would support Yugoslavia's efforts to improve its democratic institutions and rebuild the infrastructure destroyed during the war.

The Greek president also reiterated Athens's standing position that changes to existing borders in the Balkans would be damaging for the entire region, expressing hope that a solution to the problems of Montenegro would be found within the context of talks between the two sides.

According to Stephanopoulos, the two men also discussed the prospects for bilateral cooperation in specific areas, such as transport, communications and economic development.

He further noted that Yugoslavia should be incorporated in democratic processes as quickly as possible and that its course toward the European Union should be accelerated, while pledging Greece's support in this effort.

Kostunica responded by saying that his country was anxious to put behind it both the autocratic regime of the Milosevic era and the pressures of the embargo imposed on Yugoslavia by the international community, and to become a member of international organizations such as the European Union.

He also drew parallels between Yugoslavia today and Greece in the mid-70s, shortly after the dictatorial military regime in Athens had been toppled and democracy was being reinstated.

"Yugoslavia is in this position today. It must deal with and solve these problems," he said.

In response to reporters' questions about the depleted-uranium missiles health scare and the link made to so-called "Balkans Syndrome" in veterans, Kostunica said his government would do all that was possible and necessary to deal with the problem.

"The use of such substances was a fact stressed by Yugoslav authorities in the past, in areas of Kosovo where there are mines. Unfortunately, however, such weapons were also used in Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1995."

He strongly criticized the international community for using such dangerous weapons, however, saying that this should never be allowed to happen again.

"Nor should that which in 1999 was named humanitarian intervention happen again. Because its consequences were not humanitarian in nature. We could well speak of a depleted conscience of those that used these weapons," he concluded.

Greece refused to participate in NATO bombings against Yugoslavia, Stephanopoulos says: Greece refused to participate in the NATO bombings against Yugoslavia, Greek President Kostis Stephanopoulos said on Tuesday night, addressing his Yugoslavian counterpart Vojislav Kostunica.

During a dinner hosted by Stephanopoulos for Kostunica, the former said that "the mistakes of the (Yugoslav) government of that time should have not been relegated on the Serbian people, nor should military means been used against them, it should have been thought that there were other ways to enforce the democratic and humanistic ideas".

Stephanopoulos made special mention of the friendship between the peoples of Greece and Serbia, which was forged during the 20th century, adding that Greece and Serbia always found themselves "on the same side of the struggle for freedom and independence".

He also pledged Greece's support within the international community, in contributing toward the consolidation of the democratic institutions in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and spoke of the need for the comprehensive development of southwestern Europe.

He stressed that a full decade concluded, during which "intolerance and barren nationalism caused violent relocations of populations, great poverty and many deaths".

Stephanopoulos also called for the "full implementation of the decisions of the Security Council (of the Untied Nations) in all cases. Whether they regard Cyprus, or Kosovo, or the Middle East".

Yugoslav president meets with Parliament president, opposition leaders: Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica, following his meetings with Greek President Kostis Stephanopoulos and Prime Minister Costas Simitis, met on Tuesday with Parliament President Apostolos Kaklamanis, main opposition New Democracy (ND) leader Costas Karamanlis, Coalition of the Left and Progress (Synaspismos) Nikos Constantopoulos and Communist Party of Greece (KKE) leader Aleka Papariga.

Parliament President Kaklamanis offered the economic aid of the Greek Parliament for the rehabilitation of the two Serbian parliaments during the popular uprising that unseated former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic.

In his meeting with Kostunica, Karamanlis spoke of what he called the "immense" responsibilities of the international community, including those of the European Union, toward the reconstruction and humanitarian aid for Yugoslavia.

He added that that "there should not be any further change of borders, nor should they be any new states in the region, as it would lead to instability".

Constantopoulos, on his part, called on the Greek government to undertake initiatives to secure the status quo of the existing borders in the Balkans.

Finally, Papariga said that the KKE was against "plans for the breaking away of Kosovo from Serbia" and the policies of NATO and European governments.

Gold medal of Athens awarded to Yugoslav President: Athens Mayor Dimitris Avramopoulos on Tuesday awarded the gold medal of value of the city of Athens to visiting Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica at the City Hall.

Addressing Kostunica, Avramopoulos referred to the common struggles of the two peoples, adding that at present the two peoples will continue to walk side by side in the framework of their new great motherland, Europe.

Kostunica said friendship linking the Greeks and Yugoslavs is a unique example of friendship between two peoples, adding that an element linking them is the Orthodox faith, which, however, is inadequate to enable one to explain the close relation of feelings existing between them.

Yugoslav president and culture minister discuss return of Parthenon Marbles to Greece: Visiting Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica on Tuesday visited the Acropolis, accompanied by Culture Minister Evangelos Venizelos, and said "everyone should own their cultural monuments belonging to them. Just as in Greece, certain important pieces of civilization are likewise absent in my country, Yugoslavia."

Kostunica said it is not the first time he is visiting Greece and he has visited Mount Athos in the past.

Both Kostunica and Culture Minister Evangelos Venizelos had the opportunity to discuss "the notorious and always open issue of the return of the Parthenon Marbles from the British Museum to their natural position," as Venizelos said.

Other issues they discussed were restoration work at the Parthenon, the new Acropolis museum and the ecological issue currently preoccupying the Balkans.

[02] Joint Greek-Yugoslav committee to examine economic cooperation

Athens, 17/01/2001 (ANA)

The two men touched details of bilateral issues, which were discussed in principle during the meetings of Kostunica with Greek President Kostis Stephanopoulos and Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis.

At the end of the meeting, Papandreou announced that a joint Greek-Yugoslav committee would be established to examine the possibilities of cooperation between the two countries in the economic, cultural and educational sectors.

According to Papandreou, the joint committee would initially be presided by the foreign ministers of the two countries.

The Greek foreign minister also announced that he would visit Belgrade in response to an invitation by his counterpart.

Papandreou also said that he and Svilanovic discussed European Union-Yugoslav relations, in relation to the bilateral cooperation of the two countries, in light of Greece's EU know-how.

He added that discussions included regional cooperation, in light of the Balkan Summit, scheduled for the end of February in Skopje.

On his part, Svilanovic said the meeting with Papandreou, which was decided ad hoc, included discussions on the energy, transport and development sectors.

The official visit of the Yugoslav president ends this evening with a dinner hosted in his honor by Stephanopoulos at 9 p.m.

[03] Kostunica is affirmative about meeting with UN war crimes tribunal prosecutor

Athens, 17/01/2001 (ANA)

Kostunica, who is currently in Athens for a one-day official visit, made the statements after a meeting with Prime Minister Costas Simitis.

[04] Greek Alternate FM outlines proposals on health and environment

Athens, 17/01/2001 (ANA)

The letter, communicated to the EU's Foreign Policy Com-missioner Chris Patten and to Greek Eurodeputies, reminds the commitments undertaken by the EU in meetings held in Cologne, Feira and Zagreb on Balkan reconstruction.

It adds that they can only be fulfilled provided effective measures are taken for the restoration of the environment in the area and stresses the Greek government's sensitivity on the issue, which also takes on bigger dimensions due to risks from the use of depleted uranium weapons.

Greece's proposals, already communicated to the EU's Swedish presidency, include the creation of an integrated scientific study, based on reliable evidence, on the consequences of hostilities for the environment and man in Kosovo, Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

They also call for environmental studies in Balkan countries, where war operations were not carried out, to diagnose possible repercussions for the environment.

Journalists from Mediterranean countries request full information on consequences of bombings in Yugoslavia: Journalists from Mediterranean countries, attending the 3rd conference organized by the Athens Journalists Union (ESHEA) on January 12-13, called for full information on the consequences of bombings in Yugoslavia.

The main issue examined during the conference was the "Balkan Syndrome", while other topics aired were "journalistic solidarity in the time of globalization" and "new technologies at the service of journalism and freedom of the press."

The conference, attended by 50 delegates from 30 journalistic unions and 15 countries, was completed with the ratification of the "Proclamation of Athens."

The proclamation calls for full information on the "Balkan Syndrome", condemnation of those who limit the right to free information, protection of the health of noncombatants and correspondents, the denunciation of every form of censorship and the handling of the phenomenon of the excessive concentration of media by big economic groups.

[05] Discussion on revision of constitution begins in Parliament on Wednesday

Athens, 17/01/2001 (ANA)

Prime Minister Costas Simitis accepted a proposal by PASOK party rapporteur Evangelos Venizelos on the compulsory absence of main shareholders of mass media businesses from state auctions. The proposal will be included among clauses to be amended.

On its part, the main opposition New Democracy party has tabled its own proposals, which former Prime Minister and Honorary ND President Constantine Mitsotakis refused to sign. The party's spokesman said ND would insist on transparency issues, adding that there is no question of party discipline.

[06] PM and culture minister discuss constitutional revision, Athens 2004 Olympics and new sports gen. Secretary

Athens, 17/01/2001 (ANA)

The culture minister described the new sports general secretary as "very capable and experienced" and said that he had worked successfully with him in the past in his capacity as trade union chief at the state-run public power corporation (DEH).

"We had excellent working relations on issues such as the energy problem, insurance packages for GENOP-DEH employees and the future of DEH," he said, while noting that Exarchos also had close ties with sports.

"I believe that the sports sector needs boosting because we have very specific political fronts to deal with, such as the sports bill," the minister added.

With regard to preparations for the Olympics, as a February 15 visit by International Olympic Committee (IOC) coordinating chief Jacques Rogge approaches, Venizelos said that the Culture ministry's Olympic Games Secretariat would be upgraded to a General Secretariat that would be headed by current Costas Kartalis.

According to other sources, the prime minister and culture minister also discussed using former sports general secretary Yiannis Sgouros in a position related to the preparations for the Olympics.

[07] Venizelos, Cuban FM discuss development of relations

Athens, 17/01/2001 (ANA)

Venizelos said after the meeting that Greece and Cuba had long-standing relations of substance.

Roque, who met with Greek counterpart George Papandreou on Monday and signed a memorandum for the promotion of bilateral relations, pledged his country's support in Greece's origination of the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.

He said Cuba also wished to take part in the parallel Cultural Olympiad being organized by Greece.

Roque, who is also scheduled to visit Nicosia, Ankara and Tehran as part of a regional tour, discussed specific cooperation in the fields of agriculture, tourism, transports and shipping with Papandreou.

Meanwhile, Greece's deputy sports minister George Floridis is slated to visit Cuba next month to sign a bilateral cooperation accord in the sports sector, which foresees the establishment of athletic exchanges between the two countries and will enable Cuban sports coaches to come to Greece.

Venizelos said he had accepted an invitation by Roque to visit Cuba.

[08] EU Commissioner concerned over Turkish intransigence on Cyprus problem

BRUSSELS, 17/01/2001 (ANA - M. Spinthourakis)

Addressing a press conference on the course of enlargement after the Nice summit, Verheugen said he is very concerned over developments, particularly due to recent positions voiced by Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit and Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash, saying that they were a token of further toughening on the Turkish side.

He expressed full support for efforts being made by the UN secretary general to resolve the Cyprus issue and called on the parties involved to intensify their efforts in this direction.

Verheugen also pointed out to Ankara that it would be an "illusion" to think that "northern Cyprus could ever join the EU as part of Turkish territory."

Referring to Denktash, he said "there will be no separate accession negotiations with the northern part of Cyprus."

Verheugen also said it is evident that any efforts of by Turkey to annex territory of Cyprus would constitute another violation of international law on the part of Ankara.

He, furthermore, appeared pessimistic over the outcome of proximity talks, saying that "under the present circumstances progress is not expected."

[09] Premier has 'informational' meeting with Personal Data Protection Authority chief

Athens, 17/01/2001 (ANA)

After the 20-minute meeting Dafermos, the Supreme Court judge who heads the independent government agency for the protection of personal electronic data, said they had discussed general matters concerning the PDPA and its operation.

"And in light of the new year, we said a few things," Dafermos added.

[10] Athens bourse to get margin trading in February

Athens, 17/01/2001 (ANA)

"The measure will act to revitalize the market, as it will preclude, avert, or lessen the reasons for the appearance of (brokerage) shortfalls," Papantoniou told a news conference.

"It is also something that exists in all international markets, and I believe the measure will have a very positive impact (in Greece)," he added.

Under the measure, brokerages will have the right to forward cash for stock purchases, with a customer's securities portfolio acting as a guarantee. The portfolio's total value should cover at least 50 percent of the loan being sought.

The introduction of margin accounts should help to boost the Athens bourse's flagging liquidity, cumulatively allowing market players to expand their portfolios, analysts said.

The measure was included in a government bill last year to improve trading at the Athens Stock Exchange but a regulatory amendment was required from the capital markets commission, which is expected next month, Papantoniou said.

The measure, along with a change in the terms of corporate share buybacks, was the only step left to implement under a series of reforms to the market announced last year, he noted.

Finally, the minister said that under a directive being prepared, a quorum of 25 percent would be required at corporate shareholders' meetings to approve stock buybacks, sharply down from the current 75 percent.

At the same time, endorsement by shareholders of a buyback would have legal force for 12 months, down from the current 18 months.

The measure, whose enforcement date has yet to be set, would give listed companies greater freedom of movement while increasing accountability to the public and to regulatory authorities, Papantoniou said.

[11] European Social Fund to invest 60 billion euro for modernization and restructuring of labor markets

BRUSSELS, 17/01/2001 (ANA - V. Demiris)

According to the announcement, the ESR will invest about 60 billion euro over the 2000-2006 period for the modernization and restructuring of labor markets and support for investments in human potential.

The main priorities will be the prevention of long-term unemployment and the rehabilitation of marginalized groups in the economy and society.

Diamantopoulou said "the ESR had from the start adjusted itself to the new challenges. New ways of organizing labor, new needs for skills and new technologies: all these require a new response from the Social Fund. The programs agreed in past months will provide considerable EU funds to enable member-states to meet the challenges which are increasing employment and strengthening economic and social cohesion in Europe."

[12] EU sees major deficiencies in 45% of Greek projects

Athens, 17/01/2001 (ANA)

The European Commission's reply, publicized by the Coalition of the Left and Progress Party, says 52 percent of projects either fulfill specifications or have secondary deficiencies, which will be remedied by contractors.

The remaining 3 percent of projects have very serious deficiencies, which cannot be put right and will have to be reconstructed either partially or in their entirety at the expense of the contractors themselves.

Checks were conducted by the EU's Special Quality Control Council between July 1998 and April 2000 and concerned 1,253 cases.

[13] Health minister announces five more bills on health reform in the wings

Athens, 17/01/2001 (ANA)

Commenting on the reactions of medical school doctors to the bill, Papadopoulos said they would find no grounds for claiming that the bill was unconstitutional, while stressing that it made no sense for medical-school doctors to work simultaneously in public hospitals and private practice.

[14] Greek gov't announces tax breaks on property

Athens, 17/01/2001 (ANA)

Presenting the bill, Papantoniou said it would cut a tax factor on property transfers by two percentage points while tax-free sums on transfers and legacies would be raised by 20 percent.

He said that the new measures would implemented almost simultaneously with a finance ministry decision to increase objective values on real estate, expected sometime next month, in order to counterbalance the tax burden on taxpayers.

Papantoniou said the ministry had not made a decision on imposing a VAT tax on real estate and that the issue would be examined during a discussion of next year's tax system reform.

[15] Papantoniou urges end to comments on stock market

Athens, 17/01/2001 (ANA)

Speaking to reporters, Papantoniou said he was not under pressure to decide measures to support the market, such as buying of state enterprises' shares.

He said that "comments over the stock market are damaging and create nervousness among investors".

"We should leave markets free to make their own judgments over economic developments in the country," Papantoniou said.

[16] Greek stocks continue moving lower

Athens, 17/01/2001 (ANA)

The general index ended 1.08 percent lower at 3,133.12 points, off the day's lows of 3,112.49 and the day's highs of 3,199.38 points.

Traders said investors remained worried over the market's short-term prospects preferring to take early profits every time the market moved higher.

Turnover was a low 112.77 million euros, or 38.43 billion drachmas. The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavy traded stocks ended 0.91 percent to 1,838.60 points, and the FTSE/ASE 40 index eased 1.68 percent to 330.45 points.

Sector indices ended as follows: Banks: 6,951.29

-0.64% Leasing: 487.96 +0.40% Insurance: 1,190.60 +0.74% Investment: 1,250.50 -1.08% Construction: 1,130.02 -1.05% Industrials: 1,884.63 -1.24% Miscellaneous: 2,222.17 -4.31% Holding: 3,172.97 -2.78%

The parallel market index for smaller capitalization stocks ended 3.19 percent down at 252.78 points.

Broadly, decliners led advancers by 281 to 54 with another 21 issues unchanged.

Alpha Bank, Hellenic Telecoms, National Bank, Panafon and Eurobank were the most heavily traded stocks.

Leading shares' closing prices (in euros): National Bank: 38.88 Alpha Bank: 34.02 Commercial Bank: 49.98 Eurobank: 20.52 Piraeus Bank: 15.20 Lambrakis Press: 5.94 Titan Cement (c): 41.02 Hellenic Telecoms: 16.28 Panafon: 7.18 Hellenic Petroleum: 9.36 Attica Enterprises: 6.30 Intracom: 19.28 Minoan Lines: 5.16 Viohalco: 10.02 Hellenic Bottling: 18.52

Equity futures slump, tracking Athens bourse: Equity futures traded on the Athens Derivatives Exchange finished lower on Tuesday, in line with the bourse indices on which they are based, traders said.

The FTSE/ASE 20 index closed 0.91 percent down, and the FTSE/ASE 40 ended 1.68 percent lower.

Turnover was 67.009 million euros on 8,890 contracts traded, the dealers said.

Bond prices drop in sell-off: Bond prices in the domestic secondary market on Tuesday finished lower in heavy trade with players again focusing on 20-year paper.

The Greek benchmark 10-year bond showed a yield of 5.37 percent, the same as a day earlier.

The yield spread over German bunds was 54 basis points from 53 basis points in the session before.

Turnover through the central bank's electronic system totalled 680 million euros (around 231.7 billion drachmas) from 250 million euros (about 85.1 billion drachmas) the trading day before.

Equity, composite mutual funds start year down: Investors buying into domestic equity and composite mutual funds have lost as much as 10.5 percent of their original capital since the start of the year, roughly tracking the performance of Athens Stock Exchange, analysts said on Tuesday.

Average returns from the 78 available domestic equity funds so far this year were -5.1 percent after the bourse's close on Monday, against losses of 7.55 percent posted by the general share index.

Of total funds, 26 showed negative returns above 6.0 percent, and none showed positive returns, the analysts said.

[17] Development minister calls for foreign private investment in Greece's tourism

LONDON, 17/01/2001 (ANA)

He noted Greece's stable economy and called on businessmen who attended the presentation to invest in Greece's tourism industry.

The presentation included seven different investment opportunities in some of Greece's most popular tourist destinations.

[18] ETEBA announces new chief executive

Athens, 17/01/2001 (ANA)

Mr. Goumas was head in National Bank's Investment and Capital Markets Directorate and has a big experience on investment banking.

The bank said his appointment was aimed to promote ETEBA's role in the investment-banking sector.

[19] Thessaloniki trade fair CEO joins Black Sea Bank

Athens, 17/01/2001 (ANA)

Tsarouhas will become the general secretary of the Thessaloniki-based bank, which belongs to the Black Sea Cooperation group.

National Economy Minister Yiannos Papantoniou backed his selection for the post.

Tsarouhas replaces Nikos Zahariadis, who left the Black Sea bank to become deputy governor of state-owned Agricultural Bank of Greece.

[20] Health minister expresses anguish over 'probable loss' of crew and patient in fallen medicopter

Athens, 17/01/2001 (ANA)

Papadopoulos was speaking during the third meeting of Parliament's social affairs committee, which is processing a bill for the improvement and modernization of the National Health System (ESY).

The minister pledged that there would be an in-depth investigation into the causes of the accident by the Civil Aviation Authority.

He also rejected criticism by ND deputy Nikitas Kaklamanis, who said that Papadopoulos had avoided media appearances after the accident in order to protect his political image.

[21] FIBA turns down proposal for games in second basketball court during Athens 2004 Games

Athens, 17/01/2001 (ANA)

ATHOC proposed that all preliminary basketball games are played in a temporary structure with a seating capacity of 14,000 spectators and not in the initially proposed "Peace and Friendship Basketball Stadium", which has approximately the same capacity.

According to reports, FIBA Secretary General Borislav Stankovic turned down the proposed amendment to the initial proposal, which Athens included in its bid for the Games.

Stankovic also noted in his letter to ATHOC that no discussion on such a change of venue was ever made during the many meetings between FIBA and ATHOC.

[22] National Council reiterates commitment to continuation of UN-led talks

NICOSIA, 17/01/2001 (CNA/ANA)

The council members were briefed on Tuesday by President Glafcos Clerides on meetings here by foreign envoys backing the UN-led proximity talks for a settlement in Cyprus, in the light of threats by Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash that he will not participate in the next round of talks scheduled for later this month and his demand for a change of the procedure followed since the talks got underway in December 1999.

Speaking to reporters after the nearly three hour-long meeting, government spokesman Michalis Papapetrou reiterated that the Greek Cypriot side would not accept a change in the procedure set out by the UN or any effort to appease the Turkish Cypriot leader.

"The National Council has started to examine the situation and there was an exchange of views on current developments," Papapetrou said.

Invited to comment on reports that the sixth round of proximity talks scheduled by the UN for late January has been postponed, the spokesman reiterated the government's readiness "to be present at these talks".

"This is why the government, along with the National Council, has invited the UN Secretary-General to set out a date for the continuation of the talks," he added.

Papapetrou said this position is also included in a letter President Clerides has sent to Kofi Annan.

Asked if the National Council has decided how it will react if the UN chief does not respond, the spokesman said party leaders have exchanged views and decided to continue preparations to tackle such an outcome.

Invited to comment on a demand by Denktash, with Ankara's full backing, for a change in the format of the talks, the spokesman underlined that President Clerides "has made it abundantly clear to all diplomats that recently visited Cyprus and every other direction that we will not tolerate any effort to appease Mr. Denktash."

He pointed out that "the procedure and the rules of the game have not been set out by us and each player cannot change them to suit himself, at any stage of this effort."

The Secretary-General had invited the two sides to proximity talks aiming at paving the way for substantive negotiations to reach a comprehensive settlement in Cyprus, divided since Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37 percent of its territory in 1974.

Replying to other questions, the spokesman said the US has given the foreign ministry explanations regarding statements made by American Presidential Emissary for Cyprus Alfred Moses in Ankara that he has given ideas that would facilitate the continuation of the UN effort, but refrained from disclosing any details.

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