Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 01-01-22

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

CONTENTS

[01] Opinion poll shows PM Costas Simitis still considered the most suitable to resolve country's problems

[02] ND Deputy Vassilis Michaloliakos injured in bomb blast in Piraeus

[03] Athens mayor says President of the Republic should be elected by the people

[04] FM Papandreou says potential created by EU accession course a new element in efforts for Cyprus issue

[05] Christodoulos paints bleak picture of situation in Kosovo, meets with Serbian Patriarch

[06] Greek Eurodeputy comments on Tirana's efforts to implement constitution

[07] Greece to allocate 17.5 billion drachmas in aid to Albania

[08] Defense minister arrives in Kozani to visit A' Army Corps HQ

[09] ND leader discusses with DHKKI leader last election's conditions

[10] Greek Atomic Energy Committee says radioactivity in Crete at normal levels

[11] KKE calls for rally on Thursday against foreign intervention in Balkans

[12] Higher state assessed real estate values to be enforced beginning in March

[13] Supreme court judge's report says Citibank uses abusive terms in transactions

[14] "Veropoulos Bros." company inaugurates fourth supermarket in FYROM

[15] Greek Supreme Court calls for debtors to prove inability to pay in avoidance of incarceration

[16] Italian prosecutors to interrogate Mafia kingpin arrested in Greece

[17] Sean Connery arrives in Athens for wife's painting exhibition

[18] Belgium says it supports a single Cyprus state

[19] Britain says welfare of abduction Greek Cypriot top priority

[20] Cuban foreign ministers expresses solidarity to Cyprus' cause

[01] Opinion poll shows PM Costas Simitis still considered the most suitable to resolve country's problems

Athens, 22/01/2001 (ANA)

According to the poll, the ruling socialist PASOK party leads with 46.2 percent on the question of which party will win the next elections, as against 33.9 percent for ND and 5.9 percent for Athens Mayor Dimitris Avramopoulos' party.

On the question of party preferences, and on condition that Avramopoulos' party will participate in the elections, ND leads with 29.4 percent, followed by PASOK with 29.2, Avramopoulos' party 14.7, the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) 4.4 and the Coalition of the Left and Progress 2.9.

If Avramopoulos' party will not participate in the next elections then ND will poll 36.8 percent, PASOK 33.2, KKE 4.7 and the Coalition of the Left 3.5.

The opinion poll also showed that 41.9 percent of respondents believe ND should cooperate with Avramopoulos' party, while 23.6 percent believe there should be cooperation between PASOK and the coalition of the Left.

The most popular politicians according to the poll are Dimitris Avramopoulos with 63 percent, Foreign Minister George Papandreou 57.9, ND Deputy Dora Bakoyianni 53.4, National Defense Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos 53, Costas Simitis 52.6 and Costas Karamanlis 51.4.

[02] ND Deputy Vassilis Michaloliakos injured in bomb blast in Piraeus

Athens, 22/01/2001 (ANA)

Vassilis Michaloliakos was injured as he was emerging from his car and preparing to enter a building where his apartment is located. He was injured in the chest and legs but his life is not in danger, according to the Tzanneion hospital where he had been rushed.

The blast was attributed to a device detonated by remote control, which had been planted in a nearby car.

Michaloliakos' brother, who was accompanying him, was also slightly injured, as well as 2-3 persons in the building, reports said.

Public Order Minister Mihalis Chrysohoidis immediately informed Prime Minister Costas Simitis before paying a visit to the hospital to be briefed by doctors on Michaloliakos' state.

Main opposition New Democracy party leader Costas Karamanlis also rushed to the hospital to enquire about the incident.

Earlier, Michaloliakos had attended a festive event at the Piraeus radio station "Channel 1."

The blast caused extensive damage in the area.

No one had assumed responsibility for the attack but police sources believe that the same method had been used in previous terrorist attacks.

Government strongly condemns bomb attack against ND deputy: The government on Sunday night strongly condemned the attack carried out earlier against main opposition New Democracy party Deputy Vassilis Michaloliakos.

"Tonight's attack against Deputy Vassilis Michaloliakos provokes abhorrence and indignation for those who, using violence as a weapon, try to promote their criminal designs," government spokesman Dimitris Reppas said.

"Prime Minister Costas Simitis, who was briefed from the very first moment and who gave instructions, and all the government are at the colleague's side. We condemn this act in the most categorical manner and reaffirm our will to tackle mechanisms aiming at destabilization and harming the country's interests. Democracy gives a unanimous reply to those who undermine it," Reppas added.

[03] Athens mayor says President of the Republic should be elected by the people

Athens, 22/01/2001 (ANA)

Avramopoulos also said the post of a permanent deputy foreign minister should be enacted and supported the view that the number of Parliamentary seats should be reduced from 300 to 200, while Parliamentary immunity should be abolished in cases of penal offences and remuneration should be connected to the presence of each deputy in Parliament.

The Athens Mayor late last year announced his intention to establish a new political party soon, possibly within the first half of 2001.

Airing his views further, he said the prime minister, ministers and mayors should have two terms of office at the most and there should be incompatibility between the posts of minister and Parliamentary deputy.

Avramopoulos said Greece needs eight years of hard work with specific targets and a program charter, which will not promise change for everything but will set out the 10 main sectors in which changes should be brought about.

He said wealth should be distributed in a more rational manner, the state and the Church should be separated and private universities should be allowed.

In his view, the country should be divided into 10 regions having local regional parliaments, which will have the political responsibility for the development of their regions.

He also said central administration should only preoccupy itself with five main sectors: defense, foreign affairs, education, health and justice.

Avramopoulos said he belongs to the political center, adding that "the center does not exist to serve right-right or left-left scenarios" since "they are an invention of the existing political groups to enable them to overcome the crisis and their problems."

[04] FM Papandreou says potential created by EU accession course a new element in efforts for Cyprus issue

NICOSIA, 22/01/2001 (ANA-G. Leonidas)

Papandreou said Cyprus would not be faced with dilemmas. He added that Turkey will have the dilemmas and wondered whether Turkey will insist on an unconstructive position and will be unbending in its positions.

"I believe it will pay for it, as it is already paying for it. Turkey already has a cost," he said.

Papandreou said the Cyprus issue is always raised in discussions between the EU and Turkey a fact that, as he said, should be utilized by the Greek side.

Referring to the new US administration and to statements by his US counterpart Collin Powell, Papandreou said there was nothing new. He said there would be no differentiations in US policy and that "Turkey's European course is also important for the strategic interests of the US."

Papandreou said that what should be understood was that all the elements set as a road map for Turkey should be met.

On the question of relations with Turkey, Papandreou said "the non-solution of the Cyprus issue will be the obstacle in our cooperation or a solution to the Cyprus issue will be the peak of this cooperation. It will be the motive power."

In a related development, Italian Deputy Foreign Minister Umberto Ranieri said in an interview published in the same paper on Sunday that there was no question of preconditions for the accession of Cyprus to the EU.

Ranieri said the issue was raised at the European Helsinki Council and a framework was found in which the accession of Cyprus should be placed.

"We hope it will be possible to have a solution to the Cyprus issue achieved before accession. But it is not a precondition for the completion of Cyprus' entry to the Union," he said.

[05] Christodoulos paints bleak picture of situation in Kosovo, meets with Serbian Patriarch

Athens, 22/01/2001 (ANA)

Christodoulos, at the head of a Greek Church delegation, landed at Skopje before traveling overland to the Urosevac township of Kosovo.

Speaking from the pulpit on Sunday to a local Athens congregation, Christodoulos spoke about his lightning visit to the area, referring, among others, to "ruins and catastrophe everywhere... unemployment exceeds 45 percent. Shops aren't opened, life has stopped in the region (Kosovo)."

In outlining his opinion about the region to Greece's north, the Greek Prelate said that "... in the beginning the Serbs tried to dislodge the (Albanian) Muslims. Then NATO intervened to supposedly protect the Muslims, but only drove out the Serbs instead. The result: 150,000 Serbs of Kosovo are refugees in their own country, Yugoslavia."

He also charged that besides the few Serbs left, Christian monuments and cathedrals are also being targeted by the Kosovars, necessitating their guarding by NATO forces, while he added that the "west is only now seeing the crime it committed."

According to reports, the Archbishop's plane could not land in Kosovo due to poor weather conditions, whereby the delegation landed in Skopje and boarded buses for Kosovo. The weather was also blamed for the cancellation of a meeting between Christodoulos and moderate Kosovo Albanian leader Ibrahim Rugova.

In addressing some 250 Greek troops in Urosevac, Christodoulos indirectly referred to the ongoing controversy surrounding the issue of depleted uranium (DU) contamination in the Yugoslav province as a result of NATO's bombing, saying that "I would not be here if I was not certain that I can tell you not to be afraid."

Christodoulos later visited a historic Serbian Orthodox monastery in the province before being received by Serbian Patriarch Pavle.

[06] Greek Eurodeputy comments on Tirana's efforts to implement constitution

TIRANA, 22/01/2001(ANA - Ilir Patso)

Tsatsos, invited to Tirana at the invitation of Albanian PM Ilir Meta, helped draft the country's new constitution.

Asked during a press conference if Albanian authorities have begun implementing the new constitution, Tsatsos said that Albania is headed in the right direction.

"We have instances in every country of the world where one or another provision of the constitution isn't implemented, that's why we have constitutional courts to identify violations of the constitution," he said.

The opposition Democratic Party and its leader, one-time president Sali Berisha, have still not recognized Albanias new constitution, which was approved in a referendum on Nov. 29, 1999.

Regarding the latter, Tsatsos noted that "I tried to persuade him (Berisha) then that in order to disagree you have to agree with the rules of the game, and the rules of the game in a democracy are the constitution.

"I believe many of Mr. Berisha's requests have been taken into account during discussions over the constitution, therefore, I'm afraid his objections cannot be based on the constitution's content, but rather, are found elsewhere."

[07] Greece to allocate 17.5 billion drachmas in aid to Albania

Athens, 22/01/2001 (ANA)

The Albanian minister arrived in Athens on Saturday heading a 30-member delegation of university medical doctors from his country on a visit to Greece.

[08] Defense minister arrives in Kozani to visit A' Army Corps HQ

Athens, 22/01/2001 (ANA)

Wintery weather, however, caused a three-hour delay in his arrival, as dense fog in the region did not allow for the landing of the military cargo plane he used for his travel and his was forced to land in Thessaloniki.

[09] ND leader discusses with DHKKI leader last election's conditions

Athens, 22/01/2001 (ANA)

"We were in agreement that there were sad occurrences, such as those that happened during the election period. These occurrences, I would like to underline, are conclusively proven by the conclusions of the committee's report, since they are backed up by state documents ... (these occurrences) damage the quality of democracy in the country," Karamanlis said.

Karamanlis is expected to meet with Coalition of the Left and Progress (Synaspismos) party leader Nikos Constantopoulos for the same reason on Monday.

In an unrelated event, Karamanlis, speaking at a party gathering, called for unity of party's membership and attacked government policies.

[10] Greek Atomic Energy Committee says radioactivity in Crete at normal levels

Athens, 22/01/2001 (ANA)

An announcement by GAEC said that on January 16-17, at the request of the Air Force General Staff, a GAEC work crew conducted measurements and samplings at the Crete and Maleme firing ranges, the 115 combat wing and ammunition dumps at the naval station in Crete.

According to the measurements, the announcement said, "external exposure at the above locations is at the levels of normal radioactivity in the region."

The accumulation of uranium is also at normal levels, according to laboratory measurements.

[11] KKE calls for rally on Thursday against foreign intervention in Balkans

Athens, 22/01/2001 (ANA)

[12] Higher state assessed real estate values to be enforced beginning in March

Athens, 22/01/2001 (ANA)

According to sources, there will be no increases in real estate state assessed values for border regions, there will be slight increases in other rural areas, but sizeable increases are expected in Athens and Thessaloniki.

The same sources said that increases in areas of Athens that were damaged by the Sept. 7, 1999 earthquake will range from 0 to 10 per cent, while in other areas increases will range up to 70 per cent from the current state assessed values.

Meanwhile the Federation of Real Estate Owners of Greece met on Saturday to discuss up coming changes in real estate conditions in Greece.

At the end of their conference, which took place in Athens, they called on the government to delay enforcing increases in real estate state assessed values until Jan. 1, 2002, to give time to owners to "settle their affairs".

They also called on the government to increase the ceiling of tax-free real estate transfers between first blood relatives to 25 million drachmas to decrease to 20 per cent the taxation rate for real estate holdings worth more than 100 million drachmas.

[13] Supreme court judge's report says Citibank uses abusive terms in transactions

Athens, 22/01/2001 (ANA)

The development comes in light of the adjudication of an appeal by the bank for the revocation of a decision taken by an appeals court, which partially accepts a collective lawsuit by the "Quality of Life Consumers' Union", while ordering the payment of 30 million drachmas for the latter.

The amount was awarded to the union for the restoration of moral injury caused to consumers, following the use of abusive terms in the bank's transactions.

Supreme Court judge Thanassis Kritikos issued the report.

[14] "Veropoulos Bros." company inaugurates fourth supermarket in FYROM

MONASTIR, 22/01/2001(ANA - M. Vichou)

The new supermarket covers an area of 2,650 square meters and employs 100 people, while the investment involved amounts to seven million German marks.

The company's four supermarkets operating in FYROM employ a total of 350 people and the total investment made amounts to 24 million German marks.

[15] Greek Supreme Court calls for debtors to prove inability to pay in avoidance of incarceration

Athens, 22/01/2001 (ANA)

The court overturned an appeals court decision that had refused to order the incarceration of a person who failed to comply with the decision of a foreign authority who settled a relevant dispute.

Thus Greece's highest court decided that the adoption of the International Agreement of the United States for the abolition of laws ordering the incarceration of persons for debt, was subject to proof that the person did not have the means to pay his/hers debt stemming from contractual obligations.

[16] Italian prosecutors to interrogate Mafia kingpin arrested in Greece

Athens, 22/01/2001 (ANA)

Francesco Prudentino, 52, alleged member of Italian underworld organization "Sacra Corona Unita" is now being investigated on charges of bribing an Italian prosecutor.

Prudentino is allegedly an Italian mob kingpin accused of directing a cigarette smuggling ring across southeastern Europe, stretching from Italy to Bulgaria.

[17] Sean Connery arrives in Athens for wife's painting exhibition

Athens, 22/01/2001 (ANA)

The purpose of his visit is to support Michelin's painting exhibition to be inaugurated at Marilena Mamidakis' "Athinais" center on January 23.

Connery, who made no statement on arrival in Athens, had expressed his desire to visit archaeological sites in Athens.

[18] Belgium says it supports a single Cyprus state

NICOSIA, 22/01/2001 (CNA/ANA)

Brussels also expressed its full commitment to the UN peace process on Cyprus and to the European Union Helsinki principles, which do not consider a settlement of the Cyprus question a precondition to the Republic's accession to the EU.

A spokesman for Belgian State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Annemie Neyts, Hubert Cooremans told CNA "the Belgian government's position concerning Cyprus is on the one hand a full commitment to the UN process and on the other a full commitment also to the Helsinki principles."

This, he added, means that the Belgian government "sees the Republic of Cyprus as a single, sovereign state with a recognition of the equal status of the parties in a future united Cyprus."

Cooremans, speaking from Brussels, said that with regard to the EU, "it is the Belgian government's position that the rapprochement to the EU is a win-win situation for all parties, which will be better off inside than outside the EU."

His comments come in the wake of a flurry of statements on Neyts' remarks that some sort of recognition of the existence of two sides in Cyprus is of fundamental value.

Her statements gave rise to speculation that she implied recognition of the self-styled Turkish Cypriot regime in Turkish occupied Cyprus, which nobody but Turkey, recognizes. The UN has branded the said regime "legally invalid" and has called on all states not to recognize or facilitate it in any way.

Invited to interpret her controversial remarks, Cooremans said these "fall within the framework of the UN process as put forward by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan."

"I have already said the Belgian position is that it regards the Republic of Cyprus as a single sovereign state with a recognition of equal status of the parties in a future united Cyprus and that conforms to what UN SG has put forward," he added.

Replying to questions, he said the Belgian State Secretary had this in mind when she made her statements on departure after a brief visit to the island, adding "this is the Belgian position."

Asked if Madame Neyts was expressing her assessment of what the Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash wishes to see on Cyprus, he said

Denktash's position is well known and he (Cooremans) does not have to spell it out. "I want to get clear what the position of the Belgian government which is in full compliance with the UN process and the Helsinki principles," the spokesman stressed.

[19] Britain says welfare of abduction Greek Cypriot top priority

British Minister of Foreign Affairs Keith Vaz has assured in a reply letter to British Euro MP Theresa Villiers that the welfare of the Greek Cypriot Panicos Tsiakourmas, abducted by the Turkish occupation forces on December 13, is a top priority for the government of Britain, which will continue to press for his release.

In a different development in this case, the President of the Cyprus Federation of America Savas Tsivicos has sent a letter to US senators and congressmen and former president Bill Clinton calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Tsiakourmas, who was abducted at Pergamos, within the Dhekelia British Base area, in the south-east of Cyprus, when he went there to pick up Turkish Cypriots who work on his construction sites.

In his reply letter to Villiers, Vaz noted that the British government shares her concerns "about the arrest of Tsiakourmas".

He also said the British High Commissioner in Nicosia had protested strongly about the detention of Tsiakourmas to the Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash, underlining that "we made it clear that if, as the Sovereign Base Area Administration Police evidence appears to show, the basis on which Tsiakourmas has been detained was invalid, he should be released immediately".

"We have expressed our concern to the Turkish authorities in Ankara and London," Vaz added.

He also said the High Commissioner and the Sovereign Base Area Administration are in close contact with the Tsiakourmas family and the United Nations.

In his letter to American high-ranking officials, the President of the Cyprus Federation of America strongly appealed to the US government and the US Congress "to exert their influence and pressure upon Turkey, whose government is ultimately responsible for the actions of its subordinate local administration in the occupied area of Cyprus".

He also notes that the Greek American community strongly condemns the abduction of Tsiakourmas by the illegal Turkish Cypriot regime and demands his unconditional and speedy release.

[20] Cuban foreign ministers expresses solidarity to Cyprus' cause

NICOSIA, 22/01/2001 (CNA/ANA)

Speaking after the talks, at a joint press conference, Roque who was paying an official three-day visit on the island said he was quite pleased with the results of this visit, while Kasoulides noted that they discussed a number of world issues giving particular attention to matters pertaining to the UN, the Non-Aligned Movement, the European Union, the G7 and bilateral ties.

Roque said that his presence here "underlines our appreciation for the relations that we have with Cyprus" adding that he informed Kasoulides about the situation in Latin America and Cuba's relations with the European Union.

"We also discussed a long list of problems of great interest to us," he said.

The Cuban foreign minister said he reiterated Cuba's position for the Cyprus problem "and our solidarity for the cause of the Cypriot people".

"Our country" he said "has consistently supported this position and it is also doing so today."

"I have been able to inform him of the damage and obstacles caused by the US blockade in our development and we have agreed on the need for all countries to respect international law and the Charter of the UN," the Cuban foreign minister said.

On his part, Kasoulides noted that bilateral relations are characterized by the fact that Cuba, since the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus, has shown its unequivocal solidarity and has consistently supported Cyprus in all the international fora on the issues that pertain to international law, the observation of the rules enshrined in the Charter of the UN and the implementation of Security Council resolutions.

Asked to elaborate on the negative repercussions of the US blockade against Cuba, Roque noted that the blockade prevents Cuba from gaining access to the US market and technologies, products and services, which are only available in the US.

He also noted that the blockade compels Cuba to import products from far away markets and that increases the prize of foodstuff and medication.

The minister noted that the blockade prevents Cuba from gaining access to credits from international agencies, adding that the credits Cuba manages to get are always short-term and with very high interest rates.

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