Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 01-04-03

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

CONTENTS

[01] Security and prosperity in the Balkans to result from cooperation, Simitis says

[02] Greek, Finnish foreign ministers discuss Balkan, European developments

[03] Albanian, Yugoslav foreign ministers meet on sidelines of forum in Thessaloniki

[04] Greece: Milosevic arrest an 'internal affair'

[05] Communist Party of Greece calls for an anti-imperialist front

[06] Results for new ND central committee in; reactions to Souflias' return

[07] Former US, Russian, Greek leaders address Economist conference in Athens

[08] OA hangar at new airport completed, gov't comments on problems

[09] Air force combat chief: Cyprus included in planning

[10] Greek, British ministers sign cooperation agreement on public administration

[11] Development minister, British cabinet office minister discuss public sector modernization

[12] PM's spot check on tax office, OAED branch in Thessaloniki

[13] Gov’t economic policy sound, Papantoniou says

[14] Greek exports unaffected by FYROM crisis

[15] Development minister says Greek tourism showing continuous upward trend

[16] Japanese delegation in Athens on Tuesday

[17] Manufacturing rises, exports to key markets drop in March

[18] Templeton Fund president says opportunities for purchases in ASE

[19] Greek stocks end lower in record-low turnover

[20] Thessaloniki universities close for 3 days to protest TEI bill

[21] Conference on technology transfer issues in Athens

[22] Ombudsman calls for moving beyond the letter to the 'spirit' of laws

[23] Work of playwright Iakovos Kambanellis presented at Holocaust Museum in Washington

[24] Danish MPs meet FM, House speaker

[01] Security and prosperity in the Balkans to result from cooperation, Simitis says

Athens, 03/04/2001 (ANA)

“This will be the only way to transform the Balkans from a region of tension, conflict and insecurity to a place that contributes without difficulty and delays in the course of the European Union's progress,” Simitis said.

He alluded to Greece’s course after the Second World War, stressing that its course was irreversible and that modern-day Greece bears no relation to Greece of poverty in the 1950s, as the per capita income of the country ranks it among the 25 most prosperous in the world.

A second such change, he said, was that Greece is now at the heart of the international system, a member of almost all important organizations of local and international scope.

Greece has also become an importer of human resources, he noted, in contrast to a country that was traditionally an exporter of human resources changing the social landscape of the country to a more multi-cultural and pluralist one.

He also spoke of the social policies of the Greek government, calling them the corner stone of the aims of the government’s economic policy.

"Our vision is a Greece without social exclusion and discrimination, with a network of protection for the aged and the weak," Simitis said, adding that the government aims to confront unemployment and to continually upgrade the quality of the services rendered in the health and educational sectors.

He stressed that for Greece to secure a better future for its citizens, the government is forging ahead with the deregulation of markets, decreasing bureaucracy and opening "closed" professions, as well as reforming the taxation system.

The Greek premier also spoke of the Greek reconstruction program for the Balkans, which he said will have a five-year term and will be funded with 530 million euros.

This program, he noted, includes financial backing for projects in the sectors of social and economic infrastructures, private investments and services.

He concluded, congratulating the approximately 3,000 Greek businesses that are active in the Balkans and the Black Sea regions.

Greece to seal aid with Balkan countries soon: Greece will sign aid agreements soon with Balkan countries that will receive financing for projects under Athens' economic reconstruction plan for the region, National Economy and Finance Minister Yiannos Papantoniou said on Monday.

The agreements under Greece's five-year reconstruction plan worth 180 billion drachmas are likely to be signed around Easter and will mark activation of the program, Papantoniou told an international Balkan forum held in the northern port city of Thessaloniki.

He said he believed that Greece's plan would also attract much private capital for the recipient countries.

The Balkan conference is organized by the Association of Northern Greek Industrialists and the Hellenic American Chamber of Commerce.

Greece speeds up Balkan restructuring plan: The Greek government is expected to submit to parliament a draft bill on a Greek five-year plan on the restructuring of the Balkans, worth 180 billion drachmas, soon, Economy Deputy Minister Yiannis Zaphiropoulos said on Monday.

Addressing a Forum on the Restructuring of the Balkans in Thessaloniki, Zaphiropoulos said funds would be covered from a bilateral development program and the state budget.

He said that government would seek to upgrade the role of an organization of export credit insurance and a credit facility system in the country to speed-up funding procedures.

Yugoslav Federal Republic's International Financial Relations Minister, Miroljub Labus, addressing the forum said the Belgrade government has set six macro-economic targets for 2001, in an effort to reconstruct its economy after the 1999 crisis in Kosovo.

Labus said targets included achieving a 5.0 percent growth rate this year, increasing imports and exports by 20 percent through a devaluation of the Yugoslav dinar by less than 15 percent in 2001, boosting agriculture production, containing inflation and restoring the country's position in international agencies.

He announced plans to liberalize foreign exchange transactions, trade and billing policies, a restructuring of the country's banking sector, reviewing the present status in telecommunications and speeding up privatizations.

Labus said the government faced an external debt exceeding 12.2 billion US dollars, an unemployment rate of 27 percent (unofficially above 40 percent), per capita GDP of less than 1,000 US dollars and with one-third of the population leaving below poverty limits.

A Greek plan for the restructuring of Southeastern Europe, envisaging payouts of 83.03 million US dollars to FYROM (3.18 percent of the total package worth 358.17 million dollars) was a key to FYROM's economic growth, Economy Minister Besnik Fetai, told the conference.

Fetai said FYROM achieved growth rates of 5.0 percent last year and recorded direct investments totalling 155 million US dollars. The Skopje government has completed the privatization of 1,586 out of a total 1,726 state enterprises under an ambitious privatization program.

Cyprus Economy Minister Takis Clerides told the forum that Cyprus was not intending to ask for significant exemptions from a community laws. "Cyprus will prepare its way towards EU membership through enhancing its competitiveness, implementing social cohesion and integrating its economy to benefit both the Greek-Cypriot and Turkish-Cypriot communities.

Call for speed, flexibility and more funds in Balkan Reconstruction drive: Macedonia-Thrace minister George Paschalidis on Monday called for speed, flexibility and more capital in the drive for Balkan reconstruction.

Addressing the opening in Thessaloniki of an annual forum on economic cooperation in SE Europe, Paschalidis said that in order to "achieve the wager of reconstruction, we must move faster, with flexibility and greater generosity with respect to the funds", and urged all sides involved to make every effort so that more capital would be raised at the next conference of contributors for Balkan reconstruction.

He told the opening of the two-day 8th Thessaloniki Economic Forum that the past year, at political level, was marked by two significant developments, one positive and one negative.

The positive development was the change in Yugoslavia towards its democratization, while the negative development was the "recent terrorist incidents in FYROM that threaten to once again create a climate of instability in the wider region", Paschalidis said.

He said the Greek government was "determined to wage all the necessary political and diplomatic battles to protect the independence and territorial integrity of FYROM and for a solution to the present crisis to be found through peaceful dialogue".

Paschalidis said it was "a shame that these incidents are slowing down the course of reconstruction", adding that there was "no room for the development of nationalistic tendencies aiming at the creation of purely ethnic states, from the moment all the Balkan countries have chosen a European prospect".

ND leader says security and stability are preconditions for development in southeastern Europe: Main opposition New Democracy (ND) party leader Costas Karamanlis, addressing the 8th business forum organized in Thessaloniki by the Federation of Industries of Northern Greece, on Monday said security and stability are preconditions for the development of southeastern Europe.

Karamanlis proposed that a series of agreements should be concluded with each neighboring country separately, adding that "we believe these agreements of 'European Partnership' can provide a new impetus for our relations and they can give substantive and effective support for the neighbors' European path."

"It is necessary for us to remove intolerances of the past and barren nationalist hatred from our neighborhood and become protagonists of peace and stability," he said.

"ND's position is that southeastern Europe is the exclusive place where politics are being called on to give difficult examinations. This is so because politics are those, which are called on to change conceptions, bridge rifts, build stairs of cooperation and combat prejudices. For us, the solution for peace and prosperity in the Balkans is only and always political. And so we are insisting that the focal and inviolable condition of our overall position is the inviolability of borders and we should all start from here. We should all commit ourselves on this target with clarity and absoluteness, without reservations and vagueness," Karamanlis added.

European Service to provide 490 million euros this year for reconstruction of southeastern Europe: The budget for the European Service for the Reconstruction of Southeastern Europe is expected to reach 490 million euros this year, compared to 505 million last year, without including 175 million euros earmarked last December to be directed to the region during the year.

Addressing the 8th Forum on Balkan reconstruction organized in Thessaloniki on Monday, the service's secretary general Andreas Jobel said that out of the 490 million, about 285 million is expected to be diverted to Kosovo, 170 million to Serbia and 35 million to Montenegro.

On his part, the President of the US Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) Kirk Robertson ascertains a considerable lack of capital for funding investment programs in the countries of southeastern Europe.

He further called on national governments to provide funding and support for private enterprise to help overcome the lack of investment capital.

A representative of the World Bank group also said recent tension in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) showed that progress is necessary regarding political stability to pave the way for private investments in southeastern Europe.

The forum: The two-day annual forum on economic cooperation in southeastern Europe that opened Monday in Thessaloniki is jointly organized by the Federation of Industries of Northern Greece and the Hellenic American Chamber of Commerce at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. This year the forum boasts an upgraded political presence given the participation of Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis, Yugoslav federal premier Zoran Zizic, and Greece's main opposition New Democracy leader Costas Karamanlis.

During the two-day session, the socio-economic developments related to Balkan reconstruction will be examined, under the shadow of the ongoing crisis in FYROM.

The Yugoslav government is participating for the first time this year after several years of exclusion, while the US is also taking part with its deputy secretary of state for European Affairs James Swiggert and attache to the Athens embassy Michael Cleverly.

Also attending are five economy ministers (from Greece, federal Yugoslavia, Cyprus, Albania and FYROM) and four foreign ministers (from Albania, FYROM, federal Yugoslavia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina), as well as senior executives of several international organizations and financial giants, including the Stability Pact, the European SE Europe Reconstruction Service, the UN Economic Committee, the World Bank, the EBRD, and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation.

Tuesday's session will comprise six workshops with the attendance of ministers and deputy ministers from the countries of the wider region and eminent businessmen.

[02] Greek, Finnish foreign ministers discuss Balkan, European developments

Athens, 03/04/2001 (ANA)

The two men initially focused on developments in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) and the latest developments in Yugoslavia surrounding the arrest of former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic, as well as the development of the region.

They also discussed issues relating to the Middle East.

[03] Albanian, Yugoslav foreign ministers meet on sidelines of forum in Thessaloniki

Athens, 03/04/2001 (ANA)

The meeting is part of a step-by-step rapprochement between Tirana and Belgrade encouraged by the international community, following the overthrow of Slobodan Milosevic.

During his address to the forum, Milo confirmed these efforts towards rapprochement, stressing that the Albanian government was resolved to bridge the gap between the two countries despite criticism from nationalists in his country.

He also spoke of the developments in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), saying that they were the result of action taken by extremist groups, which belong to a population who has been waiting for ten years to achieve its demands.

He stressed that the armed action in FYROM was not part of a "Greater Albania" prospect.

[04] Greece: Milosevic arrest an 'internal affair'

Athens, 03/04/2001 (ANA)

A foreign ministry spokesman added that such "internal procedures ... must be respected by all," while reiterating that the one-time Yugoslav strongman's incarceration shouldn't cause more unrest as the Balkan nation, especially as it slowly begins to normalize its international standing.

Asked if the Greek foreign ministry believes Milosevic should be handed over to the UN War Crimes Tribunal at The Hague, spokesman Panos Beglitis said Athens "cannot dictate to the lawful Yugoslav government what to do". He did add, however, that Belgrade fully understands its responsibilities as derived from international agreements, the Yugoslav constitution and that country's laws.

Milosevic was arrested over the weekend at his Belgrade villa on suspicion of illegally siphoning off state funds, as opposed to alleged "crimes against humanity" emanating from a late 1990s crack-down by Yugoslav forces against Albanian insurgents in strife-torn Kosovo.

Finally, the spokesman noted that Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou would be briefed over the issue later in the day by visiting Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic and Yugoslav FM Goran Svilanovic.

Both Yugoslav officials are in the Greek capital to attend a three-day roundtable conference bringing together many of the region's political, business and finance leaders, along with several well-known international statesmen.

Papandreou, Cohen: In a related development, former US defense secretary William Cohen on Monday called Milosevic's arrest a "pleasant development", as he left a morning meeting with Papandreou.

Cohen is also in Athens to attend the roundtable conference, sponsored by the "Economist" group.

Additionally, he reiterated Washington's standing position of referring Milosevic to the Tribunal in The Hague.

On his part, Papandreou told reporters that he was satisfied by Yugoslavia's cooperation with the international community. In terms of the Milosevic arrest, he said the issue falls within the domain of Yugoslav authorities, justice and political forces, "any other statement is redundant".

[05] Communist Party of Greece calls for an anti-imperialist front

Athens, 03/04/2001 (ANA)

The press release was issued on Monday after the Central Committee meeting on March 31 to discuss "developments in the Balkans and workers' action against the government's new measures concerning the social insurance sector".

KKE said the "struggle for public social insurance, free public education and an improvement in living standards is a common and unified struggle unbreakably linked to the struggle for peace in the area".

Referring to developments in the Balkans, KKE said "the imperialists are aiming at integrating and deepening NATO's domination of the Balkans with or without a change in borders", adding that the "imperialists' recent decisions, their overall movements and their deceptive maneuvers show that they want to impose a course of controlled destabilization".

[06] Results for new ND central committee in; reactions to Souflias' return

Athens, 03/04/2001 (ANA)

The vote was held on Sunday, during the last day of the congress, and the count completed early on Monday morning.

Though some members had complained of irregularities late on Sunday night, no formal objections have been raised and most sides appear satisfied with the final result.

Aside from the elections, the third and final day of ND's congress was marked by the dramatic return of veteran member George Souflias, who had been expelled from the party three years ago. This followed a public invitation for his return from party leader Costas Karamanlis on the first day of the congress on Friday.

In statements on Monday, Souflias said that others who had been expelled should return to the party, though he conceded that not all cases were equivalent and much depended on the circumstances involved.

Asked what position within the party he might be given, Souflias answered that he must first meet with Karamanlis - but did not rule out something linked to the party's program.

He said he was proud of the party program he had written for ND in the past, which he said was now "used as a compass for both (ruling) PASOK and ND."

ND honorary president also welcomed his return and former premier Constantine Mitsotakis, while Liberals leader Stephanos Manos, who also originated from within ND's ranks, expressed satisfaction at "Souflias' return to active politics."

Karamanlis' admission that the expulsions of 1998 were a mistake, Manos added, showed "bravery and intelligence" but he said that the Liberals would continue to be an independent presence in the country's political scene.

[07] Former US, Russian, Greek leaders address Economist conference in Athens

Athens, 03/04/2001 (ANA)

He strongly criticized the Albanian extremists, noting that NATO did not save the Albanians from genocide, for them to be creating problems and a crisis in the region.

He once again defended US and NATO policy in bombing Serbia, stressing that there should not be states that allow the existence of ethnic cleansing policies. "Diplomacy and politics collapsed, the military intervention was the only solution," he said.

He also defended the policies of US President George Bush, regarding the deployment of an anti-missile protective shield, even without agreement with Russia, in the presence of former Russian Prime Minister Yevgeni Primakov, who was also present in the conference.

Primakov, in his address, said that the creation of a single political superpower based on the maintenance of a single armed camp (NATO) would not be beneficial for the international community.

He stressed that the world is a complex entity with many economic and political centers and the creation of a chain of stability between countries, such as the US, Japan, Russia and others would be better than the establishment of military alliances.

Primakov also spoke of the dangers of ethnic self-determination, stressing that there are about 2,500 ethnic groups around the world and only about 150 states. If the majority of those groups were to demand self-determination, there would be chaos, he said.

Former Greek Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis, also addressed the conference, criticizing the crisis management of the great international issues by the West.

He said that the West spoke of international order, adding that the most powerful country in the world, the USA, demanded that an international court would exist to try everybody, except Americans.

[08] OA hangar at new airport completed, gov't comments on problems

Athens, 03/04/2001 (ANA)

"I believe that all of these things (airport problems) are but a brief exception. We'll shortly remember them only as a faint recollection," government spokesman Dimitris Reppas said in reply to press questions.

In an effort to minimize problems, state-run Olympic Airways (OA) announced a cancellation of seven out of its 75 scheduled flights between Monday, April 2 and Wednesday, April 11 -- half way into Easter Week.

Flights to Thessaloniki, Hania, Irakleio, Ioannina, Kos, Santorini, Mykonos, Samos and Rome were cancelled.

Meanwhile, in a related development, Olympic Aviation's (OA) recently constructed maintenance hangar was inaugurated on Monday at the new "Eleftherios Venizelos" airport at the Spata site, east of Athens.

Olympic Aviation is a wholly owned subsidiary of OA -- the country's national carrier -- and mostly handles domestic air routes in Greece as well as some overseas charter flights.

A contract for the new maintenance hangar was signed last June at a cost of 3.2 billion drachmas. (1? equals 340.75 drachmas). OA's administrative offices are expected to finish by the summer, airline officials said.

First week difficulty: Asked about the barrage of criticism surrounding the first week of operation at the new airport, Transport Minister Christos Verelis - who attended a ribbon – cutting ceremony for the new facility -- acknowledged that "a bad first weekend, where passengers were inconvenienced" was recorded. He added, though, that the serious problems of the first few days were beginning to subside.

Lengthy flight delays along with cancellations, lost baggage, outbound and inbound traffic as well as equipment and communications foul-ups have plagued the new state-of-the-art airport's first week of operation.

On its part, the Coalition of the Left (Synaspismos) issued a statement referred to "an intentional downgrading, on the part of the government, of serious problems" at the new airport.

Synaspismos also accused the government of attempting to "shrug off" its own responsibilities and the airport's operational problems onto debt-ridden Olympic's back.

[09] Air force combat chief: Cyprus included in planning

NICOSIA, 03/04/2001 (ANA)

In statements to the island republic's state-run broadcast network, Hellenic Air Force Lt.-Gen. Panayiotis Papanikolaou said his branch's military planning and operational considerations include support for the divided island of Cyprus.

The high-ranking Greek officer made the statement at a Larissa air base in central Greece, and while escorting Cypriot Defense Minister Socrates Hasikos at the facility.

[10] Greek, British ministers sign cooperation agreement on public administration

Athens, 03/04/2001 (ANA)

"It is a program of exchanges and cooperation with Britain, which has a more effective public administration than we do. Its help will surely be useful for the program of upgrading our public administration," Papandreou said.

"We look forward to the cooperation between the two sides and to learn from one another," Mowlam said, adding that the agreement also includes cooperation on electronic administration issues.

Papandreou noted that Mowlam made positive mention of Greece's TAXIS system used by the tax bureau, as well as several other electronic administration services.

[11] Development minister, British cabinet office minister discuss public sector modernization

Athens, 03/04/2001 (ANA)

The meeting was held as part of Mowlam's official visit to the country.

Emphasis was placed on continuing the cooperation and joint effort of the two governments on issues of mutual interest, particularly the promotion of competitiveness targets set by the Lisbon summit.

Christodoulakis said utilizing British experience on such issues as supporting underprivileged areas through the establishment of new businesses, combating social exclusion and helping in the rehabilitation of special groups is of particular interest.

[12] PM's spot check on tax office, OAED branch in Thessaloniki

Athens, 03/04/2001 (ANA)

The premier said that he had chosen to make use of a free morning to check up on the city's public services.

During his visit he spoke with staff and the public and heard their problems and complaints.

Simitis is in the city for the third consecutive day and is due to deliver an address to close the 8th Thessaloniki Forum for economic cooperation in the Balkans on Monday night.

A meeting between Simitis and his Bulgarian counterpart Ivan Kostov is scheduled for Tuesday morning, to be followed by a joint press conference.

[13] Gov’t economic policy sound, Papantoniou says

Athens, 03/04/2001 (ANA)

His was commenting on PASOK deputy Theodore Pangalos' comments over a cabinet decision to cut defense spending and to use this money to fund social programs in the next four years.

"I do not wish to comment on Mr. Pangalos or anything else. Several petty-political comments heard in the last few days should not shadow the essence of a significant decision taken by the government committee, the government's highest body," Papantoniou stressed.

"We can delay certain defense programs to support our social policy aiming to increase pensions, public education, the healthcare system, to combat poverty and social exclusion and to support the country's birthrate," he said.

"It is a heavily political decision that we all have to support in the framework of fiscal discipline. The challenge for Greece in the next few years is to support a social state by taking advantage of our economic success under fiscal stability conditions," Papantoniou said.

He said that enhancing social policy would benefit economic growth more than any other programs by supporting the purchasing power of low and medium-incomes.

[14] Greek exports unaffected by FYROM crisis

Athens, 03/04/2001 (ANA)

A survey conducted by the union revealed, however, that a significant number of businessmen said they witnessing a slight decline in demand for their products, troubles on their road transports to Kosovo and order cancellations.

Greek exports to FYROM totalled 184 million Ecus in 1996 and rose steadily to 275 million Ecus in 1997, ranking the country as Greece's 11th trade partner.

In 1998, bilateral trade fell by 14 percent due a crisis in Kosovo, but trade volume increased sharply the next year, totalling 395 million euros, placing FYROM as the sixth largest market for Greek products.

Greek exports mainly included oil products, fruits and vegetables, foodstuff, textiles, metals and machinery.

Exports of oil products to FYROM more than doubled in 1999, accounting for 53 percent of Greek exports to the country. Food, beverages, tobacco, textiles and clothing each accounted for a 9-10 percent of Greek exports to FYROM.

[15] Development minister says Greek tourism showing continuous upward trend

Athens, 03/04/2001 (ANA)

Christodoulakis was speaking at the 9th regular general assembly of the Federation of Greek Tourist Businesses (SETE) on development prospects, challenges and opportunities for Greek tourism.

He said the greatest challenge in the tourist sector is how to shape a product appealing to higher income brackets with higher requirements and being difficult to replace with other tourist markets.

Christodoulakis further pointed out that Greek tourism and tourist businesses should utilize great opportunities appearing with the holding of the 2004 Athens Olympic Games and that the target is the creation of a stable tourist wave to Greece, based on quality and products which will be difficult to find in other tourist markets.

New president for Greek tourism trade group: Appointed as the new president of the Association of Greek Tourism Companies on Monday was Stavros Andreadis, a northern Greek businessman in the sector.

[16] Japanese delegation in Athens on Tuesday

Athens, 03/04/2001 (ANA)

The delegation, comprising of public and private sector officials, is visiting Athens in the aftermath of Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori's visit in January.

It is the first official Japanese delegation, headed by Ground, Infrastructure and Transport Deputy Minister Jiro Hanyu, visiting Greece to discuss tourism matters.

The Japanese delegation will meet with Deputy Minister Nikos Christodoulakis and tour several tourist attractions around the country.

[17] Manufacturing rises, exports to key markets drop in March

Athens, 03/04/2001 (ANA)

The index, released on Monday, is the outcome of a survey of 300 companies carried out by NTC Research of the United Kingdom in conjunction with the Greek Procurements Institute.

[18] Templeton Fund president says opportunities for purchases in ASE

Athens, 03/04/2001 (ANA)

Mobius, an expert in rising markets, said that compared to the last decade listed Greek companies have increased their professionalism spectacularly and that Greece's growth rates are very satisfactory.

Referring to rising markets, he said that they have been devalued compared to markets in the US and expressed pessimism over the course of Nasdaq, the indicator concerning new technology companies in the US.

Mobius further said that the euro has been devalued by over 20 percent and so have most of the important international currencies.

On the question of oil prices, he said prices will drop below 20 dollars per barrel and that even if they do increase they will not have negative effects on share prices in international stock exchanges.

[19] Greek stocks end lower in record-low turnover

Athens, 03/04/2001 (ANA)

Traders said institutional investors, which were significantly active on Friday, remained on the sidelines on Monday pushing turnover to a new record low of around 30 billion drachmas.

The general index ended 0.41 percent lower at 3,032.08 points, off the day's lows of 3,017.07 points. Turnover was 100.47 million euros, or 34.24 billion drachmas.

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavy traded stocks ended 0.22 percent off at 1,741.52 points, and the FTSE/ASE 40 index dropped 0.70 percent to 368.65 points.

Sector indices ended as follows: Banks: 6,394.86 -0.50% Telecoms: 995.96 -0.12% Insurance: 1,438.64 -1.43% Investment: 1,188.35 +0.61% Construction: 1,461.43 -0.66% Industrials: 1,860.36 -0.81% Holding: 3,568.07 +1.06% Base metals: 978.86 -1.23% Minerals: 1,008.05 +0.53% Publishing: 985.70 -0.16% Textiles: 1,166.67 -1.08% Retailing: 1,119.35 +1.36% IT: 1,062.38 -0.69% IT solutions: 1,027.04 -1.16% Wholesale: 932.82 -1.44% Food and Beverages: 861.46 -1.67%

The parallel market index for smaller capitalization stocks ended at 329.41 points, off 0.87 percent.

Broadly, decliners led advancers by 227 to 89 with another 43 issues unchanged.

Akritas, Aspis Invest, Xifias, ANEK Lines, Eskimo, Korfil, Halyps Cement, PC Systems and Minerva scored the biggest percentage gains, while Mesohorities, Mouriadis, Doudos, Sea Farm, Agrinio Metalplastics, Sex Form, Viosol, Progressive and Etma suffered the heaviest losses.

ErgoInvest, Hellenic Telecoms, Alpha Bank, Aspis Insurance and Commercial Bank were the most heavily traded stocks.

Leading shares' closing prices (in euros): National Bank: 38.26 Alpha Bank: 29.18 Commercial Bank: 50.56 Eurobank: 17.58 Piraeus Bank: 12.50 Lambrakis Press: 13.04 Altec: 7.26 Intrasoft: 11.56 Titan Cement (c): 38.44 Hellenic Telecoms: 15.24 Panafon: 6.06 Hellenic Petroleum: 9.04 Attica Enterprises: 8.06 Intracom: 19.16 Mytilineos: 7.80 Minoan Lines: 5.00 Viohalco: 10.92 Coca Cola HBC: 15.12

Equity futures end mixed, roughly tracking Athens bourse: Equity futures traded on the Athens Derivatives Exchange finished mixed in thin trade on Monday, roughly in line with the bourse indices on which they are based, traders said.

The FTSE/ASE 20 index closed 0.22 percent down, and the FTSE/ASE 40 ended 0.70 percent lower.

Turnover was 12.4 million euros on 2,193 contracts traded, the dealers said.

Bond prices nose down in light turnover: Bond prices in the domestic secondary market on Monday finished slightly lower in light trade.

The Greek benchmark 10-year bond showed a yield of 5.26 percent from 5.28 percent a day earlier.

The yield spread over German bunds was 56 basis points from 57 basis points in the session before.

Turnover through the central bank's electronic system totalled 455 million euros (156 billion drachmas) from 560 million euros (190.8 billion drachmas) in the trading day before.

Sell orders accounted for 250 million euros of turnover.

[20] Thessaloniki universities close for 3 days to protest TEI bill

Athens, 03/04/2001 (ANA)

The faculty in both Thessaloniki universities has formally asked Education Minister Petros Efthymiou to withdraw the bill in question and to begin talks with all parties involved.

The protest has also been joined by a number of staff members at the Thessaloniki TEI, where many classes were cancelled. The operation of Thessaloniki's TEI was further disrupted by an anonymous call about a bomb at its Health and Welfare School earlier on Monday morning.

The building was evacuated for at least two hours while police and the bomb squad searched the grounds, but the call finally turned out to be a hoax.

[21] Conference on technology transfer issues in Athens

Athens, 03/04/2001 (ANA)

The aim of the conference is help in the professional orientation of consultants for technology transfer in Europe and Greece and thus promote professionalism. Currently, European Union countries are significantly behind both Japan and the US in this sector, while Greece is even more behind in relation to the EU.

[22] Ombudsman calls for moving beyond the letter to the 'spirit' of laws

Athens, 03/04/2001 (ANA)

The report signed by head ombudsman Nikos Diamantouros says that what remains is to move beyond the letter of the law to a wider sense of legality. Similarly, in appraising cooperation between government services and the Ombudsman's Office, Diamantouros said that this had improved on a formal level but not on a deeper level when serious, long-standing problems were involved.

According to the report, complaints from the public had risen by 56 per cent in 2000 to 12,811 cases, of which 50.47 per cent were decided in favor of plaintiff.

Of these, 12.40 per cent concerned alleged human rights abuses, where 46.27 were decided in favor of those making complaints.

Decisions in favor of citizens came to 53.39 per cent in welfare complaints, 44.55 per cent in quality of life complaints and 53.13 per cent in state-citizen relations complaints.

Most cases of bad management by public services were found in state insurance funds (22.2 per cent) and municipal government (18 per cent), with prefectural authorities doing slightly better at 15 per cent.

Athens municipality topped the league with 12.2 per cent of cases of bad management - partly due to its large population and staff shortages - followed by Glyfada with 2.28 per cent, Piraeus with 2.16 per cent and Marousi with 2.03 per cent.

Among ministries, the worst management record is held by the Finance Ministry with 10.4 per cent of cases, the Education Ministry with 6.2 per cent, the Interior Ministry with 4.1 per cent, the Health Ministry with 4 per cent and the Environment, Town Planning and Public Works Ministry with 3.5 per cent.

Among state insurance funds, most incidents of bad management concerned IKA (Social Insurance Foundation) with 35.9 per cent, followed by the Metal Workers Auxiliary Fund with 21.3 per cent, the OGA farmers' fund with 14.9 per cent and the business owners TEBE fund with 6.8 per cent. A special report on the metal workers' fund is to be published by the ombudsman's office soon.

Complaints concerning interaction with state services can be made to the Ombudsman's Office at any time of day at the number 0801 25000, while the office will soon have its own website on the Internet at www.synigoros.gr

[23] Work of playwright Iakovos Kambanellis presented at Holocaust Museum in Washington

WASHINGTON, 03/04/2001 (ANA - T. Ellis)

The event was organized by the Holocaust Museum in cooperation with the press office of the Greek embassy in Washington at the museum's main amphitheatre. The public was moved by the personal ordeal of the well-known Greek playwright and academic and by extracts from his work entitled "Mauthausen."

Kambanellis was introduced to the public by Greece's Ambassador to the US Alexander Philon, who spoke of his theatrical plays, film scenarios and poems and thanked the Holocaust Museum for cooperation it has developed with the Greek embassy.

[24] Danish MPs meet FM, House speaker

House of Representatives President Spyros Kyprianou on Monday briefed the president and members of the European Affairs Committee of the Danish Parliament on the present phase in the Cyprus peace effort and the Republic's European Union accession course, during a meeting in Nicosia.

Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides and the Republic’s chief negotiator in the accession talks also briefed the 10-member inter-party Danish delegation, on an official two-day visit, with the EU George Vassiliou.

According to a House press release, committee chairman Claus Larsen-Jensen and the other MPs expressed their solidarity with efforts for a just settlement in Cyprus and the Republic's accession to the Union.

A UN effort that got underway in December 1999 aiming at reaching a comprehensive settlement in Cyprus reached an impasse after Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash announced he would not participate in a sixth round of proximity talks unless his illegal regime in the areas of the island occupied by Turkish forces since 1974 is recognized and there is a change in format.

Kyprianou told the Danish delegation that Cyprus cannot be punished for the Turkish invasion and continuing occupation and underlined that the Republic's accession to the EU could be a catalyst for a settlement.

The House president also expressed the view that Ankara would not change its policy towards Cyprus unless the international community "made her feel the need to abandon her expansionist policy".

Later in the day the Danish MPs met the Chairman of the Cyprus House Standing Committee on Foreign and European Affairs Tassos Papadopoulos.

Before their departure on Tuesday they will meet Mayor of Nicosia Lellos Demetriades and visit the cease-fire line in the old part of the capital.

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