Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 01-12-03

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

CONTENTS

[01] Belgian PM calls on Turkey to stop blocking EU force

[02] FM says Cyprus solution conducive for peace and cooperation

[03] ND leader tours Thrace, comments on rural policy

[04] PASOK secretary addresses prefectural committee secretaries

[05] Former minister Pangalos criticizes ruling PASOK party

[06] Greek, Egyptian delegations discuss educational exchanges

[07] Local administration conference ends

[08] KKE leader to visit Cuba

[09] Gov't eyes slash in Athens airport fees, comments on OA sale

[10] PPC says debt lowered; points to staff targets

[11] Tirana: Kurdish illegals changing routes toward Europe

[12] Artifacts from worst-ever heist back on display at Corinth museum

[13] Government satisfied with objectivity of UN report

[14] Cyprus ratifies international convention to combat financing of terrorism

[01] Belgian PM calls on Turkey to stop blocking EU force

Athens, 03/12/2001 (ANA)

The Belgian premier, whose country holds the EU rotating presidency, sternly denied claims that Turkey has been given assurances of the Aegean Sea's and Cyprus’ exclusion from any future European Union force’s operational responsibility.

He added that if Ankara continued to place obstacles and disagree with Nice summit decisions, “then we will proceed with a resolution for operational capability at Laeken, however, this will not be a resolution without NATO’s acquiescence, but cooperation with NATO on a case-by-case basis.”

The Belgian premier’s statements in Athens came on the heels of his official visit to Ankara a day earlier, where he discussed the thorny issue of Turkey’s obstinate stance vis-a-vis EU-NATO defense cooperation.

“I went to Turkey to deliver a very explicit message ... that we hope Turkey will agree with the Nice summit’s conclusions, which are clear. And the Belgian presidency’s position is that conclusions reached at Nice must be adhered to over issues of common security and defense policy.”

On his part, Simitis reiterated that the Greek government agrees with the proposal to table a resolution outlining the EU force's operation capability.

He said such a development would allow the EU "to decide what actions - within the general framework that we've decided - will be commenced. These actions are decided by the EU's members, and no third party participates," Simitis said in a direct reference to non-EU member Turkey.

Regarding another matter creeping towards the top of Greece's foreign policy priorities of late, namely, illegal immigration, Simitis said both sides agreed over the need to create a joint EU force charged with guarding the Union's borders.

Verhofstadt added that the proposal for such a force is a Greek initiative that will be included in conclusions at the upcoming Union summit meeting in Laeken.

[02] FM says Cyprus solution conducive for peace and cooperation

Athens, 03/12/2001 (ANA)

Papandreou said Greece's foreign policy is aimed at consolidating a draft agreement on rules, practices and common targets safeguarding considerable changes and securing long-term participation, cooperation and peace between Greece and Turkey, with the foremost issue being a just solution to the Cyprus question.

"I believe that at present the government has precisely this target, to utilize the international and in particular the European environment to bring the Cyprus issue to the forefront of inter-national interest and provide new mobility with the promotion and strengthening of the European orientation and the accession course of Cyprus," Papandreou said.

[03] ND leader tours Thrace, comments on rural policy

Athens, 03/12/2001 (ANA)

Karamanlis met with farmers' representatives who briefed him on problems facing the region concerning tobacco and cotton.

Referring to government policy, Karamanlis said the only thing the government does is "to oppose the opposition", adding, "... we shall not follow suit because it is a tired government and it has nothing to give."

Karamanlis went on to visit the community of Iasmo in the Rodopi prefecture's highlands, where he stressed that Thrace can become a link amongst the region's neighboring countries, while sternly criticizing what he called the government's neglect of the region.

"The government has forgotten the countryside which is sending an SOS," he said.

He also expressed his party's support for a continued dialogue with the Muslim minority of Thrace in order to ensure equal education and employment opportunities.

Finally, the ND leader said his party supported an increase in public and private investments for the provinces and border regions, in tandem with increased tax incentives to local enterprises.

"It is inconceivable for one to believe that the country can go forward when the countryside is being abandoned and becoming deserted," he said.

[04] PASOK secretary addresses prefectural committee secretaries

Athens, 03/12/2001 (ANA)

Laliotis spoke of the "dissolving introversion of previous months" and added that "our opponents are not inside but outside PASOK", while describing the framework of the policy to be implemented from now on towards the political sector in which the main opposition New Democracy party is moving.

He called on PASOK's opponents to forget absurd "ripe fruit" and "regime party" theories and focused on the bipolar "progress-conservatism" issue, saying that "differences with ND's neo-liberalism and neo-conservatism should exist and be clearly seen at all crucial levels."

Referring to a modern, patriotic, democratic and socialist Left, Laliotis went on to say that "our strength and the attraction and credibility of PASOK should lie in our differences and not our similarities with ND."

[05] Former minister Pangalos criticizes ruling PASOK party

Athens, 03/12/2001 (ANA)

"The ruling party cannot be a lifeless apparatus distant from the sensitivities of public opinion. The ruling party cannot be an extension of bureaucratic apparatuses and private interests. In this case something worse than us losing the elections will happen. Something irreparable. We shall lose our soul. We shall lose our character. And such a thing will be a crime towards the history of the democratic party and the perspective of this country," he said.

Pangalos, referring to recently ratified bills, such as on the development of Attica and coastal regions, said they are "monuments of bureaucratic and technocratic conception", adding that they are complicated and difficult to understand, while reading them alone is a traumatic experience.

[06] Greek, Egyptian delegations discuss educational exchanges

Athens, 03/12/2001 (ANA)

During the meeting, which reflected the traditional good relations between the two countries, the delegations discussed educational exchange programs between the two countries, the Middle East issue, the Cyprus problem, cooperation in international organizations and the inter-cultural dialogue.

The Greek side briefed the Egyptian officials on the situation in the Balkans and on Greek-Turkish relations and exchanged views on recent developments in the aftermath of the terrorist attack in the United States on September 11.

[07] Local administration conference ends

Athens, 03/12/2001 (ANA)

The resolution was voted for by delegates of the ruling PASOK party and the Coalition of the Left and Progress, while motions by the New Democracy party and the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) were rejected.

The main point in the resolution adopted was the condition of local administration's participation in the national dialogue proposed by Interior, Public Administration and Decentralization Minister Costas Skandalidis.

Other preconditions included are the payment of all deducted amounts by 2006, ND and KKE are threatening to close down municipalities if the amounts are not paid by this coming February, and the safeguarding of local administration's participation in the 3rd Community Support Framework (CSF) in its entirety.

[08] KKE leader to visit Cuba

Athens, 03/12/2001 (ANA)

She will attend the sessions of the 10th " Sao Paolo Forum", which will be held in Havana until December 7.

[09] Gov't eyes slash in Athens airport fees, comments on OA sale

Athens, 03/12/2001 (ANA)

Speaking from Thessaloniki, Transport Minister Christos Verelis said another meeting would take place at the finance ministry on Monday to finalize a proposal for a 10-percent cut in airport fees at Athens' new Eleftherios Venizelos Airport.

He added that decreases are expected to commence in early January.

Verelis spoke one day after Athens-based Axon Airlines -- one of the frontrunners in an international tender to buy a majority stake and assume the management of national carrier Olympic Airways -- announced that it was suspending operations.

"We're always careful throughout the course of negotiations for the sale of a majority stake in Olympic," Verelis said.

"The new schemes that will vie for Olympic should be very robust, and must be comprised of several business alliances. Until Dec. 23 discussions with the Australians (i.e. Integrated Airline Solutions) will have concluded. If these negotiations don't produce results, then we're faced with all possible outcomes..." Verelis warned in reference to troubled OA's future.

In comments on the same issue later in the day, Greek PM Costas Simitis said discussions over OA's privatization are continuing, while he emphasized that the Greek government wants a national carrier that operates effectively and isn't a burden to the state and taxpayers.

[10] PPC says debt lowered; points to staff targets

Athens, 03/12/2001 (ANA)

PPC finance department director Grigoris Anastasiadis made the statement on the sidelines of an event in Thessaloniki to brief investors in view of the utility's upcoming public offering on the Athens Stock Exchange. He said that by the end of 2001 PPC's debt will be reduced by 100 billion drachmas compared to last year.

Regarding the issue of reducing PPC staff, primarily through retirement schemes, he noted that by 2005 employees will number 25,000 compared to 30,000 at present. He added that 900 had left during the first nine months of this year.

[11] Tirana: Kurdish illegals changing routes toward Europe

TIRANA, 03/12/2001 (ANA - I. Patso)

"Migrant traffickers are now using the Turkey-FYROM-Albania route and then towards Italy, while previously most of the Kurdish illegal immigrants arrived from the Greek border," public order official Avi Yasalari said at a press conference.

He added that 30 Kurds arrested on Friday entered the country from two points on the borders with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM).

According to the Albanian official, migrant traffickers are being forced to change smuggling routes following stepped up cooperation between authorities in the southern Albanian town of Gjirokaster and Greece's Ioannina.

Additionally, he said that from January to early November Albanian police had arrested and turned back 220 Kurds entering Albanian territory from Greece and destined for Italy.

Yasalari also said Ioannina-based police had recently intercepted a large number of Kurds.

[12] Artifacts from worst-ever heist back on display at Corinth museum

Athens, 03/12/2001 (ANA)

The recovered items, displayed in three annexes and marked with a water-soluble orange color to distinguish them from other artifacts, include marbles busts depicting ancient deities and Roman emperors, portraits of Roman citizens, pottery and glass vessels, idols, jewelry and even ancient toys.

The museum's sacking on April 12, 1990 was the worst case of antiquities theft in Greece, a tremendous loss for the entire Corinth region that lasted for nine years, until the cache was finally located in early September 1999 by authorities in Miami, Florida. The artifacts had been packed in 12 plastic containers and kept at a Miami warehouse.

Built in 1931 by the American School of Classical Studies and officially handed over to the Greek state in 1934, the museum was considered one of the richest and most interesting archaeological museums outside of Athens and Thessaloniki. Its collection included artifacts from the surrounding region dating from the Neolithic era to the Middle Ages.

In the early morning of April 12, 1990 four robbers had gained entry into the museum before assaulting and tying up the lone guard. They then casually emptied several display cases.

The robbery brought to light the problems of security at Greek museums -- the Corinth museum had one unarmed guard on night duty to cover hundreds of square meters, while the museum itself had no alarm system.

According to the archaeological service, another 30 serious cases of antiquities theft were reported in nine years between the Corinth museum robbery and the discovery of the artifacts in Miami, leaving nary a museum in Greece immune from antiquities thieves.

Greek police made their first arrests in connection with the heist a few months after the artifacts' recovery

Arrested were Anastasios Karahalios, 43, a local businessman, and Ioannis Lioris, 36. Also detained in connection with the investigation was a woman on illegal firearms possession charges. The first man's brother, Tryfonas, 35, a convicted drug smuggler, was also arrested a few months later, whereas their father, 75-year-old Tryfonas (same name) Karahalios was implicated as well.

Authorities had speculated that the items were stored in the Miami warehouse because the perpetrators had been unable to sell them to private collectors or a museum.

[13] Government satisfied with objectivity of UN report

NICOSIA, 03/12/2001 (CNA/ANA)

Government spokesman Michalis Papapetrou said he was well aware of UN attempts, in reports of this kind, to maintain its role as an honest broker through its good offices mission, but noted that more explicit language could have been applied.

He said during the period under review (May to November 2001) there was increased pressure on Turkey to change its policy on Cyprus and facilitate a settlement.

UN Secretary General said in his report that the situation along the ceasefire line remained calm but restrictions imposed on UNFICYP in July and November 2000 by the Turkish Forces and Turkish Cypriot security forces continued, including the violation of the military status quo in the village of Strovilia.

It also noted that numerous planned events could not go ahead because the Turkish Cypriot authorities did not allow Turkish Cypriots to participate and noted that in July a planned concert by a bicommunal choir in Pyla village, bordering the Turkish occupied areas of the island, had to be moved to another location because the Turkish Cypriots raised security concerns.

Papapetrou said the report refers in an explicit way to the Turkish forces omission to remove obstacles placed on UNFICYP with regard to its movements in the occupied areas and the carrying out of its duties and competencies

Questioned on the situation in Strovilia, where the Turkish occupation forces advanced their positions into the buffer zone, Papapetrou said the issue is raised on every possible occasion.

In his report Annan recommended that the UN Security Council should extend the mandate of UNFICYP for a further period of six months until June 15, 2002.

Papapetrou said the Security Council is expected to issue its resolution on the renewal of UNFICYP's mandate on December 14 and called on the Council to take into consideration the stance of the Greek and Turkish Cypriot sides during the Clerides-Denktash face-to-face meeting, the first such encounter between the two since August 1997.

The UN Chief's report also noted that patrols by UNFICYP to the fenced-off areas of the occupied eastern town of Varosha that had been prohibited, resumed in September 2001, but are now escorted by the Turkish Cypriot security forces and noted that the Turkish forces persisted in hoisting flags on one of the buildings, in violation of the military status quo adding that "the UN holds the Government of Turkey responsible for the maintenance of the status quo in Varosha."

Last year the Turkish occupation forces illegally put up a checkpoint in the south-eastern area of Strovilia as part of measures against UNFICYP in retaliation to the non-inclusion of an addendum in a report by UN chief Kofi Annan for an earlier renewal of the Force's mandate with a Turkish demand for separate discussions with UNFICYP.

President Clerides and Denktash are to meet on 4 December, following an exchange of letters between the two after the latter sent an invitation to the former for a face-to-face encounter.

[14] Cyprus ratifies international convention to combat financing of terrorism

NICOSIA, 03/12/2001 (CNA/ANA)

An official press release said Director of the UN General Secretariat Politha Kohona expressed UN Secretary General's satisfaction of the Convention's rapid ratification by the Cyprus Republic that shows Cyprus' contribution to the struggle against terrorism.

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