Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 02-01-30

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

CONTENTS

[01] FM says Athens should be confident in 'exploratory' talks with Turkey

[02] PM to attend regular weekly European Commission meeting

[03] 'Ready, Aim ... Cease Fire' the slogan for Olympic Truce

[04] Finance minister announces measures to combat illegal gambling

[05] Turkish intelligence confirms some cooperation with Greece

[06] Competition for Greek EU presidency emblem

[07] Protesting farmers on stand-by until cotton prices announced

[08] Minister on signing of Skaramanga shipyards agreement

[09] Greece offers good value for money, UK tour operators

[10] Greece seeks to expand new economy business

[11] Greece to seek expanded use of renewable energy sources

[12] OTE studies plan for Balkan telecoms hub

[13] Opposition deputies seek probe after bank merger collapses

[14] Budget revenues up 6.8 pct in 2001, off target

[15] Greek stocks end flat in ASE

[16] PM visits Olympic Village worksite, satisfied with progress

[17] Gov't promises rail link to airport by 2004; options considered

[18] 2004 Olympics organizers sign deal with publishers

[19] Olympics organizers sign contract with Attica local authorities

[20] Canadians to campaign for the return of the Parthenon Marble

[21] Conference in illegal trafficking of human beings in Thessaloniki

[22] Clerides and Denktash to speed up their talks

[23] Document on missing persons handed to Clerides

[24] Cyprus to close competition and taxation EU chapters by June

[25] Cyprus and Greece sign sports protocol

[01] FM says Athens should be confident in 'exploratory' talks with Turkey

Athens, 30/01/2002 (ANA)

No one disputed that difficulties existed, the minister added, but fear was a bad advisor that bred bad reflexes and Greece should have more confidence precisely because of the European framework.

Papandreou was speaking in Athens after the presentation of a study on Greece's new geo-strategic role by the American research company RAND, in collaboration with the Kokkalis Foundation.

On Monday, Papandreou had announced in Brussels that Greece and Turkey would soon begin talks, initially between high-level foreign ministry officials, aiming at a compromise "formula" for taking the Aegean Sea continental shelf issue to the International Court of Justice at The Hague.

The foreign minister had then pointed out that referring the issue to the International Court had always been Greece's standing position and that Greek political parties had shown a "rare consensus" on Greek-Turkish affairs during a closed-door meeting of Parliament's foreign affairs and defense committee last week.

In statements on Tuesday regarding the commencement of exploratory contacts with the Turkish side, Papandreou again stressed the importance of the "broad consensus" achieved by the cross-party committee, and reiterated that Greece considered certain fundamental principles -- such as respect of international law and international treaties, territorial integrity of nations, the inviolability of borders, the European framework, and the acquis communautaire as outlined in paragraph 4 of the Helsinki EU summit conclusions -- to be of decisive importance in the framework of those contacts.

Asked whether he would meet his Turkish counterpart Ismail Cem in New York on Friday, Papandreou said he was in regular contact with Cem and had spoken with him recently over the phone ahead of meetings they will have both in New York and in Istanbul, on the sidelines of an inter-religious conference on February 12.

He explained that the target of the "exploratory contacts" would be to probe the intentions of each side "so as to see whether we can resolve the issue of delimitation of the continental shelf".

Asked whether discussions would deal exclusively with the Aegean continental shelf, Papandreou pointed out that the two countries had discussed many issues and signed 10 bilateral agreements over the past two years. However, he reiterated, Greece's position was that the only bilateral issue was that of the continental shelf.

Government spokesman Christos Protopapas similarly reiterated on Tuesday that the only bilateral difference with Turkey was that of the Aegean continental shelf and that the government was responsibly undertaking an initiative to begin exploratory talks with Ankara on issues decided by Greece.

If these contacts showed that it was possible to draft an agreement for referring the issue to the international court at The Hague, he added, then the government considered this to be in Greece's interests.

He also rejected statements by main opposition New Democracy MP Prokopis Pavlopoulos that Greece was entering an across-the-board dialogue with Turkey, saying that Pavlopoulos had been too quick in his assessment of the situation or was trying to create an issue where there was none.

The spokesman pointed out that after the start of dialogue for a solution of the Cyprus issue and the progress of Cyprus' EU accession, the only major foreign policy issue that remained outstanding based on the decisions of the EU summit in Helsinki was that of the Aegean continental shelf.

"For this reason, we noted that if Turkey cooperated in the process of a joint agreement for The Hague, this would help in a resolution of the issue and be compatible with our interests as a country," he said, pointing out that a resolution of the issue would obviously lead to a de-escalation of tension in the region.

Earlier on Tuesday, meanwhile, ND MP Dora Bakoyianni said that her party wanted dialogue with Ankara to take place within a specific framework and on specific terms, which included respect for territorial sovereignty, international law and bilateral agreements.

Coalition of the Left and Progress party leader Nikos Constantopoulos, meanwhile, accused the government of failing to inform the political parties and the public about fundamental changes in the handling of foreign policy issues.

Greece had no reason to negotiate any of its sovereign territorial rights in the Aegean, he added, and it would be better for the Greek people to learn about these things from the government, rather than the news agencies.

FM briefs Parliament committee on Greek-Turkish affairs, Cyprus problem: "We are not going to negotiate on our sovereign rights," Foreign Minister George Papandreou reiterated on Tuesday to the members of the Parliament's Defense and Foreign Affairs Committee, discussing the prospect of exploratory contacts with Turkey regarding Greek-Turkish relations.

"We want to clarify, which is the real problem of Turkey and I have said to them in public that if, in order to have the capability of access to the Aegean, they must dispute our sovereign rights, then there are not any margins for discussions," Papandreou said.

During the discussion, ruling PASOK deputies George Arsenis, Ioannis Kapsis and Theodoros Pangalos said that Ankara should not be given the chance to formulate an agenda with its claims.

Papandreou responded that an agenda must be drafted only on the logic that there are not any issues of Greece's sovereign rights up for discussion, adding that the only problem Greece considers unresolved is that of the Aegean continental shelf.

Papandreou also spoke of the constructive climate in the committee, despite the fact that main opposition New Democracy Deputies Petros Molyviatis and Dora Bakoyianni noted that their party does not hand out a "blank check" regarding the handling of foreign affairs.

They also requested from Papandreou to seek a joint declaration with Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem on the preconditions of talks, which include respect for the sovereign rights, territorial sovereignty, international law and regulations, as well as respect for the European Union's acquis communautaire.

Papandreou responded that he was not sure whether Cem would be able to respond to such a request on their first meeting, adding "I will wait for a response, but I can not anticipate that in our first meeting or even in the second may be an answer, it may never come to be," he said, stressing however that he would not proceed before getting such a response.

Papandreou also spoke of the Cyprus problem and the ongoing negotiations between Cyprus President Glafcos Clerides and Turkish Cypriot community leader Rauf Denktash and focused on the scenario regarding an alternating presidency between the two communities.

He said that the issue was included in the proposals tabled by the United Nations and it is up to Cyprus to decide on it, noting that another important element is that of the form of the political system, whether it will be a presidential or a parliamentary and which will be the powers of the president.

[02] PM to attend regular weekly European Commission meeting

BRUSSELS, 30/01/2002 (ANA - M. Spinthourakis)

The European Commission will be evaluating on Wednesday the stability and convergence programs of nine European Union member-states (including Greece's), while publicizing an announcement concerning the cost of the upcoming enlargement.

That is to say, the amounts which will have to be provided by 2006 to the 10 countries expected to join the EU by 2004.

On the question of the evaluation of stability programs, the biggest problems are located in Germany's and, to a certain degree, Portugal's, while the Greek program is expected to be ratified without any problems.

Well-informed EU sources revealed that the European Commission will announce, in connection with Greece, that its economy is generally speaking aligned with the economies of most eurozone countries, but stressed the need for speeding up the decrease in the country's public debt.

Another need noted is the taking of measures to handle the social security problem.

The European Commission is expected to call on Greece to use its fiscal surplus to decrease the debt and create a reserve which could be useful in the future in handling the social security problem.

Regarding the performance of the Greek economy, the European Commission is expected, more or less, to ratify predictions made in the Greek economy's updated convergence program, submitted to the European Commission's relevant services by the Greek finance ministry at the end of 2001.

The European Commission will confirm in particular that the rate of the Greek economy's growth will amount to 3.8 percent of GDP in 2002 and 4 percent in 2003 and 2004.

Moreover, Greece will have a fiscal surplus amounting to 0.8 percent of GDP in 2002 and 1.1 percent of GDP in 2003 and 2004. The European Commission will also acknowledge the public debt's downward trend, but which will be weaker than what had been budgeted last year.

Last year's target was a decrease in the public debt from the current 99.6 percent to 84 percent in 2004, but ultimately the updated target is its decrease to 90 percent of GDP.

In general, however, the Greek economy is expected to be praised by the European Commission, which is not at all a certainty in the case of Germany and, to a certain degree, Portugal.

The second major issue to be discussed by the European Commission is that of funding needs to achieve enlargement (primarily to the east).

In this case, the European Commission believes that amounts in the region of 45 billion euros will have to be provided to meet the needs of the 10 new member-states.

It also believes that these amounts can be found without having to revise the EU's fiscal prospects by 2006, determined two years ago at the Berlin summit.

What will happen after 2006, however, will be left open, primarily in relation to regions in the EU currently considered less developed and which include the Greek state in its entirety.

The European Commission is of the opinion that the 10 new member-states will have to receive structural subsidies by 2006 amounting to 2.5 percent of their GDP (compared to 4 percent which is the limit for the current member-states). It also raises the argument that these countries lack suitable apparatuses to absorb EU funds.

[03] 'Ready, Aim ... Cease Fire' the slogan for Olympic Truce

Athens, 30/01/2002 (ANA)

"Just as Greece was able to revive the modern Olympic Games in the 19th century, it now has the obligation to revive this segment of the Games, which deals with the truce. The message of peace through culture and sports is significant," Foreign Minister George Papandreou and the vice-president of the International Olympic Truce Center told a press conference at the Zappeion Hall in Athens.

According to the Greek minister, both India and Pakistan will be called on to observe the "Olympic Truce" during the holding of the Salt Lake City Games - Feb. 2-15 - whereas a similar message will be conveyed to Israel and the Palestinians.

Papandreou noted that western nations avoided military action against Iraq in 1998 during the Nagano Winter Olympics, while North and South Korea both marched under the same banner during the last Olympics Games in Sydney.

The Greek FM also stressed that the first signatures on a relevant international text promoting the Olympic Truce were Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem's and his own, followed by foreign ministers from various Balkan nations, Israel and the Palestinian authority.

"We'll continue to collect signatures, and it's very important that we also have the undivided support of Greek President of the Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos, who will send letters to heads of state asking for their support of the Olympic Truce", he said.

Earlier, Papandreou met with Culture Minister Evangelos Venizelos to discuss the Olympic Truce initiative and the "Cultural Olympiad" series of events sponsored by the culture ministry.

Both Greek ministers are expected to hold talks on the two initiatives with counterparts from other countries, IOC executives and international sports officials on the sidelines of next month's winter Games in Salt Lake City.

[04] Finance minister announces measures to combat illegal gambling

Athens, 30/01/2002 (ANA)

The announcement came after the furor created by a television program, which led to PASOK party Deputy Alekos Chrysanthakopoulos being expelled from the party last Friday for reportedly playing "one-armed bandit" machines in Patras, his constituency.

The measures include the installation of a mechanism to record the income generated by each machine, in a similar way cash registers are controlled, the creation of a register of manufacturers, importers and retailers of such machines; the obligation of the Games Committee to provide an opinion for each type of new slot machine before it reaches the market and the application of a registration number system for every slot machine.

In a related development, Coalition of the Left and Progress (Synaspismos) leader Nikos Constantopoulos on Tuesday tabled a question in Parliament for Prime Minister Costas Simitis regarding the phenomenon of the "proliferation of legal and illegal gambling".

More specifically, Constantopoulos asked Simitis "whether he will remove the spider of illegal gambling", if "he will control and put an end to the activities of the mechanisms of vested interests in established legal gambling" and which measures he will introduce "to put a final end to the logic and practices, which continually widen gambling, on the pretext of controlling it and legalizing it".

On his part, main opposition New Democracy (ND) former president Miltiades Evert tabled a relevant question for the Ministers of Finance Nikos Christodoulakis and Public Order Michalis Chrysohoidis.

In his question, Evert called on the ministers to submit data in Parliament regarding the number of establishments that employ slot machines, the number of the legal or illegal slot machines and the checks that have taken place by the relevant authorities since 1995.

He also requested data on the number of slot machines that were imported in the country since 1995 and the amount of taxes collected from the aforesaid establishments since 1995.

President of the Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos reacted to conditions surrounding this case, saying that there is a need to differentiate between the legal and the illegal, between the public interest and selfishness.

"The criterion is the law, whoever is with the law is good, whoever is not in agreement with the law is facilitating the other side," Stephanopoulos said, adding that "we should honor those that abide by the law, those that do good".

Meanwhile, an inquiry on the issue of illegal gambling was ordered on Tuesday in Patras.

Main opposition New Democracy party deputy Spilios Spiliotopoulos, also elected in Patras, visited prosecuting authorities and called for a judicial investigation on the whole issue.

Spiliotopoulos has also made a request to Justice Minister Philippos Petsalnikos on the same issue, while the Patras bar association likewise called for ample light to be shed on the issue.

A public prosecutor in Thessaloniki also ordered the Central Macedonia financial crimes squad office on Tuesday to begin an urgent preliminary investigation into whether such machines were operating illegally in the city.

[05] Turkish intelligence confirms some cooperation with Greece

ISTANBUL, 30/01/2002 (ANA - E. Aretaios)

"Our relations with EYP have been continuing for some time. The commanders of secret services meet twice a year in the framework of NATO. An exchange of information on terrorism and counter espionage issues takes place at these meetings, most of which take place in Brussels," members of MIT reportedly said in a statement to the newspaper "Radikal", commenting on statements by EYP commander Pavlos Apostolidis published in "Vimagazino."

"Taking developments in the Balkans into consideration, the need is felt for information from more sources. If you desire to understand better what is going on in Bosnia, Kosovo and Albania, it is impossible to exclude Greece," Turkish intelligence officials also said.

[06] Competition for Greek EU presidency emblem

Athens, 30/01/2002 (ANA)

Students of institutions of higher education will take part in the competition, which will emphasize Greece's bonds with the EU.

The foreign ministry has asked the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs and rectors to contribute to publicizing and projecting the competition.

The deadline for submitting proposals is March 15,2002.

For further information interested parties can contact the Presidency Office, Vassilissis Sofias Ave. 1, 6th floor, Tel. 3684195 and fax 3684066.

[07] Protesting farmers on stand-by until cotton prices announced

Athens, 30/01/2002 (ANA)

Farming groups said they would wait for the announcement and the government's reply to their other demands before deciding to step up their protests.

So far, they have confined themselves to pickets at the side of national highways and brief blockades, without greatly impeding traffic.

Also due later on Tuesday evening is a decision by the Thessaloniki farmers' coordinating committee, which is to meet in the afternoon, on further mobilization during the agricultural exhibition Agrotica.

Earlier on Tuesday, main opposition New Democracy leader Costas Karamanlis expressed support for farmers problems but urged them not to block the highways, saying that they would thus be playing into the government's hands and lose the support of other social groups.

Karamanlis was speaking after meeting to discuss agricultural issues, also attended by one of the larger farming unions PASEGES, at ND headquarters on Tuesday.

The opposition leader said his party supported farmers' efforts to press their 'just demands' and that the government's policy had once again driven them to desperation.

Responding to statements on the issue by ND cadres, meanwhile, government spokesman Christos Protopapas stressed that the farmers protests were 'not a communications issue but a real one' and that parties had to take a definite stance.

"New Democracy must responsibly come out and answer the question - Does it want Greece to be cut in two, or doesn't it?" the spokesman said.

Protesting farmers to meet with gov't officials, opposition leaders: Protesting farmers around Greece decided on Tuesday to send their representatives to Athens for meetings with the leadership of the agriculture ministry and the leaders of the opposition parties.

Specifically, farmers' trade unionists will meet with Agriculture Minister George Drys on Monday, while they will be meeting with the leaders of the opposition on Friday.

Over the weekend the farmers will meet anew to discuss the results of their actions to date, at the Tempi region in central Greece, where farmers drove some 500 tractors and parked them at the shoulders of the main highway connecting Southern to Northern Greece, protesting government policies regarding crop subsidies.

[08] Minister on signing of Skaramanga shipyards agreement

Athens, 30/01/2002 (ANA)

Tsohatzopoulos was speaking on its new investment program and issues concerning electric power adequacy in light of the 2004 Athens Olympic Games.

He said that "we should realize that we have worked hard as a Greek society for eight years. We made sacrifices, we all paid and there was a need for a consistent policy which was carried out successfully both with Andreas Papandreou and Costas Simitis since 1994."

[09] Greece offers good value for money, UK tour operators

Athens, 30/01/2002 (ANA)

British tour operators think that Greece offer good value for money as a travel destination, GTO said.

At the same time, A.C. Nielsen's figures showed that UK reservations were sharply off for most other travel destinations this year, compared with 2001. Reservations for Spain are down 27 percent, Portugal -33 percent, Cyprus -35 percent, Turkey -7.0 percent, Malta -36 percent, Morocco -18 percent, Tunisia -42 percent, Florida -35 percent and Caribbean -11 percent.

Greek tourism is seeking an aggressive advertising campaign in the UK market with special surveys in newspapers such as Sunday Times and Sunday Telegraph.

GTO is also organizing a more aggressive campaign in the US by participating in an annual Travel Show organized by the Los Angeles Times, in LA, February 16-17.

[10] Greece seeks to expand new economy business

Athens, 30/01/2002 (ANA)

Addressing a seminar on "New economy and the information society" held in a central Athens hotel, Christodoulakis said that the Greek economy has an unexploited growth reserve and set eight targets to further promote economic growth. These were: deregulation of markets, deeper privatizations, creation of strong business groups through scale economics and technological and organizational restructuring, attracting foreign investors, simplifying a business environment, completing a tax reform program, taking advantage of a Third Community Support Program and promoting a new development legislation in Greece.

"Greece has great opportunities but time is not on its side. It needs to speed-up growth initiatives to win a race and to achieve real convergence with the more developed nations of the European Union," Christodoulakis said.

He noted that Greek businesses were now had greater capabilities in the single European market and urged them to make "a leap forward".

Christodoulakis predicted a sharp rise in activity in a Business Program on the Information Society in the next few months and stressed that the country's big growth bet was to create a dynamic knowledge economy in a society of cohesion and participation.

[11] Greece to seek expanded use of renewable energy sources

Athens, 30/01/2002 (ANA)

The country's development ministry said it was officially starting to receive proposals for projects co-funded with the two EU programs.

Projects include: integrated actions for renewable sources and energy efficiency, reproduction of right practices and local and regional actions to boost efficiency and renewable sources.

[12] OTE studies plan for Balkan telecoms hub

Athens, 30/01/2002 (ANA)

Falling under the plan would be telephone, data and internet services, OTE said in a statement.

The company was sounding out the market in order to find the best method of cutting costs for international corporate telecoms traffic, and of securing a leading position in the market, the statement said.

[13] Opposition deputies seek probe after bank merger collapses

Athens, 30/01/2002 (ANA)

The deal between state-run National Bank of Greece and privately owned Alpha Bank fell through over wrangles between the two sides over the allocation of power in the new unit that would have emerged.

The deputies said they wanted National Economy and Finance Minister Nikos Christodoulakis and his predecessor Yiannos Papantoniou, currently national defense minister, to give evidence before the committee.

Among the deputies to sign the petition were former premier Constantine Mitsotakis and former ND leader Miltiades Evert.

In the petition, the deputies criticized what they called the government's irresponsible and makeshift approach to the merger plan.

The merger's breakdown also cast doubt on the government's market reform policies, the petition said.

[14] Budget revenues up 6.8 pct in 2001, off target

Athens, 30/01/2002 (ANA)

Speaking to reporters, Christodoulakis also announced it was canceling off a plan to increase real estate prices in 28 municipalities around the country, a decision first announced in December.

Christodoulakis said that the finance ministry was seeking to offer incentives to taxpayers to submit their tax statements electronically, including increased tax discount of up to 2.5 percent and speedier procedures by tax agencies.

[15] Greek stocks end flat in ASE

Athens, 30/01/2002 (ANA)

The general index ended 0.04 percent higher at 2,625.40 points, with turnover a moderate Dr 50.4 billion, or 148 million euros.

The Metals, IT Solutions and Retail sectors scored the biggest percentage gains (0.70 percent, 0.40 percent and 0.38 percent, respectively), while the Holdings, Textiles and Investment sectors suffered the heaviest losses.

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavy traded stocks ended 0.09 percent lower, the FTSE/ASE MID 40 index rose 0.26 percent and the FTSE/ASE SmallCap 80 index ended 0.02 percent higher.

Broadly, decliners led advancers by 156 to 142 with another 64 issues unchanged.

The most heavily traded shares were Halcor, Public Power Corporation, Hellenic Telecommunications Organization, Titan (common) and Panafon.

Bond prices slump in heavy trade: Bond prices in the domestic secondary market on Tuesday finished lower in heavy trade focusing on 10-year paper followed by five-year securities.

The Greek benchmark 10-year bond showed a yield of 5.35 percent, and the spread over German bunds was 35 basis points.

Turnover through the central bank's electronic system totalled 2.4 billion euros.

Sell orders accounted for the bulk of turnover.

[16] PM visits Olympic Village worksite, satisfied with progress

Athens, 30/01/2002 (ANA)

Simitis said he was "particularly satisfied" with the progress of works being carried out in four separate worksites, all expected to host the 2004 athletes.

The premier was given a tour of the works and briefed by labor deputy minister Lefteris Tziolas, and spoke with the heads of the building crews, who promised to do a "good and economical job".

In a brief address, Simitis spoke of the social nature of the project, since immediately after the 2004 Games the 2,300 model worker homes will be turned over to eligible workers via the Labor Housing Organization (OEK)

Simitis expressed satisfaction that what he called the biggest project for the Olympic Games was within the timetable agreed with the IOC, and over the assurance of new jobs the project entailed both during the stage of construction and during its operation.

Turning to the organization of the 2004 Olympic Games on a more general basis, Simitis said the venture comprised a strong lever of development and modernization for the country. The Games, he noted, were strengthened the national economy, raising the country's GDP, creating new jobs, introducing new technologies and new know-how, and advancing, for the first time in Greece, the simultaneous construction of 38 new, large-scale athletic and road works.

The premier further called for consensus, stressing that the Games required the participation of all the forces -- political parties, public administration, society, and all the citizens.

Simitis was accompanied by Labor Minister Dimitris Reppas, Culture Minister Evangelos Venizelos, and Deputy ministers Tziolas, Telemahos Chytiris and Nasos Alevras.

ND reaction: In a later reaction, main opposition New Democracy (ND) deputy and former sports minister Fani Palli-Petralia sternly criticized Simitis' visit to the Olympic Village worksite on Tuesday.

"The prime minister, in his effort to demonstrate that there are no problems with Olympic preparations, and after the cutting of corners that has begun with the suburban rail line, the road works, hospitality etc., he visited the Olympic Village," she said.

Palli-Petralia also charged that the prime minister failed to mention that anti-flooding works at the Olympic Village will begin after 2004.

Finally, representatives of construction workers at the site distributed leaflets during the PM's visit describing work conditions "modern-day galleys".

[17] Gov't promises rail link to airport by 2004; options considered

Athens, 30/01/2002 (ANA)

The statements came in light of Monday's high-ranking inter-ministerial meeting focusing directly on 2004 preparations, often conflicting statements by government officials on the specific project as well as a series press reports on Tuesday alleging delays and confusion.

In an attempt to better clarify the government's plan, Transport Minister Christos Verelis said trains from the new Athens Metro will use the proposed suburban rail line from the Stavros intersection, in extreme NE Athens, to the new airport at the Spata site.

He added that a memorandum of cooperation is in place with the state-run Hellenic Shipyards at Skaramangas to acquire hi-tech rolling stock for the suburban rail line, as the government has promised an electrically driven mass transit system while at the same time leaving open the option of using diesel engines for the Stavros-airport portion during the Olympics in August 2004. The later solution would conceivably guarantee that the project is operational in time for the Games, whereas a compatible dual system (diesel and electricity) is seriously under consideration as well.

Press sources on Tuesday had Verelis expressing his dissatisfaction over conflicting statements by other government officials regarding the project to Prime Minister Costas Simitis himself.

The suburban rail line connection to the airport and the diesel vs. electricity dilemma even earned the concern of IOC vice-president Denis Oswald.

Oswald, the head of the all-important IOC commission supervising progress for the 2004 Games, offered his opinion last week during a press conference that diesel engines would be less efficient and not as 'environment-friendly' as the normal electrically driven metro trains.

In later statements on Tuesday, Culture Minister Evangelos Venizelos - whose ministry oversees various 2004-related projects and initiatives -- also focused on the vexing rail connection.

"Discussions at (Monday's) inter-ministerial meeting over whether the rail line from the Aharnon railway center to Spata should be electrically driven or diesel-powered was conducted on the basis of how to best serve the public. Because if we insist on an electrically driven portion of the rail line from Aharnon to the airport then the trains must pass through the railway center, and naturally, a momentary change of locomotives will take place, from diesel to electric," Venizelos said, adding:

"We consider that things would be simpler, quicker and easier for all passengers if we didn't proceed with this (locomotive) changeover ... in the days of August 2004."

The culture minister added that such a temporary "hybrid system" would not alter the government's stated goal of an entirely electrically driven suburban rail line.

"... But as long as there are differences between portion of the network then we must make the best selection in terms of speed and quality of service," he concluded.

[18] 2004 Olympics organizers sign deal with publishers

Athens, 30/01/2002 (ANA)

The publishers to supply the material carrying logos linked to the 2004 Olympics are the Lambrakis Journalism Organization, Ellinika Grammata, Liberis Athens and the Imako Media Net Group.

The firms will handle publication, production, advertising, promotion, distribution and sales within Greece.

The contract ends on October 31, 2004.

Retail sales are forecast at 32.85 million euros with revenue for the Athens Olympics organizers of 7.57 million euros.

[19] Olympics organizers sign contract with Attica local authorities

Athens, 30/01/2002 (ANA)

Attending the signing ceremony was the president of the national Olympics organizers, Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki.

She said the Olympics were a challenge to display the country at its best.

[20] Canadians to campaign for the return of the Parthenon Marble

MONTREAL, 30/01/2002 (ANA - I. Frangouli)

Thus on Feb. 12, Manitoba State Transportation Secretary Steve Ashton will deliver a lecture on the issue and will initiate a campaign to collect signatures of Canadian citizens for the return of the marbles to Greece.

Ashton is the secretary of the Canadian Committee for the Return of the Marbles.

[21] Conference in illegal trafficking of human beings in Thessaloniki

Athens, 30/01/2002 (ANA)

Speakers at the conference presented data that showed the trafficking of people to be the third most lucrative illegal activity for organized crime after the narcotics trade and the arms trade.

Smugglers' rings around the world are involved in the illegal trafficking of more than 700,000 people, while the case of Kosovo is characteristic, where more than 85 brothels operate alongside the international peace-keeping forces.

[22] Clerides and Denktash to speed up their talks

NICOSIA, 30/01/2002 (CNA/ANA)

Apart from the usual three meetings (Monday, Wednesday, Friday) at 1700 local time (1500 GMT) it was agreed that a fourth meeting should take place this week, on Thursday at 1600 local time, at the same place, near the Nicosia airport, situated in the UN-controlled buffer zone.

Papapetrou said discussion "is going to move to other subjects in a quicker pace. The aim is to speed up the process because the time at their disposal is not unlimited."

He said events have by themselves determined June as a deadline "and for this reason both are prepared to move quicker", the spokesman added.

Papapetrou described as "false" reports, according to which the Thursday meeting will be between the interlocutors only, without their advisers. The talks, he added, will continue as usual.

Asked if there will be a meeting every Thursday, Papapetrou said these meetings are not fixed in an absolute way. It is possible, he said, to have one more meeting, while it might be decided that there would be only two meetings on a certain week because time might be needed for more preparation.

Replying to another question, the Cypriot official said there may be a break in the talks for the Ramadan holiday (February 21-25) and during this period the UN Secretary General's Special Advisor on the Cyprus problem Alvaro De Soto may fly to New York to brief the UN chief on the talks.

[23] Document on missing persons handed to Clerides

NICOSIA, 30/01/2002 (CNA/ANA)

This development comes eleven days after a similar document prepared by the Greek Cypriot side was delivered to Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash, through the UN.

In his remarks to the press, Papapetrou said that the Greek Cypriot side will evaluate Denktash's document and no action will be taken before the government consults with the Committee of Relatives of Missing Persons.

The two sides prepared their respective documents after President Clerides and Denktash agreed earlier this month to put on paper their views about practical ways to promote a solution of the humanitarian issue of missing persons.

The Turkish Cypriot side appears ready to work for the implementation of the July 1997 agreement, signed by Clerides and Denktash. In this agreement the two sides recognize the right of those families whose missing loved ones are proved to be dead to have their remains returned for proper burial.

It provides for the exchange of information on the location of graves and preparation of the necessary arrangements leading to the return of remains of Greek and Turkish Cypriot missing.

Implementation of this agreement was halted after the Turkish Cypriot side put forward unacceptable demands.

[24] Cyprus to close competition and taxation EU chapters by June

NICOSIA, 30/01/2002 (CNA/ ANA)

Speaking to the press, Vassiliou, who recently attended a meeting of chief negotiators from the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Poland, Slovenia and Cyprus, said Cyprus has applied to the EU for special funding to meet specific needs from its accession to the Union. He also said that the EU aims at approving funds, as extraordinary assistance, should the Cyprus problem be solved, to tackle the various needs that will emerge from a settlement, such as the reconstruction effort of the Turkish occupied town of Famagusta and infrastructure projects in the island's northern part, occupied by the Turkish troops since 1974.

Cyprus has so far provisionally closed 24 out of 29 chapters of the acquis communautaire. The chapters that remain open are agriculture, financial and budgetary provisions, regional policy, taxation and competition policy. Vassiliou said Cyprus would request transitional periods with regard to taxation and competition policy because these two sectors are very important for the local economy.

Cyprus expects to conclude its membership talks by the end of this year and join the EU in time for the 2004 European Parliamentary elections.

[25] Cyprus and Greece sign sports protocol

NICOSIA, 30/01/2002 (CNA/ANA)

The protocol was signed by the Chairman of the Board of Management of KOA Andreas Papacharalampous, on behalf of Cyprus, and the Greek Deputy Minister of Sports Yiannis Kourakis, who is visiting Cyprus, accompanied by the General Secretary of Sports Nicos Exarchos.

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