Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 02-05-31

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

CONTENTS

[01] Greece joins the West in anti-smoking measures

[02] Third round of Greek-Turkish exploratory contacts in Athens

[03] Greece strongly condemns Denktash's 'decision to extend' territorial waters

[04] EU Commission determined to go ahead with enlargement despite any problems faced by candidate countries, Verheugen says

[05] Gov't: Summer moratorium on exercises in Aegean is automatically renewed

[06] The U.S. welcome improvement in Greek-Turkish relations

[07] Greece ratifies the Kyoto Protocol; Greenpeace comments

[08] Greece rejects US request for interception of ships in Greek waters

[09] Cyprus DM Hasikos meets Greek Deputy DM Apostolidis

[10] Greek president begins visit to Australia and New Zealand on Sunday

[11] EU interior ministers discuss illegal immigration

[12] Gov't defends its response to incidents during seamen's strike

[13] Security systems at Athens airport being inspected

[14] PASOK Central Committee Secretary Laliotis to visit Cyprus on Friday

[15] Parliament elects new broadcasting council members

[16] Ex-president Bush phones Mitsotakis at Ariz. Hospital

[17] Deputy FM Loverdos represents Greece in EU's development council

[18] Parliament President Kaklamanis meets German-Greek Friendship Group

[19] FYROM lodges demarche to Greece over incident at Thessaloniki book fair

[20] ''No time for complacency'' in absorbing EU funds, Simitis says

[21] Gov't, unions end pension reform talks in favorable climate

[22] Gov't to create crisis management system for tourism

[23] British shipping minister in Athens next month for 'Posidonia'

[24] Greece to suffer little from proposed EU fishing fleet plan

[25] Greek industrial production up 3.4 pct in March, yr/yr

[26] Greek stocks end 1.55 percent lower on Thursday

[27] IOC president Rogge sends message to ATHOC on Olympic Games preparations

[28] Olympic Games athletes to train at Marathon

[29] EU to declare 2004 as year of education through sports

[30] Largest SE European slave market located in Bosnia

[31] Cyprus to protest Turkish moves

[32] Papapetrou dismisses Denktash's unsubstantiated claims

[33] Vassiliou: Possibility for EU enlargement delay very small

[34] US stress need for more urgency in direct talks

[35] Cyprus ready to participate in creation of European Border Police

[01] Greece joins the West in anti-smoking measures

Athens, 31/05/2002 (ANA)

Announcing the measures at a press conference one day before the international day against smoking, he said that measures will carry penalties of up to three months imprisonment and steep cash fines.

The measures include the total ban on cigarette advertising, beginning from Jan. 1st, which includes a ban on commercials in movie theaters as well, while restaurants and coffee shops will have to create non-smoking sections.

The non-smoking section system will not apply to bars and nightclubs that are open only during the evening and late night hours and it will not apply to the traditional type of Greek coffeehouses.

The minister stressed that the new measures include provisions for the strict enforcement of the cigarette smoking ban in enclosed public areas where people have to stay for long periods of time, such as bus stations, railway stations, airports etc., although the establishment of smoking areas in those places is mandated.

He added that the smoking ban in hospitals, clinics and in all places providing healthcare services will be strictly enforced, as it will be in public transport systems, including taxis.

The education ministry, in cooperation with the health ministry, will undertake a campaign to inform students of the dangers of smoking, aiming to create smoke free schools, while the measures include a mandate banning smoking in school grounds, with the parallel establishment of smoking spaces for teachers who smoke.

Also, the measures include the initiation of a health ministry campaign aiming to alert smokers on the dangers of smoking and to make them more sensitive to those who do not smoke.

The minister stressed that for the success of the measures the ministry's efforts include the upgrading of outpatient clinics of hospitals that aid smokers to reject the habit, while the ministry, along with the National Radio and Television Council, will work toward stopping indirect tobacco advertising in every radio and television broadcast.

During the presentation of the measures, Papadopoulos said the enforcement of the measures in the public service sector will be the responsibility of the managers and supervisors of each service.

The minister underlined that the measures aim at protecting citizens whether they smoke or not, to alleviate the cost of smoking for the healthcare system of the country and to avert the creation of a new generation of smokers.

[02] Third round of Greek-Turkish exploratory contacts in Athens

Athens, 31/05/2002 (ANA)

Beglitis also said the stage is early for an assessment to be made of results of the process achieved so far, but added that the climate in the exploratory contacts is good and expressed the hope that the process will continue in the same climate.

[03] Greece strongly condemns Denktash's 'decision to extend' territorial waters

Athens, 31/05/2002 (ANA)

Government spokesman Christos Protopapas described Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash's decision as ''provocative and illegal'' and said it exposed Turkey's intransigence.

''This action does not yield results in the framework of international law but it is problematic because it proves the increasing intransigence of the Turkish side,'' Protopapas said.

He also noted that it gave a measure of how Turkey perceived its obligations toward the international community.

On his part, foreign ministry spokesman Panos Beglitis termed Denktash's decision ''an illegal act by the illegal leader of an illegal regime.''

He reiterated on the occasion that Greece and Cyprus are continuing efforts to resolve the political problem of Cyprus ''with wisdom, cool headedness and determination'', adding that ''the international community is aware who is contributing positively and who is trying to undermine this process.''

Beglitis said the effort ''to extend'' the territorial waters of the pseudo-state is aimed at undermining the direct talks between Cyprus President Glafcos Clerides and Denktash.

According to the Turkish Cypriot radio station Bayrak in Nicosia, a pseudo-state spokesman claimed that the extension of territorial waters follows a similar decision by the Cyprus government. The same spokesman claimed that the pseudo-state propped up in the Turkish-occupied areas has the same rights as a sovereign and independent republic.

In statements later, Cyprus government spokesman said the island republic would forward demarches with the United Nations general secretary, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, as well as to various international organizations.

Spokesman Michalis Papapetrou also referred to a contradictory policy on the part of the Turkish side, which is opting for provocations at the same time as ongoing direct talks on the island.

He added that the Greek Cypriot side would not play the Turkish sides game, nor will we make it easier for the other side to create a crisis ... It is a clear indication of their intentions that they supposedly claimed they took this decision because the Republic of Cyprus recently increased its territorial waters from three to 12 miles, before reminding that the decision was taken 38 years ago, in 1964.

[04] EU Commission determined to go ahead with enlargement despite any problems faced by candidate countries, Verheugen says

BRUSSELS 31/05/2002 (ANA-G. Daratos)

Verheugen aired this view to Turkish Minister for European Affairs Mesut Yilmaz during an unofficial meeting they had in Brussels.

The Commissioner told Yilmaz that the rise of the extreme right in the EU may create in the long-term many problems and obstacles to EU enlargement. For this reason the European Commission and the 15 member states are determined to definitely accept the accession of the present ten candidate countries even though some of their problems remain unsolved.

Verheugen's view is of direct interest to Nicosia because in his opinion Cyprus will join the EU regardless of whether the Cyprus problem is previously solved or not.

[05] Gov't: Summer moratorium on exercises in Aegean is automatically renewed

Athens, 31/05/2002 (ANA)

[06] The U.S. welcome improvement in Greek-Turkish relations

WASHINGTON 31/05/2002 (ANA - T. Ellis)

This statement was made in response to a question submitted by a journalist regarding the increase of Turkish violations of Greek airspace in the area between the Aegean and Cyprus.

Although the question submitted was requesting comment on the behavior of the Turkish air force, the spokesman's written statement responded to the question ''Is the U.S. engaged in Greek-Turkish discussions on the closing of Aegean airspace and in the negotiations on Cyprus, which have a target date for settlement of June 30, 2000?''

The spokesman's response was that ''we have noted and welcome improved Turkish and Greek relations. With respect to Aegean airspace, we refer you to Greece and Turkey for information''.

The initial question also included the timetable for an agreement concerning the Cyprus problem, on which the spokesman said that ''with regard to Cyprus the U.S. strongly supports and stands ready to assist the U.N. Good Offices Mission in its efforts to assist the parties on the island in reaching a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus issue. We stress the need for more urgency in these negotiations in order to reach an agreement by the June target date''.

U.S. clarification over Aegean airspace: Relevant U.S. officials on Thursday attributed the mistaken written conveying of a question, which entailed the danger of deception, put to the U.S. State Department spokesman on recent violations by Turkish aircraft to a ''bad understanding'' between the various departments which handled the issue.

Following the confusion caused by the completely different formulation of the question included in the written statement issued, relevant U.S. State Department officials who involved themselves in the issuing of the reply insisted, while speaking to the Athens News Agency (ANA), that it was a question of a ''bad understanding'' and of the mistaken conveying of the content of the question between the State Department's various departments and clarified that for the U.S. an issue of ''closing the Aegean's airspace'' was never raised.

[07] Greece ratifies the Kyoto Protocol; Greenpeace comments

Athens, 31/05/2002 (ANA)

The Greek branch of Greenpeace hailed the ratification of the treaty on Thursday as 'historic' - ''even if we are the last member-state to ratify the Protocol'' - saying that Greece had lent its support to the most important environmental agreement ever signed.

A Greenpeace spokeswoman stressed the political significance of the ratification of the agreement that Greece had backed.

''After the ratification of the treaty by the EU member-states and Japan, all that will really be required is its ratification by Russia so that it will also be binding for the planet's biggest polluter, the United States,'' she said.

A week ago, Greenpeace had warned that Greece's delay in ratifying the Protocol could result in a major loss of face for the EU and sabotage its attempts to stand up to U.S. opposition of the treaty.

The group had stressed that all EU countries would have to ratify the treaty by May 31 in order to meet the goal of activating the Protocol before the international summit for the environment this August in Johannesburg.

The Kyoto Protocol asks all developed countries to reduce their emission of greenhouse gases by 2010 relative to levels in 1990. In order for the law to become internationally binding, however, it has to be ratified by at least 55 countries.

Japan and Norway signed the treaty just in the last month.

Under the terms of the Protocol, Greece will have to reduce its total greenhouse gas emissions by 25 per cent. Addressing a Greek Parliament committee earlier in the week, Environment Minister Vasso Papandreou warned that greenhouse gases will have increased by 35 per cent in 2010 and by 55 per cent in 2020 unless steps were taken to reduce them.

Papandreou reported that heat-trapping gases emitted by Greece rose by 14 per cent between 1990-1999, then jumped to 23 per cent in 2000 due to extensive forest fires.

It is estimated that average temperatures on the planet will have risen by two degrees centigrade in the year 2010 unless steps are taken to reduce emissions of heat-trapping gases, such as carbon dioxide. The Kyoto Protocol aims for an overall reduction of greenhouse gases by 5 per cent in 2010 relative to 1990.

[08] Greece rejects US request for interception of ships in Greek waters

Athens, 31/05/2002 (ANA)

The Greek response to the U.S. request for the inspection of ships in Greek territorial waters, and for which there is information that they are connected to activities of international terrorism was negative, as it goes against the Greek Constitution and the country's legal system, Beglitis said.

Greece, he said, was positively disposed toward the U.S. request for the strengthening of the bilateral cooperation in this sector, but said that the interceptions can be conducted by Greek authorities on the basis of talks and evaluation of all relevant evidence and information in cooperation with the U.S. authorities.

Beglitis also clarified that Greece in cooperation and coordination with other NATO members, which also received similar requests, will increase its efforts to combat international terrorism.

He concluded saying that all countries that received similar requests by the U.S. raised the issue of domestic legal order and that of their constitution.

[09] Cyprus DM Hasikos meets Greek Deputy DM Apostolidis

NICOSIA 31/05/2002 (ANA - G. Leonidas)

Following their meeting, Hasikos said they had the opportunity to exchange views on issues concerning the two ministries and that he briefed the Greek minister on matters regarding the island republic's defense.

Apostolidis expressed his pleasure of meeting Hasikos to discuss issues of mutual interest and added that ''the time has come for us to enter the final stretch for a substantial solution to the Cyprus issue.''

Asked to comment on the Turkish provocations, Apostolidis said that ''in no event should we distract ourselves from our main national objective which is for Cyprus to join the European family.''

[10] Greek president begins visit to Australia and New Zealand on Sunday

Athens, 31/05/2002 (ANA)

This will be the first ever visit by a Greek head of state to New Zealand and the third visit to Australia, following that of late Constantine Karamanlis and that of Christos Sartzetakis in the 1980s.

Stephanopoulos will visit Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney of Australia and Wellington of New Zealand and will meet with the political leaderships of the two counties, as well as with the local Greek community leaders.

The president's visit aims at reiterating the identity of Greek and Australian positions on major international issues, to further develop trade and economic relations and to re-invigorate the bonds of the Greek-Australian community with Greece.

The president will also make a strong point of the ''bonds of blood'' connecting Greeks with Australians and New Zealanders for their contribution in the defense of Greece against the Nazi forces during the Battle of Crete.

[11] EU interior ministers discuss illegal immigration

ROME 31/05/2002 (ANA - L. Hatzikyriakos)

Italian Interior Minister Claudio Scayola, who had also proposed the creation of the European border police, said ''we do not want Europe to turn into a fortress but we want to propose an integrated model which will guarantee the security of our citizens and will help growth.''

Referring to the European police, Chrysohoidis said it is a positive step but added that the approach should be accompanied by a complete package of proposals.

European border police should not be a force of European police aimed only at policing and pursuing illegal immigrants but should constitute the result of a series of measures for the overall handling of the phenomenon.

The main factor will be cooperation between all countries, the presence of mixed police forces at all points and centers where immigrants pass, ports and airports.

Scayola said the sensitive point from where illegal immigrants infiltrate Europe, as far as Italy is concerned, is not the sea but airports.

He said that out of 45,000 illegal immigrants entering Italy every year, few come from the sea. The majority comes by air with a tourist visa and then their traces are lost.

A final solution will be taken at the Seville summit.

[12] Gov't defends its response to incidents during seamen's strike

Athens, 31/05/2002 (ANA)

Government spokesman Christos Protopapas said that protestors had forcibly attempted to prevent the departure of ships from the port, adding that no one had a right to do this since the ships provided a service to passengers, producers and society in general.

He stressed that the government had not ordered its forces to trigger the incidents and said that the workers had not abided by the decisions of their unions to strike, which should cause the organizers to pause for thought.

Merchant Marine Minister George Anomeritis reported on Thursday that no seamen had gone on strike according to the figures released by ferry companies.

The strike was called by two of the unions belonging to the Panhellenic Seamen's Federation (PNO) affiliated to the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), which rebelled against a PNO decision not to join in the public-sector strike called by the civil servants union ADEDY.

According to Anomeritis, individuals that were not seamen tried to prevent ships from sailing from Piraeus, in incidents against ships' crews, harbor officials and passengers.

He said 10 strikers and 15 coast guard officers were injured during the fracas.

The two rebel unions, PEMEN and STEPHENSON, said in a press conference on Thursday that they would continue their struggle to press their demands and would participate in a demonstration organized by the KKE-affiliated union group PAME outside the merchant marine ministry on Thursday evening.

KKE leader heads protest march to merchant marine ministry: Communist Party of Greece (KKE) secretary general Aleka Papariga headed a protest march of about 700 workers on Thursday, who marched through the streets of Piraeus before reaching the merchant marine ministry. The march included members of the PEMEN and Stephenson dockers' unions.

Papariga denounced the government as being responsible for Wednesday's clashes between port officials and dockers and expressed her party's intention to struggle against what she said was government force.

The demonstrators outside the merchant marine ministry shouted anti-government slogans and listened to speeches by trade unionists and PEMEN's president.

In their speeches they accused the government of applying a policy which was harmful for workers and the merchant marine ministry for what they said was the fascist method it used to quell Wednesday's 24-hour strike.

The protesters dispersed peacefully under discreet police surveillance.

Papariga called on Prime Minister Costas Simitis ''to show his toughness towards the allies on the issue of the European army and towards those who want and are seeking the partitioning of Cyprus.''

She referred at length to Wednesday's incidents and said dozens of dockers were taken to hospital with problems and claimed that those who played a leading role in them were not port officials alone but also the special frogmen's force which, as she said, has been enlarged in light of the Olympic Games.

Papariga also said her party will show vigorous reaction and solidarity and will not succumb to the climate of violence, suppression and intimidation because, as she said, it is a matter of substance, democratic freedoms and dignity.

She added that party members had tried unsuccessfully to contact the merchant marine minister.

[13] Security systems at Athens airport being inspected

Athens, 31/05/2002 (ANA)

They are members of the European Civil Aviation Organization, an informal body, which has become active following the terrorist attack in the United States on September 11.

The body was summoned by certain airports in Europe, which are renowned for their security systems, to inspect and acquire experience on systems being applied at ''safe'' airports in Europe.

Eleftherios Venizelos airport is included among these airports, while the members of the committee have been inspecting all of the airport's systems since Monday.

The inspection will be completed on Friday and the committee will submit a report, not to the airport's administration, but to the Civil Aviation Service which is the body responsible for flight security.

According to reports, the committee has conducted similar inspections at 11 airports in Europe, including airports in Zurich, Oslo, Rome, Amsterdam and Brussels.

[14] PASOK Central Committee Secretary Laliotis to visit Cyprus on Friday

Athens, 31/05/2002 (ANA)

During his stay, Laliotis will meet Cyprus President Glafcos Clerides, House of Representatives President Demetris Christofias and the leaders of the Cypriot political parties.

[15] Parliament elects new broadcasting council members

Athens, 31/05/2002 (ANA)

The chairman of the new Council will be former supreme court vice-president Ioannis Laskaridis, while political science professor Dimitris Haralambis will be vice-chairman.

In addition to the chairman and vice-chairman, who will both be employed on a full-time, exclusive basis, Parliament's presidium also named five council members that will be employed on a part-time basis.

The new seven-member council (down from a total of 18, with nine regulars and nine reserves) will meet in groups of three and each of its members will have a specific area of responsibility and tasks.

Making the announcement, Kaklamanis said that all seven council members had been elected unanimously by the presidium. He said the new council would probably take over from next week, after the press and media ministry had published the necessary act in the government gazette.

Kaklamanis noted that the council members had been chosen so that they would be non-party political, have independent views and the ability to resist the array of interests surrounding the ESR and be able to intervene decisively.

He said the Parliament's presidium took a common view that the electronic media failed to meet the role they had been accorded under the Constitution.

Following the announcement by Kaklamanis, main opposition New Democracy MP Dimitris Sioufas, speaking for ND's parliamentary group, said the party gave its initial assent to the new council's make-up so that it could act immediately as an independent body.

The new council would, of course, be judged on whether it was decisive and able to fulfill its constitutional mission, he added.

[16] Ex-president Bush phones Mitsotakis at Ariz. Hospital

Athens, 31/05/2002 (ANA)

According to reports, the former US head of state asked about the octogenarian Mitsotakis condition.

[17] Deputy FM Loverdos represents Greece in EU's development council

BRUSSELS 31/05/2002 (ANA - G. Zitiouniati)

Greece was represented by Deputy Foreign Minister Andreas Loverdos in this council, which is the Union's basic body of planning and controlling its development policy.

Loverdos stressed that the Union was called upon to promote the implementation of the results of the international conference of the United Nations for the funding of development, stressing that Johannesburg should not be a forum of new declarations of intent, but one of action.

[18] Parliament President Kaklamanis meets German-Greek Friendship Group

Athens, 31/05/2002 (ANA)

The meeting also focused on the sessions of the Conference on the Future of Europe with Kaklamanis stressing the need for the citizens of European states and their national parliaments to actively participate in this dialogue.

On its part, the German deputies agreed with Kaklamanis's positions and expressed the support of the German parliament for Cyprus' immediate accession to the EU.

[19] FYROM lodges demarche to Greece over incident at Thessaloniki book fair

SKOPJE 31/05/2002 (ANA - N. Frangopoulos)

A group of youths had protested in front of the FYROM pavilion and then proceeded to remove the books from the fair on the grounds that their historic and cultural contents were making propaganda in favor of Skopje's views.

The FYROM foreign ministry called for explanations by the Liaison Office of Greece concerning the incident and the measures which Greece intends to take.

The FYROM foreign ministry expressed its regret over what it termed the attack against the cultural values of a friendly people and state and said it was awaiting an immediate response by the Greek side, the state television reported.

The FYROM Liaison Office in Athens also asked the Greek foreign ministry to give an explanation concerning the incident.

However, a representative of the Greek diplomatic mission in FYROM told the Athens News Agency (ANA) that no such demarche was lodged by the FYROM foreign ministry to the Liaison Office of Greece.

[20] ''No time for complacency'' in absorbing EU funds, Simitis says

Athens, 31/05/2002 (ANA)

''There were some problems in the early stages of the procedure which we overcame through the adoption of a new framework,'' Simitis told reporters after a cabinet meeting.

He noted, however, that there was no time for complacency. ''We have specific targets and ambitions and we have set higher standards. Greece has proved it can achieve targets as it is evident with EMU participation and as it seems with the Athens 2004 Olympic Games,'' he said.

Simitis said that the government has already auctioned 65 percent of a Third Community Support Framework's budget and that in just eight months it has approved funding of 1,800 projects accounting for 32 percent of the budget and that an average of 250 projects were approved each month.

''From here on, we have agreed to speed up procedures to fund and complete projects for citizens to enjoy,'' Simitis stressed.

''Speeding up procedures will benefit all sectors and will transfer the focus, currently on big construction projects, to the support of small- and medium-sized enterprises in the country,'' the prime minister said.

''The government is open to suggestions...we want the help of all bodies to pursue economic and social convergence with other European countries,'' he noted.

Mr. Simitis said ''he is never happy'' from results and acknowledged it was natural to face problems, often caused by imponderable factors, when so many projects were underway at the same time.

Speaking to reporters, after the meeting, Economy and Finance Minister Nikos Christodoulakis and Deputy Minister Christos Pahtas, were adamant that there was no case of Greece losing even a single euro from a Third Community Support Framework.

[21] Gov't, unions end pension reform talks in favorable climate

Athens, 31/05/2002 (ANA)

The government agreed to allow retirement on a reduced pension for workers with 3,500 stamps instead of 4,500 at present, with immediate effect until the end of 2007.

In addition, people in work deemed hazardous to health or heavy duty will be able to retire with 1,000 stamps obtained in the previous 13 years of employment, instead of 10 years at present.

Taking part in the talks were Labor and Social Security Minister Dimitris Reppas and the General Confederation of Workers of Greece (GSEE), which represents nearly a million workers in the private and public sectors.

Both the GSEE and the civil servants union (ADEDY) are to meet on Friday to take a final stand on the government's reform of the social insurance system.

The head of the GSEE, Christos Polyzogopoulos, told reporters after his talks with Reppas that he hoped the overhaul would soon be formulated as a bill and given to parliament for a vote.

He said that the new measures in the reform plan would either benefit or keep the status quo unchanged for most workers. A minor adverse impact would be felt by a small number of employees in state companies and banks.

Among points yet to be agreed are recognition of the country's compulsory military service for the male population as years of service in entitlement to pensions for workers in heavy or hazardous jobs.

Reppas described his talks with the GSEE as ''fertile'', saying the views of the two sides had dovetailed.

Many of the proposals adopted in the lengthy talks were originally recommendations put forward by unions, the minister added.

[22] Gov't to create crisis management system for tourism

Athens, 31/05/2002 (ANA)

The project, currently at the design stage, is to include a basic plan for handling crises, specially trained staff, and systems to predict and avert possible crises as well as tackle them as they evolve, Georgakopoulos, whose portfolio includes tourism, told a news conference.

Tourism seen flat in 2002: Tourism is likely to remain flat in 2002 against the previous year, the Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) said on Thursday.

The forecast was based on arrivals from abroad in May that indicated tourism would not decline against 2001, GNTO president Yiannis Patellis told reporters.

[23] British shipping minister in Athens next month for 'Posidonia'

Athens, 31/05/2002 (ANA)

Jamieson will be received by his Greek counterpart, George Anomeritis, as well as Transport Minister Christos Verelis and the Greek coast guards leadership.

He will also meet with the president of the Union of Greek Shipowners, Ioannis Lyras.

Jamiesons visit is expected to highlight the continuing and growing importance of UK-Greek maritime relations, as well as promoting Londons policy measures in the shipping field, including the new UK tonnage tax and the UK flag, according to the embassys press release.

Some 145 British shipping sector companies will be represented at Posidonia, covering most sectors of British expertise.

[24] Greece to suffer little from proposed EU fishing fleet plan

BRUSSELS 31/05/2002 (ANA)

If the measure is adopted, Greece would have to withdraw 355 trawlers, or 1.75 percent of its total fishing fleet, representing 2.2 percent of tonnage, the Commission said in a statement on Thursday.

[25] Greek industrial production up 3.4 pct in March, yr/yr

Athens, 31/05/2002 (ANA)

The mining production index jumped 11.6 percent in March, the manufacturing production index rose 4.4 percent and the electricity-natural gas-water index fell 1.0 percent.

The composite industrial index increased by 0.2 percent in the firsts three months of 2002 compared with the same period in 2001, reflecting a 0.8 percent rise in the electricity-natural gas-water index, a 13.9 percent rise in mining production and a 0.8 percent decline in the manufacturing index.

[26] Greek stocks end 1.55 percent lower on Thursday

Athens, 31/05/2002 (ANA)

The general index fell 1.55 percent to end at 2,263.24 points, with turnover an improved 104.8 million euros.

The Retail, Publication, Textile and Insurance sectors suffered the heaviest percentage losses of the day (2.78 percent, 2.45 percent, 2.41 percent and 2.28 percent, respectively).

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavy traded stocks fell 1.63 percent, the FTSE/ASE MID 40 index dropped 1.28 percent and the FTSE/ASE SmallCap 80 index ended 1.55 percent lower.

Broadly, decliners led advancers by 291 to 37 with another 32 issues unchanged.

The most heavily traded shares in value were Sex Form, Klonatex (p), Coca Cola HBC, Hellenic Telecommunications Organization, and Klonatex (c).

Equity index futures down: Equity index futures on the Athens Derivatives Exchange on Thursday ended lower, tracking the main market, traders said.

Turnover was 64.0 million euros.

The underlying FTSE/ASE-20 index for heavily traded stocks and blue chips shed 1.63 percent; and the underlying FTSE/ASE-40 for medium capitalization stocks lost 1.28 percent.

Stock futures in Intracom, a blue chip information technology and telecoms manufacturer, were heavily traded.

Prices up in brisk trade: Bond prices in the domestic secondary market on Thursday finished higher in active trade focusing on five-year paper.

The Greek benchmark 10-year bond showed a yield of 5.44 percent, and the spread over the corresponding German bund was 29 basis points.

Turnover through the central bank's electronic system was 2.3 billion euros.

Buy orders accounted for over half of trade.

[27] IOC president Rogge sends message to ATHOC on Olympic Games preparations

Athens, 31/05/2002 (ANA)

Rogge stressed that ''it is time for the preparations to continue at a brisk rate. The Athens 2004 Olympic Games can and must be crowned with success.''

He also stressed the significance of the return to Athens of the Olympic Games and that this fact constitutes ''a unique opportunity for Greece but also for the Olympic spirit itself.''

[28] Olympic Games athletes to train at Marathon

Athens, 31/05/2002 (ANA)

The athletes involved will be from the boxing, hockey, badminton, table tennis, wrestling, volleyball, fencing, canoe-kayak, taekwondo, baseball, cycling and handball federations.

The hosting contract (expiring in July 2004) for athletes of these federations at the ''Greek Sports Institute'' was signed on behalf of the general sports secretariat by its secretary Nikos

Exarchos, following relevant authorization by Deputy Sports Minister Yiannis Kourakis.

The general sports secretariat covers 80 percent of the programm's hosting cost, while the remaining 20 percent burdens the federations' budgets.

[29] EU to declare 2004 as year of education through sports

BRUSSELS 31/05/2002 (ANA - M. Spinthourakis)

The initiative was adopted taking under consideration that the 2004 Olympic Games will take place in Athens. The total funding of the program was set at 11.5 million euros.

Commenting on the decision, Greek Education Minister Petros Efthymiou expressed his complete satisfaction and stressed that the initiative was very important for Greece.

The initial idea for the initiative was advanced two years at the European Parliament by Efthymiou and former Italian 200-metre Olympic champion Pietro Menea when they were both Eurodeputies.

[30] Largest SE European slave market located in Bosnia

Athens, 31/05/2002 (ANA)

Speakers to the conference said on Thursday that a slave market called ''Arizona'' and located somewhere in northeaster Bosnia is the central spot for trafficking human beings in Europe.

Women from Bulgaria, Romania, the Ukraine, Moldova and other countries find their way to western Europe and Greece where they are forced into prostitution.

Statistics about Moldova show the magnitude of the problem, as about 600,000 persons from that small Eastern European country have immigrated, while a staggering 70 per cent of those are women of very young age.

[31] Cyprus to protest Turkish moves

NICOSIA 31/05/2002 (CNA/ANA)

Demarches will be made to the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, the five permanent members of the Security Council and to international organizations dealing with shipping and air transport, he said.

''It is contradictory to see that at a time when peace talks are taking place, the Turkish side is provoking in this way, perhaps what the Turkish side is aiming at with such provocations is simply too obvious,'' Papapetrou said after Thursday's cabinet meeting.

The spokesman said that the Greek Cypriot side will not play along with the games of the Turkish side, nor will it facilitate its attempts to create a crisis.

Turkey and Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash have repeatedly warned of an impending crisis as Cyprus edges closer to European Union membership. The Turkish side opposes EU accession prior to a political settlement whereas the EU said a solution would facilitate accession but it is not a precondition.

Papapetrou said it is typical of the intentions of the Turkish side to claim that its ''decision'' on the ''territorial waters'' of the occupation regime came in response to a recent decision by the

government of Cyprus.

''The Republic of Cyprus extended its territorial waters from three to twelve miles 38 years ago, in 1964,'' he said, a move which can hardly be described as ''recent.''

The so-called decision of the Turkish Cypriot regime is the latest in a series of provocative moves by the Turkish side. Within the past week, a research Turkish vessel entered illegally the territorial waters of Cyprus while Turkish jet fighters violated Greek air space.

[32] Papapetrou dismisses Denktash's unsubstantiated claims

NICOSIA 31/05/2002 (CNA/ANA)

Papapetrou also said the European Union provided a clear-cut response to Denktash's claims that Cyprus does not belong to Europe.

''It is a great honor for me to see his excellency Mr. Denktash dealing with my person. If I am ignorant because I say that Cyprus is a European country, then words have lost their meaning,'' Papapetrou said with a distinct flavor of irony in his comments.

Papapetrou said earlier in the week that Turkish premier Bulent Ecevit displayed a serious lack of knowledge of history and culture with regard to Cyprus and Europe if he genuinely believed that Cyprus is not a European country.

Denktash lashed back at the spokesman calling him ''ignorant'' with ''an inferiority complex'' and saying that he (Papapetrou) changes colors motivated by political expediencies and dismissing notions of Cyprus belonging to Europe.

''The European Union itself has given a final and absolute response to such claims, much to the despair of Mr. Denktash, when back in 1993 it accepted an application by the Republic of Cyprus for accession,'' Papapetrou said.

The spokesman said it was ''very interesting'' to hear claims that he is suffering from an ''inferiority complex''. However, he said he would avoid the big temptation to respond to Denktash, as he respects the need to maintain a good climate at the UN-led peace talks, currently underway.

Papapetrou, as a member of the Greek Cypriot negotiating team led by President Glafcos Clerides, and Denktash, in his capacity as leader of the Turkish Cypriot community, sit at the same table twice a week, under the watchful eye of UN Secretary General's special adviser for Cyprus Alvaro de Soto, in a bid to find a comprehensive settlement.

The direct talks, which began in mid January this year, have not yielded any results so far.

[33] Vassiliou: Possibility for EU enlargement delay very small

NICOSIA 31/05/2002 (CNA/ANA)

In his remarks to the press after an hour-long meeting with Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck, Belgian Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Minister in charge of Agriculture, Vassiliou expressed the view that the EU will adhere to the enlargement timetable.

Neyts said that according to EU commitments the negotiations for the entry of the candidate countries should start early 2003 and this will be confirmed at the European Council Summit end of this year.

The accession negotiations between Cyprus and the EU as well as the Cyprus issue were on the agenda of Thursday's meeting. Neyts was due to meet later with Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash and she was due to discuss with him the state of affairs at the direct talks held between Cyprus President Glafcos Clerides and Denktash since January with the view to reach a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem.

Answering a question, Neyts said that Turkey has progressed in the fulfillment of the Copenhagen criteria to start accession negotiations but noted that the criteria are not yet fully and completely fulfilled.

''Those criteria have been applied to each and every candidate. We do not discriminate among states according to what the dominant religion would be,'' she said.

Cyprus has started accession negotiations with the EU in 1998 and has so far provisionally closed 27 out of 30 negotiating chapters.

[34] US stress need for more urgency in direct talks

Washington stressed the need for more urgency in the UN-led direct peace talks, aiming at a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem, so that an agreement could be reached by June.

US State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher told his press briefing here on Thursday ''the US strongly supports and stands ready to assist the UN Good Offices Mission in its efforts to assist the parties on the island in reaching a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus issue''.

''We stress the need for more urgency in these negotiations in order to reach an agreement by the June target date,'' he added.

[35] Cyprus ready to participate in creation of European Border Police

NICOSIA 31/05/2002 (CNA/ANA)

Koshis met, on the sidelines of the conference, with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who expressed his government's gratitude for Cyprus' contribution to the efforts aiming at combating illegal immigration.

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