Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 02-08-29

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

CONTENTS

[01] Greece offers 54.29 mln-euro aid to Bulgaria

[02] First tracks laid as Athens awaits return of trams

[03] FM Papandreou communicates with Turkish, Romanian and Bulgarian counterparts

[04] Papandreou calls on Tirana to defuse 'border pileup' rhetoric

[05] ''N17'' gradually unveiled as more suspects testify

[06] Simitis, interior minister discuss local gov't elections

[07] Alternate FM Yiannitsis meets U.S. Ambassador Miller

[08] Papoutsis meets EU and local government officials in Brussels

[09] Tax reform plan to benefit families, enterprises, Greek minister says

[10] Gov't seeks price restraint to lower inflation

[11] Gov't tables bill for information society watchdog

[12] Greek companies to seek Chinese partners

[13] Greek stocks end lower on Wednesday

[14] ATHOC president to brief IOC on preparations for Olympic Games

[15] Firebomb attack on Nea Smyrni bank ATM

[16] Scientists to meet in Delphi to discuss danger of Planet Earth's destruction

[17] Exhibition of Byzantine glazed pottery in Athens

[18] Pass marks for universities, TEI announced

[19] Clerides and Denktash to have another two meetings

[20] Cyprus protests massive violations by Turkish military aircraft

[21] British MPs offer suggestions for missing persons issue

[22] US Ambassador-Designate to Cyprus arrives

[01] Greece offers 54.29 mln-euro aid to Bulgaria

Athens, 29/08/2002 (ANA)

The agreement was signed by Foreign Deputy Minister Andreas Loverdos and Bulgarian Economy Deputy Minister Milen Keremedshiev in Sofia.

The agreement marked the completion of a first phase of a Greek plan for the economic reconstruction of the Balkans envisaging granting a total of 550 million euros in six Balkan states.

''We begun this significant program with signing of agreements in Yugoslavia and we are ending it now in Bulgaria,'' Mr. Loverdos said. He noted that the Greek government adhered to the plan's timetable and pledges made by Prime Minister Costas Simitis.

Under the plan, Greece offered 250 million euros to Serbia-Montenegro, 19.53 million euros to Bosnia-Herzegovina, 74.84 million euros to FYROM, 70.93 million euros to Romania, 49.89 million euros to Albania and 54.29 million euros to Bulgaria.

The Greek minister stressed that now it was up to the six Balkan states to prove their ability to benefit from the implementation of the five-year program by submitting their proposals for infrastructure projects the soonest possible.

The Bulgarian minister noted that Bulgaria would submit all relative proposals in the next two months and pledged that the government would appoint a national coordinator before the end of the week. Mr. Keremedshiev said that 80 percent of the Greek financial aid would be earmarked for public works, while the remaining would be offered to private works.

The two ministers agreed on a series of infrastructure projects in the country's road network, health and education services, and in the farm and manufacturing sectors.

''There is a time limitation on political level,'' Loverdos said, stressing the significance of a timely submission of proposals by all Balkan states. ''If we lose the next two years, we lose the five year period all together,'' the Greek minister said and described the next 10-12 months as crucial.

Mr. Loverdos said that the Greek financial aid would attract more money from other states, international financial organizations and the private sector and noted that several countries, including Japan, US, Canada, Belgium and Luxembourg, have already expressed interest in participating in the Greek Balkan program.

''We respect the principles of the United Nations for cooperation and transparency,'' Loverdos said and stressed that Greece was only interested in promoting peace and stability in the region. ''Our heart beats here,'' he noted.

Mr. Keremedshiev stressed the significance of excellent relations between Bulgaria and Greece, both on a political and investment levels, as Greece is the second largest investment partner of Bulgaria after Germany.

[02] First tracks laid as Athens awaits return of trams

Athens, 29/08/2002 (ANA)

A bevy of government officials, led by Transport Minister Christos Verelis, and contractors’ representatives were on hand at a brief ceremony outside one of Athens’ neo-classical landmarks – Zappeion Hall -- where the first tracks were laid.

Work on the tramlines in central Athens, from Syntagma square across from Parliament to the boulevards surrounding the Temple of Olympian Zeus archaeological site, are expected to be completed in about two weeks, the ministry promised.

The new tram network is expected to transport almost 80,000 passengers daily, especially to and from congested central Athens, as well as improving tourists’ access to the Greek capital’s most visible archaeological sites. It’s one of Athens best-known monuments, Hadrian’s Arch, which has been at the center of concern lately by local archaeologists, as one of the new tram lines passes only meters from the Imperial Roman stone and marble structure, causing worries that increased vibrations from passing tram cars will damage the site.

However, the government and contractors have promised to use shockproof materials and other precautions at the specific spot.

Two latest extensions, meanwhile, a 500-metre stretch from Syntagma to Zappeion and an 800-metre addition from the upscale Glyfada coastal district further southeast to the residential Voula suburb will account for close to 25 kilometers of tramlines in Athens when finished. The crucial completion date was given as before the summer of 2000 – when the Olympics return to the city that hosted the first modern Games in 1896.

The tramline will feature two routes, one connecting downtown Athens with the southeastern coastal districts, and the other veering off westwards on the Faliro-Piraeus coastline, where several important Olympic venues will be located.

Verelis said the first tramcar – designed in cooperation with the well-known Pininfarina Group -- will arrive in Athens next May from the manufacturer in Florence, Italy.

[03] FM Papandreou communicates with Turkish, Romanian and Bulgarian counterparts

STOCKHOLM 29/08/2002 (ANA – Ch. Pavlidou)

Papandreou initiated the discussions with his counterparts from those countries that are not under immediate accession in view of the informal foreign ministers meeting at Elsinor, Denmark, on Friday, where the EU enlargement is part of the agenda.

During the conversation with his Bulgarian and Romanian counterparts, the Greek foreign minister emphasized that a schedule for their EU accession should be determined at the Copenhagen Summit in December, sources said.

During the conversation with his Turkish counterpart, Papandreou noted that Greece was not contrary to Ankara’s request to be given a date for the commencement of accession negotiations, provided that the community preconditions already set by the association relationship and the summit meetings are adhered until then.

[04] Papandreou calls on Tirana to defuse 'border pileup' rhetoric

STOCKHOLM 29/08/2002 (ANA – H. Poulidou)

In a phone conversation with his Albanian counterpart Ilir Meta from Stockholm, where Papandreou arrived on Wednesday for a working visit, the Greek minister stressed that it was in “both countries’ best interests” to defuse the situation. He added, according to reports, that such a secondary issue should not be exploited to the detriment of bilateral relations.

Greek officials, repeatedly emphasized that the unprecedented traffic pileup was due to the fact that thousands of Albanian workers in Greece were granted temporary residence permits over the past year, something that allowed them to travel legally to their native land and back over the Aug. 15 general holiday in Greece.

Moreover, Greece also noted that as a Schengen Pact member-state it supports and is obligated to follow a border check regime mandated for third country nationals’ entrance into EU territory.

However, to alleviate the unprecedented holiday rush at the two border posts of Kakavia and Krystallopygi, more customs officials were immediately dispatched, while Athens also promised to allocate funds from its ambitious 50-million-euro aid package to Tirana for the construction of two new border posts on the Greek-Albanian frontier.

[05] ''N17'' gradually unveiled as more suspects testify

Athens, 29/08/2002 (ANA)

According to Kondylis, during the period when Evert was the ND leader, the members of the gang were considering a hit against him. “I refused” Kondylis said “because I thought that hitting a deputy would be a mistake”.

Another “N17” suspect, Pavlos Serifis, in his mid-July testimony before a public investigator involved his cousin Yiannis Serifis, known to the authorities from the 1970s when he was charged with participation in the Revolutionary Popular Struggle but was acquitted.

Pavlos Serifis said that his cousin Yiannis Serifis had been present at the “N17” first terrorist hit against the CIA station chief Richard Welch in 1975. He also said that his cousin had assisted him in blocking the victim’s car in the killing of riot police deputy commander Pantelis Petrou in January 1980.

His testimony was particularly incriminating for alleged “N17” leader Alexandros Giotopoulos’s involvement in the terrorist organization and the group’s early activities. He said that Yiannis Serifis had brought him into contact with “Lambros”, Giotopoulos’ “N17” code name, and that at that meeting the latter had proposed the attack against Welch. “He used convincing arguments and said that he would undertake to write the ideological support for the hit. Then Lambros suggested that we should call the organization November 17, after the date of the Polytechnic School incidents”.

On November 17, 1973 the university students in Athens had staged an uprising against the military junta ruling Greece at the time.

In his testimony Pavlos Serifis asked for forgiveness from the relatives of the “N17” victims and claimed that in 1980 he had a fall-out with the ultra-leftist guerilla group and left it.

On a related note, suspected “N17” members Alexandros Giotopoulos, Nikos Papanastasiou, Sotiris Kondylis, Costas Telios, Patroklos Tselentis, Theologos Psaradellis and Vasilis Tzortzatos, currently held in maximum-security cells at the Korydallos prison in Athens, on Wednesday received visits from their next of kin. Since Tuesday the 14 “N17” suspects at Korydallos cells can use the card-phones installed in common areas within the prison, during their one-hour breaks away from their cells.

Relatives of N17 victims call for 'justice without discounts: Relatives of six people killed by ''November 17'', wearing badges of the 'Os Edo' society formed by relatives of terrorism victims, on Wednesday arrived in a group at the office of Special Examining Magistrate Leonidas Zervobeakas, the appeals court justice assigned to the N17 case, to demand a trial that administered 'justice without discounts' and fully revealed the truth.

Among the group were New Democracy's candidate for Athens mayor Dora Bakoyianni, wife of murdered politician Pavlos Bakoyiannis, with her two children and mother-in-law Irini, Alexandra Rouseti, daughter Nikos Momferatos' driver Panagiotis Rousetis, Momferatos' wife Irini, their son Giorgos and Momferatos' sister Yolanda Tsala, Marina Vranopoulou, daughter of former National Bank of Greece governor Mihalis Vranopoulos, Irini Veloutsou, sister of George Chades' driver Nikos Veloutsos, Mihalis Peratikos and Lia Peratikou, father and wife of ship-owner Kostas Peratikos.

Members of the group also filed civil suits against the suspects in the N17 case.

As they emerged from the Zervobeakas' office Marina Vranopoulou read out the following statement on their behalf:

''The terrorists killed defenseless victims depriving them of the self-evident right to live. Today we are face to face with the true face of Democracy that does not take revenge. We trust the institutions of the State and we believe that the best answer and the greatest tribute to the memory of the people that were lost is the operation of these institutions and respect for democratic values.''

The announcement also stressed that the murderers of 12 other victims of terrorist organizations were still at large.

Michalis Peratikos stayed behind with Zervobeakas in order to testify regarding the murder of his son Kostas, while Dora Bakoyianni is due to testify on Saturday.

[06] Simitis, interior minister discuss local gov't elections

Athens, 29/08/2002 (ANA)

Afterwards, in remarks to reporters, Skandalidis said he will convene a bipartisan committee on Monday, followed by a meeting with Athens mayoral candidates next Wednesday to discuss potential election process glitches in the municipality, the country’s largest.

He stressed that his ministry's primary function, leading up to and during the municipal and prefectural elections in October, revolves around a problem-free election process, updating voter registries and properly listing new polling stations.

Beyond the coming elections, Skandalidis – who was previously PASOK party secretary – said a bill on establishing the position of public administration general inspectors will be tabled in the third summer session of Parliament. The move emanates from efforts to better combat corruption in the public sector, he said.

[07] Alternate FM Yiannitsis meets U.S. Ambassador Miller

Athens, 29/08/2002 (ANA)

On Cyprus' EU accession course, Yiannitsis told Miller that Cyprus is close to completing the accession negotiations and is a frontrunner among the other candidate countries and at the same time is making every possible effort for a political solution to the Cyprus problem.

Yiannitsis added that the Turkish Cypriot side has not shown a constructive stance, but given the facts, there is nothing that will stop Cyprus' entry into the EU.

The Greek alternate foreign minister said that Greece was positive towards Turkey's European prospects, making it clear that the date for the start of accession talks did not depend on Greece but the EU and Turkey.

[08] Papoutsis meets EU and local government officials in Brussels

BRUSSELS 29/08/2002 (ANA)

Papoutsis is also scheduled to meet EU Commission President Romano Prodi and European Parliament Socialist Group President Enrique Baron Crespo.

Papoutsis said that he discussed with the EU officials issues related to the EU funding of Athens, especially in view of the Olympic Games.

[09] Tax reform plan to benefit families, enterprises, Greek minister says

Athens, 29/08/2002 (ANA)

Speaking to reporters, after a meeting with Prime Minister Costas Simitis to discuss the government's tax reform plan, Mr. Christodoulakis said that the government would like to offer Greek families and SMEs the ability for a fundamental support through simplifying procedures in their relations with the tax system.

He also stressed that the tax reform would also seek to support the country's growth course and social cohesion.

The Greek minister rejected press reports over a new "social benefit package" promoted by the government. "This is an old-fashioned view that does not benefit the economy nor government politics. Governments that succumb to such pressures in a pre-election period are those who finally lose out," he said.

Referring to the inflation, Christodoulakis said that high inflation was not in the interests of both Greek consumers and the economy and urged for a widespread effort to combat inflation.

[10] Gov't seeks price restraint to lower inflation

Athens, 29/08/2002 (ANA)

Speaking to reporters after a meeting with commerce trade groups on Wednesday, Development Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos said that government departments would hold talks with the central bank on lowering inflation to below 3.0 percent at the end of the year.

Tsohatzopoulos also called on producers and traders to show price restraint.

''There is absolutely no reason for further price rises in the market, and we would ask for the support of all concerned to achieve price stability,'' the minister said.

''This is a political position in order to attain (eurozone) convergence, and the government will take measures if price rises continue. At the moment we are seeking understanding,'' he added.

The first round of price hikes resulted from rounding off drachmas to euros at the start of the year, and to increases in fruit and vegetable prices following adverse weather.

From April to July, a number of goods and services continued to rise in price, especially in dental and medical services, food and coffee. Unjustified rises had continued in tourist venues, Tsohatzopoulos added.

[11] Gov't tables bill for information society watchdog

Athens, 29/08/2002 (ANA)

The new agency will be based in Athens and answer to the finance and interior ministers, while its brief will be to collect and process qualitative and quantitative data related to the information society in Greece, to disseminate optimal practices and to draft and submit reports and proposals to the state and other interested parties on these issues.

To this end, it will work closely with bodies in charge of the Information Society Program and participate in European and international networks for the exchange of know-how and experience.

The aim of the watchdog is to preempt problems and deficits that might arise through a lack of quantitative data and statistical indices, analyses and comparative studies and the transfer and exchange of similar experience in other countries.

[12] Greek companies to seek Chinese partners

Athens, 29/08/2002 (ANA)

An announcement by the Northern Greece's Exporters Union, the coordinator of the Greek presence in the meeting, said that the partenariat event was a joint initiative by the European Union and China's Republic to promote business cooperation between small- and medium-sized enterprises.

The union said the meeting offered Greek companies the opportunity to seek partners in China and to exploit this huge market in view of very positive bilateral relations after the Greek prime minister's visit in the country last spring.

The Greek companies represent the food production and processing, information technology, environment protection, metal products, electric appliances and technology, machinery and industrial support sectors.

[13] Greek stocks end lower on Wednesday

Athens, 29/08/2002 (ANA)

Traders said the market was hit by a negative climate in other European markets but noted that the Greek bourse showed more resilience.

The general index fell 0.69 percent to end at 2,163.64 points, with turnover a low 83.9 million euros.

The Textile, Food-Beverage and Construction sectors suffered the heaviest percentage losses of the day (4.17 percent, 3.79 percent and 2.04 percent, respectively).

Te FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavy traded stocks ended 0.72 percent lower, the FTSE/ASE MID 40 index dropped 1.65 percent and FTSE/ASE SmallCap 80 index ended 1.11 percent down.

Broadly, decliners led advancers by 257 to 68 The most heavily traded stocks in value were Hellenic Telecommunications Organization, Informatics, Coca Cola HBC, Public Power Corporation, and Naoussa Textile Mills.

Derivatives Market Close: Turnover at 73.3 mln euros Wednesday

Equity Index Futures: