Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 02-09-23

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

CONTENTS

[01] Besieged Arafat seeks peace move from EU, US via Greece

[02] PM ends Peloponnese tour by visiting Kalamata

[03] PM in Denmark for EU-Asia summit

[04] World mayors summit in Athens ends with signature of Olympic cities charter

[05] Luxembourg FM congratulates Greece on breakthrough against terrorism

[06] Foreign national charged as spy for photographing military unit

[07] Communist party decries ''dirty war'' on Iraq

[08] Balkans, Cyprus set up legal federation to back human rights

[09] Foreign minister to meet UN Cyprus envoy in Athens

[10] Opinion poll: Bakoyianni favorite for Athens mayor

[11] Gov't plans to slash military service

[12] Environment minister comments on women's role in politics

[13] Archbishop denies involvement in politics

[14] Gov't pledges above-inflation pay rises for 2003

[15] 80 illegal migrants located on islet near Aliveri

[16] Police nab alleged French migrant traffickers at Athens airport

[17] Israeli teenagers hosted in Greece in wake of Palestinian visit

[18] Kasoulides says low tones required to confront Turkish threats

[19] Germany's stance on Cyprus will not change

[01] Besieged Arafat seeks peace move from EU, US via Greece

Athens, 23/09/2002 (ANA)

Arafat was speaking during a lengthy afternoon telephone call with Foreign Minster George Papandreou, the ministry said in a statement.

Papandreou immediately contacted the EU's presidency to discuss a possible peace move by the 15-nation bloc, the statement said.

The minister reiterated to Arafat that he had the backing of Greece and the European Union as the Palestinians' legitimate leader; and he relayed greetings and support from Prime Minister Costas Simitis, the statement added.

On Thursday, Israeli troops besieged Arafat's West Bank headquarters. The Palestinian leader vowed never to surrender to Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and refused to hand over 50 suspected militants whom Israel says are with him in his devastated presidential headquarters in the city of Ramallah.

Greece calls on Israel to halt siege of Arafat: Greece on Sunday urged Israel to halt its four-day siege of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in his Ramallah headquarters.

At the same time, the government asked the Palestinian authority to step up reform and an overhaul of its security services, accompanied by severe penalties for the perpetrators of terrorist acts, foreign ministry spokesman Panayiotis Beglitis said in a statement.

''One deadlock feeds another and violence cannot conquer violence,'' the statement said.

Beglitis repeated Greece's policy of backing for Israel's right to exist within secure and internationally guaranteed borders; and its "right to defend legitimate security interests".

Simultaneously, Greece also supported the right of the Palestinian people to create an independent state, in line with UN Security Council resolutions.

''This policy offers the only prospect of peaceful co-existence, of security and prosperity for the two peoples,'' the spokesman said.

''We have repeatedly and categorically condemned blind acts of violence and terrorism that have resulted in the death of innocent citizens in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories,'' he added.

Foreign minister says both Palestinians and Israelis have rights: Foreign Minister George Papandreou said on Sunday that both Israelis and Palestinians had rights.

''(Greece says) yes to the security of Israel but also to declaration of a Palestinian state,'' Papandreou told a meeting of ruling PASOK party and regional officials in the western port city of Patras.

Turning to Turkey, the minister said that the neighboring country had taken some steps towards eligibility for European Union membership, but much work lay ahead.

Palestinians stage protest march to Israeli embassy in Athens: Tens of Palestinians on Sunday marched to the Israeli embassy in Athens to protest against the siege by Israeli troops of Yasser Arafat in his Ramallah headquarters.

The demonstrators asked the Greek government to help end military operations by Israel against Palestinians.

Carrying photographs of Arafat, the protesters tried to post a resolution on the embassy's wall but were prevented from approaching by a heavy police presence.

At the head of the march from the Palestinian representation to the Israeli embassy was a deputy of the Communist Party of Greece, Spyros Halvatzis, who is also candidate for Athens mayor.

[02] PM ends Peloponnese tour by visiting Kalamata

Athens, 23/09/2002 (ANA)

While at the hospital, the prime minister talked about Greece' national health system, which he said was improving every year as problems were solved one by one.

He stressed the huge service provided to Greek people by the national health system, which each year processed 11 million visits to outpatient clinics, treated 1.7 million people in hospital and carried out more than 70 million medical tests.

All European state health systems were in some sort of crisis, Simitis added, but the Greek government was using everything it had in a systematic way to deal with the Greek system's problems.

Regarding Kalamata's two-year-old hospital, he said that it was one of the most up-to-date in the country, built to European specifications and that 47 million euros had been spent on its construction and equipment.

He pledged that central government would gradually provide more specialist staff and funds to set up additional facilities, such as an ER ward, an intensive care unit and a diabetes center.

PM slams ND, media stance on terrorism: In his speech at Kalamata's basketball court, Simitis was highly critical of main opposition New Democracy and sections of the media for their handling of the terrorism case, while he appealed to progressive forces from all parties to rally together in the upcoming local government elections.

Attacking media ''irresponsibility'' in covering the ongoing investigation of the terrorist group ''November 17'', he stressed that terrorism was not fodder for spectacle.

''Terrorists are a threat to democracy, the country and society. They are not a neutral 'showbiz' product. Those who mean not to understand this will face the universal censure and condemnation of the Greek people,'' he stressed.

Regarding New Democracy, he accused the main opposition of trying to shunt responsibility for the terrorists onto PASOK and the Left and warned that this was an operation doomed to failure. He also criticized the party for not adopting a clear stance on this issue.

''One cannot have two positions at the same time on one of the most important issues,'' he stressed.

He also accused ND of trying to transform the local elections into a central political battle to cover up its lack of positions.

"The local elections cannot be a national referendum for the government. They must be elections for local government and lead to the election of people who want to serve local government, not just use it as a springboard for a career in Parliament, the state sector or their party's leadership," he said.

The prime minister touched on international developments in his speech, such as the recession that had hit Europe and the prospects of a war with Iraq, whose consequences could not yet be calculated.

On the home front, he said that the Greek economy was stable and that the euro was a more robust and powerful currency than the drachma had been. Regarding Cyprus, meanwhile, Simitis noted that the Greek side was now in a position to deal with any problems that might arise in the island republic's EU accession.

The prime minister admitted that the latest developments created additional problems for the Greek EU presidency that had not originally been anticipated. At the same time, he added, Greece had never before been faced with such big opportunities to effectively protect and safeguard its interests.

''We have a strong economy, a better standing in Europe and the world and they expect us to resolve difficult problems. We have goals and a role to play and this is a success achieved by the Greek people and the PASOK government, by our steady policy for a stronger Greece,'' he said.

Greece in 2002 was like an athlete participating in a number of events at the same time, Simitis noted. It was struggling for a good outcome on major foreign policy issues, for growth and economic convergence, for a new social state, a new place in Europe and, finally, for a successful Olympiad that the country could be proud of.

"In spite of all the difficulties on the international and European scene, we guarantee that we will achieve the results we seek in every 'event'," the prime minister concluded.

[03] PM in Denmark for EU-Asia summit

COPENHAGEN 23/09/2002 (ANA / M. Spinthourakis)

Leaders of the 15-nation bloc will hold talks with the heads of 10 Asian countries - China, North Korea, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Brunei.

No major decisions are expected to be taken at the ASEM summit, which participants see mainly as forum to exchange views on global issues.

Unable to attend are the German and British leaders.

[04] World mayors summit in Athens ends with signature of Olympic cities charter

Athens, 23/09/2002 (ANA)

During the third and last day of the meeting, speakers stressed that cities were now the hubs of a global society undergoing revolutionary changes and key links in the world economy, generating 60 per cent of the global gross product, as well as being on the frontline of all the world's problems.

In the summit's final communique, the gathered mayors agreed to record their acceptance of 'city diplomacy' and give this the organizational structure needed to become a catalyst for peaceful and democratic growth of the world community.

The Athens Charter, meanwhile, calls for a world union of Olympic cities under the aegis of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Based on this, the mayors accept that ''cities are international centers for the development of sports, cultural and international activities and symbolize the deeper meaning of the Olympic Movement, while Olympic cities can utilize their international role and their cooperation in the framework of a contemporary, unified international reality.''

[05] Luxembourg FM congratulates Greece on breakthrough against terrorism

LUXEMBOURG 23/09/2002 (ANA - M. Psillos)

''The break-up of 'November 17' was a very positive development,'' Polfer said and stressed the role of international cooperation in fighting terrorism.

''In Europe we are one family and cooperation is essential,'' the Luxembourg foreign minister added.

Polfer, who is also head of the ministers' council for the Council of Europe (CoE), was speaking on the sidelines of an international conference organized by the CoE on the role of local authorities in dealing with terrorism.

In the final communique of the conference that ended on Saturday, 250 mayors and municipal councilors from cities in 27 European countries called on the CoE Parliamentary Assembly to create a European Observatory to protect the public from terrorist attacks.

They asked that terrorist threats be precisely identified so that additional security measures could be taken, noting that Europeans had a right to a peaceful life and respect of human dignity. On their part, they undertook to boost social cohesion and eradicate social exclusion in order to reduce the danger of explosions of violence.

[06] Foreign national charged as spy for photographing military unit

Athens, 23/09/2002 (ANA)

Of Turkish origin and carrying a temporary German passport, the man was identified as Pekinel Murat Mehmet (phonetic spelling), 54.

Charged on the nearby island of Lesvos on Saturday, he was arrested a day earlier while photographing a unit on the island at Kallithea following sightings by the public reported to police.

Confiscated were 57 rolls of film and maps of the Greek islands.

The man denied the charge, saying the photographs he took were for personal use.

[07] Communist party decries ''dirty war'' on Iraq

Athens, 23/09/2002 (ANA)

Expressing certainty that hostilities would be ordered, KKE leader Aleka Papariga told a party youth festival that the offensive would be veiled under what she called ''shifting pretexts and hypocrisy.''

Papariga criticized the governments of Greece and its European Union partners for backing Washington's anti-terrorism drive, which she described as a pretext for gaining power.

The KKE leader called on the government to refrain from allowing any military facilities on Greek soil to be used in hostilities against Iraq.

[08] Balkans, Cyprus set up legal federation to back human rights

Athens, 23/09/2002 (ANA)

Signing in the northern town of Kastoria were non-government groups of legal experts from Greece, Albania, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Turkey, Romania, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Moldova and Croatia.

The event was held on Saturday on the sidelines of a conference of Balkan justice ministers - the first of its kind - that was initiated by Justice Minister Philippos Petsalnikos. Among topics covered were tackling organized crime and migrant trafficking.

Petsalnikos said that Greece, a member of the European Union and its rotating president for the first half of 2003, wanted to involve Balkan countries in the drive to establish security in Europe, as well as assist them in pursuing EU membership.

Greece would seek EU funds for modernization and improvement of legal systems in other Balkan countries, the minister added.

[09] Foreign minister to meet UN Cyprus envoy in Athens

Athens, 23/09/2002 (ANA)

A news conference will be held after the Athens meeting that begins at 10.30 am, the statement added.

[10] Opinion poll: Bakoyianni favorite for Athens mayor

Athens, 23/09/2002 (ANA)

Bakoyianni, a deputy of the main opposition New Democracy party, scored a lead of 20 percentage points over her nearest rival, Christos Papoutsis of the ruling PASOK party, said the poll published in the Sunday Eleftherotypia newspaper.

Conducted by pollster Opinion, the survey said that 39.8 percent of votes were destined for Bakoyianni and 19.8 percent for Papoutsis.

Beyond votes for candidates severely lagging the two frontrunners, 18.4 percent of respondents declined to reply with a small percentage saying they would vote blank, or would not vote, or did not have an answer to the question of how they would vote.

In an interview to the Sunday Ethos newspaper, Bakoyianni said that if she became Athens mayor, she would not hesitate to differ over municipal affairs with any New Democracy government in power.

[11] Gov't plans to slash military service

Athens, 23/09/2002 (ANA)

In an interview to the state-run NET television, the minister announced that the decline would begin in 2003, falling to 12 months in the army, 14 months in the air force and 15 months in the navy.

It was hoped that by 2005 half of the army would comprise standing army personnel, and the other half recruits on compulsory military service, he added.

[12] Environment minister comments on women's role in politics

Athens, 23/09/2002 (ANA)

She also discussed the need for a strict time frame and specific proposals for Greece's EU presidency in the first half of 2003, particularly for ensuring Cyprus' EU accession.

In her speech, Papandreou noted that Greece ranked 93rd in the world for the participation of women in Parliament, making programs such as the 33 per cent minimum quota on local election tickets essential.

[13] Archbishop denies involvement in politics

Athens, 23/09/2002 (ANA)

''The Church keeps a distance from any action that could be construed as intervention in the country's politics,'' Christodoulos told a dinner hosted by the Chios chamber of commerce.

[14] Gov't pledges above-inflation pay rises for 2003

Athens, 23/09/2002 (ANA)

In an interview to the Sunday Ethnos newspaper, Christodoulakis also promised that hefty increases in spending would be ordered in 2003 for the health, education, and social insurance sectors.

[15] 80 illegal migrants located on islet near Aliveri

Athens, 23/09/2002 (ANA)

Among them are 72 men, six women and two children.

The local coast guard is now searching for the boat that dropped the immigrants off on the islet and any other people involved in the case.

[16] Police nab alleged French migrant traffickers at Athens airport

Athens, 23/09/2002 (ANA)

Arrested at Athens international airport on Saturday was Dinka Zia (phonetic spelling), 63, of France, who appeared to be mastermind of the trafficking ring, police sources said.

Also arrested were his daughter, Rita, 19 and several Iraqis, who police say were attempting to travel with illegal documents obtained from Zia.

According to police, Zia had provided the Iraqis with false travel documents, airline tickets to Marseilles, France, and airline boarding passes.

Zia allegedly escorted the Iraqi family to passport control, where they met his daughter, who was due to travel with them in return for a fee of 2,500 US dollars each.

[17] Israeli teenagers hosted in Greece in wake of Palestinian visit

Athens, 23/09/2002 (ANA)

Hospitality in Athens for the young people is part of a program run by the Central Union of Greek Municipalities and Communities.

Under the plan that includes educational events, excursions and other light relief from the war-torn region, 300 Palestinian children were hosted by the local government group over the summer.

[18] Kasoulides says low tones required to confront Turkish threats

NEW YORK 23/09/2002 (CNA/ANA)

Speaking to CNA on Saturday after addressing the 57th Session of the UN General Assembly, Kasoulides said he was not surprised by the Turkish efforts to culminate the fuss concerning this issue and noted that Ankara hopes that this last "trump card" up its sleeve would block Cyprus accession to the EU

Kasoulides expressed the belief that the Turkish efforts will not bear fruit and noted that the Europeans "are now in a position to perceive whether Ankara is bluffing or talking seriously".

He also noted that the Greek Cypriot side must react reservedly to the Turkish threats "because the things we have to gain by waiting for the significant decisions that will be taken in December (at the EU Copenhagen Summit) are very serious and we cannot put them at risk for any temporary motional satisfactions."

Referring to the ongoing UN-led direct talks between Cyprus President Glafcos Clerides and the Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash, Kasoulides said that Denktash's proposals put forward at the negotiating table do not leave any room for optimism.

He also noted that the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has made some substantial moves towards both sides and especially towards the Turkish side as to the positions it must abandon, which impede the solution of the Cyprus problem.

"I wish that the UN Secretary General's effort will go on from this point in October", Kasoulides said. Annan will meet Clerides and Denktash in New York October 3 and 4.

Kasoulides also stressed the importance of the fact that Cyprus had achieved to avert the adoption of new Turkish positions in the final statement of the annual coordination meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the Organization of the Islamic Conference.

He also expressed satisfaction with the meetings he held in New York. Clerides and Denktash are engaged in UN-led talks since mid January this year with a view to reach a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem.

Cyprus, divided since the Turkish invasion of 1974, is a frontrunner for EU accession when the 15-nation bloc meets to decide in December on its new members.

[19] Germany's stance on Cyprus will not change

BERLIN 23/09/2002 (CNA/ANA)

They noted that Germany supports the 1999 Helsinki Summit conclusions but prefers to see a solution to the Cyprus problem, prior to the EU

Copenhagen Summit in December, which will decide about enlargement.

Germany also believes the Cyprus problem must be solved in the context of the UN-led efforts and with a spirit of good will by both sides, the same sources added.

''Irrespective of the new Chancellor who will lead the country in the next four years, Germany will not chan

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