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Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 02-10-09Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>October 9, 2002CONTENTS
[01] PM calls for progressive unity to achieve country's major goalsAthens, 09/10/2002 (ANA)In a call to all progressive parties and individuals in Greece, not excluding those belonging to main opposition New Democracy, Prime Minister Costas Simitis on Tuesday asked them to unite their efforts in order to achieve the country's major goals.Addressing ruling PASOK's parliamentary group, Simitis said there were four such targets for the country: Cyprus' EU accession, an effective Greek EU presidency in the first half of 2003, a successful Olympiad in 2004 and convergence with other EU countries in the economy and social sector. The prime minister once again attacked ND's strategy in the local government elections, accusing it of divisive tactics, negativity and doom mongering that was damaging the institution of local government itself. He also reiterated accusations that ND was consorting with extreme right-wing elements similar to those that had toppled democracy in Greece in the past and which were responsible for the Cyprus tragedy. Appealing to progressives throughout the country, Simitis stressed that the aim of the local elections was to elect an able local government, not old-style party-political and conservative mechanisms of ''reaction, backwardness and fruitless protest''. At another point in his speech, he said the main opposition's leadership planned to scrap legislation ensuring transparency in public-sector appointments and to drive out civil servants in order to replace them with its own supporters. The prime minister also blamed Athens municipality - run for the past four years by a right-leaning mayor - for the large numbers of voters that had not been registered on electoral rolls, saying that the interior ministry bore no responsibility for the problem in Athens or any other municipality. Commenting on international developments and the prospects of war in Iraq, meanwhile, the prime minister appeared sanguine that the Greek economy was resilient enough to withstand the international storm due to the government's policies and would be able to continue its efforts for growth. Greece in 2002 was not Greece in 1992 at the time of the Gulf War, Simitis stressed. With respect to Cyprus' EU accession, the premier said that a time of crucial decisions was approaching and expressed fears that obstacles might yet arise - not just to Cyprus' accession but also to the Community's enlargement as a whole. He reiterated, however, that Greece's position on enlargement was clear-cut and that this would have to begin with Cyprus. Turning to the government's program and its achievements so far, the prime minister referred to recent tax and social insurance reforms passed by the government and said they represented the biggest initiatives for the redistribution of wealth in recent years. He also stressed the rise in funds for development in the 2003 budget, noting that this was again the largest in recent years. According to Simitis, the tax and social insurance reforms were a unified agreement to support and insure low and middle incomes and reflected an income redistribution equal to 2 per cent of GDP. Lastly, Simitis referred to the agricultural sector, saying that enough funds to cover needs had been secured until 2006 when the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) would begin, and to terrorism. On terrorism, Simitis said the government would continue efforts to stamp out the phenomenon and that this would help make democracy stronger. Democracy in Greece had begun in 1974 during a summer of national disaster, Simitis noted, and would reach its ultimate, true and symbolic justification in the summer of 2004 with the Olympic Games and a newfound national confidence. [02] Foreign ministry condemns Israeli attack in GazaAthens, 09/10/2002 (ANA)The Greek foreign ministry on Tuesday condemned the latest Israeli attack in the Gaza Strip in the most “intense and categorical manner”, as the relevant spokesman said.The missile attack this week claimed the life of several Gaza Strip residents, including children, according to international wire reports. “The terrible raid undermines the peace process and flagrantly violates international law as well as UN resolutions; it cannot constitute a justification for the combating of Palestinian terror groups,” spokesman Panos Beglitis said. He also expressed the government’s solidarity to the families of the victims and those injured. [03] Alternate FM to visit Copenhagen for EU-India meetingAthens, 09/10/2002 (ANA)Alternate Foreign Minister Tassos Yiannitsis will leave for Copenhagen on Wednesday to represent Greece at the European Union-India meeting on Thursday.Talks to take place in the Danish capital between the EU's ministerial troika and India, in the framework of the EU-India summit, include relations between the EU and India, developments in the wider region of southeast Asia, relations between India and Pakistan, disarmament, the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and drug trafficking. During his stay in Copenhagen, Yiannitsis will attend a conference on globalization organized by the European Socialist Party (ESP), as well as the first meeting of the ESP's work group on economic coordination and employment. Yiannitsis met with officials of the Greek commercial world to discuss issues regarding the EU Greek presidency's priorities in the first half of 2003 and listened to their views on the further promotion of issues concerning them. [04] Talks in Greece do not aim at new strategy, Cyprus FM saysNICOSIA 09/10/2002 (ANA - G. Leonidas)The talks between Cyprus President Glafcos Clerides and Prime Minister Costas Simitis in Athens on October 18 were not about re-evaluating strategy but sought to reconfirm the chosen strategy and courses of action by the Greek and Cypriot governments in the final stages, Cypriot Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides said on Tuesday.[05] Defense minister to visit FranceAthens, 09/10/2002 (ANA)Defense Minister Yiannos Papantoniou is to depart for a three-day official visit to France on Wednesday, during which he will meet his French counterpart Michele Alliot-Marie.Papantoniou and Alliot-Marie will discuss issues concerning European defense and security policy, developments in Iraq and bilateral cooperation between Greece and France. The Greek minister is also scheduled to meet the head of the French Parliament's national defense committee, while on Thursday night he will be speaking at the French International Relations Institute on "The prospects of a European security and defense policy and Greece". In the framework of his meetings in France, Papantoniou will have a working lunch with the management of the three major French newspapers "Le Monde", "Liberation" and "Le Figaro" in order to promote Greek positions on the Euroforce, the Cyprus issue and the initiatives planned by the Greek EU presidency. [06] Gov't, ND spokesmen trade charges over whether bill affects junta-era mayorsAthens, 09/10/2002 (ANA)The government spokesman and the spokesman for the main opposition party continued to trade charges and counter-charges on Tuesday over the issue of whether the government knowingly tabled an amendment recently to recognize the tenure of junta-era (1967-1973) mayors and community presidents for pension purposes.Government spokesman Christos Protopapas stressed that the deputy finance minister had clarified his intentions in Parliament over the relevant bill, and had already garnered the agreement by the other parties represented in Parliament. Protopapas denied claims by main opposition New Democracy spokesman Thodoris Roussopoulos -- aired during a television program the previous evening. In reaction, Roussopoulos charged that the government spokesman is “knowingly misrepresenting” the facts. “Yesterday evening Mr. Protopapas said mistakes occur. Today, unsuccessfully, he tried to distort reality,” he charged. [07] ND leader calls municipal-prefectural elections 'political'Athens, 09/10/2002 (ANA)Main opposition New Democracy (ND) party leader Costas Karamanlis on Tuesday accused Prime Minister Costas Simitis and the ruling party for calling on imaginary and far-fetched possibilities that hatch dangers for Greek society.Karamanlis' comments came in response to ruling PASOK party statements that ND was ''hostage to the extreme right wing''. Speaking at the election headquarters of Piraeus candidate for the prefecture's seat, Maria Tsanaki, Karamanlis also accused the premier and PASOK for using a divisive tactic and for using black propaganda. ''On one hand Simitis launches slanderous attacks against candidates affiliated with ND and on the other hand he claims that the elections have no political meaning,'' Karamanlis said. He called on the ND cadres to unite in support of the party's choices for the Athens surpaprefecture and not to be disoriented, stressing that ''what the premier said was a cause for tears and laughter at the same time''. Karamanlis added that ND ignored such attacks and it would not follow the ruling party in using such tactics, while he called on the party's supporters to join their voices in sending a message to be heard by those who rule the country, that citizens want different conditions. The ND leader underlined that these elections were political and broadcast clear political messages. [08] Albanian FM thanks Greek deputy FM for aidAthens, 09/10/2002 (ANA)Albanian Foreign Minister Ilir Meta on Tuesday sent a letter to Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Andreas Loverdos thanking him for the humanitarian aid of Greece to Albania, in confrontation of the problems created by the flood in the neighboring country, according to a press release issued by the ministry.Greece received similar letters of thanks from Russia, the Czech Republic and Germany for the provision of aid for the flood victims of central, southern and eastern Europe. [09] Papandreou-Christodoulakis meeting on WednesdayAthens, 09/10/2002 (ANA)Foreign Minister George Papandreou and National Economy Minister Nikos Christodoulakis are due to meet on Wednesday for a working lunch, according to a relevant press release.[10] Greece shows 4.37 bln euro surplus in transactions with EUAthens, 09/10/2002 (ANA)Greece is the biggest beneficiary of EU's cohesion policy, with a net fiscal surplus from its transactions with the European Union of 4.37 billion euros in 2001, official figures showed on Tuesday.Greece received a total of 5.72 billion euros last year and contributed 1.5 billion euros to the EU budget, leaving a surplus of 4.37 billion euros, or 3.5 percent of the country's gross domestic product (GDP. Greece had the largest net fiscal benefit as a percentage of GDP in the EU last year, followed by Portugal (1.53 percent), Spain (1.24 percent and Ireland (1.13 percent). Finland, Denmark, UK and Italy benefited less than other EU member-states, while Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, France, Belgium and Austria were net contributors to the EU's budget. [11] Greek gov’t reports on EU funds absorption rateAthens, 09/10/2002 (ANA)The Greek government has already included a total of 13.4 billion euros in public spending programs with a Third Community Support Framework projects, or 42 percent of total budget, economy and finance ministry said on Tuesday.The Greek ministry said that around three-quarters (74 percent) of total Community Support Framework's budget have been activated and that authorities were waiting for final project plans to be submitted. The new administrative mechanism, set up to monitor and promote EU funds, has accepted a total of 8,344 plans, worth 15.5 billion euros, around 50 percent of total EU CSF budget. The ministry said that community fund inflows total 3.2 billion euros, a sum exceeding 15 percent of earmarked community funds(21.3 billion euros). [12] Christodoulakis on 'euro zone' meetingLUXEMBOURG 09/10/2002 (ANA – M. Spinthourakis)Economy Minister Nikos Christodoulakis noted here after the end of a marathon session of “euro zone” ministers that the failure to meet EU growth projections this year was mainly due to a current international economic weakness.He also told reporters that all “euro zone” countries, especially those with high fiscal deficits and public debt, should adopt specific measures in order to meet commitments for lowering structural deficit. Finally, the Greek minister said the ministers’ council will evaluate in early 2003 whether “euro zone” members have adopted necessary policies to this end. [13] Greek inflation unchanged at 3.5 percent in SeptemberAthens, 09/10/2002 (ANA)Greek annual inflation was unchanged at 3.5 percent in September compared with the previous month, reflecting price increases in fresh farm produce, clothing, footwear and services in the month, the National Statistics Service said on Tuesday.NSS said that the harmonized consumer price index was 3.8 percent in September, unchanged from August. September's CPI rate reflected a 0.5 percent rise in food and non-alcohol beverage prices, a 12 percent jump in clothing and footwear prices, a 0.3 percent increase in housing services, a 4.0 percent rise in durable goods' prices, a 0.2 percent increase in health and transport services' prices and a 4.2 percent rise in private school services' prices. [14] Greece's EU presidency hopes to complete job measuresLUXEMBOURG 09/10/2002 (ANA/B.Demiris)Greece hopes to complete a European Union strategy to boost employment during its rotating presidency of the 15-nation bloc in the first half of 2003."This would be to achieve the target of more jobs and better jobs," Deputy Labor Minister Lefteris Tziolas told a meeting of EU employment ministers in Luxembourg. Tziolas said the aim was to get the package of guidelines adopted at a summit in June next year at the end of Greece's six-month term as president. [15] Greece likely to back possible rise in EU energy tax for environmentLUXEMBOURG 09/10/2002 (ANA/M.Spinthourakis)Greece would support a rise in the European Union's energy tax floor if the move were agreed to help protect the environment, Finance Minister Nikos Christodoulakis said on Tuesday.At the same time, backing for the move would depend on obtaining a transitional phase for the increase in Greece, Christodoulakis told reporters after a meeting of the EU's finance ministers. [16] South Korea seeks closer tourism cooperation with GreeceAthens, 09/10/2002 (ANA)Greece's National Tourism Organization chairman, Ioannis Patellis, and South Korea's ambassador to Greece, Mr. Tae Kyu Han, on Tuesday discussed ways to develop bilateral tourist relations.The South Korean ambassador expressed his government's wish to further expand tourist relations with Greece and stressed that there were big prospects to creating winter tourism packages from S.Korea to Greece. The two men also discussed special forms of tourism, mostly athletic, and stressed the positive impact that last summer's World Football Cup has had on his country's tourism. The S.Korean ambassador said he would visit "Filoxenia 2002", an international tourism trade fair. [17] Greek stocks remain under pressure in ASEAthens, 09/10/2002 (ANA)Greek stocks ended a highly volatile session lower in the Athens Stock Exchange on Tuesday, reflecting a negative climate in other European markets.The general index fell 0.47 percent to end at 1,737.04 points, with turnover a low 69.8 million euros. The Telecommunications sector was the only one to score gains (+0.90 percent), mainly reflecting a recovery in Hellenic Telecommunications Organization’s share price (up 1.85 percent). The Metals, Wholesale, Publication and Construction sectors suffered the heaviest percentage losses of the day (3.0 percent, 2.82 percent, 2.72 percent and 2.43 percent, respectively). The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavy traded stocks ended 0.65 percent lower, the FTSE/ASE MID 40 index dropped 2.06 percent and the FTSE/ASE SmallCap 80 index ended 0.92 percent down. Broadly, decliners led advancers by 282 to 34 with another 43 issues unchanged. The most heavily traded stocks in value were Hellenic Telecommunications Organization, Football Pools Organization, Informatics, Sex Form, and Eskimo. Derivatives Market Close: Turnover at 73.6 mln euros Tuesday Equity Index Futures: Stock Futures: Day's Market Turnover: 73.6 mln euros Bond Market Close: Buyers outstrip sellers on Tuesday Greek Benchmark 10-Year Bond [18] PM, ATHOC head to meet on Wed.; VAT rate for tickets may be discussedAthens, 09/10/2002 (ANA)Prime Minister Costas Simitis will receive Athens 2004 organizing committee (ATHOC) head Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki on Wednesday, with the latest developments in Olympic preparations on the agenda of talks.The meeting comes before the holding of an upcoming inter-ministerial session prior to the latest inspection visit by an International Olympic Committee (IOC) delegation. According to reports, Angelopoulos-Daskalaki will request the premier’s support on two issues, namely, a low tax rate for income derived from the leasing of private lodgings during the August 2004 Games, as well as the level of Value Added Tax (VAT) slapped on to ticket prices. The VAT issue is expected to be tabled with the EU’s ECOFIN council of ministers, as the Union prescribes an 8-percent rate for sports tickets, instead of 4 percent that ATHOC wants. [19] Deputy press minister lauds ''Athens 2004'' organizing effortsAthens, 09/10/2002 (ANA)Deputy Press and Media Minister Telemachos Hytiris spoke of a difficult course to the Athens 2004 Olympic Games in an interview with the Athens New Agency, in his capacity as the coordinator of the Games' communications sector.Hytiris stressed that the great difficulties that appeared at the beginning of the preparations for the Olympic Games now belong to the past, as significant steps were taken, while he stressed the huge contribution by Prime Minister Costas Simitis to the speeding up of the preparation processes. He also lauded the work of ATHOC President Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki, as well as the work of all government officials that were responsible for the Games' preparations. The minister underlined the benefits Greece would receive before and after the Games from the permanent infrastructure constructed in light of the Games. [20] Athens 2004 Olympics Village to get natgas supplyAthens, 09/10/2002 (ANA)The Olympic Village for the Athens 2004 Games will be supplied with natural gas under the terms of an agreement to be signed on Wednesday.The Attica Gas Supply Company is to provide the gas, with consumption in the village located in Thracomacedones near Athens expected to total about 2.5 million cubic meters annually for its 2,500 homes. The gas will be used to provide hot water and heating. [21] Greece rates first in youth university registration, Eurostat saysBRUSSELS 09/10/2002 (ANA – M. Spinthourakis)More young men and women between 18-21 attend universities in Greece than in any of the other EU states, while women still experience difficulty breaking into senior levels at work in major corporations throughout Europe, Eurostat said on Tuesday.In its 2002 report focusing on the “social life of women and men in Europe”, the EU’s statistic agency said that in Greece, 57 percent of men and 63 percent of women between the ages of 18 and 21 were registered at second level and third level educational institutions, while the lowest percentages were found in Denmark with 7 percent and 10 percent, respectively; on the contrary, Greek male and female university students between the ages of 22 and 24, as well as between 25 and 28, present the lowest EU-wide percentages with 9 percent for men and 8 percent for women in the first age-group and 3 percent for both genders in the second group. The Eurostat research showed that men in all member-states have twice as many opportunities as women to achieve senior levels at work for major corporations, while the gap seems to be closing in smaller companies. The percentage of male executives in large corporations in Greece reaches 12.1 percent of the workforce in comparison to an EU average of 10 percent, and a 6.8 percent for female executives in comparison to an EU average of 5.7 percent. In both private and public sectors, women seem to earn 20 percent less than their male fellow-workers; sex discrimination in the public sector reaches the highest percentages in Germany, where women’s earnings reach 77 percent of the earnings corresponding to men, while in the private sector the biggest differences are observed in Greece where women earn 79 percent of the earnings corresponding to their male counterparts. Europeans enter their first marriage at an older age than they did 20 years ago Eurostat said, with France placing first, six years, and Great Britain, Portugal and Greece placing last, two years. Nevertheless, the elderly suffer less from loneliness in the European south, with the least women over 65 and living alone found in Spain, 24 percent, Portugal, 29 percent, Greece 37 percent, Ireland, 37 percent, and Italy, 39 percent, in comparison to an EU average of 44 percent. The corresponding percentages for men in Spain reach 8 percent, Portugal 12 percent, Italy 12 percent, Greece 14 percent and Germany 14 percent, in comparison to an EU average of 16 percent, the report said. Based on 1998 data, 31 percent of European men and 20 percent of European women above 65 years of age are members of some club, with men frequenting the clubs at higher percentages than women. Finally, both European men and women above the age of 65 often meet with friends or relatives, 71 and 72 percent, respectively. [22] Archbishop and culture minister at catalogue's presentationAthens, 09/10/2002 (ANA)Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Christodoulos and Culture Minister Evangelos Venizelos, in an event held at the Old Parliament building on Tuesday night, presented a bilingual 500-page catalogue, in English and Greek, on the Jubilee 2000 exhibition organized at the Byzantine Museum last year under the title ''Great and Paradoxical Mystery.''The exhibition had been jointly organized by the Church of Greece and the culture ministry. Archbishop Christodoulos thanked the Greek government for its support for the Church's decision to organize the exhibition. On his part, Venizelos said the exhibition and the catalogue was ''a token of cooperation between politics and the Church in the sector of promoting cultural heritage and other such cooperation will follow.'' [23] International car-theft ring bustedAthens, 09/10/2002 (ANA)Thessaloniki police on Tuesday said they had arrested nine men and issued arrest warrants for four more, to bust what they said was an international car theft ring spread across Europe, the former Soviet republics and Syria.Charges were brought against Greek nationals Yiannis Frantzoulis, aged at 43, Christos Sidiropoulos, 33, and Giorgos Georgiadis who was recently killed in a traffic accident, Bulgarian nationals Anton Galabov, Ivan Tsetkov, Kiril Veselinski and Dimitri Georgiev, allegedly the “brain” behind the operation, Syrian nationals Khalil Danial and Abdulmajid Sadodamlakhi and Russian national Maxim Ditsman, police said. The authorities said that within one-year’s time, the gang had stolen sixty luxury cars at an estimated value of 1,800,000 Euro originating from France, Spain, Italy and other European countries. The gang-members were driving the stolen vehicles on forged documents and fake licensed plates into Greece and from there to countries of the former Soviet Union, as well as to Bulgaria and Syria via Turkey, police said. One of the stolen vehicles was spotted at Athens’ El. Venizelos International Airport by men of the Attica security forces, while a second one operated by Georgiadis was confiscated by the French authorities after being involved in a traffic accident in Montpellier that caused the immediate death of the driver. Greek police, in cooperation with law enforcement agencies at the countries where the gang was operating, continues the search for four more Bulgarian nationals and possibly more individuals involved in the activities of the car theft ring. [24] US recognizes Republic of Cyprus, Ambassador Klosson saysNICOSIA 09/10/2002 (CNA/ANA)The US continues to recognize the Republic of Cyprus as the only legitimate state in Cyprus and its policy on this matter has not changed, American Ambassador here Michael Klosson said on Tuesday.He expressed support for Cyprus' accession to the European Union based on the EU Helsinki decision that said a political settlement would facilitate accession but it is not a precondition for it. ''Our policy on recognition has not changed, it has been consistent and everybody knows what our policy is,'' Klosson said, after a courtesy call on government spokesman Michalis Papapetrou. His comments were made following fears expressed by Greek Cypriot parties that a decision to set up ad hoc technical committees in the context of the UN-led peace talks could provide ground for the recognition of the illegal Turkish Cypriot regime in Turkish occupied northern Cyprus. The Turkish Cypriot side is seeking recognition of the regime it set up unilaterally in 1983, which nobody but Turkey recognizes. Replying to questions, he said ''we have supported Cyprus' accession to the EU and we have seen this in the process as an incentive to move along the direct talks between the two leaders (President Glafcos Clerides and Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash).'' He said US support for Cyprus' accession is based on the Helsinki decision which said that ''a settlement is not a precondition but at the time decisions are made about new candidates all relevant factors will be taken into account.'' Invited to identify these factors, he referred journalists to the EU, saying the US is not part of this process. He said he had ''a very open and constructive discussion, talked about the Cyprus issue and I emphasized the fact that the US is playing a very active role in supporting the UN Secretary General's good offices mission.'' ''We also discussed another top priority of the US government, which is the war on terrorism, and I praised the very strong support the government has been providing as part of the international effort to defeat terrorism,'' he added. Asked if the EU should give Turkey a date for the start of accession negotiations, he replied ''the US has consistently been a strong advocate of Turkey's European aspirations and we think that Turkey has undertaken some very significant political and economic reforms.'' "As the EU in its dealings with Turkey evaluates these reforms, we think a very objective and strong analysis should be made," he added. On Denktash's health problems (he underwent open heart surgery on Monday), the ambassador said he did not know how long it was going to take for him to recover. He said however that the two technical committees could proceed to work. Welcoming the ambassador, Papapetrou said they reviewed the latest developments in Cyprus and underlined the government view that the US is playing a leading role in the peace effort by virtue of its particularly close ties with all the protagonists. He thanked Klosson for Washington's firm position with regard to the form of the settlement. ''The US have repeatedly said the solution should be a bizonal, bicommunal federation as provided by UN Security Council resolutions,'' the spokesman added. He said he would establish a close cooperation and hopes that Klosson's presence here would strengthen the already tight relations of cooperation and friendship between Washington and Nicosia. Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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