Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 02-10-17

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

CONTENTS

[01] President of the Republic attends inauguration of Alexandria's library

[02] PM and DM discuss European army and armaments

[03] Gov't dismisses claims of 'pressure' over military exercise

[04] Greece-Turkey exploratory contacts to be held in Ankara on Thursday

[05] ND leader arrives in Lisbon for EPP congress

[06] KKE, DHKKI will not back PASOK or ND candidates in Sunday's run-offs

[07] Loverdos praises Romania's 'Euro-Atlantic' prospects at London conference

[08] Alleged ''N 17'' members to submit pleas over the next few days

[09] Greek inflation remains among three highest rates in EU

[10] Eurochamber head to meet Greek premier Oct 18

[11] European Commission warns Greece on oil deposits legislation

[12] EU okays Greek deregulation offset measures for power corporation

[13] UK tourist arrivals to Greece to rise slightly in 2002

[14] International tourism trade fair opens Oct 31 in Thessaloniki

[15] Central Bank Governors' Club to meet in Greece this week

[16] EU Commission initiates forum on corporate social responsibility

[17] Negative reports undermine sentiment in ASE

[18] PM briefed by ATHOC president on her visit with French president

[19] FISA officials visit construction site of Olympic Rowing Center

[20] PM briefed on new Acropolis museum's building

[21] Simitis presents his new book on modernization of Greece

[22] Qatar calls Vartholomeos' visit there a ''peace gesture''

[23] Bodies of six illegal migrants spotted off Greek isle

[24] De Soto says Cyprus solution possible before Copenhagen EU Summit

[25] UCJ denounces Turkish occupation regime's attitude

[01] President of the Republic attends inauguration of Alexandria's library

ALEXANDRIA 17/10/2002 (ANA - M. Psyllos)

The ceremony was also attended by French President Jacques Chirac, many heads of state and government, Queen Sofia of Spain and Queen Rania of Jordan.

President Mubarak said in his address Alexandria's library is a gift for the world from Egypt aimed at the convergence of cultures and religions, as well as dialogue, to prevent force as a means of solving differences.

On behalf of Greece, apart from President Stephanopoulos, the ceremony was attended by Foreign Minister George Papandreou, Culture Minister Evangelos Venizelos and Athens Mayor Dimitris Avramopoulos.

UNESCO's goodwill ambassador Marianna Vardinoyianni was present, who is also a member of the Alexandria library's board.

Former Deputy Andreas Zaimis also gave an award to Egypt's first lady Susan Mubarak, who is president of the library's board, for her contribution to the completion of the historic project.

The event ended with an artistic program presented by artists from all over the world, including famous singer Sheenit O'Connor.

Greek composer Dimitris Papadimitriou will give a concert on the library's premises on Thursday, in the framework of the inauguration, and will include singers Eleftheria Arvanitaki and Alkinoos Ioannidis.

The Greek Radio and Television's (ERT) symphonic orchestra will also participate in the concert.

The new Alexandria library: Begun in the mid 1980s, the resurrected library’s ambitious construction, book collection purchases and state-of-the-art 'cyber library' were financed by UNESCO and numerous countries.

Its 11-storey edifice -- on the spot where archaeologists believe the ancient library stood before it was destroyed -- emerges from the ground as a giant disc tilting 20 degrees north towards the Mediterranean and forming a striking image when directly aligned with the sun.

Its southern-facing, windowless wall of granite carries engraved letters of most of the world's alphabets.

Greece, besides its official contribution for the massive undertaking, also helped in efforts to create an archaeological museum within the library, with some 1,500 exhibits on display.

The first effort at collection and classification of universal knowledge, the great library was established after Alexander the Great founded the city in 332 BC. The library was the center where the first translation of the Old Testament from Hebrew to Greek was undertaken.

Stephanopoulos-Mubarak meeting: President Stephanopoulos, accompanied by Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou, Culture Minister Evangelos Venizelos and Athens Mayor Dimitris Avramopoulos, among others, earlier in the day met with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak following an earlier meeting with members of the historic Greek expatriate community of Alexandria. Bilateral relations and the course of developments in the Middle East reportedly dominated talks.

In meeting with members of the Greek community, Stephanopoulos stressed that “we are grateful to you because you preserve Greece’s legacy in this region.”

“Greece’s solidarity for use and renovation of the Greek-owned buildings of Alexandria is unreserved, so that they comprise the cultural and spiritual basis for Hellenism in a new and developing Alexandria, which is a bridge between the East and Europe as well as a gateway towards Africa,” Stephanopoulos added.

The official Greek delegation also attended a Church service officiated by Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa Petros.

[02] PM and DM discuss European army and armaments

Athens, 17/10/2002 (ANA)

Papantoniou said that in Rethymno ''we secured March 1 as the date for the European army to begin functioning, the coverage of its deficits in means and the lifting of obstacles which existed for its operation.''

Referring to armaments programs, Papantoniou said it is developing smoothly, adding that the armed forces are ready to face any threat from wherever it may come.

He further clarified that a date has not been set for the Government Council of Defense and Foreign Affairs (KYSEA) to convene.

Papantoniou also briefed the prime minister on organizational reforms in the armed forces, the reorganization of the land-based army and the implementation of the institution of the professional recruit to implement the commitment of having military service decreased to 12 months as of January 1, 2003.

[03] Gov't dismisses claims of 'pressure' over military exercise

Athens, 17/10/2002 (ANA)

Speaking during his regular press briefing, spokesman Christos Protopapas said planning for the annual defense maneuvers, code-named “Nikiforos-Toxotis” is proceeding as planned.

“There is no pressure by any side for a cancellation of the exercise...” he said.

He added that statements will be made if the issue is discussed on Friday during a scheduled meeting in the Greek capital between Prime Minister Costas Simitis and visiting Cypriot President Glafcos Clerides.

[04] Greece-Turkey exploratory contacts to be held in Ankara on Thursday

Athens, 17/10/2002 (ANA)

The talks will be conducted between the Foreign Ministry's General Secretary, Ambassador Anastasios Skopelitis, and the General Secretary of the Turkish Foreign Ministry, Ambassador Ugur Ziyal.

[05] ND leader arrives in Lisbon for EPP congress

LISBON 17/10/2002 (ANA - A. Panagopoulos)

Karamanlis will meet with Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Manuel Durao Barroso on Thursday morning and will participate in the European Democratic Union's conference, which will focus on ''The future role of Europe in the world''.

Karamanlis will once again be a candidate for the position of the EPP's vice-presidency and he will present his report on the EPP's initiative for the democratization of the Balkans.

He is expected to stress that the EU's commitment for the gradual incorporation of the Balkan countries is a key to the real reunification of Europe, while hard work is demanded not only by the EU but also by those countries to confront unemployment, economic instability, organized crime and lack of infrastructure.

About 60 leaders of EPP member-parties will participate in the conference, a number that includes the premiers of Spain, Italy, Luxembourg, France, Austria and possibly the Netherlands.

The conference will also be the stage from which the EPP's political platform will be announced, a platform entitled ''A Constitution for Europe''.

[06] KKE, DHKKI will not back PASOK or ND candidates in Sunday's run-offs

Athens, 17/10/2002 (ANA)

The KKE central committee called on its voters to 'vote against candidates backed by PASOK, SYN and ND' in the local gov't election run-offs, thus rejecting "the misleading rationale of the 'lesser of two evils'", adding that this stance of the party would be an "investment in the future in general, and more specifically in (the institution of) local government".

The decision was taken during a meeting of the KKE central committee on Tuesday for an initial assessment of last Sunday's first round of municipal/prefectural elections.

The KKE accused the PASOK and ND leaderships of aspiring to put a quandary before the progressive radical forces of choosing between the two large parties.

It also said that the first-round results manifested voters' displeasure with the government's policy.

In a similar statement, the DHKKI Central Electoral Struggle Committee also said it would not support candidates backed by PASOK and ND in the run-offs.

"Wherever tickets backed by DHKKI in the first round of the elections are taking part in the second round, it is self-evident that we repeat our support and work for their prevalence. In those instances where in the second round representatives of the two-party system, PASOK and ND, are running, DHKKI has placed in these elections the target of condemning neo-liberalism and its supporters, in those two parties," a party announcement said.

It also said that DHKKI refused to "consent to the entrapment of the progressive popular forces into pseudo-quandaries".

The party further expressed satisfaction with the results of the first round of the elections with respect to the candidates it had backed.

Meanwhile, ND press officer Theodoros Roussopoulos said that ND called on all citizens to condemn, with their vote in the run-offs, "a government that refuses to listen to their voices, that is indifferent to their immense problems, a government that is indifferent to the problems it itself has created".

He said that ND today was the largest political force in Greece, and that the Greek citizens had condemned the PASOK government with their vote in the first round of the municipal elections.

At the same time, LAOS leader George Karatzaferis, a former prominent ND member, charged that ND was attempting to "buy-off" candidates from his ticket, but presented no proof.

Karatzaferis, however, declined to reveal his party's plans for the run-offs and if it would back either of the two candidates for the Athens-Piraeus supra-prefecture running in the second round.

Synaspismos leader calls on his voters to cast their ballot freely on Sunday: Coalition of the Left and Progress (Synaspismos) party leader Nikos Constantopoulos on Wednesday called on his party's voters to cast their ballot with political criteria and with the best interest of the local governments in mind during the runoff election on Sunday.

Constantopoulos also criticized the system of runoff elections, calling it a ''contraption of the unacceptable election law that blackmails the voters of smaller forces to support the stronger parties unconditionally''.

[07] Loverdos praises Romania's 'Euro-Atlantic' prospects at London conference

LONDON 17/10/2002 (ANA)

He spoke at a conference in London entitled “Forum Invest Economic Summit on Business Opportunities in Central and South-Eastern Europe”, which focused on investment opportunities in Romania.

Among others, he noted that as a potential EU and NATO member, Romania has now obtained political stability, whereas its ministry of European integration “is doing an impressive job in adapting policies towards EU standards ... keep in mind that Romania, situated close to the EU markets, is also a country rich in natural resources; it has a liberal visa regime and low costs of a skilled labor force.”

Additionally, he forecast that the volume of Greek-Romanian trade is expected to reach the US$1 billion-mark in 2003.

In later commenting on Greece’s experience over the last 12 years in the region, he said:

“Greece, a member of the European Union for 20 years, has the experience of both worlds. On the one hand, we are deeply integrated in the European process and, also, a long-standing member of the NATO alliance. On the other hand, we have our historical roots in southeast Europe and the Balkans.”

“After the devastating ‘90s in southeast Europe we now have experienced a period of peace, and we have seen the beginning and the strengthening of democracies, which have a real potential to grow stronger and ensure stability,” he said, adding:

“So now the real work has already begun. After some years of instability in southeast Europe, we are in the process of reconstruction, modernization and development”.

Loverdos added that during next month’s NATO summit in Prague, Athens will support any “declaration” opening the way for membership for a number of countries.

In terms of the next wave of European Union accession, Loverdos said Greece is also “prepared to play its role during the EU Summit in Copenhagen to ensure that the final negotiations with the 10 accession countries will be successful.”

“I promise you that Greece will continue to build on the historical step in the European development during our (EU) presidency in 2003,” he stressed.

[08] Alleged ''N 17'' members to submit pleas over the next few days

Athens, 17/10/2002 (ANA)

An appellate court prosecutor will visit Georgiadis to receive a supplementary confession, but according to sources, the alleged terrorist is expected to refuse his participation in the National Bank robbery and also his participation in the bombing of an Alpha Bank branch, which he initially confessed to.

On Thursday, two alleged members of the infamous terrorist group, Angeliki Sotiropoulou, the only woman yet to be arrested for terrorism, and Konstantinos Telios are expected to submit their pleas concerning the terrorist attacks they are charged with.

On Friday, Nikos Papanastasiou is expected to make his plea concerning the murder of U.S. Navy Cpt. George Tsades and that of his driver Nikos Veloutsos in November 1983 in Athens, as well as his plea for other cases.

[09] Greek inflation remains among three highest rates in EU

Athens, 17/10/2002 (ANA)

In its monthly report on inflation, the EU executive's statistics agency said that Ireland recorded the highest inflation rate in September (4.5 percent), followed by Portugal and Greece (3.8 percent, respectively), while Germany and the UK (1.0 percent each) and Belgium and Sweden (1.2 percent each), recorded the lowest rates.

Eurozone's inflation was 2.1 percent in September, unchanged from August, and slightly down compared with a 2.2 percent rate in September 2001. Inflation was also unchanged in the EU-15 at 1.9 percent, down from 2.1 percent in September last year.

Spain (3.5 from 2.3 percent), Italy (2.8 from 2.1 percent) and Denmark (2.5 from 2.1 percent), recorded the highest annual inflation rises in September, while Sweden (1.2 from 3.3 percent), Germany (1.0 from 2.1 percent) and Finland (1.4 from 2.6 percent), recorded the biggest percentage drop.

[10] Eurochamber head to meet Greek premier Oct 18

Athens, 17/10/2002 (ANA)

A European chambers of commerce and industry meeting in Antwerp recently support the expansion of the EU and said that the expansion would become a financial, political, cultural and social event of the highest significance for Europe.

During the two-day meeting of the Eurochamber, its members discuss issues related to European economy and business activity and sleeked ways to "bridge" European Chambers' actions in global and regional level along with promoting cross-border activities and partnerships.

Mr. George Kasimatis, deputy chairman of Eurochamber, responsible for international relations and the EU's expansion, in his address stressed that the Union has promoted a series of actions through initiatives and partnerships between the business communities in the Balkan and the Black Sea regions.

[11] European Commission warns Greece on oil deposits legislation

BRUSSELS 17/10/2002 (ANA - V. Demiris)

The Commission wants Greece to increase the level of its deposits in oil to comply with relevant clauses in EU legislation.

According to these clauses, member-states are obliged to keep on a permanent basis a level of deposits for three categories of products corresponding to at least 90 days of consumption.

An announcement by the European Commission said over the past two years the level of deposits in Greece has frequently fallen below the required 90-day level for two of the three categories of products. They are gasoline, internal combustion oil and kerosene.

The Commission stresses that this situation is indicative of imperfections in the deposits system which are based exclusively on deposits kept by petroleum companies.

In the event Greece's response and actions are not considered satisfactory, the Commission has the right to refer the case to the European Court.

[12] EU okays Greek deregulation offset measures for power corporation

BRUSSELS 17/10/2002 (ANA/B.Demiris)

The measures were taken to offset losses stemming from liberalization of the electricity market in terms of long-term investments that were undertaken when the company held a monopoly, and which are no longer financially viable.

The assistance is in the form of one-off payments within a timescale that must meet the Commission's approval. The monies will help the PPC in the transition to a competitive market, and are not deemed as state subsidies that would give the firm an unfair advantage.

Other EU member states have also received endorsement of offset measures for former monopolies.

[13] UK tourist arrivals to Greece to rise slightly in 2002

Athens, 17/10/2002 (ANA)

The report, based on a sample representing 94 percent of total outgoing tourism in the UK, showed that tourist arrivals from the UK abroad fell by three to 18 percent in the January-September period, with the total outgoing tourist figures down 6.0 percent.

Nielsen said that tourist arrivals to Greece was unchanged to last year's levels, while arrivals to Spain was five percent down, to Portugal (-4.0 percent), to Cyprus (-17 percent), to Turkey (-5.0 percent), to Tunisia (-18 percent) and to Malta (-3.0 percent).

UK tourist arrivals to Florida, USA, was down 30 percent over the same period.

Greece's National Tourist Organization’s London office estimates that tourist arrivals from the UK to Greece will rise by 0.3-0.5 percent this year, exceeding the three million figure.

The UK market is the biggest for Greek tourism, accounting for more than 20 percent of annual arrivals.

[14] International tourism trade fair opens Oct 31 in Thessaloniki

Athens, 17/10/2002 (ANA)

The annual event, which ends on November 3, is arranged by Helexpo, the state trade fair organizer, under the aegis of the Greek National Tourism Organization.

Booked into the fair are 648 exhibitors, with 162 of the total from abroad. Twelve countries are also taking part in separate pavilions.

[15] Central Bank Governors' Club to meet in Greece this week

Athens, 17/10/2002 (ANA)

The club's 16 members are central bank chiefs from countries in central Asia, the Balkans and the Black Sea area, including Russia.

Among speakers at the meeting are Lucas Papademos, vice president of the European Central Bank and Garganas' predecessor in Greece.

[16] EU Commission initiates forum on corporate social responsibility

BRUSSELS 17/10/2002 (ANA - M. Spinthourakis)

The multiparty forum includes organizations of employers, businessmen, employees and those of the societies of citizens.

The basic aims of the forum are the promotion of pioneering, convergence and transparency in the existing practices and tools of the corporate social responsibility.

[17] Negative reports undermine sentiment in ASE

Athens, 17/10/2002 (ANA)

The investment bank, one day after downgrading Europe's banking sector, downgraded six European telecoms' share price targets, including OTE and Cosmote to 12.2 euros from 17 euros and to 10 euros from 11.75 euros, respectively.

The general index fell 1.50 percent to 1,801.37 points, after climbing to 1,850.91 points early in the session.

The Textile, IT Solutions and Base Metal sectors suffered the heaviest percentage losses of the day (3.70 percent, 2.72 percent and 2.06 percent, respectively), while the IT sector suffered the smallest percentage losses (-0.37 percent).

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavy traded stocks fell 1.56 percent, the FTSE/ASE MID 40 index dropped 1.71 percent and the FTSE/ASE SmallCap 80 index ended 2.04 percent lower.

Turnover was an improved 86.8 million euros. Broadly, decliners led advancers by 272 to 53 with another 35 issues unchanged.

The most heavily traded stocks in value were Hellenic Telecommunications Organization, Sex Form, Football Pools Organization, Alfa Alfa and National Bank of Greece.

Derivatives Market Close: Turnover at 129.4 mln euros Wednesday

Equity Index Futures: