Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 03-07-24

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

CONTENTS

[01] Joblessness down one point in first quarter

[02] PM and labor minister discuss ministry policy, 'social charter'

[03] Greece, Turkey arrive at two confidence building agreements

[04] PM Simitis: Message on 29th anniversary of restoration of democracy

[05] Defense minister visits historic Stemnitsa in the Peloponnese

[06] Deputy FM in Montenegro for talks on Greek cash plan for Balkans

[07] Deputy FM discusses Greek Balkan Economic Reconstruction Plan in Belgrade

[08] FM briefs PASOK summer recess committee deputies on foreign policy issues

[09] Parl't auditors enabled to lift secrecy on MP accounts, legal experts say

[10] KKE leader receives interior minister, discuss election law

[11] PASOK secretary addresses int'l youth conference

[12] ND leader accuses government of confronting high cost of living with witchhunt

[13] PM, finm discuss 3rd Community Support Framework projects

[14] Culture minister meets with premier on projects progress

[15] Minister says industry absorption of EU funds at 19 pct

[16] Public Works minister satisfied with rate of absorption of EU funds

[17] Gov't hopes to conclude negotiations with OA unions on Wednesday

[18] Analysts see incomes policy hampering cuts in state spending

[19] Charter arrivals drop, with shift seen to new venues

[20] OTE telecom bond oversold

[21] Intracom gets armed forces contract

[22] Stocks nose down in profit taking

[23] Olympic Games Main Press Center to begin functioning on July 13, 2004

[24] Athens municipality denies increase in number of brothels

[25] Koufodinas urged to 'tell whole truth' by presiding judge in N17 trial

[26] EU urges Cyprus to show greater interest in Middle East

[27] Kyrenia refugees call for justice

[01] Joblessness down one point in first quarter

Athens 24/07/03 (ANA)

The jobless rate has fallen by 2.2 percent since 2000, representing a decline of about 25.0 percent in the average annual number of unemployed, Reppas told reporters.

The minister was speaking after presenting the government's employment action plan for 2003 to employers and union representatives as a starting point for consultations.

He said that the action plan's main objective was to tackle factors that hindered entry into the labor market by helping to boost part-time employment, especially in the public sector.

The state is expected to recruit about 30,000 jobless, mainly in social services.

In addition, employers will be offered incentives to recruit, which may include a reduction in contributions they pay for people on low wages; and tax breaks, Reppas said.

Furthermore, the employment of women will be encouraged, especially in social services; improvement of the compatibility of vocational training with the labor market; and review of the function of the state's Manpower Employment Organization.

Help is also to be provided for immigrant workers to enter the labor market through creation of a policy institute that will specialize in the field, the minister announced.

''Our main weapon for implementation of the plan is social dialogue,'' he said.

The action plan is linked to commitments to the European Union including reduction of the public debt to 88 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2006 and to less than 70 percent by 2010.

[02] PM and labor minister discuss ministry policy, 'social charter'

Athens 24/07/03 (ANA)

According to Reppas, the government's priority was a ''modern, social state'' where lower unemployment and rising employment levels would be fuelled by high growth rates.

Commenting on the results of a recent Eurobarometer poll, Rep-pas noted that Greeks felt less insecurity in their jobs (24 per cent) than the average in the EU (29 per cent), despite the high percentage of those who considered unemployment to be a major problem (62 per cent).

He said this perhaps reflected other factors not taken into ac-count, such as the prevalence of part-time jobs and other forms of 'flexible' employment that were more prevalent in some EU countries, or the high level of home ownership in Greece.

[03] Greece, Turkey arrive at two confidence building agreements

BRUSSELS 24/07/03 (ANA - M. Spinthourakis)

NATO Secretary General Lord Robertson announced that the permanent representatives of Greece and Turkey agreed to intensify the cooperation of their defense ministries on a series of issues that concern NATO and to initiate the implementation of military personnel exchange program, which will have mainly a training character.

These two agreements come at the heals of an earlier agreement for the mutual notification of military exercises program of the two states.

Regarding the intensification of the cooperation this will concern a wide spectrum of issues, such as the new strategic concept of NATO, crisis management, confrontation of environmental disasters and issues of scientific interests among others.

Concerning the military personnel exchange program, this will, in the beginning, be limited to the visit of a group of no more than five officers from each country to the other, that is five Turkish officers will visit a training center in Kilkis, northern Greece and five Greek officers will visit a similar center near Ankara.

Robertson also announced that the talks will continue to further build trust between Greece and Turkey and that these talks will be based on a list of possible measures, which the two countries have agreed to study.

[04] PM Simitis: Message on 29th anniversary of restoration of democracy

Athens 24/07/03 (ANA)

In a message marking Thursday's 29th anniversary of the restoration of democracy in Greece following the fall of the 7-year military dictatorship, Simitis noted that "the challenge is a big one", adding that whoever denied that challenge "remains behind in the past, in conservatism, and cannot respond to the needs of the modern-day world".

He said that 29 years have passed since July 24, 1974, "a land-mark day for the country's modern history, a day that culminated the struggles of the Greek people for democracy and put an end to the 7-year dictatorship that brought on so many tribulations to Greece and the Greeks".

The Greek people retained in their memory the "deep wounds caused by the colonels' dictatorship to our democracy", and "remember and honor all those who gave their lives, who were persecuted and exiled by the abhorrent and tyrannical regime".

"We do not forget the abolition of every democratic right, the climate of fear and suspicion they (the military junta) imposed, the country's international isolation, nor the misadventures in which they implicated our country, culminating with the national tragedy of Cyprus and the invasion by Attila," Simitis said.

The premier stressed that today, "our consolidated democracy comprises a firm foundation for the growth and prosperity of the citizens".

Greece, he said, was a key player in the new international environment, comprising a firm factor of stability, peaceful cooperation and development in Europe and the world.

The Greek EU presidency, in the first half of the year, had proved, to even the biggest disbelievers, the country's ability to play a major role and be respected by all, he said, while Cyprus' accession to the European Union was the vindication of many years of hard efforts by all of Hellenism.

"We are continuing the struggle for a unified Cyprus in the European Union," the premier added.

He further said that the Greek people and society had chosen the road of changes, renewal, transparency and adaptation to the new reality.

"The future hinges on our constant effort. The struggle for expansion of democracy, progress, growth and social solidarity is a constant one," Simitis said.

Messages of opposition parties in light of Democracy's restoration anniversary :

New Democracy (ND) leader Costas Karamanlis on Wednesday underlined that everyone is obliged to secure the country with modern and effective institutions that guarantee transparency.

In his message for the anniversary of the restoration of democracy in 1974, Karamanlis said that ''It is the obligation of us all to secure the country, with modern strong and effective institutions that will guarantee transparency, equality before the law, healthy competition and real modernization on all levels. The move toward a state of increased capabilities toward the citizen. The building of a society of participation and cohesion, solidarity and humanitarianism''.

''Greek men and women demand (of politicians) honesty, credibility, consistency, merit and courage,'' he added.

In its message, the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) stressed that 29 years ''after the collapse of the American-NATO military dictatorship of 1967-1974 the rights of the working class and of the other popular strata of society are having their heads cutoff, while the anti-popular political system is secured even more so, since it serves the plutocracy and its power''.

''The democracy we live is a hypocritical one. Its hypocrisy shows mainly the fact that it does not recognize the right of the people to overcome it, if it so wants and to follow the road as a protagonist of developments,'' the press release added.

On its part, the Coalition of the Left, Movements and Ecology (Synaspismos) issued a message that 29 years after the fall of the dictatorship, ''the country needs radical change and progressive reforms in all sectors that are capable to provide once again hope to citizens, cohesion to society and credibility to the political life''.

[05] Defense minister visits historic Stemnitsa in the Peloponnese

Athens 24/07/03 (ANA)

The minister attended a ceremony officially handing over an army target range to the University of the Peloponnese and met with members of the PASOK Prefectural committee of Arcadia in the Prefectural capital, Tripoli.

During the meeting he referred to the need for changes within PASOK to bring it closer to society and also focused on the efforts of the government to promote third community support framework funds to the Peloponnese and Epirus, calling on the private economy sector of the region to develop business initiatives to overturn the negative climate.

Stemnitsa was the first capital of the newly-formed Greek state in 1821 for three weeks, housing the 'Peloponnesian Senate' in its historic Church on May 29, 1821. It is also Papantoniou's hometown.

[06] Deputy FM in Montenegro for talks on Greek cash plan for Balkans

BELGRADE 24/07/03 (ANA - N. Pelpas)

In talks with Loverdos, Montenegrin government ministers and officials said the first priority within the GPERB should go to health sector projects.

Loverdos assured them that the development of the Balkans was Greece's primary aim and said that a proposal for the construction of a medical centre in Montenegro had received preliminary approval.

Up to 17.5 million euros to be released over five years have been earmarked for Montenegro under the GPERB. The largest chunk of the reconstruction aid package will go to Serbia, which stands to benefit from 235 million euros out of a total budget of 550 million euros.

On Tuesday, Loverdos visited Tirana for talks on the Greek Balkan reconstruction plan with Albanian officials. Albania is also one of the beneficiaries of the GPERB.

While in Tirana he met Albanian Culture Minister Arta Dade, seeking to garner support for Greece's bid to host the 2009 Mediterranean Games, and his Albanian counterpart Luan Haida-raga, with whom he discussed institutional reforms within Albania and Greece's support for Albania's EU accession programs.

While in the country he announced that Greece had extended the deadline for the renewal of residence permits by Albanian nationals living in Greece until October. He said that Albanians could make one round trip to their country between now and October using their passports and proof that they had applied to have their papers renewed by Greek authorities.

[07] Deputy FM discusses Greek Balkan Economic Reconstruction Plan in Belgrade

BELGRADE 24/07/03 (ANA - N. Pelpas)

Loverdos assessed during a press conference, after holding consecutive meetings with Serb International Economic Relations Minister Goran Pitic, Transport Minister Miodrag Jokic and Deputy Economy Minister responsible for the reconstruction plan Gordana Lazarevic, that the implementation of the plan is now acquiring a new impetus.

His talks focused in detail on the programs which will begin to be implemented over the next six months. They are the construction of two parts of motorway 10 and the construction of the 400 kW electric power cable extending from the city of Nis to the city of Skopje.

Loverdos said at the press conference that in the framework of the reconstruction plan eight programs have already been approved for Serbia and Montenegro from the money (2.5 million euros) which the Greek embassy in Belgrade has undertaken to forward.

[08] FM briefs PASOK summer recess committee deputies on foreign policy issues

Athens 24/07/03 (ANA)

Papandreou briefed the deputies on all foreign policy issues (the European Union presidency, Greek-Turkish relations, the Cyprus issue, Iraq, etc). According to most of his interlocutors, it was the first time they had such a systematic briefing on foreign policy issues.

Reports said a large part of the discussion concerned developments in Greek-Turkish relations and Turkey's European prospects. Papandreou reportedly defended the correctness of government policy in Greek-Turkish relations, stressing that this policy has started to bear fruit.

On the question of relations between Europe and Turkey, Papandreou reportedly mentioned that there are pro-European forces in Turkey that are gaining ground. He included Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his party in these forces.

[09] Parl't auditors enabled to lift secrecy on MP accounts, legal experts say

Athens 24/07/03 (ANA)

Three justices participating in the committee - members of the Council of State, the Auditing Council and Greece's Supreme Court, respectively - arrived at this conclusion after they were asked to give their legal opinion by MPs concerned that a retroactive investigation was not justified by law.

According to the head of the 'statement of means' inspection committee, Nikos Vrettos, the committee was empowered to carry out retroactive inspections to verify new facts that might overturn the statements that had been submitted by MPs to date.

The committee is due to reconvene this week to decide whether it will go ahead with ordering the confidentiality of MP accounts lifted, while there will probably be a debate on how far back the inspection should go and whether there is a problem with statute-barred offences.

The committee reported that it had completed inspections of MP statements for 2001 and had found nothing suspicious.

[10] KKE leader receives interior minister, discuss election law

Athens 24/07/03 (ANA)

KKE remained steadfast in its position of demanding nothing less than a clear cut proportional representation system, while Skandalidis underlined the necessity for changes in the present election system, stressing that there must be common understanding for the effort to succeed.

[11] PASOK secretary addresses int'l youth conference

Athens 24/07/03 (ANA)

He spoke of the necessity for the ''grand overturning that will bring us again in the center of political life ... it is the duty of all of us over the next seven days to open our ears and our eyes, to come off the carriage of power and to talk with you on equal terms on the burning international and local issues, which the conservative agenda can not hear, much less confront''.

He added that the role of the socialist movement under the current circumstances is to submit a complete, modern political proposal that respects human rights and social acquis, while it promotes methodically and effectively social progress and cohesion.

[12] ND leader accuses government of confronting high cost of living with witchhunt

Athens 24/07/03 (ANA)

Karamanlis said the high cost of living is due to the low competitiveness of the national economy, which is reflected with the dwindling of exports, the increase in imports and the decrease in tourist movement.

He also stressed that Athens moved up 40 positions from the 111th to the 71st position in the world classification of the most expensive cities in the world, while the average salary is 40 percent lower than the European average.

[13] PM, finm discuss 3rd Community Support Framework projects

Athens 24/07/03 (ANA)

Christodoulakis was speaking at the end of a series of meetings Prime Minister Costas Simitis had at the Maximos Mansion with ministers on the course of projects contained in the 3rd CSF.

According to the minister, the aim by the end of the year is for Greece to absorb a quarter of EU funds corresponding to the six-year period. He added that this aim would safeguard funds the country is expecting from the EU.

Christodoulakis further said greater progress is expected in autumn since many of the projects, particularly those concerning businesses and training, culture, health and environment programs, will have speeded up considerably.

This year, the minister noted, will end in accordance with targets, ''creating a strong impetus for development.''

By the end of the year, he said, the target of a growth rate of 3.8 percent will have been achieved.

In this framework the government will be announcing the Convergence Charter which, according to Christodoulakis, will in essence ''lay the foundations for how we want Greece to forge ahead over the next four years.''

[14] Culture minister meets with premier on projects progress

Athens 24/07/03 (ANA)

Venizelos stated, upon his departure from the meeting, that the projects connected to the fund that are the culture ministry's responsibility are progressing very well, adding ''we are making a great effort for museums and modern cultural infrastructure''.

[15] Minister says industry absorption of EU funds at 19 pct

Athens 24/07/03 (ANA)

The absorption rate of financing for tourism was 6.0 percent, and 2.0 for energy, Tsohatzopoulos told reporters after a meeting with the prime minister.

[16] Public Works minister satisfied with rate of absorption of EU funds

Athens 24/07/03 (ANA)

Papandreou said that more than 36 per cent of funds allocated for major infrastructure had been absorbed and that programs in these sectors were progressing as planned.

Community programs for roads and major public works were not only on target but the ministry was ready to absorb funds from other sources if these were available, she added.

[17] Gov't hopes to conclude negotiations with OA unions on Wednesday

Athens 24/07/03 (ANA)

This is the last of OA staff unions to sign an agreement regarding its participation in New Olympic Airways and an agreement will open the way for a government amendment establishing the new airline.

Talks failed at a meeting between the two sides on Tuesday and the union is returning to put its final proposals on the table.

As he emerged from a meeting with Prime Minister Costas Simitis, Verelis did not wish to give a definite date for tabling the amendment that sets up New Olympic Airways but sources said this might well be tabled on Friday attached to the transport ministry's bill for the Greek post offices.

[18] Analysts see incomes policy hampering cuts in state spending

Athens 24/07/03 (ANA)

The increase will mean additional government expenditure on wages of 630 million euros in 2004, the Athens-quoted bank's analysts said.

The rise in spending will also hinder any major reduction of the public debt as a percentage of gross domestic product in coming years when gains from low interest rates will no longer apply, the report said.

[19] Charter arrivals drop, with shift seen to new venues

Athens 24/07/03 (ANA)

Compiling data from 17 airports, the GNTO said in a routine re-port that charter arrivals totalled 1,285,211 last month against 1,321,835 in June 2002, down 36,624.

The report noted that movement was down in traditional tourist destinations including Athens (-24.60), Santorini (-12.76 per-cent), and Mykonos (-11.43 percent).

Arrivals had increased to non-traditional destinations including Thessaloniki (+12.24 percent), Kalamata (+16.28 percent), and Lesvos (+9.43 percent), the report said.

[20] OTE telecom bond oversold

Athens 24/07/03 (ANA)

The offer for the 5 percent coupon bond was increased to 1.25 billion euros from 1.0 billion euros in order to meet demand, they said.

Guaranteed by Athens-quoted Hellenic Telecommunications, the paper expires on August 5, 2013.

[21] Intracom gets armed forces contract

Athens 24/07/03 (ANA)

The blue chip firm will provide the army with two mobile VSAT ground satellite terminal stations, it said in a statement.

[22] Stocks nose down in profit taking

Athens 24/07/03 (ANA)

The general share index shed 0.04 percent to end at 2,076.69 points, testing resistance at 2,100 points during the session. Turnover was 189.5 million euros.

The FTSE/ASE-20 index for blue chip and heavily traded stocks ended 0.24 percent up; the FTSE/ASE-40 for medium capitalization paper 0.73 percent lower and the FTSE/ASE-80 for small cap equities finished with losses of 0.35 percent.

Of stocks traded, declines led advances at 191 to 140 with 37 issues remaining unchanged.

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