Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 03-09-12

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

CONTENTS

[01] Top gov't meeting again focuses on 2004 security

[02] FM Papandreou sees Cyprus issue returning soon to the spotlight

[03] FM calls Turkish Cypriots to become ''active citizens of the EU' '

[04] Gov't spokesman on Sept. 11 anniversary

[05] Three Greeks detained by Turkish forces in Cyprus, released on Thursday

[06] Gov't counters ND criticism of 'Convergence Charter'

[07] Greek leadership issues condolences for slain Swedish FM

[08] Turkish F16 fighter jets harass naval cooperation plane, violate Greek airspace

[09] Synaspismos leader meets with German PDS leader in Berlin

[10] Bill ratifying Greece-Romania agreement tabled in Parliament

[11] Interior minister meets Albanian Ambassador to Greece

[12] Northern Greece industries present education institute program

[13] Greece "most favorable" tourist destination in Scandinavia

[14] Intrasoft in supply deal with European Parliament

[15] Greek industrial production up 2.1 pct in July, yr/yr

[16] Deal signed with contractors for 2004 Olympics homes rental

[17] Issue of sale receipts becomes mandatory for taxis, gas stations

[18] ASE recovers to around 2,100 level on Thursday

[19] No word from ATHOC on possible evening start times for rowing

[20] New school year begins with visits from political leaders

[21] N17 trial prosecutor calls for several changes to original charges

[22] Deputy FM receives Canada's Greek Orthodox metropolitan

[23] Russian war ships enter Patra Port for official visit

[24] US cite measures to combat human trafficking

[25] President expresses shock over Lindh's death

[26] CoE SG still optimistic about a Cyprus settlement

[01] Top gov't meeting again focuses on 2004 security

Athens, 12/09/2003 (ANA)

Speaking afterwards, Deputy Press Minister Telemachos Hytiris said security measures will not just focus only on the exact period when the Games are held in Athens, but throughout the coming year, “without, however, inconveniencing visitors.”

Hytiris, who also doubles as a top government spokesman for 2004-related issues, said the cost of using the most advanced security technology is also pre-determined.

Asked about the sensitive issue of cooperation with law enforcement agencies from other countries, Hytiris cited several countries actively involved in security preparations already, including the United States, Britain, Italy and Germany, among others. He also said the presence of American security consultants is not likely before the Games themselves.

“Greece, which is applying a systematic and comprehensive Olympic security plan, is a true oasis in relation to what is going on in the rest of the world,” Culture Minister Evangelos Venizelos later added.

Asked about recent comments by the US envoy in Athens regarding security for the US Olympic team next year, Venizelos – whose ministry oversees several 2004-related projects on the government’s side – said it was a standing USOC policy for security personnel to accompany the American team, “a practice employed by many other countries, and one which we could also follow ourselves for Greek sports teams”.

“We want such measures because this creates a feeling of greater security for all those participating in the Olympic Games, while anyone on Greek territory is subject to Greece’s and the European Union’s rule of law and must duly observe what is prescribed in the Greek Constitution as well as Greek and EU law,” Venizelos, who is also a constitutional law scholar, noted.

In response to a press question on whether foreign security forces will bear firearms, the minister merely said, “the answer is found in what I’ve just told you”.

In terms of the whopping 600-million-euro security plan for the Games – unprecedented by Olympic standards but more-or-less expected following the dastardly 9/11 terrorist attacks – he said what’s now necessary is for the project’s various stages to proceed within a specific budget and deadlines. The massive security contract was repeatedly delayed before a final tender was awarded to a consortium led by US-based SAIC in February.

In a later statement mostly echoing Venizelos, government spokesman Christos Protopapas reiterated that Greece is a free country people can go where they please, “as long as the laws, rules and provisions in force in the country are respected … and especially during the period of the Olympic Games, for them to respect enacted security measures.”

The spokesman also stressed again that security belongs exclusively within the domain of Greek authorities.

Finally, Venizelos noted that his ministry is consulting with Sydney 2000 Organizing Committee president Michael Knight over various issues concerning Olympic preparations.

[02] FM Papandreou sees Cyprus issue returning soon to the spotlight

NICOSIA, 12/09/2003 (ANA - G. Leonidas)

Speaking to reporters after a meeting with Cyprus House of Representatives speaker Dimitris Christofias, Papandreou said there was a "new dynamic, which is the result of the close cooperation between the governments of Greece and Cyprus and also of Cyprus' EU accession course".

Papandreou noted the rapprochement between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities, and called Christofias a 'pioneer' of the process.

Christofias told reporters that he and Papandreou had reviewed the developments on the Cyprus issue and exchanged views for a common handling during their meeting.

Christofias praised the Greek government's role in the efforts for a Cyprus solution and the advancement of the accession course.

He stressed that a Cyprus solution would hinge on a change of stance by the Turkish side, and to some degree on the results of the upcoming elections in the Turkish Cypriot community.

Earlier, Papandreou was awarded the medal of National Martyr Kyprianos by the municipality of Strovolos and declared an honorary citizen of the town for his contribution to Cyprus struggles.

In presenting the medal, Strovolos mayor Savvas Iliofotou expressed the Cypriot people's appreciation for all that Papandreou had done, and continued to do, for Cyprus' accession to the European Union.

Meanwhile, Greek foreign ministry spokesman Panos Beglitis, who is accompanying Papandreou in Cyprus, said that the excellent relations between Athens and Nicosia and agreement on the past, present and future handlings in the Cyprus issue and Cyprus' EU accession had once again been reaffirmed during Papandreou's talks in the Cypriot capital.

Beglitis reiterated the basic position of the Athens and Nicosia governments in favor of resumption of talks between the two Cypriot communities on the basis of UN secretary general Kofi Annan's plan, with some specific changes that would bring it in line with the developments arising and make it more viable and functional.

The Greek foreign ministry spokesman added, however, that the philosophy of the plan would not change, noting that this aspect had been stressed during Papandreou's meeting Wednesday night with the leaders of the Turkish Cypriot political parties.

He said Papandreou had briefed the Turkish Cypriot party leaders on the developments in the EU and conveyed a message from the EU on the prospects that would open up and the benefits to ensue for the Turkish Cypriots from the accession of a reunited Cyprus, adding that the Turkish Cypriot politicians had displayed interest in a Cyprus solution based on the Annan plan.

Papandreou and the Greek delegation further attended a dinner in their honor hosted by Cyprus president Tassos Papadopoulos at his home.

[03] FM calls Turkish Cypriots to become ''active citizens of the EU' '

NICOSIA 12/09/2003 (ANA/Ch.Poulidou)

Papandreou was speaking at the end of his two-day working visit to Cyprus.

''Our message to the Turkish Cypriots is that we want them to be close to us, active citizens of the European Union and that their security is guaranteed by the European Union and not by occupational armies,'' Papandreou said.

Papandreou also sent a message to Turkey, stressing that ''Greece has opened Turkey's European prospects and struggles for a European Turkey, since in that manner it tried to overcome problems that have tortured many generations''.

Commenting on talk of a rift between Athens and Nicosia, he said that ''it is a permanent chorus'' and that it was proven that the two governments can cooperate in the best possible way, a fact that has been established.

Papandreou clarified that the Greek government is on the same track with that of the Cyprus government, adding that henceforth the presence of international observers in the ''elections'' in the occupied north is not necessary, since they are ''pseudo-elections and because in any event the process is judged and evaluated by the international community and the European Union''.

[04] Gov't spokesman on Sept. 11 anniversary

Athens, 12/09/2003 (ANA)

Protopapas stressed that Greece was committed to the battle against terrorism and was cooperating with the international community in all efforts to eradicate terrorism made within the framework of the United Nations.

He also noted that Europe and the other major powers must deal with the root causes of terrorism, such as intolerance and fanaticism. He said this could be achieved through the smooth development of markets and overall development in countries where these phenomena occur, by increasing the income of their residents and helping international justice prevail.

Deputy FM issues message for Sept. 11: Deputy Foreign Minister Yiannis Magriotis on Thursday issued a press release in light of the dark anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attack in New York that cost thousands of lives, which included members of the Greek community in the United States.

''The attacks against the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center of New York and those against the Pentagon, in Washington, besides being a human drama, did not only change the United States, but also affected the whole planet,'' Magriotis said.

''On behalf of the Greek state I would like, once again, to express my deep sorrow to the Greek community in the United States and especially to the families of the victims of Sept. 11 and to reiterate that it is the obligation of us all to work ceaselessly for security and the common democratic principles and values,'' he added.

''The thoughts and prayers of all Greeks, and mine personally, accompany all those that lost their lives, and their families, that tragic day,'' Magriotis concluded.

[05] Three Greeks detained by Turkish forces in Cyprus, released on Thursday

NICOSIA, 12/09/2003 (ANA/Ch.Poulidou)

The three Greeks are members of the Anogia Municipality of Crete's Rethimnon prefecture, who were visiting the Municipality of Yialousa, as the two towns were to be twinned.

[06] Gov't counters ND criticism of 'Convergence Charter'

Athens, 12/09/2003 (ANA)

In a point-to-point reply to ND, Protopapas noted that the public deficit had been 1.9 per cent of GDP in 2000 and had fallen to 1.2 per cent in 2002, even though the public deficit in Europe had increased by 2.7 per cent.

He said spending on social policy in 1997 had been 23.6 per cent of GDP, in 2000 it was 26.4 per cent of GDP and after the measures announced by Prime Minister Costas Simitis this would rise to 28 per cent and rise above the EU average.

On growth rates, the spokesman said that these were 3.6 per cent annually in 1996 and had risen to 4.4 per cent according to recent figures, at a time when Europe was growing at a rate of 0.5 per cent a year.

As for employment, Protopapas said the government had more than kept a promise to create 300,000 job opportunities in the 3.5 years since the 2000 elections. In that period 324,367 new jobs were created that had help reduce unemployment from 11.5 per cent to 8.9 per cent, while 69,999 work positions were lost.

In terms of income, the spokesman claimed that the available income of the average Greek household stood at 97 per cent of the EU average and that Greece was in a much better positions than other EU countries.

[07] Greek leadership issues condolences for slain Swedish FM

Athens, 12/09/2003 (ANA)

Prime Minister Costas Simitis on Thursday sent his condolences to his Swedish counterpart Goran Persson, expressing over the assassination of the country's foreign minister Anna Lindh on Wednesday.

"I am deeply moved by the tragic loss of Foreign Minister Anna Lindh; let me express, in the name of the Greek government and myself personally, the warmest condolences to you and your government,'' Simitis said.

''Anna Lindh was truly a European personality, which contributed significantly to the development of Europe and served with courage the interests of her country. Allow me, Mr. Prime Minister, through me, to convey the deep sentiment of true sorrow to the family and be sure that during these moments of mourning our thoughts are with the Swedish people,'' he noted.

On his part, main opposition New Democracy (ND) leader Costas Karamanlis in his letter to Persson also stressed his deep sympathy for the Swedish people and underlined that the assassination of Lindh was an attack against European values, open society and democracy itself.

He also expressed a hope that Lindh's legacy will be vindicated.

''As the leader of a party that has suffered in the past by the terror of illogical violence, I wish you every success in your effort to strengthen the role of Sweden in the future,'' he noted.

Also, the Coalition of the Left, Movements and Ecology (Synaspismos) leader Nikos Constantopoulos expressed his condolences to the Lindh's family, the Swedish people and the country's government.

FM Papandreou expresses sorrow over death of Swedish counterpart Lindh: Greece's visiting foreign minister George Papandreou on Thursday expressed sorrow over the sudden death of his Swedish counterpart Anna Lindh early in the morning after being stabbed by an unidentified man in a Stockholm department store on Wednesday.

After being informed of Lindh's death during a ceremony at which he was honored by the municipality of Strovolos, Papandreou called for a minute of silence in her memory, and urged for solidarity with the people of Sweden, "a people who have fought for democracy and who stood by our side when many Greeks found themselves exiled in Sweden" during the 7-year military dictatorship in Greece.

Recalling that he had met with Lindh on Tuesday in Stockholm when the two foreign ministers had visited Swedish schools and spoke at a rally in support of a 'yes' vote in the upcoming referendum for Sweden's accession to the Eurozone, Papandreou stressed that Anna Lindh had also fought for Cyprus' accession to the EU, and noted the close friendly relationship they had built as colleagues within the framework of the EU.

Lindh died early Thursday following prolonged surgery after being stabbed by an unidentified man in a Stockholm department store on Wednesday. A leading campaigner for Sweden to join the euro zone in a referendum on Sunday, and tipped as a future prime minister, she was stabbed in the chest, stomach and arms while shopping.

Parl't speaker sends condolences over murder of Swedish minister: In a telegram to his Swedish counterpart on Thursday, Parliament Speaker Apostolos Kaklamanis expressed the Greek Parliament's condolences over the ''horrific fact'' of the murder of Swedish Foreign Minister Anna Lindh.

He said that Lindh, who was knifed to death on Wednesday by an unidentified man in a Swedish department store, had been a ''particularly highly respected political personality in Europe and had made a decisive contribution to developments within the EU''.

Swedish embassy opens condolences book for Lindh: The embassy of Sweden in Athens on Thursday announced the opening of a condolences book in light of the assassination of the country's foreign minister Anna Lindh on Wednesday.

The book of condolences will be open between 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on Friday, Monday and Tuesday, a press release from the embassy noted.

[08] Turkish F16 fighter jets harass naval cooperation plane, violate Greek airspace

Athens, 12/09/2003 (ANA)

They said the Turkish fighter planes flew above and to the right of the Greek naval cooperation plane, a P3 Orion, at a distance of 150 feet at 11:30 a.m.

The same sources said that earlier the two Turkish planes had violated Greek national airspace, and were reconnoitered and intercepted by Greek fighter planes.

[09] Synaspismos leader meets with German PDS leader in Berlin

Athens, 12/09/2003 (ANA)

[10] Bill ratifying Greece-Romania agreement tabled in Parliament

Athens, 12/09/2003 (ANA)

Under the agreement, the sum of 12 million dollars owed to Greece by the Romanian government to pay for the insurance rights of repatriated political refugees will now be paid for in cash in three installments.

The first installment of 2.5 million dollars will be paid within 60 days of when the agreement comes into force, the second will be for 4.5 million dollars and will be paid by December 31, 2004 and the third will be for 5.0 million dollars and will be paid by the last day of 2005.

The previous agreement called for payment in six installments in kind but was past due.

[11] Interior minister meets Albanian Ambassador to Greece

Athens, 12/09/2003 (ANA)

Zeneli also handed Skandalidis an invitation to visit Albania sent by his Albanian counterpart within the first half of October.

[12] Northern Greece industries present education institute program

Athens, 12/09/2003 (ANA)

IMESE is the evolution of FING Business School created by the Northern Greece Industries' Union (SBBE) with the aim to cover the needs of local enterprises with high-level executives.

IMESE chairman Vassilis Takas said that the Institute would launch a new post-graduate studies program in cooperation with Chartered Management Institute (CMI) and the Liverpool Hope University College.

[13] Greece "most favorable" tourist destination in Scandinavia

Athens, 12/09/2003 (ANA)

GNTO said that Greece was the most favorable tourist destination in Norway and Denmark and ranked second behind Spain in Sweden and Finland.

[14] Intrasoft in supply deal with European Parliament

Athens, 12/09/2003 (ANA)

The Trasys-Intrasoft International consortium won an international supply tender.

A company statement said that Intrasoft International would be one of the biggest suppliers of software products of the European Parliament in the next five years.

[15] Greek industrial production up 2.1 pct in July, yr/yr

Athens, 12/09/2003 (ANA)

The manufacturing production index rose 1.7 percent in July, the electricity-natural gas-water production index jumped 4.7 percent and the mining production index fell 7.0 percent in the month.

The industrial production composite index rose 1.5 percent in the January-July period compared with the same period last year, reflecting a 8.2 percent drop in mining production, an unchanged figure in manufacturing production and a 7.0 percent rise in electricity-natural gas-water production.

[16] Deal signed with contractors for 2004 Olympics homes rental

Athens, 12/09/2003 (ANA)

Alpha Hospitality and Hellenic Hospitality, which had begun work on the project before signature of the contract, also recently reached agreement with the Greek National Tourism Organization on details of the arrangement.

The firms have begun vetting 16,000 private homes that will be rented out to spectators and other visitors to the games in August next year.

[17] Issue of sale receipts becomes mandatory for taxis, gas stations

Athens, 12/09/2003 (ANA)

He said the measure would come into force this year for gas stations, where electronic cash registers would be installed at the pumps to record gasoline sales.

Taxi drivers will issue receipts from January 1, 2004, he said.

[18] ASE recovers to around 2,100 level on Thursday

Athens, 12/09/2003 (ANA)

The general index ended 0.95 percent higher at 2,094.87 points, with turnover a moderate 164.3 million euros.

The IT Solution index was the only one to suffer losses (0.40 percent), while the Publication, Insurance and Holding sectors scored the biggest percentage gains of the day (6.87 percent, 3.97 percent and 3.82 percent, respectively).

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavy traded stocks rose 0.80 percent, the FTSE/ASE MID 40 index jumped 2.21 percent and the FTSE/ASE SmallCap 80 index ended 1.73 percent higher.

Broadly, advancers led decliners by 274 to 45 with another 48 issues unchanged.

The most heavily traded stocks in value were Hellenic Telecom-medications Organization, Alpha Bank, National Bank of Greece, Public Power Corporation, and Coca Cola HBC.

Derivatives Market Close: Turnover at 173.0 mln euros Thursday

Equity Index Futures: