Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 04-07-20

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

CONTENTS

[01] Voulgarakis and Papaligouras brief counterparts on Olympic Games security during EU Ministers' Council

[02] Greece signs ESA accession treaty

[03] Greek minister in Cyprus for anti-occupation events

[04] Parliament President issues message on occasion of 30-year anniversary of Turkish invasion of Cyprus

[05] EU Council of Agriculture Ministers discusses agricultural research development

[06] EU initiates second-stage infringement procedure against Greece over taxation law

[07] Senior tourism ministry official asked to resign over graft charges, investigation initiated

[08] Index climbs as buyers turn to high-cap paper

[09] Trio of Euro 2004 champions serve as Olympic Torch Bearers in Kavala prefecture

[10] US embassy visa services during the Games announced

[11] Tram officially begins commercial operation in Athens after 44-year absence

[12] Acropolis to appear in new light on Monday, courtesy of Pierre Bideau

[13] Suspect for assassination of Serb premier Djindjic led before Thessaloniki prosecutor

[14] EU Commission takes legal action against Greece over anti-discrimination law

[15] PM receives Nana Mouscouri

[16] Ministers call on people to participate in anti-occupation events

[17] Anti-occupation rally in Trafalgar Square

[01] Voulgarakis and Papaligouras brief counterparts on Olympic Games security during EU Ministers' Council

BRUSSELS 7/20/04 (ANA/A.Simatos)

Greek Public Order Minister George Voulgarakis outlined the measures Greece has taken in terms of Olympic Games security, saying that such a briefing is both useful and mandatory, since "that which is self-explanatory for us who are organizing the Games, is not self-explanatory for everyone else."

Specifically, Voulgarakis referred to NATO's assistance; bilateral cooperation, including the cooperation of countries bordering Greece; and the seven countries with security expertise with which Greece has been working closely.

As for suspending the Schengen Treaty, Voulgarakis said that Greek authorities did not deem it necessary.

Greek Justice Minister Anastassis Papaligouras, also attending the ministers' council, informed his EU counterparts of changes in Greek legislation which include the integration of the EU's arrest warrant and laws regarding the fight against terrorism. The Greek justice minister noted that European legislative culture demands that special attention be given to the exchange of information and that a clear distinction be made between the handling of judicial and police information.

Papaligouras also met with Greek correspondents and criticized those who are uncomfortable with the judicial and police cooperation between member states, emphasizing that the creation of a common area of safety and justice in the EU, which will guarantee individual rights and liberties, has much to offer EU citizens.

"There is no conflict between security and freedom; they complement each other," he said.

[02] Greece signs ESA accession treaty

STRASBOURG 7/20/04 (ANA/O. Tsipira)

Present at the signing ceremony which was held at ESA's headquarters in the French capital was also Research and Technology General Secretary Yiannis Tsoukalas.

ESA's aim is the promotion of scientific research and technological cooperation on a European level in the sector of Space and its implementation exclusively for peaceful purposes (communications, environment, development etc.).

The Greek minister expressed his particular satisfaction because through Monday's signing, Greece's accession procedure, which began in the 1990s, was concluded.

The next step will be the ratification of the signing by the Greek Parliament. The minister assured that this will take place very soon. In continuation, Greece will have a transitional six-month period of preparation, during which it must develop its industrial base so as to reach the European competitive level.

"Today starts for us a new period of challenges and efforts," Sioufas said, adding: ŤAs a member of the EU and of ESA, we will help on all levels of policy shaping, on research-technology-industry issues of Space, but also on security and defense as described in the White Paper for Space."

ESA was founded about 35 years ago and is based in Paris. From Monday, Greece is its 16th member-country.

[03] Greek minister in Cyprus for anti-occupation events

NICOSIA 7/20/04 (ANA/CNA)

In a press release, the Greek Embassy in Nicosia says that during her stay on the island, Yiannakou will also be received by President of the Republic Tassos Papadopoulos and House of Representatives President Demetris Christofias. Yiannakou departs from Cyprus on Tuesday afternoon.

[04] Parliament President issues message on occasion of 30-year anniversary of Turkish invasion of Cyprus

ATHENS, 7/20/04 (ANA)

She added that the need to find a resolution to the long-standing Cyprus problem is now greater than ever.

"Nicosia is the only divided capital in Europe and the growing imbalance of Turkish settlers to Turkish Cypriots is extremely disturbing," Psarouda-Benaki said.

PASOK party leader makes statement on anniversary of Turkish invasion of Cyprus: Main opposition PASOK party leader George Papandreou, on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974, said in a statement on Monday the invasion led to Hellenism's latest tragedy.

"The Turkish invasion of Cyprus thirty years ago, following national treason by the dictatorial regime of Athens and its collaborators in Nicosia, led to Hellenism's latest tragedy, with occupation by the Turkish military and the island's division continuing until today," he said.

"The governments of PASOK implemented a national strategy with consistency and determination in all the years that have passed which contributed to the accession of Cyprus to the European Union and, at the same time, to the issue of Cyprus becoming an international one again and to the activation of the UN," the PASOK leader added.

Papandreou also said the accession of Cyprus to the EU was a major national success which refuted Cassandras who linked accession to a solution to the political problem being found before this occurred.

"Today, more than ever, and taking into consideration the new conditions created after the referendum, there is an urgent need for a new strategy to be shaped to achieve the target of a bizonal and bicommunal federation, and of the reunification of the island, with respect for the resolutions of the Security Council and the European acquis communautaire," Papandreou said.

He further said PASOK places the issue of Cyprus historically in the nucleus of its priorities and will steadfastly continue its active relation of solidarity with the government of Cyprus and the people of Cyprus.

Communist, Coalition parties issue announcements on anniversary of Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974: The Communist Party of Greece (KKE), in an announcement on Monday on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in July 1974, extended its solidarity to the people of Cyprus and said events clearly showed where the agreements of Zurich and London concluded in 1959 between the governments of the United Kingdom, Greece and Turkey, by which the Republic of Cyprus was established in 1960, have led to.

KKE said the people of Cyprus, both Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, have paid and are still paying a high price as a result of the status of guarantor powers and of the involvement and intervention rights they obtained in its domestic affairs, and due to the consolidation of the presence of British military bases in Cyprus.

A similar announcement by the Coalition of the Left, Movements and Ecology party said efforts to find a solution to the issue of Cyprus and to achieve a rapprochement between the two communities must continue.

The Coalition party said the Turkish invasion of Cyprus 30 years ago completed the double crime perpetrated against the island, which began with the juntists' coup d'etat on July 20, 1974.

It further stressed that the vindication of the sacrifice of those who died can only come with a solution, the lifting of occupation and the reunification of Cyprus.

[05] EU Council of Agriculture Ministers discusses agricultural research development

BRUSSELS 7/20/04 (ANA)

Greece's positions were backed by Agricultural Development and Foodstuffs Minister Savvas Tsitouridis and his Deputy Minister Evangelos Basiakos.

Addressing the Council, Tsitouridis stressed the need for incorporating agricultural research in the seventh European draft program regarding research which will cover the 2007-2011 period.

He further said an agricultural research plan should be jointly planned and implemented to provide answers to all modern-day problems existing in the agricultural sector.

On the question of the status governing sugar, Tsitouridis said reforms must be limited to what is absolutely necessary and should not be carried out in a hurry.

The minister noted that given that the present status expires on June 30, 2006, the new status must begin as of July 1, 2007.

[06] EU initiates second-stage infringement procedure against Greece over taxation law

ATHENS, 7/20/04 (ANA)

Similar requests were addressed to France and Italy.

All three member-states were obliged to bring the measures into force by 31 December 2003 and notify the Commission with a letter by January 27, 2004. The measures concern the mutual assistance by the competent authorities of the member-states in the field of direct and indirect taxation by extending such assistance to the taxation of insurance premiums.

[07] Senior tourism ministry official asked to resign over graft charges, investigation initiated

ATHENS, 7/20/04 (ANA)

The minister's action came on Friday, after an unnamed businessman accused Keramidas of demanding financial trade-offs in order to settle one of his affairs. Liaskos said he could not reveal the name of the business man involved because the matter was now in the hands of justice.

According to the minister, the government was putting into action its pre-election promises of transparency and zero-tolerance for corruption.

"We will not allow incidents of suspicious transactions and improper actions to sully the work that the new government seeks to carry out with responsibility, transparency and, above all, clean hands. We will not tolerate practices and ways of thinking that undermine and nullify our efforts. Cases that obstruct this course will be dealt with particularly harshly and will be referred to justice," he stressed.

[08] Index climbs as buyers turn to high-cap paper

ATHENS, 7/20/04 (ANA)

The Athens general share index closed at 2,361.83 points, showing a rise of 0.16 per cent. Turnover was 65.4 million euros.

The FTSE/ASE-20 index for high capitalization shares ended 0.39 per cent up; the FTSE/ASE-40 for medium cap stocks closed 0.28 per cent lower; and the FTSE/ASE-80 for small cap shares finished 1.10 per cent down.

Of stocks traded, declines led advances at 201 to 76 with 70 remaining unchanged.

[09] Trio of Euro 2004 champions serve as Olympic Torch Bearers in Kavala prefecture

ATHENS, 7/20/04 (ANA)

Monday marks the 53rd day of the first-ever global Olympic Torch Relay, weeks before the Opening Ceremony at the main Olympic Stadium (OAKA) in Athens on Aug. 13.

Vryzas lit the torch in his hometown of Chryssoupolis, while Zagorakis had the honor of lighting an altar at the ancient theatre of Philippi.

The Olympic Flame departed the northeastern border city of ×anthi early in the morning before passing through the Nestos River Delta and into Kavala prefecture. After Chryssoupolis, the Torch headed for the port city of Kavala and then on to Philippi, where a welcoming ceremony will take place in the eponymous ancient theatre.

"It was an honor for me to participate in this grand celebration. I am, however, very young to convey any message. Nevertheless, the message that the Flame conveys is by itself is so strong that it embraces all of humanity; it is a message of peace and good sportsmanship," said Vryzas, who plays for Firenze in Italy.

[10] US embassy visa services during the Games announced

ATHENS, 7/20/04 (ANA)

The embassy calls on individuals planning trips to the United States for the end of summer or early fall to arrange personal interviews with the embassy as soon as possible.

[11] Tram officially begins commercial operation in Athens after 44-year absence

ATHENS, 7/20/04 (ANA)

At a ceremony on Monday morning attended by both the present and former leadership of the Greek transport ministry, the first of the three Olympic transport projects was turned over to the public. The other two are the suburban railway and the metro extension to Athens airport.

The sleek new trams little resemble their quaint and noisy predecessors of yesteryear, however. At the present phase, the tram lines extend over 26 kilometers, from the centre of Athens up to the seaside suburbs of Faliro and Voula. There are 47 stations along the route where passengers can get on and disembark, roughly one every 500 meters, while the tram's average speed is estimated to be around 23 kilometers an hour.

Each tram will have two air-conditioned carriages of ultramodern design, with easy access for the handicapped, while the tram system as a whole is expected to carry up to 80,000 passengers a day.

This Monday and Tuesday passengers can travel on the service without a ticket, while from Wednesday they will have to pay 0.60 euros or 0.40 euros if they are making a connection from some other form of transport. Those under 18 can travel at half price for 0.30 euros.

Transport Minister Mihalis Liapis on Monday stressed that the tram was an environmentally-friendly, modern and cheap mode of transport that would allow commuters to travel comfortably, quickly and safely in the capital.

Former transport minister Christos Verelis stressed the need to carry out planned extensions to the tram network that will extend it to over 100 kilometers.

[12] Acropolis to appear in new light on Monday, courtesy of Pierre Bideau

ATHENS, 7/20/04 (ANA)

Bideau, who was also assigned the task of designing new lighting for the Eiffel Tower and other major international lighting projects, was chosen for the task by well-known Greek director Mihalis Cacoyiannis, who set up the 'Friends of Athens' society to fund the initial studies. The project was also supported by the Greek culture ministry, which has given 855,000 euros towards it.

"I could see that the Parthenon was poorly used and this hurt me deeply," Cacoyiannis said during a press conference on Monday regarding a ceremony inaugurating the new illumination on Monday night.

Alternate Culture Minister Fani Palli Petralia said that the common effort had shown that great things could be achieved when people worked together and that the culture ministry had embraced the project both morally and materially. She said that discussions were underway for a similar 'facelift' for the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion, which would act as a "beacon reminding our entire cultural heritage".

Deputy Culture Minister Petros Tatoulis said the new lighting fully respected the monuments and explained that the restoration efforts on the Acropolis up to that point had not allowed it to be properly illuminated.

Bideau said that his design had sought to give cohesion to the lighting of the whole area and highlight the architecture of the monuments using small lights, conveying the idea that they were once filled with life. The illumination will light the Acropolis, Erechtheum, Propylaea, the Parthenon and the Pnyx, as well as Thission, the Philopappou Monument and the Herod Atticus Odeon.

Next to be illuminated before the Olympics is Lycabettus Hill, after Athens Mayor Dora Bakoyianni pledged to support the project.

[13] Suspect for assassination of Serb premier Djindjic led before Thessaloniki prosecutor

ATHENS, 7/20/04 (ANA)

Greek authorities arrested 34-year-old Dejan Milenkovic in Thessaloniki on Friday night, after he had spent 15 months on the run. Procedures for his extradition to Serbia are expected to be complete within the next few days.

Under the procedure, Serbia & Montenegro authorities have 50 days in which to send the Appeals prosecutor a copy of the charges against the suspect so that the appeals council can then make a final decision on whether he will be extradited.

On Sunday he was led before a public prosecutor and charged with illegally entering and residing in Greece.

[14] EU Commission takes legal action against Greece over anti-discrimination law

ATHENS, 7/20/04 (ANA)

The directive prohibits discrimination or the basis of racial or ethnic origin, age, disability, religion and sexual orientation. The Commission will refer Greece, Austria, Germany, Finland and Luxembourg to the European Court of Justice.

The Commission has also initiated second-stage infringement procedures, in the form of a reasoned opinion, against the same five member-states and Belgium over their failure to fully transpose the Employment Framework Directive, which prohibits discrimination on the grounds of age, disability, religion or belief and sexual orientation in employment and vocational training. All six have been given two months to reply, after which the Commission will refer the matter to the European Court of Justice.

[15] PM receives Nana Mouscouri

ATHENS, 7/20/04 (ANA)

Asked about the upcoming 2004 Olympic Games, Mouscouri said "we should all hope for the best and do our utmost to ensure their success, this should be our overriding concern."

[16] Ministers call on people to participate in anti-occupation events

NICOSIA 7/20/04 (CNA/ANA)

At noon, sirens will signal the commencement of the alarm and its end about three minutes later.

Theodorou said that during these three minutes everyone should exit their workplaces or homes and stand on the pavements, and traffic should come to a halt in order to make this silent demonstration against the occupation and in favor of the reunification of the island.

''I call on all citizens of this land and this Republic to participate in the event to demonstrate the memory of our people about 1974 and their determination to end the occupation and reunite our country,'' Theodorou said.

On Tuesday evening, the Cypriot government is organizing an event under the title ''Cyprus 1974-2004, No to the occupation, Yes to reunification'' in which President Tassos Papadopoulos will be the main speaker.

Georgiades said the aim of the event is ''to express the opposition of our people to the occupation and at the same time to express our will for a functional and viable solution of the Cyprus problem that will reunite our country and its people.''

Renowned Greek singer George Dalaras and Cypriot singer Alkinoos Ioannides will be participating in the event, among others.

[17] Anti-occupation rally in Trafalgar Square

LONDON 7/20/04 (CNA/ANA)

In a letter to British Prime Minister Tony Blair, Sophoclides urges the Labor government to do its utmost in order to bring about a permanent settlement to the Cyprus problem.

Cypriots living in Britain organized an anti-occupation rally in Trafalgar Square on Sunday afternoon demanding the withdrawal of the Turkish troops occupying 37 per of Cyprus territory since 1974, in violation of repeated United Nations resolutions.

They also called for the restoration of human rights in Cyprus grossly violated by the Turkish occupation troops and urged the British government to help resolve the protracted Cyprus problem.

The gathering was addressed by Cyprus Foreign Minister George Iacovou, Cypriot community leaders in Britain and British MP's and Euro MP's.

Iacovou noted ''how proud we are of our country because of its many achievements, because we were an impoverished, post-colonial living country and we managed to pull ourselves by our bootstraps and created a miracle. Only Attila destroyed it in 1974''.

''We were not discouraged. We started again and we performed another miracle. To stand in our own right, as a nation standing together with the other European countries, in our own right. We deserve the place, we have accepted no concessions from anybody, we have accepted no money from the European Union. We are the only country that financed the transition period through our own funds. We are proud of that'', he added.

Referring to the Cyprus problem he said the people of Cyprus have voted against the acceptance of the Annan plan exercising their democratic right. ''The 'NO' refers exclusively to Annan Plan No. 5. It doesn't relate to our desire to find a solution to the Cyprus problem. We want a solution; we want a solution that will bring Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots together.

We want a solution that gives to the Turkish Cypriots but doesn't give to Turkey'', the foreign minister said.

Meanwhile an early day motion tabled by British MPs before the House of Commons welcomes the Mayors of the towns of Famagusta and Kyrenia and notes their courageous efforts to keep alive within the community of these Turkish occupied towns their right to return to their homes and possessions in any settlement on the issue of Cyprus.

The motion, tabled on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, applauds the willingness of these elected representatives ''to work with members of the Turkish Cypriot community to rebuild and develop these towns for the benefit of Greek and Turkish Cypriots in their country Cyprus''.

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