Antenna: News in English (AM), 97-07-23

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From: Antenna Radio <http://www.antenna.gr> - email: antenna@compulink.gr

News in English, 23/07/97

TITLES

• Albanian armed gangs continue to terrorise and raid Greek residents
• Etchevit's statement is condemned as recent developments are hailed
• And, a follow-up of Haroula Alexiou's magical voice at Pnyx Hill.

ALBANIA

Armed gangs are terrorizing and raiding residents in southern Albania and in towns close to the border, leaving people in a state of fear.

Special army and police forces are being deployed in an effort to combat the continued violence.

A bomb explosion was reported, destroying a restaurant owned by a Greek man in Tirane and in the process wounding three restaurant guards.

Another bomb exploded near the building which houses the Albanian Ministry of Defence and Ministry of the interior.

But the continued violence caused by Albanians also thrives in villages and towns near the Greek-Albanian border. The border has been closed overnight at greater intervals in an effort to protect neighboring residents.

Special army and police forces were deployed on Tuesday in remote areas near Kastoria in an effort to locate secret paths armed Albanians use while raiding Greek villages.

Aside from the raids, there have been at least a dozen kidnapping cases of Greeks, mostly businessmen who have been traveling to Albania, since the armed rebellion began in the south of the country on the first of March.

Macedonia-Thrace minister Filippos Petsalnikos went to the village of Dipotamia for a meeting with local authorities, the same village where four armed Albanians kidnapped five Greek farmers last week-end. The farmers were finally released with the help of the Albanian police.

Inhabitants of Greek villages neighboring Albania say they have been terrorised by armed gangs, who have carried out an increasing number of raids across the border in recent weeks. "We never used to lock up here, but now we have to bolt the front and back door every night," said an old woman from Dipotamia, where the latest kidnapping took place. "We're afraid to let the kids go out and play football in the square." Another old man from the village said,"We don't know what to do, if something isn't done to protect us, we will be forced to leave our homes, we can't live this way."

Petsalnikos said that special trained soldiers and policemen will be deployed to the region. The commander of the Third Army Corps, who also visited the region and informed residents that there'll be no danger for their safety as all necessary protection measures will be taken.

A large ethnic Greek minority lives in southern Albania, while an estimated 350,000 Albanian immigrants, most of them illegally crossing the border live in Greece.

The government is considering establishing a "green card" for all Albanians, and Balkan immigrants. Sources say the "green card" would function as a work permit.

OIL/RESEARCH

Development minister Vasso Papandreou signed the first two contracts on Tuesday. They will allow for oil exploration on land and off-shore, starting with the region of Ioannina and the North-Western Peloponese.

Another two contracts are scheduled to be signed shortly afterward for oil exploration in the Ionian Sea and the area of Western Greece.

Greece uses 91 million barrels of oil each year. The area to be explored is estimated to have reserves that could cover 20 percent of this, or more than 18 million barrels.

The Greek Public Petroleum Corporation says that according to the terms of the agreements signed, exploration will last for six years. Drilling must be completed in at least half of the prospective areas within four years.

Commenting on the drilling project, Papandreou explained, "The inner- country oil potential will be exploited. Oil reserves within the country will be reassured, providing more jobs and effecting Greece's national economy in a profitable way."

The Ioanian sea has long been thought to be rich in fossil fuels, although most interest in Greece has centered on the Aegean sea.

CYPRUS/EU

Ecevit, who approved of the invasion of Cyprus as Turkish premier on July 20, 1974, made the statement over the weekend on Cyprus, where he attended the commemoration of the 23rd anniversary of Turkey's invasion and occupation of the island's northern third.

In response to Ecevit's declaration, foreign minister Theodoros Pangalos was forced to make a stern declaration condemning the statement on the same day in which he said in a published interview that Greece and Turkey had come to a point where they could successfully negotiate with each other as "quote grown-ups".

Commenting on the recent statement by Turkish Vice president, Pangalos said, "We are especially saddened that the new Turkish government has chosen to show, with the opportunity of the anniversary of the invasion, its ugliest face. Mr. Ecevit seems to consider the international crime, for which he took the political responsibility in carrying out in Cyprus in 1974, as his life's accomplishment, and that is why he rushed to return to the scene of the crime.

Adding that, " We believe that the manner and the content of his statements, and the whole appearance of the Turkish leadership show that much effort is needed still for Turkey to understand - and I think the international community should undertake this task - that NO ONE has the right to violate international law and boast about it.

Government spokesman Dimitris Reppas also criticized the visit to Cyprus by Ecevit and other Turkish officials. "We believe that this behavior is untimely. It is out of keeping both with the effort that Turkey is obliged to help find a solution to the Cyprus problem and with the ambitions that Turkey has on the European level." Reppas said, pointing to Turkey's efforts to become a member of the European Union.

Ecevit's threats served to worsen the slightly improved climate between Greece and Turkey since Simitis and Demirel issued a joint communique in Madrid on July 8th committing their governments to abiding by international law and avoiding violence and the threat of violence in their relations.

Reppas further slammed Ecevit's behavior by saying that it showed "how far behind the times many Turkish officials are." He also repeated that, "Greece stands by Cyprus and any action by Turkey aimed at harming free Cyprus will be a cause of war for us. Not hastening to add that, it is necessary for more systematic ways to be sought for a solution to the Cyprus problem." and that "we must have a positive approach to the matter.

In response to Ecevit's declaration, 15 foreign ministers isssued letters to their Turkish counterpart Monday, rejecting Turkey's threats over Cyprus's entry in the EU and called on Turkey to contribute in the fair resolution of the Cyprus issue.

Talks of Cyprus' entry into the EU are scheduled to begin early next year.

US State Department Nicholas Burns avoided condemning Ecevit's statements, but kept some distance saying that "any statements should keep up with the need for fair and sincere negotiations on the Cyprus issue.

ECONOMY

General guidelines were discussed in a meeting between the prime minister and economy minister Yiannos Papantoniou Tuesday.

Papantoniou said, "This is not a moment for decisions, but for thoughts and meetings on Greece's economy".

Future meetings focusing on the national budget and economic policy are scheduled to be held next fall, with Papantoniou reassuring that the proposed schedule will be tightly followed. The government's decisions on the economy will be announced along with the new year's budget sometime in October".

ND

On Tuesday, committee members presented their proposals concerning how each regional office should function.

MP Vangelis Meimarakis proposed that regional offices at municipalities of over 5 thousand residents should have at least 200 members, while regional offices in communities of less than 5 thousand residents should have a least 50 members.

The decision to increase the financial contribution of each member as well as establishing a special membership card was also agreed on.

Proposed changes in New Democracy's regional offices will take place sometime in the fall.

EDUCATION

The first bill discussed in parliament on Tuesday, concerned promotions and salary conditions for university professors.

Another seven education bills will be discussed by parliament in August with the hopes that they will be passed during that period.

Changes scheduled to take place are those regarding lessons, the present evaluation system and the existing exam system for students attending junior high.

In the new proposed measures, students will take general exams at the end of highschool, but those exam grades won't only count for entry in the state universities. Grades from junior high and high school will be combined for entrance into the university.

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

A special set depicting ancient sculptures was designed Nikos Petropoulos. The designer says he was inspired by the National Archeological Museum.

The construction depicts copies of sculptures which were taken from the Acropolis to Britain by Lord Elgin in 1801. The sculptures are still in the British museum despite repeated requests from Greece that they be returned.

The opening ceremony will include a special effects show by well-known Greek composer Vangelis Papathanassiou and his 30 member crew. Two giant projection screens will sport thousands of pictures in conjunction with the event. Famous Spanish soprano MonserA Cabayet will also participate in the event.

72 athletes from Greece will be competing. "They're the best national team in track and field Greece has ever had in a world championship," exclaimed officials of the Greek Track and Field Sports Association.

The event will be broadcast live to over 3 billion viewers all over the world.

ASHTRAYS

Well, maybe not. The Greek Association for the Protection of Citizen and Smokers Rights has come up with a disposable ashtray.

The special one use enveloppe snubs out cigarettes by cutting off the oxygen.

A young woman who works for the Association says that the invention was aimed at protecting the rights of smokers, but not at the expense of the environment.

So, next time you go to a beach, impress your friends by whipping out your personal cigarette- stubing-out enveloppe.

ALEXIOU

Those who lost the opportunity to attend the fullmoon concert, entitled, "Moonlight Songs" will have another two nights in which to catch the magical voice of Alexiou at Pnika, or the Pnyx Hill, just across from the Acropolis.

Monday night's concert was attended by Athens' bid committee president Yianna Angelo-poulou- Daskalaki, Athens mayor Dimitris Avramopoulos, environment minister Kostas Laliotis, and New Democracy leader Kostas Karamanlis.

© ANT1 Radio 1997

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