Antenna: News in English (PM), 98-05-20

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

Last Updated: Wednesday, 20-May-98 22:15:25

CONTENTS

[01] Rubin: no package solution

[02] SEB conference

[03] Archibishop Christodoulos

[04] Telemedicine

[05] Mikis Theodorakis

[06] Sports

[01] Rubin: no package solution

With those words, the state department spokesman clarified statements made by US president Bill Clinton in London Monday.

The American president gave Athens pause for thought when he said Greece and Turkey must solve their problems all at once.

State Department spokesman James Rubin says US president Bill Clinton didn't mean to suggest that the Cyprus problem and Greek-Turkish differences should be solved as part of a package deal.

"The US is not proposing a new set of negotiations or any other approach that could link these issues in some sort of package deal. We do however believe, as the President indicated, that progress in one area can improve the climate and the atmosphere for progress in another, but they are still separate issues being dealt with separately through diplomatic channels".

The Greek government considers that the minimum that Rubin could offer by way of an explanation. Athens adds that it's one thing for the US president to say something, and another when it is just a US government representative speaking.

Greece rejects any suggestion of package solutions or multi-issue negotiations. It wants a step-by- step approach to Greek-Turkish relations. There can be no package, says foreign minister Theodoros Pangalos, because Greece isn't making any demands on Turkey. It is Turkey that is making claims on Greek sovereignty in the Aegean.

Pangalos is partly satisfied with the state department explanation; that is, insofar as it rejects the package solution idea. What Pangalos would also like to see from Washington is an acknowledgement that it is Greece's legitimate rights that are under fire from Turkey, not just a case of a two- sided dispute.

Meeting with the prime minister, alternate foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou spoke in the same vein. "There can be no package deals", he said. "There are two issues: Turkish provocations in the Aegean; and Cyprus, which is not a Greek-Turkish issue".

Papandreou will be representing Greece at the European Union-Turkey association council meeting, scheduled for next Monday

The EU has told Ankara it must mend fences with Greece and make an earnest effort to solve the Cyprus problem before it can move any closer to the EU.

[02] SEB conference

At a conference held by the Confederation of Greek Industry to discuss the government's privatisation programme, prime minister Kostas Simitis said the sell off of state enterprises will help rationalise the public sector. He added that the radical overhaul of the nation's pension funds is the only way to guarantee that there will be any money in the till to pay the pensions of todays young workers.

New Democracy leader Kostas Karamanlis said the government's economic pollicies have been an unmitigated failure. The proof of that is twofold, he argues. First, there's the recent 14 per cent devaluation of the drachma. Then, there's the fact that Greece is the only nation that hasn't met the guidelines on inflation and deficits to join the single European currency next year.

[03] Archibishop Christodoulos

Meeting with Former New Democracy leader Miltiades Evert, Christodoulos stressed the importance of coming in closer contact with the people. He said, "The church needs to be more active and creative regarding the needs of the people".

Evert agreed saying, "The new archbishop is the perfect man for the job, especially in today's society".

Later Christodoulos met with Foreign minister Theodoros Pangalos and discussed the role of the church in the Balkan countries.

Colleagues in law school the two men agreed to keep in close contact on a personal as well as political level. Pangalos then told the archbishop that the ministry of foreign affairs will always be at his disposal.

[04] Telemedicine

Minos Kyriakou has distributed free of charge 50 cardioexpress machines to isolated areas. The machine allows doctors to give people a cardiograph exam by phone.

Hi-tech communication is about more than entertainment and information. It can also save lives.

The cardioexpress machines hooked to a person's chest can allow doctors at a medical centre run a cardiograph over the phone.

The service runs on a 24-hour basis, every day of the year.

And it means a lot to people like Nikos Bazanis.

A retiree who lives far from any hospital, he's had open heart surgery twice in the past eight

years.

Whenever he has chest pain, he needs quick access to a doctor.

With the cardioexpress, he feels a lot safer.

Feeling pain, he phones into the centre with his symptoms. It takes 45 seconds to run the EKG.

The doctor tells him he's fine, and he is at ease.

In another episode, the crew of a ferry boat were told to speed up to get a man to the hospital in Crete, after doctors ran a tele-EKG on him.

The crew obeyed, and the man was under the care of doctors soon thereafter.

The new machines are as effective as any normal cardiograph equipment. And there are special filters fitted to phone line that weed out any static that could interfere with the signal.

[05] Mikis Theodorakis

Theodorakis set the poem to music. And on Tuesday night, that music proved to be a magnet to music lovers. The ancient Irodio theatre was filled for the performance.

For not the first time, Axion Esti was a sell-out. And there could be no better venue than the ancient Irodio for the quintessential Greek poem set to the quintessential music.

The proceeds from the event are going to the Child and Family Foundation.

[06] Basketball

On its home floor and its back up against the wall, Paok stays alive with a 64-57 victory. The winners are led by Predrag Stoyankovich with 22 points.

Olympiakos has won the right to join Pao and Paok in the European championship league next year.

The Piraeus team does it by winning the best-of-five series for third place against Aek 3-1.

Aek playing on its home court in game four, but finds itself tagging along behind on the scoreboard all night. That's thanks to Olymipakos's tight defence.

Aek keeps it close thanks to the hot hand of Jose Lassa, who lights up the nets, hitting 7 of 11 three point shots on the night.

But Olympiakos's Dimitris Papanikolaou who's named game MVP. He leads the winners with 17 points, eight rebounds, and a steal.

(c) ANT1 Radio 1998

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