Antenna: News in English (PM), 98-06-25

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

Last Updated: Thursday, 25-Jun-98 21:36:18

CONTENTS

[01] Stefanopoulos in Cyprus

[02] Papantoniou-Interest rates

[03] Archibishop Christodoulos

[04] Parliament-Education

[05] Euroamerican Council of Women conference

[01] Stefanopoulos in Cyprus

The visit highlights the deep ties of friendship and solidarity that unite the two countries, and is particularly significant at a time of increasing Turkish truculence.

Arriving in Cyprus, Greek president Kostis Stephanpoulos said his visit it one of the most important moments in his life.

Thousands of people waving Greek and Cypriot flags greeted his motorcade as it passed through Larnaca. The scene was repeated later in Nicosia.

"This is not the usual diplomatic visit", Stephanopoulos explained, "but a visit of love, honour, and affection".

In Nicosia, Cypriot president Glavcos welcomed Stephanopoulos and his entourage, which includes the Greek foreign and deputy foreign ministers.

Athens and Nicosia attach much to the Greek head of state's visit, which comes at a critical time for the island. Cyprus has begun talks on admission into the European Union; in angry response, Turkey has stepped up its provocative behaviour toward the Cypriot Republic. Last week Turkish fighter planes landed threateningly in Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus.

And Ankara has threatened to resort to attack the Republic if it acquires Russian surface-to-air missiles as scheduled in August.

Cyprus argues that it has the right to ensure its defence against a possible Turkish attack is adequate; and Greece backs the Cypriot government in any defence decisions it makes.

The latest attempts by Turkey to generate tension over Cyprus and the missiles will be key items on the agenda during Stephanopoulos's contacts during his four-day visit.

The Greek president said on arriving that 24 years have passed since the Turkish occupation of the north began. It's too long for an illegal situation to last, he added. The international community should not allow it to continue.

Stephanpoulos also said Greece will look at ways of strengthening its joint defence doctrine with Cyprus.

Even the Greek president's trip is being turned into a contentious issue by Turkey. Ankara has announced that Turkish president Suleiman Demirel will visit the occupied territories soon, in retaliation for the Stephanopoulos trip.

And even as Stephanopoulos started his visit, the Turks were provoking Greece. Two Turkish F-16 fighters made the unusual move of identifying an American air force plane flying in Greek-monitored air space in the Aegean.

[02] Papantoniou-Interest rates

The finance minister promises that Pasok will provide investment incentives to keep the economy growing.

Addressing businessmen in Athens, Iannos Papantoniou said interest rates should drop from their current 15 to 6 per cent within two years, allowing entrepreneurs to borrow, invest, and modernise their businesses.

The government's new development legislation has a number of main incentives that will encourage investors to create jobs: among them are interest financing; tax breaks; and state support, including state financing of new jobs.

Papantoniou says every new job will be government-financed to the tune of five thousand dollars.

[03] Archibishop Christodoulos

Christodoulos told the faithful in Veria that what he sees as a new groundswell of interest in the church amounts to a peaceful revolution.

Later, he spoke of the importance of defending the integrity of Greece's ancient heritage.

Archbishop Christodoulos was enthusiastically welcomed to Veria. There was ringing applause as he entered the church.

In his speech, the dynamic religious leader referred to a recent survey showing his personal popularity with voters as being higher than that of the nation's top politicians.

"The polls show that the people are close to the church today", he said. "With the love of Christ we'll carry out our peaceful revolution".

Later in the day, Christodoulos visited Vergina, the site of the tombs of Philip and the other ancient Macedonian royals.

He took the occasion to obliquely address a political issue, that of Greece's difference with the Former Yugsolav Republic of Macedonia over Fyrom's permanent name. Fyrom wants to be recognised as Macedonia.

But Greece objects to it adopting the ancient name so important to Greece's historic heritage, and so significant geographically today.

Christodoulos underscored the Greekness of Macedonia. "It's our history", he said. "We can never sell our historic birthright. If you do that, then yhou have no right to call yourself the descendants of a glorious ancient people".

The archbishop's trip confirms once again that Christodoulos intends to be true to his promise: he will speak out on issues he considers important, even over the objections of some people who believe he should carve out a strictly religious and perhaps more discreet role for himself.

[04] Parliament-Education

During a parliamentary debate, prime minister Kostas Simitis slammed what he said is New Democracy's standard tactic when it comes to dealing with government policy proposals.

During the education debate, prime minister Kostas Simitis said New Democracy originally agreed when the government announced that it wanted to abolish the system of hiring teachers off a waiting list, and hire instead on the basis of examination performance.

But when the government went ahead with the change over the objections of the teachers, New Democracy said it disagreed with the way the new policy was being implemented.

That, added the prime minister, is New Democracy's tried and tested way of throwing a monkey wrench into any government policy initiatives.

Simitis cited his introduction of competitive hiring procedures as an attempt to improve the quality of education. With its negative stance, he added, New Democracy has shown it is committed to an elitist educational system, where money determines the quality of a pupil's education.

New Democracy leader Kostas Karamanlis said the problem with the government's hiring policy is that it was imposed without prior dialogue with

the affected parties. The result, he said, was the recent angry protests by teachers who tried to disrupt the hiring exams.

Karamanlis said that education is such an important issue that national consensus is needed in policy-making. Consensus, he charged, is what the government has not built.

[05] Euroamerican Council of Women conference

Women from around the world who hold high positions in large companies are looking at the problems of working women.

Greek deputy national economy minister Christos Pachtas said that European Union treaties codify a commitment to the defence and advancement of social rights, including equality between the sexes.

Other issues on the conference agenda are globalisation, new technologies, and the 2004 Athens Olympics.

(c) ANT1 Radio 1998

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