Antenna: News in English (PM), 98-08-31

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

Last Updated: Monday, 31-Aug-98 22:31:33

CONTENTS

[01] Simitis-Jospin meeting

[02] Stock Market

[03] Cyprus-Denktash

[04] Cosmology conference

[01] Simitis-Jospin meeting

French premier Lionel Jospin met with Greece's Kostas Simitis in Athens Monday.

Later in the day they addressed a Pasok conference on the prospects for the European left.

After meeting with Lionel Jospin, Kostas Simitis said they had discussed what everyone's discussing: the world financial crisis.

Simitis said the immediate cause of the crisis - turmoil in Russia and instability in Asian markets - is not the only reason for Europe's problems. "There are deeper, structural problems, and they need to be studied", he added. "As yet, we cannot say whether the recent crisis is over or will get worse".

Jospin said, "We've thought for the past year that Russia isn't only in financial crisis, but that there are also larger economic and political problems that need to be addressed".

European investors have been hit hard by the Moscow crisis. But the French leader noted with satisfaction that the Euopean exchange rate mechanism has worked well to prevent currency upheaval in the EU.

During their talk, the French and Greek premiers also looked at the EU summit in October, where decisions about Europe's future will be made. Simitis said they both feel there needs to be broad agreement on some general principles if that summit is to be a success.

Simitis called Jospin a close personal friend, and a good friend of Greece.

Jospin was in Greece a few weeks ago, on holiday. Meeting with the French leader Monday, Greek president Kostis Stephanopoulls said he was glad he'd chosen Greece for his summer vacation. Greek leaders are confident that Jospin's affinity for their country will contribute to the furtherance of the good relations between the two

nations.

[02] Stock Market

In the Greek capital, as elsewhere, investors are still waiting to see what will happen in Moscow.

There was less pressure on the drachma Monday; that pressure mounted last week as foreign investors who'd suffered heavy losses in Russia pulled foreign currency out of the Greek market to shore up their losses.

Interest rates also declined Monday, as the market appeared to stabilise, registering gains of .26 per cent.

Stock broker Giorgos Chrysochoides sees that as positive. "The Athens bourse doesn't have any problems - just the foreign pull out".

The government is going to do what it can to boost confidence in Athens, by speeding ahead with its privatisation of the duty free shops and by cutting public spending.

[03] Cyprus-Denktash

Turkish forces have been in illegal occupation of northern Cyprus since 1974, and only Turkey recognises Denktash's breakaway state in the occupied territory.

On the occasion of a visit by the Turkish foreign minister, Denktash told a news conference that he's proposing the establishment of a confederation composed of two peoples and two states in Cyprus.

Turkish foreign minister said the proposal has his government's backing.

Demanding that he be recognised as the head of a legal government, Denktash is offering to lift his objection to the Cypriot Republic joining the European Union.

In Athens, the Greek government spokesman rejected the proposal. Dimitris Reppas said that in attempting to win recognition as the leader of a state, Denktash is laying claim to something he has no right to. Accepting the proposal, he explained, would amount to legalising the partition of Cyprus.

The United Nations has called for an end to the Turkish occupation and the establishment of a bizonal federation in Cyprus. Greece supports that.

Reppas says the position of Turkey and Denktash shows clearly that Turkish policy runs completely counter the aims of the international community and dictates of international law.

The Turkish stance, he continued, also runs counter to what the international community is waiting to see so there can be progress in solving the Cyprus problem.

[04] Cosmology conference

The man who added to Einstein's theory of relativity in the 1960s and theorised that the universe started with a big bang and will eventually retract to its original sourse, was in good spirits in Athens.

Disabled by a disease that has destroyed his nervous and muscular systems, Hawkin says his illness has enhanced his love for life.

When he fell ill in 1962, doctors gave him two years to live.

"Before the diagnosis, my life was boring", he says. "When I found out what I had, something gave the strength to go on".

Today, at the age of 56, he's happier to be alive than he was before he became ill.

His advice to others is "you should never lose hope".

His life is testimony to that. Today he travels the world to attend conferences, and he remains a leader in his field.

Hawkin went on to Samos from Athens, to speak at the international conference being organised by the Aegean University.

He told professor Spyros Kotsakis that the reason why he accepted the invtation is because he wanted to visit Samos, the island of the ancient mathematician Pythagoras.

Assistant dean at the Aegean University, Maria Kaila says Hawkin has tremendous respect for Greece, civilisation, and culture.

The physicist also thought a trip to Greece would be a good chance to discuss cosmology while enjoying a relaxing holiday with his wife.

Kaila says Hawkin, for all his fame, is an extremely simple man.

Hawkin communicates mainly through the use of a computer, but that does not conceal his warmth, says Kotsakis.

(c) ANT1 Radio 1998

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