NEWS IN DETAIL

He added, however, that Greece has no reason to oppose the convening of the Association Council, if both the Council of Ministers and Ankara agree with a proposal put forth by certain countries, mainly Scandinavian, that the sole issue of discussion be the human rights situation in Turkey.

Mr. Papandreou stressed that Ms Ciller's letter cannot be considered an answer expected by the European Union, based on the Council's July 15 decision.

It is almost certain that EU-Turkish relations will be discussed during the next EU General Affairs Council meeting scheduled for Nov. 25 in Brussels. The 15 EU foreign ministers are to discuss the report that will be prepared by ambassadors comprising the EU's political committee.

The alternate foreign minister concluded that during the meeting in Luxembourg, funding to Turkey through the MEDA programme was not particularly discussed. European Commissioner Hans van den Broek briefly informed the 15 EU ministers on relevant decisi ons taken by Europarliament last week within the framework of the first phase of an examination of the Union's 1997 budget.

Meanwhile, PASOK Eurodeputy Yiannos Kranidiotis, who is representing Greece in the preparation committee for the Intergovernmental Conference, said Ms Ciller cannot mislead the EU, as Turkish policies concerning respect of human rights, the Aegean and Cyprus are well-known.

An OA official said the state-run company's "aggressive sales policy" had increased sales by 8 per cent for international flights and 4 per cent for domestic flights.

OA also announced it was inaugurating two new routes this year: to Belgrade, Bucharest, and to Johannesburg next year, as well as pursuing cooperation with other airlines.

Among others, tickets for one-way flights to New York from all Greek airports servicing the route will cost 129,000 drachmas. Similar decreases were announced on most international routes.

EIB loan granted to DEPA

The loan will be used to build a network for transporting and distributing natural gas through high pressure pipelines.

On the part of DEPA, the agreement document was signed by its general director S. Paleoyiannis. Construction of the new natural gas distribution network is expected to be completed by 1999.

Road taxes hiked

The report accompanied a draft bill on customs offices, which includes the decision for an increase in road tax.

The draft bill submitted to Parliament yesterday included clauses on the regulation of debts to the state and submission of income tax statements.

"If one looks at the past eight, nine months they will see that in connection with the issue of the disputed islets, the US has a stable position which it has not changed. It is the correct position and it is known to the governments of Greece and Turke y. We agree with Greece and Turkey that the status of Imia/Kardak must be resolved peacefully between Greece and Turkey," he said.

"I don't think it helps if one isolates specific words and attaches a wider diplomatic significance to them," he added.

Meanwhile, prosecution has been initiated against four Turkish reporters who disembarked on the Greek isle last February.

Mr. Reppas noted that during the prime minister's visit to Moscow to attend the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Summit, Mr. Simitis had a series of meetings with heads of national representations during which the basis of a long-term cooperation was form ed.

The spokesman also drew attention to Mr. Simitis's meeting with his Russian counterpart, Viktor Chernomyrdin, focusing on political and economic cooperation between the two countries.

Regarding Mr. Simitis's trip to Budapest, Mr. Reppas noted "a coincidence of views" between the two countries on certain issues, including Cyprus-EU accession.

Crucial ND meeting scheduled for tomorrow

Party leader Miltiades Evert is not expected to refer to intra-party conflicts, but his close associates say that if the issue is raised he will state that "if you want to dispute me, the relevant bodies exist. But I will not have the party fail to exer cise its constitutional role. Otherwise, you will have to keep silent until the (party) congress."

Leading ND members and one-time contenders for the top ND post, George Souflias, Stephanos Manos and Dora Bakoyianni, met yesterday afternoon to define their tactics at the meeting. According to reports, they will insist on their claim for "an honest an d fair congress with intra-party elections and creation of a mutually acceptable congress organising committee."

Mr. Manos, reports state, will repeat his proposal for a series of talks between leading members to have problems resolved, while Ms Bakoyianni does not intend to take the floor since, according to her close associates, she shouldered the burden of intr a-party opposition at last week's central committee meeting. However, if provoked she will respond accordingly, reports claim.

Top officers charged in ferry boat accident

The three officers of the "Pegasus" ferry boat stand accused of causing a shipwreck and of causing multiple injuries to passengers. After their hearing, all three were all released on a bail of five million drachmas each, while they have been barred fro m leaving the country.

According to reports, each officer denied being responsible for the accident.

Conference told desertification a problem on Crete, Spain

The southeastern part of the island is particularly prone to desertifiacation, due to overcultivation and irrigation using brackish water, which destroys fertile soil.

In order to combat this problem, a proposal was put forth for the European Union to reinforce cultivation, irrespective of if the areas are large or small.

The conference also stated that continuous ploughing on sloped fields has negative consequences on productivity.

"A Drop in the Ocean," was directed by Eleni Alexandraki.

The movie has been screened at 11 international festivals, including the Montreal and Berlin film festivals. It has been awarded three international prizes as well as the Greek state award for quality.

KKE condemns arrest of Chilean communist

"Her arrest constitutes an insult of the anti-dictatorship struggle of the Chilean people and an open attack against the free activities of the Communist Party of Chile," the KKE's statement read.

"The KKE expresses its support and solidarity towards the communists of Chile and demands the immediate freeing of comrade Gladys Marin," it concluded.

According to a Reuters dispatch, Ms Marin was taken to a detention centre by plainclothes police yesterday, after she called former military ruler Augusto Pinochet "a blackmailer and a psychopath, who came to power through deceit, treason and murder."

Social security minister presents gov't social budget to Kaklamanis

Mr. Papaioannou told Mr. Kaklamanis that as of next year an effort will be made to have the social budget tabled in the first half of the year and called on him to have an off the agenda debate in Parliament on the social budget every year as of 1997.

The revenues contained in the social budget amount to 5.99 trillion drachmas and expenditures to 5.76 trillion drachmas. Social insurance will account for 5.185 trillion drachmas of the social budget's revenues, health for 568 billion and welfare 245 bi llion.

Participation of the regular state budget and social resources in the social budget's expenditures for 1996 will amount to 962 billion drachmas, compared to 827.4 billion drachmas in 1995.

Reduction in number of seasonal workers in public sector decided

According to official statistics, 42,000 seasonal workers were employed during 1996.

Speaking after the meeting, Mr. Papantoniou said the hiring of seasonal workers will be limited to only the bare essential.

The government has decided to drastically reduce appointments to the public sector, with only one employee being hired for every five leaving.

For this purpose, EOT has invited the deputy president of Moscow's Medical University, S. Morozova, and spa expert M. Gavrilova to visit the most well- known spas and hydrotherapy centres in Greece.

Moscow University has already started a subsidised programme for spa tourism, while interest on the part of Russian tourists for spa tourism in Greece is reported as significant, given that there are many sources of hydrotherapy around the Black Sea, ma ny of which are forced to close due to a lack of maintenance.

EOT wants to cover this gap in Russian demand for organised spa tourism packages and by promoting the comparative advantages of Greek sources of hydrotherapy as part of a general effort to promote alternate forms of tourism and to extend the tourism period.

WEATHER

SPORTS

It is the first time Greece won honours in the international informatics games. This year's Olympiad included 28 young people from six Balkan countries.

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