NEWS IN DETAIL

Low turnout to second round of farmers' protests

A rally scheduled to take place in the town's main square is to go ahead. Tractors expected to gather there had not yet made their appearance, although some have begun to move in to the prefecture's village squares. Five detachments of the riot squad arrived in Thessaly yesterday as part of a joint plan by the Public Order Ministry and the Greek police (ELAS) to deal with the demonstrations.

In a related development, farmers in the region of Thessaloniki appeared to be divided over whether to participate in tomorrow's protest rally.

The Federation of Agricultural Associations of Thessaloniki today called on its members not to take part in the rally, describing such types of protest as ''inappropriate'', particularly ''at a time when the competent minister has committed himself to examining all the issues of concern to farmers''.

In an announcement, the federation points out that the rally cannot be legitimized because the farmers' coordinating committee is not an officially recognized body.

According to a coordinating committee decision, farmers from Thessaloniki and surrounding prefectures will be asked to gather for the rally after noon tomorrow at the entrance of the Thessaloniki International Fair installations.

A delegation will seek a meeting with Tzoumakas who will visit the installations at 7 pm local time to inaugurate the Agrotica exhibition.

Originally, the farmers had planned to block the entrance to the installations in order to prevent the inauguration ceremony, but coordinating committee member Yiannis Vogiatzis told the ANA today that there would be no blockade, only a protest rally.

The rally was also condemned today by the Association of Exporters of Northern Greece (SEBE) who called it ''untimely and out of place''.

According to SEBE, the new round of farmers' protests would create ''serious problems for the functioning of the state, the collapse of the fragile national economy and, as a consequence, the ruin of export undertakings''.

No progress in talks with striking teachers

Arsenis held talks at the ministry with representatives of the teachers' union (OLME) late last night until 3 am local time. During the talks, dozens of teachers gathered outside the building chanting slogans and holding banners.

During the meeting last night, attended also by Finance Undersecretary Nikos Christodoulakis, the government proposed an increase of 15,000 drachmas in the allowance given to teachers for work outside school hours which currently stands at 35,000 drachmas.

It also proposed that the lump sum payment of 90,000 drachmas owed since last December should be given to teachers.

Arsenis said the government had exhausted all possible margins for satisfying the teachers' demands and called for a continuation of dialogue to resolve the problems in the sector of education.

Simitis, Papantoniou meet on economy's course

After the 70-minute meeting, Papantoniou told reporters that the meeting had focused on the economy in general and the major infrastructure works in particular.

They also discussed the absorption of European Union funds and the implementation of the budget.

Replying to questions, Papantoniou described as ''satisfactory'' the course of the economy, stressing that the government was determined to stick to its policy.

He gave the assurance that the economy would not be adversely affected by a fresh round of protest action which farmers began yesterday.

George Papandreou, Constantine Mitsotakis receive Ipekci awards

An announcement by the Greek section of the awards organisation said today that the three politicians had worked for Greek-Turkish rapprochement, friendship and cooperation.

The bi-annual Ipekci Awards, alternately hosted in Athens and Istanbul, were established following a Greek initiative in February 1979, shortly after the assassination of Abdi Ipekci, an editor who worked for the Turkish daily ''Milliyet''.

The awards are given in recognition of efforts to promote Greek-Turkish friendship and cooperation.

Mitsotakis will be given the organisation's main ''Peace and Friendship'' award for ''his efforts during the past 20 years to promote Greek-Turkish rapprochement and his support for the ''moslem'' minority of Western Thrace.

Special prizes will be awarded to Papandreou and Papayiannakis. To the former for his work as education minister in the previous PASOK government and to the latter for the ''cool-headed, objective and conciliatory way in which he deals with Greek-Turkish relations,'' the announcement of the Greek section said.

Court bomb defused

Yesterday a caller claiming to represent the previously unknown "National Liberation Struggle" called two radio stations saying an explosive device had been planted in the courts but after a fruitless search it was regarded as a hoax.

A forensic examination of the bomb revealed that it was similar to the type used by two terrorist groups -- the Revolutionary Popular Struggle (ELA) and May 1 -- when they first appeared in 1991.

The device consisted of a clock and two kilos of powerful explosive. Police said it would have flattened the court building if it had gone off.

Set to explode at 8 pm last night, the device failed to go off for reasons as yet unknown. The police are now investigating whether last night's search was conducted with due diligence.

Respect of UN resolutions before any initiative on Cyprus problem

"The basic framework for the Cyprus problem is the UN. Greece does not disapprove of any international initiative, wherever it may come from," he told reporters after the first-ever discussion of foreign policy issues by a PASOK executive bureau session .

"There was general agreement that the issue remains an international one," he added.

"Greece includes Cyprus in its total national planning. Nothing that concerns Cyprus is alien to Greece," he stressed.

Regarding a US-proposed moratorium of military flights over Cyprus, the foreign minister said the issue was not discussed at the session, but was a tactical matter and was being considered by the competent ministries.

"We have a full identity of views between the defence and foreign ministries, and of course, the Cypriot leadership is also in agreement," he said, adding that he disliked the term "moratorium", preferring "suspension of (military) flights" over Cyprus.

Meeting in Larissa to focus on PfP exercise in Ukraine

The purpose of the exercise is to develop cooperation between NATO member- states and the countries included in the programme.

As of today and until Jan. 30, meetings will be held at the headquarters of the 1st Army Corps in Larisa on the planning of the exercise,, with the participation of representatives from the US, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Georgia, Estonia, Moldova, the Former Yu goslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), the Czech Republic, Romania and Slovakia as well as officers from the NATO headquarters in Brussels and in Naples.

The exercise is being planned by the commander of NATO's southern wing, and will be coordinated and directed by the commander of the 1st Army Corps.

Greece expresses objecctions to EU funding for FYROM

Speaking to reporters afterwards, Mr. Papantoniou said Athens' reservations concern both the technical aspects of the issue as well as the political issues, since "the development of economic relations between the EU and FYROM is unavoidably linked to the political relationship between Greece and FYROM."

Athens also said an explanation is necessary concerning the issue of paying off previous debts owed to the EU by FYROM (US$34 million), before any decision is taken on granting a new loan.

The loan FYROM is seeking from the EU is in the range of about US$50 million.

China flatly denies missile deal with Turkey

Mr. Chian made the statement during a meeting with the members of a visiting Greek delegation headed by former PASOK minister Karolos Papoulias.

According to a Turkish press report earlier this month, Turkey and China have signed an agreement for construction of Chinese-made WS-1 missiles.

Papandreou calls for cuts in EU staff in Brussels

Mr. Papandreou sent the letter to the ministers of national economy and finance, interior, development, environment, town planning and public works, labour, culture, merchant marine, public order and transport.

Domestic wine sector looks to exports

In view of the figures, IOBE said, exports had become a ''one-way street'' for wine producers.

Per capita consumption of wine in Greece is 30 litres annually, one of the highest figures worldwide but lower than the European Union average of 37 litres and about half the corresponding consumption in other Mediterranean countries of Europe such as Italy and France.

IOBE noted a gradual turn towards the so-called ''quality'' wines of small producers.

White wine accounts for 75 per cent of total domestic consumption, red 15 per cent and rose 10 per cent.

Wine consumption in general accounts for 20 per cent of total consumption of alcoholic drinks in Greece, compared to 34 per cent in 1982. Due to its comparatively low price, house wine remains the favourite of Greeks, accounting for 60 per cent of consumption, compared to 40 per cent for bottled wine.

With exports about 10 times the volume of imports, the wine trade with foreign countries showed an 11.5 billion drachma surplus in 1994. Two countries -- Germany and France -- absorb 68 per cent of Greek wine exports.

Roughly 18 per cent of Greece's wine production is exported, although these exports account for just 1.5-2 per cent of total EU exports. In 1994, the value of Greek wine exports amounted to 15.1 billion drachmas.

Foreign imported wines account for only 2 per cent of domestic consumption. Of these wines, the majority originate from Italy (36 per cent) and France (21 per cent).

WEATHER

FOREIGN EXCHANGE

(M.P.)

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