Lyras elected president of Greek shipowners
NEWS IN DETAIL
Greece to launch int'l campaign on national issues
Alternate Foreign Minister George Papandreou said yesterday that Greece
would shortly embark on an international campaign to promote issues of
direct or indirect concern to the country and which are being discussed at
the inter-governmental conference (IGC).
Although the main forum for discussion of the issues will be the IGC, Mr.
Papandreou told a press conference that he would be travelling to many
European Union countries to drum up support for Greece's positions.
His programme will include visits to Rome at the end of February, to Paris
on March 5, to Madrid a few days later and subsequently to the Scandinavian
countries.
Mr. Papandreou said his talks would not be restricted to the revision of
the Maastricht Treaty but would include the latest developments in the
Cyprus problem and Greek-Turkish relations.
The decision of the Dutch presidency to convene the EU-Turkey Association
Council soon does not worry Greece, Mr. Papandreou said, since nothing new
had arisen on the issue.
On the Cyprus problem itself, Mr. Papandreou said the new UN Secretary-
General Kofi Annan strongly wished to make efforts for a settlement. He met
with Mr. Annan last week on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in
Davos, Switzerland.
Mr. Papandreou also expressed displeasure at the recent meeting in Rome
between the five major EU powers and Turkish Foreign Minister Tansu Ciller,
saying that meetings "held outside of the institutions" cannot represent
the EU.
Slovak foreign minister in Athens
Slovak Foreign Minister Pavol Hamzik arrived in Athens yesterday on an
official visit following an invitation extended by his Greek counterpart
Theodoros Pangalos.
Talks will focus on the expansion of bilateral relations in all sectors and
to ensure Greece's support for Slovakia's efforts to enter Atlantic and
west European institutions.
Mr. Hamzik is due to meet separately with Prime Minister Costas Simitis and
Parliament President Apostolos Kaklamanis this morning, and will then visit
the foreign ministry for talks with Mr. Pangalos.
Mr. Hamzik is to meet with National Defence Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos
this afternoon.
Gov't remains steadfast despite farmers ultimatum
The government yesterday remained steadfast in its decision not to yield to
farmers' demands, at the same time that the Pan-Thessaly Farmers Committee
was sending the Prime Minister Costas Simitis an ultimatum calling on him
to meet a committee delegati on by this evening.
If the prime minister does not agree to meet with farmers' representatives,
the committee warned that farmers will proceed with blockades on the
national road network.
Earlier, government spokesman Dimitris Reppas announced the postponement of
today's cabinet meeting as well as tomorrow's meeting of the ruling PASOK
party's central committee.
He said the government stood firm on its position that only dialogue could
lead to solutions, but claimed that the process had been "dynamited by
extremist protest action by groups of farmers."
The government has repeatedly accused the Communist Party of Greece (KKE)
of being behind farmers' protests.
US tax assistance to Americans residing in Greece
A US official from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will be in Athens
from March 4-11 to answer tax questions for US citizens, at the American
embassy from 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. each workday except
Wednesday, March 5, when the office will close at 1p.m.
The official will see the public on a first come first serve basis. A
special session for teachers in Greece will be offered on March 5, at 4-6
p.m. at the American Community Schools, 129 Agias Paraskevis St. in
Halandri.
All US citizens in Greece are reminded that US federal income tax filling
requirements are generally the same as those for Americans residing in the
US. Any US citizen with income more than US$6,550 (if single) or $12,600
(if married) from sources anywhere in the world must file a return.
Americans who live abroad may qualify for exemptions, but must still file a
return to claim those exemptions.
US in better position to mediate Greek-Turkish differences
The European Commissioner for foreign policy, Hans van den Broek, said
yesterday that the United States would be in a better position than the
European Union to undertake initiatives for improvement of Greek-Turkish
relations.
"I would say that there must be an appeal to the United States regarding
relations between Greece and Turkey, for them (US) to help the two sides
come closer," Mr. van den Broek told reporters in The Hague.
The Dutch EU Commissioner noted that in 1997 the EU must pay particular
attention to its relations with Turkey and the situation in Cyprus. He also
said the 15-member Union is ready to undertake a leading role in the United
Nations for finding a solutio n to the Cyprus problem.
However, he added that Washington could undertake a better intermediary
role between Greece and Turkey, claiming Ankara considers the EU to be an
ally of Athens.
Olympic Airways competiveness on the forefront
Olympic Airways is expected to create a working group by early May with the
Mckinsey Co. as its adviser, which will analyse and propose a series of
measures and actions the airline will have to take to enable it to become
competitive by the year 2000, after the deregulation of the market.
The proposals will include the planning of a new organising structure
meeting the needs of the market, facilitate and promote improvements in all
sectors and constitute the basis on which the new airline will be built in
order to increase its revenues considerably and reduce its operational
expenditures.
Mitsotakis interview in 'Milliyet'
In an interview with the Turkish daily "Milliyet", main opposition New
Democracy party honorary president and former prime minister Constantine
Mitsotakis said that at a time when walls are collapsing internationally,
the Cyprus issue cannot remain unresolved.
He added that there could be no solution in Cyprus as long as the island
republic remains divided.
"The Greeks and Turks who are directly involved should not have need for
any outside help by third parties, which are not always unselfish, to
resolve the problem of Cyprus and differences between us," he said.
"The territorial issue must be resolved on a fair basis, which would
facilitate at least the partial rehabilitation of refugees, and it must be
agreed in advance that a united Cyprus will participate in Europe. Imagine
what it would mean for the Turkish Cypriots to obtain the red European
passport and become citizens of Europe with equal rights," he told the
newspaper.
Mr. Mitsotakis went on to say that "it is Cyprus' inalienable right to tend
to its defence", but expressed reservations over the usefulness of of the
joint defence doctrine.
FYROM formally applies for Tito Beles-Igoumenitsa roadway
The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) officially submitted an
application yesterday for construction of a roadway connecting the
landlocked country with the western Greek port of Igoumenitsa.
The proposed road would branch off from north-south corridor 10, beginning
in Tito Veles and passing through Bitola, Florina and Siatista and
eventually linking up with the under-construction Egnatia Highway before
ending in Igoumenitsa.
The proposal was submitted by representatives of FYROM's transport ministry
during the second day of a G24 meeting being held here, which discussed the
Balkan transport network.
G24 is comprised of the world's 24 most industrialised nations.
British MPs express support for Athens 2004 Olympic bid
A group of British MPs representing the entire political spectrum tabled a
resolution in the House of Commons on Tuesday night asking the government
to support Athens as the site of the 2004 Olympic Games.
According to the resolution, the MPs believe that holding the Games in
Greece, the birthplace of the Olympic Games, will allow the International
Olympic Committee to ensure a return to the original ideals of the Olympic
movement, in a spirit of competit ion, excellence and good organisation
without excessive commercialisation.
ADPT meeting in Thessaloniki
The Thessaloniki municipality is organising the third European Union
meeting today and tomorrow on the ADPT initiative for small- and medium-
size enterprises.
The conference will involve presentation of national programmes and the
exchange of methodologies and experiences from the labour market. The
conference will be attended by representatives from Britain, Ireland,
France and Germany.
Greece-Britain archaeological cooperation
British Ambassador to Greece Sir Michael Llewellyn Smith is to visit the
ancient site of Knossos on the island of Crete on February 7 to discuss
cooperation between the UK and Greece in the archaeological sector.
It will be Sir Michael's first official visit to Iraklion since he took up
his post last year.
He is to have meetings with Iraklion Mayor Costas Aslanis, Prefect Ioannis
Garefalakis and Regional Director Stavros Kambelis, and with Alexandra
Karetsou, curator of Antiquities and Director of the Archaeological
Museum.
Xiosbank's entry into bancassurance sector examined
The general director of Xiosbank yesterday focused on the private bank's
entry into the insurance sector, and specifically on the bancassurance
sector, through two new products concerning pensioners and children.
G. Pechlivanidis said the bank's profits were very satisfactory in 1996
since, according to preliminary pre-tax data, profits amounted to 2.1
billion drachmas, registering a 20 per cent increase over 1995.
The bank's loans totalled 103 billion drachmas, of which 36 billion
concerned business credit and 67 billion consumer credit, representing a 24
per cent increase from the previous fiscal year. The total amount of
capital handled was 355 billion drachmas
(a 38 per cent increase).
Mr. Pechlivanidis also referred to Xiosbank's scheduled entry into the
Athens Stock Exchange through a public issue, pointing to the first half of
April as the most probably date.
New Mearchant Marine secretary-general
Athanasios Tsourouplis, a former secretary-general at the education
ministry, has been named the new secretary-general at the merchant marine
ministry, Mr. Soumakis announced yesterday.
Mr. Tsourouplis will undertake his duties as of next week and will take
over from Diamantis Manos who has resigned for personal reasons.
Lyras elected president of Greek shipowners
Ioannis Lyras was yesterday elected president of the Union of Greek
Shipowners.
Mr. Lyras had previously held the post of vice-president and also held the
post of president of the Union of European Shipowners (ECSA).
WEATHER
Fair with some local clouds and possible showers at night in most parts of
the country. Clouds with the possibility of drizzle is forecast for
southern and eastern Greece and the Aegean islands where temperatures will
rise. Athens will be sunny with few clouds and temperatures between 4-14C.
Same for Thessaloniki with possibe rain in the evening and temperatures
between 11-10C.
FOREIGN EXCHANGE
Closing rates - buying US dlr. 257.236
Pound sterling 417.334 Cyprus pd 519.808
French franc 46.168 Swiss franc 179.840
German mark 156.111 Italian lira (100) 15.823
Yen (100) 208.439 Canadian dlr. 191.238
Australian dlr. 195.672 Irish Punt 411.085
Belgian franc 7.568 Finnish mark 52.437
Dutch guilder 138.989 Danish kr. 40.926
Swedish kr. 34.875 Norwegian kr. 39.829
Austrian sch. 22.188 Spanish peseta 1.844
Portuguese escudo 1.553
(C.E.)
