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Athens News Agency: News in English, 97-03-20

Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.forthnet.gr/ape>


NEWS IN ENGLISH

Athens, Greece, 20/03/1997 (ANA)

NEWS IN DETAIL

  • Pangalos lightning visit and talks in Skopje, Belgrade
  • Gligorov cites common views of Athens, Skopje on regional goals
  • Ukranian parliamentary delegation in Thessaloniki
  • Gov't efforts to boost competitiveness in shipping
  • Gov't determined to privatise ailing state enterprises
  • Registerred unemployment figure marks slight increase
  • EU official says absorption rates satisfactory

    NEWS IN DETAIL

    Pangalos lightning visit and talks in Skopje, Belgrade

    Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos yesterday paid a short official visit to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), where he held four hours of talks with FYROM's top political leadership before departing for high-lev el talks in Belgrade.

    The foreign minister's trip to Skopje and Belgrade was part of Athens' initiative to promote peace, stability and development in the region, in light of the recent political crisis in Albania.

    Mr. Pangalos' visit was the first ever to FYROM by a Greek minister, since the landlocked state declared its independence in 1991. Greece objects to the use of the name "Macedonia" by the neighbouring country, an issue which is the subject of ongoing UN -mediated negotiations between the two nations.

    In Skopje, Mr. Pangalos met FYROM President Kiro Gligorov, Prime Minister Branco Crvenkovski, Foreign Minister Ljubomir Frckovski and the ministers of defence and the interior. Mr. Pangalos told a press conference afterwards that "the situation in the region made it necessary for the Greek government to have direct consultations" with FYROM.

    Talks with Milosevic, Milutinovic

    The Greek foreign minister later flew to Belgrade for talks with Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic and Foreign Minister Milan Milutinovic, which ended late in the afternoon and focused on the Albanian crisis as well as on ways of dealing with the crisis.

    Mr. Pangalos stated afterwards that there was agreement on three points: To seek promotion of security and political stability through the restoration of democratic procedures in Albania; that there should be strict policing of borders to avert side-eff ects from the crisis -- such as smuggling, arms and drugs running -- and that there should be cooperation between the two countries' ministries of defence and public order.

    He also reported it was agreed there should be frequent contacts among Greece, Yugoslavia and FYROM, with a view to formulating a common position at the meeting of Balkan foreign ministers in Thessaloniki on June 9, and the need to promote an internatio nal initiative that will help the former communist countries of eastern Europe in their transition to social cohesion, democracy and political freedoms. Mr. Pangalos added the spilling over of the Albanian crisis into the Serbian province of Kosovo a nd other areas of Yugoslavia should be averted at any cost.

    Regarding his stopover in Skopje, Mr. Pangalos described his reception as "enthusiastic", and added that the talks focused on the protection of Greek exports and the sizeable Greek private investment in FYROM, cooperation in the fields of river water management and crime, as well as the issue of the name for the former Yugoslav republic.

    "The issue of the name is being discussed at the UN, and we could not substitute for the UN and its procedures. But the intention to promote the search for a commonly acceptable solution was strongly expressed at all levels, by the foreign minister, the prime minister, and by President Gligorov himself," he said before leaving Belgrade, adding that he would be briefing the EU on the results of his trip to both capitals.

    Athens statements

    On his return to Athens, Mr. Pangalos expressed satisfaction with the "very good climate" in which the discussions took place in both capitals, and said contacts would continue in future.

    Regarding the issue of the name for FYROM, he said both the Greek delegation and the hosts in Skopje "avoided naming the country we were visiting."

    Concerning the Albanian crisis, he reported that both Serbia and FYROM consider the presence of a force that will contribute to the restoration of order as "desirable", and that following the discussions, he had formed the view that contrary to what was widely believed, the insurgency had a discouraging effect on the nationalist circles both inside and outside these countries.

    Mr. Pangalos said that FYROM President Kiro Gligorov extended an invitation to Prime Minister Costas Simitis to visit his country.

    Gligorov cites common views of Athens, Skopje on regional goals

    An announcement issued by FYROM President Kiro Gligorov's office said that " 'Macedonia' and Greece have converging views and common interest for the preservation of peace and stability in the region," following yesterday's visit by Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos.

    The statement also stresses the common desire of both countries for full development of bilateral relations in all areas.

    Mr. Gligorov, the announcement adds, believes that the first visit by a Greek minister to FYROM is a real turning point for the future friendly and close relations and the overall cooperation between the two nations.

    Education, cultural cooperation renewed

    An plan for educational and cultural cooperation between Greece and Yugoslavia, within the framework of a 1959 educational agreement in force until the year 2000, was initialled yesterday.

    Under the plan, there will be cooperation between universities in the two countries, student exchange programmes and the participation in cultural events.

    The Greek and Serbian languages will be taught in the two countries' universities, while history and geography will be presented in an impartial manner in school textbooks.

    Ukrainian parliamentary delegation in Thessaloniki

    A six-member Ukrainian parliamentary delegation, currently on a visit to Greece, yesterday visited Macedonia-Thrace Minister Philippos Petsalnikos.

    During the meeting, Mr. Petsalnikos stressed that there is a broad field for economic cooperation between the two countries.

    The minister also stressed the role Greece can play as an EU member in the economic development of Balkan and Black Sea countries. He added that the Interbalkan Black Sea Business Centre and the Commerce and Black Sea Development Bank, both based in The ssaloniki, are a stable base for facilitating development and cooperation.

    "Of course, the recent economic and political events which have occurred in Albania, and the negative economic situation in Bulgaria, for which the Greek government took important initiatives, create additional difficulties, but these commitments do not in any measures mean the deceleration of cooperation," the minister said.

    The head of the Ukrainian delegation, Gennadi Vasiliyev said that the investment climate was improving and that an increase in foreign investments was expected.

    Gov`t making efforts to boost competitiveness in shipping

    The government is aware of the unemployment problem facing the seamen sector and the problem of competitiveness facing Greek vessels, Merchant Marine Minister Stavros Soumakis told a press conference yesterday.

    Mr. Soumakis was speaking on the occasion of the prime minister's meeting with Greek shipowners' representatives earlier this week, during which the Prime Minister proposed trilateral talks aimed at solving the problems.

    The premier proposed a dialogue between the Greek Shipowners Union, the Panhellenic Seamen Federation and the merchant marine ministry to find solutions to the problems of competitiveness and unemployment.

    The minister further announced that electronic reservations systems on coastal shipping will go into effect on April 1.

    Gov't determined to privatise ailing state enterprises

    Development Minister Vasso Papandreou yesterday referred to the planned privatisation of a series of loss-making state enterprises, and the partial privatisation of the Public Petroleum Corp. (DEP).

    "The state cannot play the role of businessman. This logic was tried and failed, with consequences both as regards unemployment and for viable concerns, which faced unfair competition from state-backed enterprises," she said in Iraklio, Crete.

    She also referred to a planned aggressive policy by DEP, with the establishment of subsidiaries that will cooperate with private concerns to create electrical power units, both in Greece and other Balkan countries.

    Registered unemployment figure marks slight increase

    Registered unemployment in February this year marked a slight increase according to reports provided by the monthly labour force bulletin and the Organisation for the Employment of Human Resources (OAED).

    In February 1997, unemployed individuals registered with OAED totalled 226, 273 compared to 221,192 in February 1996. In the past year there were 5,081 more unemployed. However, the rate of increase appears to be slowing down between February 1995 and February 1996 when unemployment increased by 0.91 per cent, while between February 1996 and the corresponding month this year the increase was 0.24 per cent. OAED stated that in February 1997, 13,221 people were dismissed from their work and 30,994 were hi red, bringing to 2, 218,492 individuals employed - compared to 2,207,619 last year. In OAED's view, this trend means that structural measures taken against unemployment are beginning to bear fruit. The labour ministry's leadership had predicted stabilisation in the number of unemployed and a slight decrease at the end of 1997.

    EU official says absorption rates satisfactory

    The director of the European Union's Cohesion Fund, Jean Francois Vestrynge, said here yesterday that there was no problem with the absorption by Greece of allocations from the fund, although there had been hitches due to delays.

    Cohesion Fund disbursements to Greece totalled 440 million Ecu in 1996 and 128 million Ecu in the first few months of 1997, Mr. Vestrynge told a press conference at the offices of the European Commission in Athens.

    The delays, he said, have been caused by the failure to prepare studies, such as in the case of the Evinos River project, or for reasons pertaining to archaeological concerns, as in the case of the Spata airport.

    Some delays though were due to the bureaucratic inflexibility of state services, he said.

    WEATHER

    Cloudiness, southerly winds and scattered rainstorms are forecast for western, central and southern Greece with snowfalls in the mountainous regions. Athens will be mostly cloudy with rain and a possible rainstorm in the afternoon with temperatures between 11-16C. Similar weather will prevail in Thessaloniki where temperatures will be from 8-12C.

    FOREIGN EXCHANGE

    Wednesday's closing rates - buying US dlr. 263.326 Pound sterling 420.112 Cyprus pd 522.189 French franc 46.376 Swiss franc 182.106 German mark 156.528 Italian lira (100) 15.597 Yen (100) 213.885 Canadian dlr. 191.258 Australian dlr. 207.402 Irish Punt 412.672 Belgian franc 7.586 Finnish mark 52.060 Dutch guilder 139.014 Danish kr. 40.999 Swedish kr. 34.305 Norwegian kr. 38.948 Austrian sch. 22.245 Spanish peseta 1.845 Portuguese escudo 1.554

    (C.E.)


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