Athens News Agency: News in English (AM), 97-05-06
NEWS IN ENGLISH
Athens, Greece, 06/05/1997 (ANA)
MAIN HEADLINES
- Greece names members in Greek-Turkish `committee of experts`
- US ambassador comments on Greek-Turkish and Cyprus problems
- Interpol to discuss crimes against children
- Kranidiotis calls for further Balkan cooperation
- Improvement in Greek-Bulgarian ties seen after elections
- Greece reacts to joint Israeli, Turkish, US military exercise
- Premier congratulates Blair on election victory
- Hopes persist for a return of the Parthenon Marbles
- Model eco-village on uninhabited Greek island
- Greek ferry launched in Sweden
- Greece to participate in sweamear exhibition
- Greek company signs accord to modernise Yugoslav mines
- Weather
- Foreign exchange
NEWS IN DETAIL
Greece names members in Greek-Turkish 'committee of experts'
Greece last night named professors Krateros Ioannou and Argyris Fatouros as
members of the Greek Committee of Experts who, along with a corresponding
Turkish team, will examine Greek-Turkish relations with the mediation of
the European Union's Dutch presi dency.
The decision to appoint a "committee of experts" had been taken by the two
neighbouring countries last week, after an EU-Turkey Association Council
meeting.
Greece has said the task of the committee, whose nature is procedural, is
to submit a report by mid-June with the common positions and proposals of
the two sides, provided an agreement is reached on certain points.
Mr. Ioannou is a professor of international law at Thrace University while
Mr. Fatouros is a professor of international economic law at Athens
University. Both are members of the Foreign Ministry's Scientific
Council.
According to unofficial reports, the members of the Turkish committee of
experts will be Suat Bilge, a professor, and Sukru Elegtag, a diplomat.
Meetings between the two sides are expected to begin this month. According
to the decision taken in Luxembourg last week, they will have to deliver
their joint report by mid-June on processes proposed to resolve Greek-
Turkish problems.
According to the same decision, the joint report will not be binding for
the Greek and Turkish governments.
US ambassador comments on Greek-Turkish and Cyprus problems
US ambassador to Athens Thomas Niles yesterday expressed optimism that
problems in Greek-Turkish relations and the Cyprus issue will be resolved
sooner or later.
The ambassador made the statements during an interview on a private
television station programme.
Mr. Niles said hopeful messages also existed in the past to resolve
problems between Greece and Turkey and mentioned, as an example, the
meeting held in 1988 between the late Greek premier, Andreas Papandreou,
and the late Turkish president, Turgut Ozal .
He added that there must be "a decisive policy, good ideas and good luck,
which are some of the elements which would promote a solution" to problems
in Greek-Turkish relations.
Mr. Niles denied reports claiming that US President Bill Clinton had
addressed a letter to Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis in which he
expresses complaints that there is a delay in the development of Greek-
Turkish relations.
"This report is absolutely groundless. There is no dissatisfaction with
Greece by the US," he said.
The ambassador added there may be a more active participation by the US in
the coming months concerning both the Cyprus issue and bilateral relations
between Greece and Turkey.
He disclosed that the participation of a new official from the US is being
discussed in connection with the Cyprus issue.
Interpol to discuss crimes against children
The Interpol work group concerned with crimes against children begins a
three-day conference in Thessaloniki today in order to discuss offences
against juveniles.
Senior Greek police officers yesterday outlined the extent of the problem
during the conference attended by delegates from 35 countries and organised
in Greece for the first time.
According to Athens Police officer Ioanna Bekiari, who works in the child
protection department and is the Greek Police's liaison officer with
Interpol, most cases of sexual exploitation of children are reported in the
Far East and in Latin America. In the Philippines alone, 180,000 children
are known to be involved in prostitution.
Ms Bekiari added that although the situation recently appears to have
improved somewhat in these regions, the number of crimes against children
in eastern Europe, and in Baltic countries in particular, is increasing.
She added that authorities are not alarmed by the situation in Greece,
since only 264 offences of any kind were reported to have been perpetrated
against children in 1995.
The press conference also referred to the deficiencies in legislation
concerning the production, trafficking and possession of child pornography,
since under existing laws, only the public display of such material is
prosecuted and punished. A bill is currently being drawn up to close the
legislative loophole.
Kranidiotis calls for further Balkan cooperation
Foreign Undersecretary Yiannos Kranidiotis yesterday called on Balkan
states to intensify their cooperation despite existing problems.
He made the statement at the official opening of a two-day meeting of
political directors of the foreign ministries of the countries participating
in the Balkan Conference for Security and Cooperation in Northeastern
Europe in preparation for a Balkan foreign ministers' conference, to be
held in Thessaloniki on June 9-10.
Mr. Kranidiotis said cooperation in the Balkans should be based on
principles of sovereign equality between the countries, the lack of
violence or threats of violence, border inviolability, territorial
integrity, human rights and fundamental freedoms, as well as the respect
and implementation of the obligations of international law.
Improvement in Greek-Bulgarian ties seen after elections
Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister Todor Kovalciev said yesterday that Greek-
Bulgarian relations will develop faster after the new government takes over
during the next few days.
Visiting Thessaloniki at the head of a delegation, the Bulgarian politician
held a meeting with Macedonia-Thrace Minister Philippos Petsalnikos after
which he expressed gratitude for Greece's despatches of humanitarian aid to
Bulgaria and its support for Bulgaria's accession to European organisations.
He also expressed Sofia's will to upgrade relations with Athens.
Mr. Petsalnikos said relations between the two countries could be further
improved, adding that there was a wide field for cooperation.
Greece reacts to joint Israeli, Turkish, US military exercise
Government spokesman Dimitris Reppas yesterday said the joint military
exercise between Israel, Turkey and the United States could be avoided or
restricted "in order not to intensify further the already heavy atmosphere."
Premier congratulates Blair on election victory
Prime Minister and PASOK leader Costas Simitis yesterday congratulated his
British counterpart, Tony Blair, on his election to the premiership last
week.
"Warm congratulations for your landslide victory, which will bring about a
historic change in Great Britain's course," Mr. Simitis' telegramme
said.
"I am confident of a warm cooperation both for European unification and for
peace and stability in Europe, as well as for a new strategy for democratic
socialism and the centre-left on the threshold of the 21st century," it
added.
Foreign Undersecretary Yiannos Kranidiotis told the Athens News Agency that
PASOK has excellent relations with the British Labour Party.
Mr. Kranidiotis said the Labour Party's election victory "will considerably
change the scene in Europe and will boost Greek-British relations."
Hopes persist for a return of the Parthenon Marbles
The return of the Parthenon friezes from the British Museum is a standing
and basic axis of Greece's cultural policy, Culture Minister Evangelos
Venizelos said yesterday.
Mr. Venizelos was responding to press questions following the blunt refusal
of the new British Heritage Secretary Chris Smith to return the 5th century
artworks, better known in the West as the Elgin Marbles, after the British
diplomat who removed them from the Parthenon during the Ottoman occupation.
Mr. Venizelos said he would soon send the new British government a letter,
written with the assistance of the British Committee for the Return of the
Marbles.
Mr. Venizelos noted that while Neil Kinnock led the Labour Party there had
been a political and ethical commitment from the party for the return of
the Marbles.
He added that he hoped for a meeting with his British counterpart in
Luxembourg on June 30 in the framework of the EU Council of Culture
Ministers.
Describing as a "jibe" a statement on Sunday, by his British counterpart
that the classical sculptures were a part of the British Museum's culture
and visited by more than a million visitors a year.
"The return of the marbles does not have anything to do with the return of
other cultural items," he said. "It is about integrity, aesthetics and the
architecture of the greatest monument of the western civilisation..."
Jules Dassin, renowned film director and husband of late culture minister
Melina Mercouri, who is president of the committee for the return of the
Marbles, said: "It is interesting that the British Foreign Secretary
believes the Greek people should be grateful for the manner in which the
Marbles have been kept in England. For someone to ask for our gratitude
obviously indicates the Marbles are ours. We are determined to intensify
our efforts until justice is done."
Model eco-village on uninhabited Greek island
Development Minister Vasso Papandreou yesterday announced the creation of a
model settlement on an uninhabited island whose planning will be based on
bioclimatics and its energy needs will be met exclusively by renewable
energy sources.
The minister made the statement while inaugurating the three-day European
Congress on Renewable Energy (RE) Implementation in a southern Athens
suburb yesterday.
Ms Papandreou stressed that the congress must arrive at specific proposals
on realistic policy measures aimed at doubling the amount of renewable
energy sources used in the European Union by the year 2010, which she said
is "an ambitious but feasible target".
Greek ferry launched in Sweden
The largest and fastest Greek ferry boat, "Ikaros", was launched at in this
Swedish port yesterday. The ship took roughly 300 workers and technicians
and approximately six months to build.
The ship, whose total construction will cost the 'Minoan Lines' company 125
million dollars and will be completed in Norway's Fosen shipyards by the
end of November, will employ 350 Greek seamen. It will have a cruising
speed of 27 knots and will have a capacity of 1,500 passengers and 800
cars.
Greece to participate in swimwear exhibition
The Greek Overseas Trade Organisation (OPE) yesterday announced Greece's
participation in the international undergarment and swimwear exhibition
"Lyon Mode City" in Lyons, France, to take place between September 6-
8.
The exhibition will present bathing suits to be worn in the spring and
summer of 1998 and textiles for the autumn and winter of 1998-1999.
Those interested in more information can call the organisation's offices in
Athens at 99.82.231, in Thessaloniki at 031-26.21.20 and Ioannina at 0651-
32.763 by May 15 at the latest.
Greek company signs accord to modernise Yugoslav mines
A substantial agreement was signed yesterday morning between the Greek
company Mytilineos S.A. and the Yugoslav state mining group RHMK Trepca,
the state export organisation General Export and the Jugobank.
Under the terms of the five-year agreement, valued at $517 million, the
Greek company is to develop and modernise Yugoslavia's mines, along with
supplying the latest mechanical equipment, the processing of ores at
Trepca's installations and the promotio n of the finished product on the
international market.
The agreement was signed at the national economy ministry in the presence
of senior ministry, banking and business officials from the Federal
Republic of Yugoslavia.
WEATHER
Sunny weather is forecast for most parts of Greece today with high
temperatures and humidity, except in the west where it will be partly
cloudy, gradually expanding to the northwestern regions. Winds will be
south-southwesterly, light to moderate, turning strong in the Ionian.
Athens will be mostly sunny with temperatures between 15-29C. Same in
Thessaloniki with temperatures from 12-28C.
FOREIGN EXCHANGE
Monday's closing rates - buying US dlr. 272.304
Pound sterling 441.182 Cyprus pd 531.057
French franc 46.721 Swiss franc 185.028
German mark 157.629 Italian lira (100) 15.927
Yen (100) 215.284 Canadian dlr. 196.912
Australian dlr. 212.640 Irish Punt 407.990
Belgian franc 7.640 Finnish mark 52.308
Dutch guilder 140.155 Danish kr. 41.378
Swedish kr. 34.532 Norwegian kr. 38.172
Austrian sch. 22.394 Spanish peseta 1.870
Port. Escudo 1.569
(C.E.)
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