Athens News Agency: News in English (AM), 97-06-09
NEWS IN ENGLISH
Athens, Greece, 09/06/1997 (ANA)
MAIN HEADLINES
- Major Balkan meeting on regional issues opens in Thessaloniki today
- OTE purchases 20% of Serbian PTT's shares
- Balkan mayors discuss peace and cooperation
- Tsohatzopoulos re-elected to ESP presidium
- Kok, van den Broek in Athens today
- Karamanlis criticises gov't ineffectiveness
- European talks need "patience and persistence", Papandreou says
- Injunction against Olympic Metro over subway construction
- First thalassotherapy centre opens in Crete
- Parliamentary debate on social dialogue tomorrow
- Andreas Papandreou monument unveiled
- Garbage collectors begin clean-up
- Acropolis rally positions at end of first day
- Weather
- Foreign exchange
NEWS IN DETAIL
Major Balkan meeting on regional issues opens in Thessaloniki today
A two-day conference of foreign ministers from the Balkans begins in
Thessaloniki today aimed at consolidating stability and peace in the region
and promoting political, economic and social cooperation.
Taking part in the conference will be foreign ministers from Greece, the
Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Bulgaria, Federal Yugoslavia
and Romania, the foreign undersecretary of Albania and the assistant
undersecretary of Turkey.
The Greek side will be represented by Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos,
Alternate Foreign Minister George Papandreou and Foreign Undersecretary
Yiannos Kranidiotis.
Countries attending as observers include Ukraine, Bosnia, Russia, France,
Germany, Britain, the United States, Armenia, Austria, Croatia, the Czech
Republic, Hungary, Moldova, Slovakia, Slovenia and Sweden.
Representatives from the European Union, international organisations,
including banks, will also attend. Mr. Pangalos will open the meeting to be
held at the Macedonia Palace Hotel.
Issues to be examined at the conference will include promoting political
cooperation, measures for building security and confidence in the region,
developing economic cooperation and coordinating action for environmental
protection and advancing humanit arian, social and cultural cooperation.
Development of cooperation will be sought in the judicial sector to combat
organised crime, terrorism and the trafficking of weapons and drugs.
A meeting of Balkan businessmen will be held on the sidelines of the
conference, held at the initiative of the Greek foreign ministry and
supported by the Northern Greek Exporters' Association.
The main topic of discussion at the businessmen's meeting will be the
privatisation of state assets in the Balkans.
Those attending will include government officials, company representatives
and bank governors.
OTE purchases 20% of Serbian PTT's shares
The Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation (OTE) will buy 20 per cent of
the Serbian Telecommunications Organisation (PTT) under an agreement to be
signed in Belgrade today.
State-owned PTT has also agreed to sell 29% of its shares to the Italian
telecommunications company STET. Together, the deals carry a total value of
1.56 billion marks.
The three parties will sign the agreement in the presence of Serbian Prime
Minister Mirko Marianovic.
They will then be received by Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic, and
later give a joint press conference in which Serbian Privatisations
Minister Milan Beko will present the details.
According to local press reports, 1.24 billion marks of the total amount
will be paid immediately, and the remainder at the start of 1998.
The PTT board of directors will comprise of nine members, including two
representatives from OTE and another two from STET. The remainder will be
appointed by the Serbian government.
Balkan mayors discuss peace and cooperation
A one-day meeting of mayors from Balkan cities was held in Thessaloniki on
Saturday, on the topic: "Local government as a factor of peace and
cooperation towards development in the agitated Balkans".
The mayors discussed means of cooperating on cultural and economic sectors
through the application of joint European Union programmes for the
area.
Discussions also included strengthening initiatives to exchange technical
know-how and experience in sectors related to local government.
The meeting was attended by mayors from Bulgaria, Romania, Federal
Yugoslavia, Bosnia, Albania and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
(FYROM) and representatives from Thessaloniki, Macedonia, Thrace and the
European Union.
Tsohatzopoulos re-elected to ESP presidium
The third congress of the European Socialist Party (ESP) came to a close on
Saturday with a joint statement calling for greater cooperation among
European Union (EU) members in development, democracy and security.
Representing Greece was Akis Tsohatzopoulos, national defence minister, who
was re-elected as one of eight vice-presidents of the ESP.
Mr. Tsohatzopoulos said it was necessary to have "another economic policy,
which would be shared by all countries in the EU to deal with the problems
of unemployment, environmental protection, etc." National policies are not
adequate, he said, although for Greece the aims were clear.
Greece expressed satisfaction with the inclusion in the statement of a
chapter encouraging "the strengthening of the role of the EU in the
Mediterranean region, with greater cooperation in terms of development,
democracy and security".
The ESP representatives also drew up a joint resolution on Albania,
recognising the efforts of Albanian Prime Minister Bashkim Fino to solve
the crisis, and stressing the importance of free general elections with all
parties represented and observers at tending.
Kok, van den Broek in Athens today
The president of the European Council, Dutch Prime Minister Wim Kok and
president of the EU council of foreign ministers Dutch Foreign Minister
Hans van den Broek arrive in Athens today for talks with the Greek
government in light of the Amsterdam EU summ it on June 16-17.
Karamanlis criticises gov't ineffectiveness
New Democracy (ND) President Costas Karamanlis launched his first formal
attack on the government as opposition leader in Thessaloniki on Saturday
saying ruling party PASOK was for "sustaining party nomenclature", and
being ineffective in the European Union convergence programme.
"In its nine months in power, the government has not promoted a single
privatisation, neither has it cut back in the public sector," Mr.
Karamanlis said.
Speaking to party officials Mr. Karamanlis said that "the government calls
on the Greek people to make sacrifices while it doesn't dare clash with
party nomenclature, which is being sustained at the expense of the
taxpayers". Before the government launches into social dialogue, he said,
it should give a good example by cutting back in expenditures.
Referring to Greek-Turkish relations, Mr. Karamanlis expressed reservations
about the effectiveness of the expert committees.
Mr. Karamanlis arrived in Thessaloniki from Brussels, where he had met with
European Union officials on his first official visit as opposition
leader.
Mr. Karamanlis called for Greece to "change mentality and stop bringing up
the rear and acting like the poor relative".
"But in order to do this, we must improve our showing in all sectors, and
show active participation and interest in all European issues," the ND
leader said.
The government, he charged, was strengthening the old mentality by
"desperately trying to present false successes about the Inter-governmental
Conference, which everyone knows is not doing so well".
The government's effectiveness in issues directly related to Greece, such
as joint foreign policy and the policy of security, provided only "scant
results", he charged.
European talks need "patience and persintence", Papandreou says
Talks at the Inter-governmental Conference (IGC) to prepare the revision of
the Maastricht Treaty are in their final stage, which needs calmness,
patience and persistence, Alternate Foreign Minister George Papandreou said
yesterday.
In a statement, Mr. Papandreou said that "negotiations are in their last
and most critical phase. All sides want the process of forming a new treaty
for the European Union (EU) to finish" but at the same time tried to pass
as many amendments as possible .
Mr. Papandreou pointed out that the revised treaty would "determine to a
large extent the future of Europe and affect directly the future of great
negotiations on public finances and the European Union budget", among other
things.
Referring to Greece's part in the IGC talks, Mr. Papandreou said that "it
was the first time Greece entered such a round of negotiations with such
adequate and long preparation, by supporting its stance with scholarly data
and through alliances."
What was very pleasing to note, he said, was that "it was possible for
Greece to contribute in the creation of a climate of cooperation among the
smaller states of the Union".
Injunction against Olympic Metro over subway construction
The government will file an injunction against the Olympic Metro consortium
because it refuses to leave the worksite of Kerameikos, Environment, Town
Planning and Public Works Undersecretary Christos Verelis said yesterday.
Mr. Verelis said Olympic Metro had forfeited its right to work at that
particular section of the subway project, and the government was holding
another auction for the construction of a test tunnel between Syntagma and
Kerameikos.
The government planned to give the assignment to the winning bidder, but
the joint venture was obstructing the procedure by refusing to vacate the
premises. Mr. Verelis denied press reports that the company had agreed anew
with the government to deliver the disputed section in 2001 instead of 1999,
at an added cost of 31 billion drachmas.
First thalassotherapy centre opens in Crete
Greece's first thalassotherapy centre, the Royal Mare Village Thalasso, was
inaugurated late on Saturday by Development Minister Vasso Papandreou at
Anisara, near Iraklion.
Ms Papandreou said that the centre fell within the government's policy to
upgrade tourism services and expressed the hope that others would follow
the example. The centre's director, Nikos Angelopoulos said that investment
had cost eight billion drachmas.
The inauguration was also attended by National Defence Undersecretary
Dimitris Apostolakis, Greek National Tourist Organisation (EOT) Secretary
General Nikos Skoulas, government officials, deputies and local officials.
Parliamentary debate on social dialogue tomorrow
Prime Minister Costas Simitis and main opposition New Democracy party
president Costas Karamanlis will lock horns in a Parliamentary debate on
Tuesday on the issue of 'social dialogue' between government, unions and
employers to discuss proposed changes to the job market.
Sources said the prime minister will stress the role of 'social dialogue'
as a permanent choice of ruling PASOK under present conditions which demand
significant changes. He is also expected to challenge the positions
expressed to date by the opposition parties and call on them to support the
effort.
Mr. Karamanlis is expected to accuse the government of using the social
dialogue to avoid paying the costs of decisions and pushing the cost onto
social partners to avoid internal party conflict.
Andreas Papandreou monument unveiled
Sculptor Kyriakos Rokkos yesterday unveiled the marble monument to be
placed at the grave of late ruling PASOK founder and president Andreas
Papandreou at ceremonies commemorating the first anniversary of his death
on June 23.
The four-tonne bronze and marble monument was designed after joint
consultations with Papandreou's children and his widow, Dimitra Liani. It
is, Mr. Rokkos said, "a symbolic re-enactment of the course and struggle
conducted by Andreas Papandreou with the Greek people".
The cost of the 10 million drachma monument will be borne by PASOK.
The monument will be officially unveiled on June 22.
Garbage collectors begin clean-up
Garbage collectors on Saturday began the immense task of clearing tonnes of
refuse from the streets of Athens and Piraeus after calling off a week-long
strike.
The decision to go back to work was taken late Friday night after agreement
was reached during talks between local government organisation workers'
representatives and Interior Undersecretary Lambros Papadimas.
It was estimated three days would be needed for the collection of the 10,
000 tonnes of garbage which accumulated on streets during last week.
Acropolis Rally positions at end of first day
Leading positions at the end of the first day of the Acropolis Rally on
Sunday: 1. Juha Kankunnen (Finland) Ford 1:43:25
2 equal. Tommi Makinen (Finland) Mitsubishi 1:43:52 2 equal. Richard Burns
(Britain) Mitsubishi 1:43:52 4. Carlos Sainz (Spain) Ford
1:44:47 5. Thomas Radstrom (Sweden) Toyota 1:46:01
6. Aris Vovos (Greece) Subaru 1:48:27 7. Uwe Nittel (Germany) Mitsubishi
1:49:27 8. Masao Kamioka (Japan) Subaru 1:49:47
9. Yukihiko Sakurai (Japan) Subaru 1:50:12 10. Leonidas Kirkos (Greece)
Ford 1:51:07
WEATHER
Almost fair weather is forecast for most parts of Greece today with
possible brief showers and rainstorms in central and northern Greece in the
afternoon. Winds northerly, moderate, turning strong in the Aegean Sea.
Fine weather with some clouds in Athens and temperatures between 16-29C.
Thessaloniki will be partly cloudy with temperatures between 15-28C.
FOREIGN EXCHANGE
Friday's closing rates - buying US dlr. 273.356
Pound sterling 444.694 Cyprus pd 530.522
French franc 46.695 Swiss franc 187.647
German mark 157.515 Italian lira (100) 16.037
Yen (100) 236.215 Canadian dlr. 198.102
Australian dlr. 208.072 Irish Punt 404.934
Belgian franc 7.634 Finnish mark 52.461
Dutch guilder 140.021 Danish kr. 41.374
Swedish kr. 35.154 Norwegian kr. 38.049
Austrian sch. 22.381 Spanish peseta 1.866
Port. Escudo 1.562
(C.E.)
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