Athens News Agency: News in English (AM), 97-06-13
NEWS IN ENGLISH
Athens, Greece, 13/06/1997 (ANA)
MAIN HEADLINES
- Pioneer alternative energy project in Crete
- Albanian Socialist Party leader holds talks with Greek leaders
- Apostolakis: Ankara must realise Aegean borders won't change
- US says warship transfers to Greece, Turkey separate issues
- Turkey again raises regional headquarters issue
- Greek-US memorandum on technological cooperation in Balkans
- Agreement to reinvigorate Lake Pamvotis signed
- OECD forecasts restrained economic development for Greece in '97
- Greece unable to meet EU public debt criteria in '97 says OECD
- Greek stocks end down in robust trade
- UN ranks Greece 20th in quality of life
- Weather
- Foreign exchange
NEWS IN DETAIL
Pioneer alternative energy project in Crete
"The Greek government backs investments involving alternative sources of
energy and for this reason has taken the pioneering decision to support the
construction of the world's biggest photovoltaic power station on Crete,"
Development Minister Vasso Papan dreou told a press conference yesterday.
In effect, Ms Papandreou inaugurated the beginning of a promising
relationship between the government and the environmental organisation
Greenpeace in an effort, as she said, to protect Greece by promoting
alternative energy sources". "The vast energy sources in Greece must be
fully exploited," she added, describing solar energy as "a choice of
strategic importance".
A Greenpeace press release meanwhile said that "solar power today entered a
new era" following the Greek government's decision to begin construction of
the photovoltaic power station.
The station is part of a two-year campaign by Greenpeace to transform Crete
into a solar-powered island.
According to Greenpeace, the Greek government will fund the first 5
Megawatt tranche of the proposed 50 Megawatt power station with IWECO Solar,
a subsidiary of the US company ENRON Solar.
The European Union and the Greek government will fund 55 per cent of the
capital costs. Total investment, the organisation said, is 17.75 million
dollars.
ENRON's plan submitted to the Greek government proposes building 9
Megawatts a year until 50 Megawatts is reached by the year 2003. The
largest photovoltaic power station at the moment is 3.3 Megawatts in
Italy.
"This smashes conventional assumptions on solar power in terms of scale and
costs. The solar age is no longer a dream of the future but a reality today,
" Thilo Bode, executive director of Greenpeace International said in the
press release.
At 50 Megawatts, the Crete solar power station would be 15 times larger
than any other solar installation in the world, more than four times
cheaper than the average costs of photovoltaic energy, and provide
electricity for nearly 100,000 people, which is one-eighth of Crete's
population. "This is the type of energy investment which governments must
now implement if we are to have any chance of averting dangerous climate
change, and if countries are to meet their own greenhouse gas reduction
commitments," Mr. Bode said.
Earlier, Ms Papandreou announced 1.7 trillion drachmas (US$615 million) in
energy investments over the next five years.
Albanian Socialist Party leader holds talks with Greek leaders
Prime Minister Costas Simitis last night discussed the situation currently
prevailing in Albania in light of general elections in that country on June
29 with Albanian Socialist Party leader Fatos Nano, who is visiting Greece
at the invitation of the ruling PASOK party.
Today, Mr. Nano will meet National Defence Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos,
main opposition New Democracy party leader Costas Karamanlis and Coalition
of the Left and Progress leader Nikos Constantopoulos.
Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos also held talks with Mr. Nano, who is
heading an Albanian Socialist Party delegation. No statements were made
after the meeting.
Apostolakis: Ankara must realise Aegean borders won`t change
National Defence Undersecretary Dimitris Apostolakis, currently on a tour
of the Dodecanese islands, said Ankara must accept that the borders of the
Aegean have been consolidated and will not change in any way.
"The borders of the Aegean have been consolidated and will not change in
any way. If the Turks accept this and stop using the threat of war it is
certain that a better period can develop for the two peoples," he
said.
"We are living in a difficult region and we are facing a specific threat.
However, whatever act of force against Greece will meet with a swift and
painful reply. We are not a warlike people. We want peace and Greece is
working for stability in the region. Unfortunately, we are faced with
threats alone. We have the right to defend even the last inch of land," he
added.
Replying to a question on the extension of Greek territorial waters to 12
nautical miles, Mr. Apostolakis said "it is the government's steadfast
position that no-one can doubt Greece's right to extend its territorial
waters. It reserves the right to exercise this measure whenever it
considers it expedient. Nobody has waived or sold out this right."
Mr. Apostolakis arrived on Rhodes yesterday and where he was briefed by
division commander Maj.-Gen. Athanasios Nikolodimos. He later visited the
border island of Kastellorizo.
US says warship transfers to Greece, Turkey separate issues
US State Department spokesman Nicholas Burns said yesterday the Clinton
administration did not link the respective agreements for the lending and
transfer of warships to Greece and Turkey, and reiterated its support for
their implementation, which requires approval of the US Congress.
"According to the law, Congress must be informed of our intention to renew
the lease of navy vessels to Greece. We support a renewal of the lease of
the Adams-type destroyers, and the Knox-type frigates to Greece...
"In the case of Turkey, we want to proceed to the transfer of frigates. I
would be less than honest if I said that there weren't certain problems
with Congress, but we continue to support the transfer of frigates to
Turkey, and we shall continue doing so. We want both agreements to be
implemented, but we don`t link them. Greece and Turkey are two equally
important allies of the US," he said.
Turkey again raises regional headquarters issue
The issue of NATO's regional headquarters within the alliance's new
structural organisation was again brought up by Ankara during yesterday's
Defence Ministers' conference in Brussels.
Speaking to reporters afterwards, National Defence Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos
said Turkish Defence Minister Turhan Tayan's proposal for a joint regional
headquarters covering both Greece and Turkey has the obvious intention of
gaining more favourable terms for Turkey's claims vis-a-vis Greece.
He added that Ankara has isolated itself, while no NATO member-state agrees
with the Turkish proposal.
Greek-US memorandum on technological cooperation in Balkans
A technological cooperation memorandum between Greece and the United States
concerning the Balkans was signed in Thessaloniki yesterday.
The memorandum was jointly signed by National Economy Ministry Secretary-
General Nikos Zahariadis and the chief of the US Commerce Department's
technology section for Europe and Africa, Lucy Richards, during a meeting
held at the Thessaloniki Technologi cal Park.
Technological cooperation concerns the sectors of telecommunications,
informatics, the environment, construction, foodstuffs and agriculture.
The memorandum determines specific actions to be undertaken to promote
cooperation as well as mechanisms to promote cooperation.
Agreement to reinvigorate Lake Pamvotis signed
The Onassis Foundation and Western Australia University professor Jorg
Imberger yesterday signed a 68-million-drachma, two-year agreement for the
conducting of research and submission of proposals for the rehabilitation
of Lake Pamvotis in Ioannina, nor thwestern Greece.
Australian ambassador to Athens Robert Merrillees and Ioannina Mayor Mr.
Glinavos attended the signing ceremony.
OECD forecasts restrained economic development for Greece in '97
The rate of economic development in Greece will be restrained this year,
while domestic demand will be considerable, powered primarily by investments,
according to a six-month prediction by the Organisation for Economic and
Cooperation Development (OECD) publicised yesterday.
The study estimates a 3 per cent increase in GDP this year compared to a
2.6 per cent increase in 1996.
The recovery of private consumption will be favoured by an increase in
available incomes for households, the OECD added.
Plans funded by European Union resources must help public investments a
great deal, while the decrease in interest rates must continue to encourage
investment in the housing sector.
A restrictive monetary policy has allowed for a considerable decrease in
the inflation rate, it was added. The OECD estimates a 6 per cent increase
in prices this year, the lowest inflation rate since 1973. However, this
rate remains higher than targets set by the Greek government which is a 4.5
per cent inflation rate.
The OECD expresses its reservations on the Greek economy's possibilities to
meet predictions. In its view there is a possible danger of salary
increases which will be higher than predicted. In addition, the profit
margins for businesses could be dealt a blow by the cost of currency as
well as by an increase in the cost of salaries. Consequently, investments
will be shaken and this will affect the growth rate, constituting a high
risk scenario in implementing targets set by the budget, the OECD
stressed.
Greece unable to meet EU public debt criteria in '97 says OECD
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) predicted
that Germany, France and Italy, along with Greece, would not fulfil the
public deficit criteria set by the Maastricht treaty this year. The Paris-
based OECD in its semi-annual report for 1997 said that the three countries
would show deficits of around 3.2 percent of GDP, while Greece would show a
6.0 percent deficit.
The Maastricht treaty's criteria set a three percent target as a condition
to participate in European economic and monetary union.
The organisation, however, predicted that Germany, France and Italy would
meet the public deficit criteria next year. In its general economic report,
the OECD predicted that industrial nations would show the biggest growth in
a decade in 1997 and 1998.
The average growth of the 29 member-states was expected to reach 3 percent
this year, falling to 2.7 percent in 1998, it said.
Greek stocks end down in robust trade
Stock prices halted a two-day rally on the Athens Stock Exchange to end
moderately lower despite vigorous trading and big gains in the construction
sector.
The general index closed 0.41 percent lower at 1,631.90 points reflecting a
drop in heavily weighted Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation (OTE) and
a fall in bank shares.
OTE remained the barometer of the market on the second day of subscription
to a public offering of 45 million shares. Its price fell 250 drachmas to 7,
200 reversing a strong advance of more than 800 drachmas in the last four
sessions. Sector indices en ded mixed. Banks fell 0.27 percent, Leasing was
0.65 percent higher, Insurance rose 0.52 percent, Investment was 0.94
percent up, Industrials eased 0.02 percent, Holding was 0.73 percent off
and Miscellaneous rose 1.10 percent. The Parallel Market index surged 2.02
percent.
Trading was extremely heavy on turnover of 30 billion drachmas. Broadly,
advancers led decliners by 116 to 105 with another 23 issues unchanged.
Keranis, Bank of Athens, Mouriadis and Heliofin scored the biggest gains,
while Mohlos, Ergodata and Alysid a suffered the heaviest losses of the
day.
National Bank ended at 36,845 drachmas, Ergobank at 18,450, Alpha Credit
Bank at 20,150, Titan at 26,000, Intracom at 13,750 and Aluminium of Greece
at 18,900 drachmas.
UN ranks Greece 20th in quality of life
Canada, France, Norway and the United States have the highest quality of
life while Greece holds the 20th place, according to the United Nations
Human Development Index.
The index, published by the UN Development Programme, measures living
standards according to per capita income, life expectancy and educational
standards. The latest report was based on 1994 figures.
Statistics showed that rich countries offer a better standard of living
even to poor people, but stressed that a high per capita income does not
necessarily raise the quality of life.
Poverty, however, has worsened in Australia, Belgium, Finland, Germany, the
Netherlands, Norway, Britain and the United States while it has decreased
in Canada, Denmark, France, Italy and Spain.
The United States has one of the world's highest per capita incomes at $26,
397. But the report said the number of people living in poverty has
gradually risen from 16 percent in 1974 to more than 19 percent in
1994.
WEATHER
Mostly sunny weather and a further rise in temperatures is forecast for
Greece today with some local clouds in the mainland in the afternoon. Winds
variable, light to moderate. Athens will be sunny with temperatures between
19-34C. Similar weather in Thessaloniki with temperatures between 16-
32C.
FOREIGN EXCHANGE
Thursday's closing rates - buying US dlr. 271.471
Pound sterling 443.345 Cyprus pd 529.252
French franc 46.630 Swiss franc 188.128
German mark 157.485 Italian lira (100) 15.995
Yen (100) 238.080 Canadian dlr. 195.583
Australian dlr. 203.881 Irish Punt 409.696
Belgian franc 7.634 Finnish mark 52.489
Dutch guilder 140.051 Danish kr. 41.378
Swedish kr. 34.889 Norwegian kr. 37.783
Austrian sch. 22.382 Spanish peseta 1.864
Port. Escudo 1.554
(C.E.)
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