Athens News Agency: News in English (AM), 97-06-25

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

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

NEWS IN ENGLISH

Athens, Greece, 25/06/1997 (ANA)

MAIN HEADLINES

• Tsohatzopoulos talks with Cohen focus on CBMs in the Aegean
• Greece reiterates proposal for "Balkan security council"
• Norwegian parliament president in Athens today
• Yugoslav premier arrives for talks today
• Balkan regional conference on culture and reconciliation
• Greece unhappy with Dutch compromise on EU farm prices
• Greek shipping inflows up 6.2% in February
• Greek equities end higher in correction
• Athens bourse, FTSE to present new share index
• EIB finances revival of tram in Kalamata
• Greek ports slap fines on maverick fishermen
• ATE, Beobanka sign agreement on deposit booklets
• Anthony Quinn arrives in Greece
• Weather
• Foreign exchange

NEWS IN DETAIL

National Defence Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos held talks yesterday with his US counterpart William Cohen on proposals by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan on adopting confidence-building measures in the Aegean.

Mr. Tsohatzopoulos pointed out Ankara's unwillingness to accept a summer extension of a moratorium on military exercises in the Aegean. He also rejected the possibility of Greece allowing Turkish warplanes to use certain air corridors in Greek airspace.

"There never was, nor is there now such an issue," he said following the meeting.

"I have made it clear that it is not possible that Turkish military aircraft be accorded special treatment whenever they want to pass through the international airspace in the Aegean," he stated.

"They are obliged to move according to ICAO guidelines, in other words they are obliged to lodge their flight plans and their nationality.

"Every country is obliged to do it because we have the responsibility of safe passage for all planes flying over the Aegean and if ICAO guidelines are not kept, then we cannot guarantee the safety of flights," Mr. Tsohatzopoulos added.

Referring to the confidence-building measures in the Aegean, Mr. Tsohatzopoulos said that he briefed the US side on the Greek views, "which are very clear, and I expressed my regret that Turkey did not accept the extension of the moratorium on air force exercises in the Aegean".

Greece reiterates proposal for "Balkan security council"

National Defence Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos reiterated at a conference of the Western European Union's (WEU) inter-Atlantic forum in Washington, Greece's proposal on the creation of a "Balkan security council", as well as a "Balkan crises prevention centre" at the level of Balkan nations' defence ministers.

He referred at length to the Albanian crisis, saying that it shows in the most explicit way the need to strengthen democracy and the institutions of a state of law.

Mr. Tsohatzopoulos termed European contribution a "crucial factor in the course of European stability and unification."

He said the foundations of the new Balkan security are maintaining the border status quo, not creating geopolitical axes of confrontation in the region and collective guarantees and commitments by countries in the region that they will abstain from the threat of the use of force and, of course, the use of force as a method of resolving problems.

On Monday, Mr. Tsohatzopoulos met US Assistant Secretary of State Strobe Talbott at the US State Department and called on the US to exercise its influence on Turkey to stop disputing the status quo in the Aegean and creating a a climate of destabilisati on in the region with its attitude.

Norwegian parliament president in Athens today

Norwegian Parliament President Kirsti Grondahl is due in Athens today for a four-day official visit at the invitation of her Greek counterpart, Apostolos Kaklamanis. During her stay, Ms Grondahl will be received by President Kostis Stephanopoulo s and have talks with Foreign Undersecretary Yiannos Kranidiotis, Mr. Kaklamanis and the members of the Greece- Scandinavia parliamentary friendship group.

She will also meet with main opposition New Democracy party leader Costas Karamanlis and Athens Mayor Dimitris Avramopoulos.

Yugoslav premier arrives for talks today

Yugoslav Prime Minister Radoje Kodic arrives in Athens today on a one-day visit that will include meetings with President of the Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos, Prime Minister Costas Simitis and Parliament President Apostolos Kaklamanis.

The two prime ministers will hold talks on the development of bilateral relations, especially in the economic sector, the integration of Yugoslavia into the international community and issues relating to stability and cooperation in the Balkans.

In an interview with ANA, Mr. Kodic said relations between the two countries were stable and based on traditional friendship, emphasising the historical, cultural and spiritual closeness of the two peoples. These close relations were reaffirmed even dur ing the most trying periods of modern history, he noted. "There are no problems between our countries," Mr. Kodic said, adding that "continuous political dialogue is an important contribution to strengthening bilateral relations".

He cited as example the trade exchanges between Greece and Yugoslavia in 1996, which amounted to US$250 million, and expressed the hope that this year they would exceed US$500 million.

Mr. Kodic expressed satisfaction over agreements reached between Greek company Mytilineos and the Trepca mines in Kosovo, amounting to about US$500 million, and the purchase by the Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation (OTE) of 20 per cent of the sha res of the equivalent Serbian telecoms organisation for the price of 600 million deutschmarks.

"We wish to create with Greece the conditions for free movement of people, goods and capital, and I'm expressing the belief that in the talks I will have with Mr. Simitis and other Greek government officials we will give further impetus to improving our relations and create wider opportunities to fully develop our bilateral relations," he said.

Balkan regional conference on culture and reconciliation

A three-day conference on culture and reconciliation in southeastern Europe begins tomorrow in Thessaloniki, organised by the "Union for Democracy in the Balkans", to discuss the parameters which affect contemporary culture in southeastern Europe.

The conference will be held with the participation of politicians, scholars and scientists from Europe and the US.

Speaking to reporters yesterday, President of the Union's Board of Directors, Nikos Efthymiadis, a former president of the Northern Greece Industries Association, said the union, which was established in 1995, was planning to create a "Centre for Democracy in the Balkans."

Greece unhappy with Dutch compromise on EU farm prices

Agriculture Minister Stephanos Tzoumakas, like most of his EU counterparts, said yesterday he was unhappy with the Dutch presidency's compromise proposal for the Union's new farm prices.

Speaking at the EU farm ministers' council in Luxembourg, he said the proposal not only did not provide answers to the most direct and important Greek demands, but did not face them at all. More especially for cotton, he mentioned the payment of support s directly to the producers, the regionalisation of penalties for excess production, and the permanent demand - along with Spain - for increased quotas.

A compromise proposal contained a vague reference that Greece's request for reforms in cotton, regarding the regionalisation of joint-responsibility, would be discussed with the European Union.

"For all these demands, you included in your proposal a vague statement. This statement must be made clear and include all the issues which are important for Greece, and their acceptance does not create additional fiscal demands," Mr. Tzoumakas said.

Meanwhile, the Council of Ministers adopted the regulation for improving the trading of honey, which is of direct interest to Greece. The regulation provides for the financing of programmes in this field by the Community by up to 50 per cent.

Greek shipping inflows up 6.2% in February

Greek inflows of shipping exchange increased by 6.2 per cent in February to 164 million dollars compared to 154.4 million in the same month last year, the merchant marine ministry said.

Shipping exchange inflows reached 344 million dollars in January and February this year compared to 347.9 million in the corresponding period of 1996, marking a 1.1 per cent drop.

Greek equities end higher in correction

Share prices reversed a sharp six-day decline to end higher in what traders described as a technical rebound of the market.

The general index closed 2.11 percent higher at 1,498.94 points but was unable to recapture the 1,500-mark psychological level. The volume of trade shrank considerably with turnover at 16.4 billion drachmas.

Most sector indices scored gains. Banks rose 3.56 percent, Leasing was 0.93 percent up, Investment increased 2.06 percent, Industrials rose 1.55 percent, Construction was 1.30 percent up, Holding jumped 4.62 percent and Miscellaneous rose 3.22 percent. Insurance bucked the trend to end 0.25 percent down.

The parallel market for smaller cap stocks rose 0.36 percent.

Broadly, advancers led decliners by 149 to 73 with another 15 issues unchanged.

Shares of Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation (OTE) remained under pressure as institutionals continued to sell the stock, which closed down 100 at 6,500 drachmas.

Rilken, Housing Bank, Commercial Bank of Greece and Allatini scored the biggest percentage gains, while Fourlis, Tzirakian and Bank of Central Greece suffered the heaviest losses of the day.

National Bank of Greece closed at 33,750 drachmas, Ergobank at 16,890, Alpha Credit Bank at 18,300, Titan at 12,070, Intracom at 12,050 and Aluminium of Greece at 15,045 drachmas.

Athens bourse, FTSE to present new share index

The Athens bourse and FTSE International, owned by the Financial Times and the London Stock Exchange, on July 1 will present a new index for Greek shares. Athens Stock Exchange chairman Manolis Xanthakis and FTSE International managing director Mark Makepeace will outline the new system to journalists and then introduce a technical presentation to members of the bourse.

Present will be technical specialists from both sides who cooperated in the design and introduction of the new index.

EIB finances revival of tram in Kalamata

After more than half a century a tram service will start operating again in the streets of the Peloponnesian town of Kalamata on a track laid before the Second World War.

The Greek state signed a contract worth 3.5 billion drachmas with the European Investment Bank to fund re-establishment of the tram service and a face lift of the central and coastal roads in the city.

The funding mechanism of the European Free Trade Association will cover 85 percent of the project, with the remainder coming from state sources.

Under the plan the tram service is expected to begin operations in summer 2000.

Greek ports slap fines on maverick fishermen

Greek port authorities imposed fines totalling more than 77 million drachmas on professional and amateur fishermen in 326 cases of illegal fishing in the first five months of 1997.

Port authorities found 155 violations of the fishing code by professional fishermen and imposed fines of around 44 million drachmas. Boat and fishing licences were revoked for a total of 2,990 days.

Another 164 fishing violations involved amateur fishermen with fines totalling 31 billion drachmas.

ATE, Beobanka sign agreement on deposit booklets

Agricultural Bank of Greece (ATE) and the Yugoslav bank Beobanka finalised an agreement yesterday establishing deposit booklets in both the Greek and Serb languages.

ATE Governor Christos Papathanasiou and Beobanka President Zlatan Perusic signed the agreement for their respective banks.

The new booklet provides the citizens of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia who have accounts with Beobanka in foreign exchange with the possibility of withdrawing drachmas in Greece.

Addressing a joint press conference in Athens, Mr. Papathanasiou and Mr. Perusic announced the signing of a cooperation protocol between the two banks, clarifying the desire of both sides to cooperate closer.

The protocol anticipates the joint creation of a third bank in Yugoslavia, establishment of joint venture companies in the sectors of mutual funds, leasing, and factoring.

In another development, the Agricultural Life Insurance company signed an agreement with the Yugoslav Beobanka Insurance, a subsidiary of Beobanka, on Monday for cooperation in the sectors of training, planning and promotion of insurance products, as we ll as the development of computerisation systems.

Anthony Quinn arrives in Greece

Film legend Anthony Quinn arrived in Athens yesterday to attend a gala on Monday as the honoured guest of a Greek monthly magazine.

Mr. Quinn, who was accompanied by his wife and three children, played the leading role in the film "Zorba the Greek". He is also expected to attend an event in Irakleio, Crete, on the legendary figure of Zorba.

In statements at the airport, he said he had played in four films involving Greece and was currently participating in one on the life of Russian author Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910). He will stay in Greece until July 2.

WEATHER

FOREIGN EXCHANGE

(C.E.)

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