Athens News Agency: News in English (PM), 97-07-25

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, 25/07/1997 (ANA)

MAIN HEADLINES

• Hariri continues official visit with talks with opposition leaders
• Woman confesses to killing priest
• Rescue team sets out to bring sick American off Mt. Olympus
• President hosts reception on democracy restoration anniversary
• Albania issues discussed between Pangalos, Fassino
• Greek company returns from tour of duty in Albania
• National Defence Minister visits US carrier 'JFK'
• 12 Greeks on list of WWII names released by Swiss bankers
• Students of Modern Greek to visit Greece
• Tourist arrivals to increase in 1997, V.Papandreou says
• Greek central bank lowers signal money market intervention
• Dollar sets new record vs drachma
• Current account deficit drops in April
• Weather
• Foreign Exchange

NEWS IN DETAIL

Lebanon's Prime Minister Rafik Hariri had separate meetings today with the leaders of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), the Social Democrat Party (DHKKI), the Coalition of the Left and Progress and Political Spring.

Hariri arrived here yesterday on a two-day official visit.

In statements to reporters after talks with Hariri, KKE General Secretary Aleka Papariga called on the Greek government to support efforts for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Lebanon and the implementation of agreements on the Palestinian problem.

''Although the issue is an international one, it also has a bearing on the destiny of the Greek people,'' Papariga said.

DHKKI President Dimitris Tsovolas called for closer relations between Greece and Lebanon ''for the good of both countries'', adding that Lebanon was in need of the solidarity of all peoples and countries.

Coalition leader Nikos Konstantopoulos stressed that ''the historical and cultural ties between Greece and Lebanon can today be confirmed in all sectors''.

Konstantopoulos proposed the promotion of initiatives within the framework of Euro-Mediterranean cooperation, urged support for the Middle East peace process and the development ''of multi-faceted relations of friendship and cooperation''.

The leader of the Political Spring party, Antonis Samaras, during his talks with Hariri said he opposed unilateral withdrawals, expressing support for ''the general withdrawal of all foreign troops from Lebanon''.

Greece and Lebanon yesterday signed two bilateral agreements, one providing for the protection of investments and the other for increased economic and technical cooperation.

The agreements were signed during a meeting between Hariri and Prime Minister Costas Simitis.

During the talks yesterday, both sides noted an identity of views. Simitis stressed that Greece strongly supported peace and cooperation in the Middle East, noting that recent "delays" in the peace process, particularly with regard to relations between Israel and the Palestinians could jeopardise the entire effort.

He said also that it was "necessary" for Israeli forces to withdraw from Lebanon.

Hariri extended an invitation to Simitis to visit Lebanon and said he had briefed the Greek premier about the suffering of the Lebanese people, urging respect for UN resolutions, particularly those pertaining to the withdrawal of Israeli troops.

Woman confesses to killing priest

A 42-year-old Greek woman today confessed to killing a priest by shooting him five times on an Athens street earlier this week in a case which attracted massive media attention.

Aikaterini Yiannakopoulou was arrested late last night outside a monastery in Mandra, Attica after evading police since shooting Archimandrite Anthimos Eleftheriadis in Nea Smyrni on Tuesday.

Yiannakopoulou reportedly told police that she killed the Cypriot-born priest because he had ruined her life by rejecting her after a relationship spanning eight years.

She told police that she bought the murder weapon from an Athens store last September and began making plans to kill the priest whom she saw as ''god himself in human form''.

Rescue team sets out to bring sick American off Mt. Olympus

A rescue team from Litochoro will today try to reach and bring down an American who suddenly fell ill while trying to climb Mt. Olympus in northern Greece.

Jan Nilliam (phonetic spelling), 32, is believed to be suffering from anaemia and was taken by other climbers yesterday to the ''Spilios Agapitos'' refuge at an altitude of 2,100 metres.

Military helicopters tried all day yesterday and this morning to reach the refuge but were unable due to strong air currents and a lack of visibility caused by local fog.

Following the unsuccessful attempts of the helicopters, a team of experienced climbers set out from Litochoro this morning to bring the American down the mountain on a stretcher.

Meanwhile, a mountaineer who is also a doctor is believed to be tending to Nilliam in the mountain refuge.

President hosts reception on democracy restoration anniversary

President of the Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos blamed Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot side for obstructing efforts to solve the Cyprus problem, speaking last night during the annual presidential reception for the anniversary of the restoration of democracy in 1974.

Mr. Stephanopoulos said that "the intervention and initiative taken for the solution of the Cyprus issue, unfortunately, does not allow for much optimism, because of the stance held by Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot side, in their words and acts."

Albania issues discussed between Pangalos, Fassino

The situation in Albania dominated talks yesterday in Athens between visiting Italian Foreign Undersecretary Piero Fassino and Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos and Alternate Foreign Minister George Papandreou.

Other issues discussed included bilateral relations and EU issues.

After his meeting with Mr. Fassino, the alternate foreign minister said that the first phase of stabilisation in Albania had been successfully completed, and the next important phase was to follow. This second phace, Mr. Papandreou said, involved the process of democratisation and economic development.

The Italian official stated that both Greece and Italy were interested in continuing their assistance to Albania, which was aimed at restoring the country's political, administrative and economic life.

Greek company returns from tour of duty in Albania

A company of troops which served for approximately three months with the Greek contingent of the multinational protection force in Albania returned to Greece yesterday via the Kakavia border post.

An official welcoming ceremony was held for the troops at the Kalpaki army base, attended by the civil and military authorities of Ioannina and many relatives.

Another 117 NCOs and officers of the Greek force in Albania arrived on board a tank carrier at the port of Thessaloniki in the morning. The main bulk of the returning force is expected to arrive in Thessaloniki on Aug. 3, while a contingent of 200 men will stay in Tirana until Aug. 8.

National Defence Minister visits US carrier 'JFK'

National Defence Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos yesterday visited the US aircraft carrier "John F. Kennedy", which is currently anchored off Corfu.

Mr. Tsohatzopoulos was briefed on the activities of the carrier by its commander, Adm. Williamson, while he later observed an aircraft display.

The minister was accompanied on the visit by the Chief of the Hellenic Navy General Staff, Vice-Adm. Leonidas Paliogiorgos.

12 Greeks on list of WWII names released by Swiss bankers

At least 12 Greek nationals are among 1,872 names with war-era deposits in Swiss banks, who according to the Association of Swiss Banks held accounts in Switzerland.

The association published the 1,872 names in newspapers in 27 countries. It said deposits of about 60 million Swiss francs ($40 million) had never been claimed.

Relatives, or legal heirs can now claim the money within one year from the Association of Swiss Banks.

Students of Modern Greek to visit Greece

One-hundred-and-sixteen top students of modern Greek attending universities in Europe and the United States will visit Greece from July 27 to August 24 for intensive language, history and culture courses, on scholarships granted by the Cultural Relations Directorate.

The courses are being organised by the Thessaloniki-based Aimos Peninsula Institute of Studies.

During their stay, the students from 25 countries will be shown round the monuments and museums of Thessaloniki and visit archaeological and historical sites at Philippoi, Pella, Dion, Vergina and Meteora.

Within the framework of a programme for strengthening modern Greek studies at universities abroad, the culture ministry allocated over 36 million drachmas for 1997.

Tourist arrivals to increase in 1997, V.Papandreou says

Tourist arrivals will show an 8-10 per cent increase in 1997 over 1996 figures, Development Minister Vasso Papandreou told tourism sector officials yesterday.

Ms Papandreou said the programme "Tourism and Culture" had been included in the Community Support Framework and delays in its initial application have been covered.

By the end of the month certain investment projects in the programme will have been approved, while a meeting will be held in September with all involved parties to set the schedule for its application.

This programme calls for infrastructural works in many sectors. In marine tourism, it calls for a programme of port and marina construction totalling 10.5 billion drachmas, including marinas in Thasos, Argostoli, Ikaria and Zakynthos.

Another 8.3 billion drachmas is allocated for programmes in mountain, ecological and alternative tourism in general, while in another sector, small- and medium-sized enterprises have submitted 367 proposals pending evaluation and approval that will allo w them to use funds allocated to that sector.

Another 414 million drachmas will be approved for training seminars within 1997, with the total budget for professional training amounting to four billion drachmas.

Ms Papandreou referred extensively to property owned by the Greek National Tourism Organisation (EOT), and said a draft bill would be tabled in Parliament in the autumn for founding societes anonyme to manage these assets.

Greek central bank lowers signal money market intervention

Greece's central bank yesterday nudged down its near-daily intervention in overnight funds in the domestic money market to 11.6 percent from 11.9 percent. Traders said the Bank of Greece was apparently signalling a return to lower rates after a period of market jitters largely stemming from activity on international markets.

The drop also would aid a 12-month treasury bill issue at the end of the month whose rate is 9.6 percent, the traders said.

The central bank's routine intervention at the end of the trading day acts as a gauge of liquidity in the interbank market and sometimes signals a shift in policy.

Dollar sets new record vs drachma

The dollar hit a new all-time high against the drachma yesterday, gaining 0.12 percent to close at 285.75 drachmas at the central bank's daily fix.

Commercial banks on Friday will sell the U.S. currency at 290.036 drachmas.

The pound sterling lost 0.28 percent against the drachma in a downward correction to end at 478.64 drachmas at the fix, or 485.820 drachmas for sale by commercial banks.

The German mark edged up 0.08 percent, finishing at 156.080 drachmas.

The Ecu closed steady at 309.38 drachmas.

Current account deficit drops in April

Greece's current account deficit for April dropped 3.1 per cent to US$660 million from $681 million in the same month of 1996, showing an improvement for the second straight month, the Bank of Greece said yesterday.The January-April deficit jumped 21.3 pe r cent to $2.28 billion from $1.88 billion a year earlier, the central bank announced.

WEATHER

FOREIGN EXCHANGE

(S.S.)

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