Athens News Agency: News in English (AM), 97-07-28

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

NEWS IN ENGLISH

Athens, Greece, 28/07/1997 (ANA)

MAIN HEADLINES

• New Albanian PM looks to stronger relations between Athens-Tirana
• Greek, Albanian ministers to meet
• 'Socrates' language programme wrapping up in Thrace
• PASOK youth reacts on Madrid communique
• University of Thrace to cooperate with Ukraine institute
• Athens ready to host 2004 Olympics, `Independent` says
• Summer electromagnetics course draws world scientists to Samos
• IAAF President Primo Nebiolo arrives in Athens
• Twenty die in car accidents over weekend
• Hidden immigrant community discovered on remote island
• Weather
• Foreign Exchange

NEWS IN DETAIL

Newly-elected Albanian Prime Minister Fatos Nano said in Tirana on Saturday the "reconstruction era" which started in the neighbouring country would help towards better relations between Greece and Albania.

"We both live in the same corner of Europe and we hope this new era of reconstruction of the Albanian republic will create a new climate of confidence between Greeks and Albanians," Mr. Nano told the press late on Saturday before talks with visiting PASOK Secretary Costas Skandalidis.

Mr. Skandalidis, who arrived in Tirana on Saturday, met also with other Albanian government officials. Yesterday, he met with leaders of parties participating in the Balkan country's socialist-led leftist coalition government, as well as the leader of the opposition Democratic Party.

It is the first official visit to Albania by a Greek politician since the new government took office last week.

Greek Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos is expected to visit Tirana on August 5, while a visit by Greek Public Order Minister George Romeos is expected to take place around the same time.

Mr. Skandalidis said his visit aimed to cement ties between the two countries' socialist parties.

He said that the two peoples had no differences, but on the contrary had much to gain from a prospective common course.

"The new Albania will find an ally in Greece, and we are willing to put aside all differences of the past and support our neighbouring country in its new course," Mr. Skandalidis said.

The PASOK Secretary expressed hope that the new Tirana government would succeed in its difficult task as this would be to the benefit not only of Albania itself but also the Balkans in general. "I hope progressive people, with hope and vision, will succeed in building a new future," Mr. Skandalidis said.

He added that Greece was the only country that accepted and honoured Albanians, while in the context of further development of relations and communication between the two peoples, Mr. Skandalidis said the Greek Foreign and Public Order Ministers would visit Albania soon to discuss and find solutions for the main problems of concern to the two countries.

Albanian Foreign Minister Paskal Milo, who was present at the talks, told reporters that in the near future four officials of the Albanian socialist party would visit Athens to exchange views with PASOK counterparts aiming at improving the organisation and operation of the Albanian Socialist Party.

Mr. Milo has accepted an invitation by Mr. Skandalidis to visit Greece at the end of August.

During his meetings, Mr. Skandalidis stressed the importance of the problem Greece faces with the high number of Albanian illegal immigrants and the impact on Greek tourism of Albanian armed gangs raiding Greek border towns.

Greek, Albanian ministers to meet

Greece and Albania have agreed to hold a joint meeting in Tirana in the near future for ministers from each country to forge a policy of cooperation, diplomatic sources said on Saturday.

The move was agreed at two separate meetings held in Tirana between Greek ambassador to Albania Constantine Prevedourakis, Prime Minister Fatos Nano and Albanian Foreign Minister Paskal Milo, the sources said.

Ministers from both countries taking part in the meeting, for which a date has yet to be set, will determine sectors of cooperation and how work can be accomplished. No further details were given.

Mr. Prevedourakis told the two Albanian officials that Greece would offer the neighbouring country every support, relaying messages from Prime Minister Costas Simitis and Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos.

'Socrates' language programme wrapping up in Thrace

An intensive Greek language programme for European students, organised by the Dimokrition University in Thrace in the framework of the European Union 'Socrates' programme, will be concluded on July 31.

The programme got underway on July 14 and is being attended by 55 students from the universities of Mons-Heinaut, Antwerpen (Belgium), Poitier, Nancy II, Aix-Marseille (France), Madrid, Seville (Spain), Sofia (Bulgaria) and Banja Luka (Bosnia).

It includes Greek language lessons, a series of seminars concerning Greek history and culture and cultural events.

The programme is aimed at providing language training for foreign students wishing to follow part of their studies in Greece or to improve their knowledge of the Greek language.

PASOK youth reacts on Madrid communique

The Madrid communique signed between Prime Minister Costas Simitis and Turkish President Suleyman Demirel during a NATO summit in Madrid recently is a lifeless text, the ruling PASOK party's youth wing said in an announcement on Saturday.

The PASOK youth also criticised PASOK Secretary Costas Skandalidis, who supported the Madrid initiative and the Prime Minister's choices in general, saying in the announcement that it is the duty of every Greek citizen to express his opinion under conditions of democracy and freedom, particularly on national issues.

"Those who dispute this right must realise that the logic of the 'whip' has nothing to do with the principles and ethics of the left and democratic party," it said.

The announcement said that as far as the PASOK youth is concerned, the proclamation of principles in the communique does not constitute anything in itself, apart from an inanimate document. The existence and manifestation of "good intentions" remains to be ascertained unilaterally, namely by the permanent aggressor.

Commenting on the strategic targets which must govern Greek foreign policy towards Turkey, the announcement said the sole Greek-Turkish difference recognised as existing by Greece is that of the continental shelf. Greece proposes resorting to the International Court at The Hague for its resolution.

Moreover, no other Greek-Turkish difference exists. A permanent threat on the part of Turkey exists, which is disputing the territorial sovereignty of the Greek state as it is defined by international law and international treaties, it added.

University of Thrace to cooperate with Ukraine institute

The senate of the Dimokrition University of Thrace will cooperate with the Institute of Humanities from Mariupol in the Ukraine, according to an announcement yesterday. Educational, scientific and cultural cooperation between the two sides is expected to lay the foundations for strengthening traditional friendship between Greece and the Ukraine and the rennaissance of overseas Hellenism. According to a Dimokrition University announcement, the biggest Greek community in states of the former USSR is found in Mariupol and the Federation of Greek Societies in the Ukraine is headquartered there, as well as Greece's general consulate. The Institute of Humanities is the sole educational foundation in the territory of the former USSR where in all faculties, the Greek language, history and culture are taught.

Athens ready to host 2004 Olympics, `Independent` says

Greece, a candidate for the 2004 Olympics, is more prepared today to host an Olympiad than the 2000 Games host,

Sydney, was, according to acclaimed sports writer Peter Corrigan. With total financial backing in place and 72 per cent of the necessary facilities built and operational, Athens' plusses also include the genuine desire of the people for the Games, new ro ads constructed and improvements to the underground railway. They also include a new international airport to be operable by the year 2000 that will reduce cars using the city centre and pollution by 35 per cent, and the lowest crime rate in Europe, Mr. Corrigan, who visited Athens and the various sporting facilities last week, wrote in the British newspaper "Independent on Sunday".

Summer electromagnetics course draws world scientists to Samos

New developments and modern applications in the field of electromagnetics are being taught in a summer course which opened Saturday at the Eastern Aegean Research Institute on Samos.

Participants in the course, which will run to August 5, include 134 eminent scientists from 16 countries who will present studies on electromagnetic computation, the theoretical basis for technologies involving electricity, electronics and microwaves.

The course is organised by the Athens Polytechnic University's Institute of Communication and Computer Systems, in the Mechanical Engineering Department, in the context of NATO. Topics to be presented range from computers to telecommunications, antenna s, transmission of electrical waves, satellite systems and fibre optics. The course is organised by Professor Nikolaos Ouzounoglou.

IAAF President Primo Nebiolo arrives in Athens

International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF) President Primo Nebiolo arrived in Athens on Saturday, a week ahead of the IAAF World Athletics Championships and three days ahead of the opening of the IAAF congress, feeling very optimistic over the out come of the games.

"We will organise a wonderful championship. You can tell all the people to turn up at the stands of the Olympic Stadium to watch the biggest athletic event of the year," he said on his arrival.

"I love Greece and I am absolutely satisfied by the work done by my friends the Greeks. All the stars of world athletics will compete at the Olympic Stadium, including Gebresilasie, who will come to Athens to defend his title in the 10,000 metres."

Mr. Nebiolo referred to the gigantic TV coverage for the games, saying "never in history have we had such coverage for an event. In my country, Italy, TV coverage will total 56 hours. The number of TV viewers all over the world will reach 3,163,000,000, a very big figure. The whole world will see beautiful Athens. It will learn what the Greeks have done for classic athletics and sports in general. It will learn Athens' history."

Mr. Nebiolo was welcomed by Sports Undersecretary Andreas Fouras and other sports officials.

The IAAF World Athletics Championships will be held at the Athens Olympic Stadium between August 1-10 and a record of at least 195 countries is expected to participate in the games.

Twenty die in car accidents over weekend

Twenty people were killed in 247 car accidents over the weekend, the public order ministry said late yesterday.

The ministry said 356 people were injured, 67 of them seriously, in accidents that took place between Friday afternoon and Sunday evening.

Hidden immigrant community discovered on remote island

An entire community of illegal immigrants from Albania, Poland and Bulgaria was discovered living on the 300-inhabitant island of Ai Stratis between Lesvos and Limnos islands in the Aegean following the arrest of two illegal immigrant women from Bulgaria.

The two women were arrested Friday and taken before an investigating magistrate for stealing one million drachmas from a home on Lesvos, police said.

According to police sources, the Bulgarian and Polish women from the illegal community were employed as domestic help in the homes of elderly residents of Ai Stratis, while the Albanian immigrants were employed at a water and sewerage project being constructed on the island by a construction company.

WEATHER

FOREIGN EXCHANGE

(L.G.)

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