Athens News Agency: News in English (AM), 97-10-06

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

NEWS IN ENGLISH

Athens, Greece, 06/10/1997 (ANA)

MAIN HEADLINES

• Simitis: Stability and peace essential for Mediterranean prosperity
• Veteran ND politician Tsaldaris' funeral today
• Romeos concludes talks in the US on terrorism and organised crime
• No high hopes for a fruitful Simitis-Yilmaz meeting
• Evros to acquire SME merchandise transit centre
• Bill on streamlining local gov't to be tabled on Friday
• Mastic symposium ends with proposals on medicinal use
• Greek First Division soccer results
• Weather
• Foreign exchange

NEWS IN DETAIL

Political tension and obstacles to peace in the Middle East, and other regional tensions prevailing in the greater Mediterranean area, make the search for factors of constancy an imperative, Prime Minister Costas Simitis said yesterday.

In a message to the Third Euro-Mediterranean Industry Conference opening in Athens today, Mr. Simitis said that stability and peace in the area were the basic components in a strategy for socio-economic development and prosperity.

In order for peace and development in the area to attain historical permanence and political depth, Mr. Simitis added, they should rest on a dynamic balance created by common interest and economic relations based on partnership.

The prime minister pointed out that, through a global business relationship between the European Union and its Mediterranean partners, Euro-Mediterranean cooperation would allow the basin to become an area of strengthened political dialogue, exchange and cooperation in a manner that would guarantee peace, stability and prosperity.

In terms of Greece itself, Mr. Simitis noted, this cooperation was of special significance, not only in terms of its advantageous geographical position, but historically as well.

Referring to the Greek economy, the prime minister asserted that the government's policies were in the right direction.

"At present, the recovery of the Greek economy, the containment of inflation at the lowest levels in the last quarter century, the reduction of the cost of money, the impressive rise in investments, the steady progress towards fiscal streamlining and the confidence shown by international organisations and world markets, prove that the choices of our economic policy are stable and correct," he said.

At the same time, "competitiveness has become the key factor in developments, while businessmen who know that the market operates under its own rules are seeking new opportunities and proceeding timely to taking ground-breaking initiatives. Greek businesses are facing the challenge of operating in a continually increasing competitive environment on a daily basis", he said.

Veteran ND politician Tsaldaris' funeral today

Athanasios Tsaldaris, a veteran politician, member of parliament with the main opposition New Democracy party and a former president of the Greek Parliament, died of cancer late on Saturday night. He was 76. His funeral will be held today at 3 p.m. at the Athens First Cemetery following a service at the Athens Cathedral.

His seat in Parliament will be taken by Maria Konstantopoulou.

Romeos concludes talks in the US on terrorism and organised crime

Public Order Minister George Romeos on Saturday wound up his visit to the US which included talks with senior CIA and FBI officials on combatting terrorism, organised crime and the drug trade.

Mr. Romeos met with CIA Director George Tennet, FBI Director Louis Freh and with the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State on European Affairs James Gandsten.

He told Greek reporters that the issue of terrorism and the recent claims reported by the British paper "The Observer" that Greece was harbouring and abetting Kurdish terrorists were brought up during his meetings at the State Department.

He said he objected to the State Department's latest report on terrorism particularly with regard to its comment that "there has been no progress"; the way the comments were couched, he added, implied that the government was at fault.

Mr. Romeos said he stressed to his interlocutors that there were "objective difficulties" involved in dealing with the shady November 17 terrorist group and that it was mistaken to compare it with other European terrorist groups.

The second point he disagreed with, he said, was the report's complaint that Kurdish organisations had offices in Athens. He stressed that similar offices existed in the US in New York and Washington and that the report's characterisation of these offic es was "problematic" because, Mr. Romeos said, these offices only exercise policy in the framework of the Republic of Greece.

He said that if the US had specific evidence that these offices were involved in terrorist activities it should reveal it or remove the reference from the report.

Regarding the State Department's comments on "The Observer" article, Mr. Romeos said it was only "partially satisfactory" and reiterated that specific references in the report should be deleted.

He said emphasis on training was placed at his meetings at the CIA and FBI as was the improvement in the behaviour and performance of the Greek police force. The US, he said, was able to assist in a possible establishment of an internal affairs unit in the force, adding that corruption in the Greek Police was not any greater today than in the past.

No high hopes for a fruitful Simitis-Yilmaz meeting

The government plans to give priority to issues promoting cooperation in the Balkans at the Balkan countries conference on Crete on November 3 and 4.

According to sources, the government does not have great hopes for a positive outcome from a sideline meeting between the prime ministers of Greece and Turkey, Costas Simitis and Mesut Yilmaz, and wishes to avoid turning the conference into a Greek-Turkish affair.

Following however the failure of the recent meeting of the Greece and Turkish foreign ministers in New York, the United States will extend every effort to bring a positive outcome in the Cretan conference.

US Assistant Secretary of State Marc Grossman said as much during the talks he had in Athens with the foreign ministry and main opposition New Democracy leader Costas Karamanlis, the sources added.

The government appreciates American efforts but believes that sometimes the US "exceed the limits" and create confusion in their urgent efforts to achieve success quickly.

Foreign ministry sources attribute part of the failure of the New York talks to the American side, because it was cultivating a "climate of optimism" in terms of Turkey's intentions, but this was not realistic, as proven by the stance promoted by Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem.

The Greek government intends to insist on the "spirit" of the Madrid joint communique, expressing its intention towards a rapprochement with Turkey on the basis of international law and treaties, the sources added.

Evros to acquire SME merchandise transit centre

The Evros region is to acquire a small and medium-sized (SME) merchandise transit centre. The plans for the centre, which will initially be built on a 25 acre expanse in the Alexandroupolis Light Industry Park, was presented by Evros Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Nikos Dasteridis yesterday at a day-seminar on the network of merchandise centres planned throughout the country.

He said the 2.5 billion dr. budget of the project would be financed in half by 75 regional entrepreneurs and the other half by EU subsidies.

Mr. Dasteridis said the plans had already received initial approval, adding that return on the capital investment would be in five years, after which the centre would operate on profit, meeting Thrace's needs in merchandise movement.

National Economy Ministry secretary general Apostolos Fotiadis told the seminar that the centre was an important initiative of the Evros Chamber which would contribute to the development of combined transports between the Aegean and Thrace with the Bla ck Sea countries, reinforcing Thrace's geo-strategic position and international role.

Bill on streamlining local gov't to be tabled on Friday

The bill containing the government's plan to streamline local government through the compulsory merger of small communities and municipalities is expected to be tabled in Parliament by October 10.

The "Ioannis Capodistrias" plan, which provides for the transformation of 5, 775 communities and municipalities into less than 1,000 local government organisations, has provoked opposition in various parts of the country in recent months.

On Saturday it was the turn of residents from three communities in northern Greece who protested the plan by blocking the Thessaloniki-Athens railway line near the village of Adrendron in the prefecture of Thessaloniki for one hour.

The protesters, who placed harvesting machines on the tracks, said their action was intended as a warning, and that more dynamic protests would follow.

The government has responded to the protests stressing that favourable provisions in force for the residents of small local government organisations will be preserved.

It has also underlined the benefits following implementation of the plan, including the ability of all citizens to request certificates and other documents issued by the State by telephone, thus avoiding often complex bureaucracy.

Rights and facilities related to tax and insurance currently enjoyed by residents of communities to be merged will also be maintained, irrespective of the size of the newly-formed munincipalities.

Mastic symposium ends with proposals on medicinal use

An international symposium on "The Hios mastic: tradition and modern methods" on the island of Hios concluded yesterday after having renewed interest in the product's medicinal properties.

The symposium began on Thursday and was organised by the ministry of the Aegean and the Union of Mastic Producers of Hios. Interest was expressed by "Lavipharm" pharmaceutical company in the therapeutic effects of mastic in dental medicine.

Interest on the product's medicinal properties was also expressed by the Hellenic Society of Homeopathic Medicine, which is working on a study including over 100 people.

Also, archaeologist Lina Mendoni proposed a project to examine nearly 500 accounts on the medicinal aspect of mastic found in surviving ancient Greek and Latin texts.

Greek First Division soccer results

Ethnikos - Panathinaikos 0-2 Athinaikos - Ionikos 0-1 Olympiakos - Xanthi 6-1 Kavala - OFI 3-3 Proodeftiki - PAOK 3-3 Kalamata - Apollon 0-1 Panahaiki - Panionios 3-2 Veria - Pyrgos 3-1 Heraklis-AEK Athens play today Standings: Ionikos, Panathinaikos 15 points, Olympiakos, 12 Heraklis, AEK 10, Apollon 9, Xanthi 8, PAOK, Pyrgos, Veria 6, OFI, Proodeftiki 5

WEATHER

FOREIGN EXCHANGE

(C.E.)

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