Foreign exchange
NEWS IN DETAIL
Ukrainian airliner wreckage found, no survivors
The wreckage of a Ukrainian airliner with 71 people on board, which
disappeared from Thessaloniki airport radars on Wednesday evening, was
spotted by a Greek Navy helicopter this morning, but rescuers found no
survivors.
The ill-fated Yakovlev 42 of Ukraine's Aerosweet airline, was spotted at
10.20 local time (8.20 GMT) in a gully between the villages of Pente Pyrgi
and Flambouro, west of Kato Milia, in the prefecture of Pieria. The Navy
helicopter crew, reported that the site drew their attention because of a
number of charred tree tops that in closer inspection revealed the path of
the fallen airliner before it skidded and apparently broke up in flames.
Some of the rescuers first to the site reported later that the wreckage was
strewn over a distance of several hundred meters. Unofficial estimates say
the speed of the Yakovlev at the time of impact, was more than 200
knots.
The immediate surrounding area is inaccesible even by helicopter, so
military personel had to descend from the choppers on suspension lines, in
order to make initial observations of the site.
Military scources said that the same area was searched yesterday by rescue
parties on foot, unable to look down the gully where the wrecage was found
due to thick fog, which only lifted at about 10 am this morning.
The armed forces have sealed the area and are preparing to move out the
bodies of the victims under extremely adverse conditions.
Speaking to reporters at Thessaloniki's Macedonia Airport, National Defence
Undersecretary Dimitris Apostolakis said that the Navy helicopter crew, saw
"the wreckage and bodies".
Macedonia-Thrace Minister Philippos Petsalnikios announced that the
aircraft's flight recorder (the so-called black box) was retrieved from the
crash site and would be handed to the proper authorities for investigation.
A newly built hospital in Thessaloniki is being prepared to receive the
bodies of the crash victims. The "Papageorgiou" hospital administration
announced that although not officially opened yet, the facility is fully
equipped to deal with the contingency.
Greek Air Force C-130 transport crashes, five killed
The Defence Ministry announced that a Greek air force C-130 "Hercules"
transport aircraft with five member crew, crashed this morning near Inoi in
the prefecture of Viotia, north of Athens, killing all aboard.
The C-130 crashed shortly before it was scheduled to land at Tanagra air
base to pick up more troops to take part in the search operation for the
Ukrainian Yakovlev-42 airliner.
The Defence Ministry said the C-130 crashed at Pastra mountain. The names
of the five crew members who died in the crash, are Georgios Papayiannopoulos,
pilot, Panayiotis Golfinopoulos, co-pilot, Panayiotis Alexiou, flight
engineer, Sarantis Moutsatsos, load master and Theofilos Georgapoulos,
assistant load master.
Ukrainian pilot--air traffic control communication to prosecutor
Transport Minister Tassos Mantelis yesterday handed the taped recording of
an exchange between the pilot of the Yakovlev and the airport control tower,
to a Supreme Court prosecutor, in accordance with International Civil
Aviation Organisation (ICAO) procedures.
Mr. Mantelis attributed the accident to disorientation of the pilot of the
Ukrainian plane, in reply to reporters' questions outside the Supreme Court
building after he handed the tape to Supreme Court Judge Panayiotis
Dimopoulos.
He said the landing system used at Macedonia Airport was the same one used
by all airplanes. The minister added, however, that if the airport had had
the LRS landing radar system it would have had an "additional tool" to
facilitate its job. "But," he st ressed, "this does not mean that this was
the cause of the accident".
Mr. Dimopoulos ordered the Thessaloniki prosecutor's office to launch a
preliminary investigation into the conditions and causes of the accident,
and also into whether all the necessary safety measures set out under
international regulations and practic e had been taken at Macedonia
Airport.
Cabinet discusses Thessaloniki airport safety
In a later Cabinet meeting, Mr. Mantelis said Thessaloniki's airport is
absolutely safe and has been operating for so many years without any
problem with the existing mechanised approach system.
The issue of Thessaloniki airport was discussed at length at the Cabinet
meeting.
Mr. Mantelis said he explained that the radar was not the cause of the
Ukrainian airliner's crash.
"The cause of the crash is another issue concerning the aircraft, the pilot
and issues which will be clarifed provided the lost aircraft is found. The
radar was and could be an additional instrument of communication at this
airport," he said.
On the question of the procurement of radars for airports, Culture Minister
Evangelos Venizelos, a one-time transport minister who had approved the
procurement of the four radars for Thessaloniki, Rhodes, Irakleio and Corfu,
said after the Cabinet meeting that "the procurement of the radars is not
the procurement of one machine which is installed. It is the procurement of
a system which is planned and harmonised with other similar systems."
Mr. Venizelos said that apart from the tragic event, all penalties which
must be imposed will be imposed, "the Thessaloniki airport, which has
problems and problems which must be tackled quickly, is a safe international
airport and all the major airlines use it on a daily basis."
PASOK Secretary, MP visit South Africa, meets Mandela
PASOK Secretary Costas Skandalidis and ruling deputy Rovertos Spyropoulos,
on official visit to South Africa, met yesterday with President Nelson
Mandela.
Mr. Skandalidis briefed the South African leader on the course of Greek-
Turkish relations, latest developments in the European Union and the
problems of ethnic Greeks in South Africa. He also thanked Mr. Mandela for
his country's support in the final phase of voting for 2004 Olympic Games
bid. The PASOK secretary assured him of Greece's solidarity in any future
Ol ympic bid by Cape Town.
On his part, Mr. Mandela expressed his feelings of friendship and
appreciation for the Greek people, stressing characteristically that
"Greeks do not only keep me company with their spirit and their history
throughout my life, they are my best friends h ere in my own country".
In other contacts with Greek expatriates, the two Greek officials briefed
them on a series of agreements in the sectors of shipping, tourism, air
transport and education, as well as for the prevention of double taxation
and protection of investments bet ween Greece and South Africa.
SAE President's letter to Clinton in light of Turkish PM's visit
In a letter addressed to US President Bill Clinton and the US administration,
the president of the Council of Hellenes Abroad (SAE), Andrew Athens, said
Turkish Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz must receive a clear message that
Washington no lo nger accepts "nice" words when they are accompanied by
"mistaken actions."
"The effort by President Clinton to find a solution to the Cyprus issue and
to settle Greek-Turkish relations in the Aegean righteously will have
decisive success if the Turkish Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz receives a
clear message that the US government no longer accepts 'nice' words when
they are accompanied by 'mistaken actions'," the letter read.
The letter was sent in light of yesterday's White House meeting between
President Clinton and Mr. Yilmaz.
"In our modern civilised world, in Europe and the US, the course for the
development of Turkey requires acceptance of the laws of international
justice, respect for human and sovereign rights, as well as the avoidance
of the use of force or threats of a n attack," it added.
US Ambassador meets Alternate Foreign Minister
Alternate Foreign Minister George Papandreou said yesterday that Greek
positions were "clear and a given" concerning Turkish threats over
negotiations on Cyprus' future. Mr. Papandreou was speaking to reporters
following a meeting with new US ambassador to Athens Nicholas Burns, where
he asked the US diplomat for Washington's assistance in helping find the
missing Ukrainian airliner. The plane is believed to have crashed in the
mountainous region of Pieria prefecture.
"We have repeatedly stressed that we are in favour of Turkey's European
prospects. But Turkey itself has the duty to make the necessary steps
towards this direction," Mr. Papandreou said.
Mr. Burns declined to answer reporters' questions, saying he had not yet
presented his credentials to the Greek president, which is scheduled for
Monday.
Olympic Flame lit for Nagano Winter Games
The Olympic flame was lit yesterday by the sun's rays in Ancient Olympia,
home of the first Olympic Games 2,800 years ago, to embark on a six-week
journey to the Japanese city of Nagano for the Winter Games.
A white-robed high priestess touched the Olympic torch to the flame at the
temple dedicated to Hera, mother of the Olympian gods, in a re-enactment of
the ancient ritual that marked the beginning of a truce among the warring
states of antiquity for the duration of the noblest of contests.
The priestess, portrayed by an actress, handed the lit torch to Greek skier
Vassilis Dimitriadis, the first runner in the relay.
The torch was due to arrive in the town of Kalavryta yesterday afternoon.
The next stage of the relay will take the torch to the Helmos ski centre
today, where a flame will be lit symbolically, and then on to Athens'
Panathenian Stadium, venue of the first modern Olympic Games, tonight.
The torch leaves Athens on Monday for the long flight to Japan, where the
relay will be taken up on January 6 for a month-long journey involving some
1,200 runners.
Survey on racism, xenophobia in EU
Ninety per cent of Greeks believe foreigners are unfairly treated in the
workplace, while 85 per cent believe the country has no more margins to
accept additional persons belonging to minority groups as this would create
additional problems.
Those figures are the result of a "Eurobarometre" questionnaire on racism
and xenophobia.
The EU average of citizens' views regarding the unfavourable treatment of
foreigners in the workplace is 71 per cent, while in Sweden, Greece, Spain
and Portugal this exceeds 80 per cent.
Six per cent of Greek respondents said they considered themselves "very
racist" (the EU average is 9 per cent), 21 per cent "quite racist"(EU 24),
31 per cent "slightly racist" (EU 33), while 43 per cent considered
themselves "not at all racist" (EU ave rage 34).
Agreement for training of police instructors in Britain
Public Order Minister George Romeos yesterday said his ministry will use
some of British law enforcement officials' experiences in combatting crime,
football violence, money laundering, drug trafficking as well as efforts to
upgrade the police force.
Summing up results of his two-day working visit to the British capital, Mr.
Romeos said that he concluded an agreement for the training of Greek police
instructors in Britain.
Turkey wants concessions for reopening Halki Theological Academy
Ankara links discussion on the reopening of the Halki Academy of Theology
to "concessions" in western Thrace, according to Turkish Minister of State
Icin Celebi.
The minister was replying to a question put to the government by an
opposition deputy.
"We want the 'Turks' in western Thrace to elect their muftis themselves,"
he said.
Mr. Celebi said if Greece allows this then we will discuss the reopening of
the Halki Academy of Theology.
Develompment Minister comments on course of the ecomony
Development Minister Vasso Papandreou yesterday referred to what she called
the considerable progress recorded by the Greek economy over the last four
years, but acknowledged that reality today was not that pleasant.
"Greece's average income is last in the EU, and we are continuing not to be
productive, competitive and modern," she said.
"Today, however, the Simitis government has achieved the continuous
improvement of the country's position, without reducing social spending,
which makes Greece exceptional in the EU," she added.
Ms Papandreou also stressed that privatisation programmes would continue
according to plan and that "1998 would be a 'quality' year for Greek
businesses.
Appointment of Olympic Airways' new chief approved
A Parliament committee yesterday approved the appointement of Manolis
Fthenakis as president of Olympic Airways.
Mr. Fthenakis said that in five to seven years European airlines will be
privately run, so "if it is necessary", Olympic will be privatised as
well.
PASOK deputies ratified his placement, main opposition New Democracy MPs
abstained, while Coalition of the Left and Progress (Synaspismos) deputies
cast a blank ballot. Communist Party of Greece (KKE) and Democratic Social
Movement (DHKKI) MPs voted against.
Students from Pakistan's Kalas tribe visit Greece
Thirteen students from the far-off Hindu Kush mountain range in Pakistan,
the unique Kalas tribe, arrived yesterday in Athens as guests of the
education ministry.
The 3,000 members of the mountainous tribe follow ancient Greek customs and
religious practices, speak a mixture of Greek, Sanskrit and Persian, and
consider themselves descendants of Alexander the GreatYs soldiers, with
Greece as their real homeland.
Over the past few years, Greek educators have staged a campaign to preserve
the tribe's traditions by helping build a school in the Kalas' region.
Weather
Cloud, local showers and some thunderstorms in western Greece are forecast
for tomorrow. Strong southerly winds may reach gale force in parts of the
Aegean, but later are expected to shift west and ease. Athens can expect
cloud with the possibility of a shower or two and temperature ranging
between 8 and 14 degrees centigrade. Similar weather for Thessaloniki, with
a chance of a thundestorm and temperature 5 to 8 degrees.
Foreign Exchange
Friday's closing rates - buying US dlr. 276.520
Pound sterling 461.558 Cyprus pd 530.918
French franc 46.664 Swiss franc 193.033
German mark 156.260 Italian lira (100) 15.921
Yen (100) 214.887 Canadian dlr. 193.420
Australian dlr. 181.238 Irish Punt 403.248
Belgian franc 7.573 Finnish mark 51.703
Dutch guilder 138.647 Danish kr. 41.007
Swedish kr. 35.752 Norwegian kr. 38.232
Austrian sch. 22.210 Spanish peseta 1.846
Port. Escudo 1.528
(K.G.)
