Athens News Agency: News in English (PM), 98-06-28
NEWS IN ENGLISH
Athens, Greece, 28/06/1998 (ANA)
MAIN HEADLINES
- President's condolences on Adana quake
- Holbrooke warns on Kosovo crisis spreading
- Dialogue only way to resolve Kosovo crisis, Tsohatzopoulos says
- OTE offers reward for information on cashier's killer
- Alexandroupolis trade fair in mid-July
- Weather
- Foreign exchange
NEWS IN DETAIL
President's condolences on Adana quake
President of the Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos, who completes a four-day
state visit to Cyprus today, sent a letter of condolences to Turkish
counterpart Suleiman Demirel over the devastating 6.3 Richter earthquake in
southern Turkey on Saturday that killed at least 105 people and injured
another 1,000.
Holbrooke warns on Kosovo crisis spreading
US newly-appointed ambassador to the United Nations and presidential
emissary for the Cyprus issue Richard Holbrooke has expressed the view that
the current clashes in Serbia's troubled province of Kosovo could at any
moment develop into a military conflagration engulfing the Balkans in which
Greece may be involved.
"The situation in Kosovo is explosive ... It is my estimate that the
clashes could at any moment develop into war. It this war spreads, it could
bring Greece at the doorsteep of its own involvement in the crisis," he
said in an interview with the Athens Sunday newspaper "To Vima".
The architect of the Bosnia peace accord said a peaceful resolution of the
crisis was the preferred option, but warned that NATO would not shirk from
assuming military action if the situation deteriorated.
"Of course, no one wants a solution through military pressure. The peaceful
resolution of the issue through a change in the status of the region, but
within the present borders of Yugoslavia, is preferrable. This has
tremendous significance which every Greek citizen understands fully well
... I should add, however, that, if necessary, NATO will not sit idle, as
in the case of Bosnia early in the decade," he said.
Mr. Holbrooke also reiterated his view that Turkey was responsible for the
present impase in the Cyprus issue.
"The cause of the impasse is the significant change in Turkish policy, as
it now poses two conditions for the commencement of negotiations: the
recognition of the self-styled Turkish Cypriot republic and the freezing of
Cyprus' accession course to the EU. These conditions make the achievement
of progress impossible," he said.
Further, he reiterated his disagreement with the planned installation of
Russian-made S-300 defence missiles on Cyprus.
"In my view, every move that increases tension is mistaken ... Of course, I
recognise the right of every nation to self-defence, but my estimate is
that the missiles will not boost the security of the people of Cyprus," he
said.
Finally, he revealed that he will continue his involvement in the issue
even after taking up his UN post.
"I cannot see how I will not be involved. It is an issue of high priority
for US foreign poilcy. President Clinton wants a strong team dealing with
Cyprus," he said.
Dialogue only way to resolve Kosovo crisis, Tsohatzopoulos says
Greece said today that diplomacy was the only way to resolve the Kosovo
crisis, warning that the use of military force could ignite war further
afield in the Balkans.
"Whoever uses violence, be it the Serbs or the (Albanian) Liberation Army
(KLA), will be responsible and accountable for the explosion which will be
ignited in the Balkans," National Defence Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos said
after a meeting in Thessaloniki with his Albanian counterpart Luan
Hajdaraga on Saturday.
According to sources, the focus of discussion was on issues related to
security in the region, particularly the crisis in Kosovo, the formation of
a Balkan multinational intervention force, as well as bilateral matters.
Mr. Tsohatzopoulos stressed the need for pressure to be exerted on Yugoslav
President Slobodan Milosevic to "immediately begin dialogue, without terms
and preconditions, with (ethnic Albanian leader) Ibrahim Rugova".
He added, at the same time, that KLA forces seeking to establish Kosovo
independence through violent means should be condemned as undermining peace
in the region.
Mr. Tsohatzopoulos said he shared US presidential emissary Richard
Holbrooke's concern of a danger of a generalised conflagration in the area,
and expressed the view that recent NATO exercises in the border between
Kosovo, Albania and FYROM "had the character of pressure with a view to
resolving the crisis".
"We respect human rights and the right to self-administration and autonomy,
but equally, the peaceful coexistence of peoples must be secured and there
must be no change of borders in the Balkans," he said.
The Albanian defence minister said he agreed on the general need for
dialogue, but claimed that military action was likely as a last resort in
case diplomatic efforts failed.
The two ministers also agreed to extend the presence of two Greek military
missions in Albania.
OTE offers reward for information on cashier's killer
The Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation-OTE is offering a 50 million
dr. reward for information leading to the whereabouts and arrest of an
armed gunman who on Thursday shot and killed OTE cashier Lykourgos
Latzounis, 54, the father of two children, as he foiled a robbery at an OTE
accounts office in the Athens suburb of Maroussi.
Alexandroupolis trade fair in mid-July
The seventh annual Alexandroupolis Trade Fair will be held July 18-22,
aiming to promote local trade and production, present new technologies and
services, and strengthen the commerciaal ties of the businessmen of Evros
Prefecture, the rest of Greece and the Balkans.
The main sectors represented are foodstuffs, computers, agricultural
equipment and telecommunications. A conference on opportunities for
economic cooperation between Thrace, the Aegean islands and Cyprus will run
in tandem.
WEATHER
Mostly fair weather is forecast throughout Greece Monday, turning to
overcast in the north in the evening. Winds will be northerly, light to
strong. Sunny in Athens where temperatures will range between 21-35C.
Similar weather in Thessaloniki, turning to overcast in the afternoon and
temperatures ranging from 20-32C.
FOREIGN EXCHANGE
Friday's closing rates (buying) U.S. dollar 301.717
British pound 504.412 Japanese yen (100) 213.161
French franc 50.124 German mark 167.980
Italian lira (100) 17.050 Irish Punt 423.088
Belgian franc 8.146 Finnish mark 55.314
Dutch guilder 149.073 Danish kr. 44.138
Austrian sch. 23.898 Spanish peseta 1.980
Swedish kr. 38.261 Norwegian kr. 39.646
Swiss franc 199.655 Port. Escudo 1.640
Aus. dollar 183.341 Can. dollar 206.435
Cyprus pound 573.773
(L.G.)
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