Athens News Agency: News in English (PM), 99-04-07

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

NEWS IN ENGLISH

ATHENS, GREECE, 07/04/1999 (ANA)

MAIN HEADLINES

• Premier briefs opposition leaders, former PMs on Kosovo crisis
• Simitis: Yugoslav offer only a 'first step'
• US envoy praises Athens' role in Kosovo crisis
• G. Papandreou in Skopje, Tirana today
• AEK Athens to play friendly in bomb-ravaged Belgrade today
• Opposition to genetically modified crops aired at conference
• Stocks rally, fuelled by PM's foreign policy speech
• Bond prices edge up in light trade
• National Bank of Greece gets OK for hefty share cap rise
• Titan Cement to up stake in Bulgarian producer
• WEATHER
• FOREIGN EXCHANGE

NEWS IN DETAIL

Prime Minister Costas Simitis yesterday held separate talks on the Kosovo crisis with opposition parties and two former New Democracy (ND) prime ministers.

Main opposition ND leader Costas Karamanlis reiterated to reporters after his meeting with the premier ND's positions on the need to avoid the involvement of ground forces in Kosovo, as well as for operations to be terminated and a political solution to be found with respect for human rights and the inviolability of borders.

He said Greece should become a "champion in the case of the inviolability of borders because the region is troubled," noting that there were innuendoes that initiatives in this direction on the part of Greece are annoying.

Mr. Karamanlis also insisted on the need for the establishment of a foreign policy council because, as he noted, mistakes could be avoided and national understanding achieved.

He added that Mr. Simitis insisted on "his denial and bears responsibility for this."

Former ND premier Constantine Mitsotakis said after his talks with Mr. Simitis that the council of party leaders could also function effectively today under the chairmanship of the president of the republic.

He said preconditions are being created for an end to hostilities on both sides and a political solution to be attempted which Greece can also assist without overestimating, as he said, the possibilities of our country, and underestimating difficulties.

Mr. Mitsotakis said the best protection for the refugees and inhabitants of Kosovo was a solution based on respect for borders, which is accepted by all and which will allow the two different ethnic groups to live in harmony.

He noted the fact that Kosovo Albanian leader Ibrahim Rugova also accepted to talk with Yugoslav leadership, and underlined that only the "Albanian extremists are opposed."

Former ND premier George Rallis proposed to the premier that forces from Europe should go to Kosovo to supervise observance of the agreement, NATO should declare and Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic should accept that they want widespread autonomy to be given to the province and for refugees to return.

Mr. Rallis said there was no danger for Greece and directly criticised Mr. Milosevic over his policy, saying that he is bent on wiping out the Albanian minority.

Papariga : Mr. Simitis also held talks with Communist Party of Greece (KKE) Secretary General Aleka Papariga, who said the Greek government "had and has ground to observe a different position on the issue."

She said KKE will act in such a way as "to have stationing of Greek soldiers in Albania and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) cancelled, claiming "they will become part of the occupation forces and will contribute to unbearable pressures to make the Yugoslav people succumb."

Ms Papariga said "protectorate states are being created in the Balkans", adding that in essence the way is being paved for Greek borders to be disputed in the north. She protested because the government, as she said, refused to have an off-the-agenda de bate in Parliament before the NATO summit at the end of April.

Political Spring party leader Antonis Samaras said that all should protect Greece together, but added that he disagreed that the only way of protecting the country is to approve decisons and actions which destabilise the Balkans.

He proposed that the government should undertake a diplomatic effort, also using Mr. Milosevic's proposal for a ceasefire, for a solution to be found.

Simitis: Yugoslav offer only a 'first step'

Prime Minister Costas Simitis yesterday evening termed Belgrade's initiative to declare a unilateral ceasefire in Kosovo a "first step", stressing however, that it must be followed-up with "clarifications and assurances" from the Yugoslav side.

Mr. Simitis noted that Belgrade must now "guarantee, among others, the unimpeded return of refugees, the evacuation of the Yugoslav army and peace in Kosovo through the employment of an international peacekeeping force. This proposal must be followed by an effort at political dialogue with Yugoslavia."

Greece, in turn, has called for relevant NATO bodies to examine proposals for negotiations aimed at a satisfactory solution to the entire Kosovo problem.

According to reports, the Greek PM spoke with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, French PM Lionel Jospin and Italian PM Massimo d'Alema yesterday on the issue.

US envoy praises Athens' role in Kosovo crisis

US ambassador Nicholas Burns yesterday praised Greece's role in the Kosovo crisis, following a meeting with Deputy Foreign Minister Grigoris Niotis.

"We do not have different positions on Kosovo. We agree on many things. Greece is the only NATO country in the region, where it has a unique role to play. Its special relations with Serbia, geographical position, history and religion, bring it to play a special role in developments, special and different from the role of other NATO countries," he stated afterwards. Mr. Niotis described the meeting as "useful, productive, and important," while Mr. Burns expressed understanding for Greece's disagreement with a possible deployment of ground forces in Kosovo.

"There is understanding, despite different approaches. Greece is not participating in the military operations and the Americans, despite a different type of participation, have expressed an understanding for our stand," Mr. Niotis said.

Mr Burns expressed appreciation for Greece's efforts on the humanitarian aspect of the crisis, with the aid channeled to refugees in Albania and FYROM. According to sources, the two men also discussed preparation of a possible visit by US President Bi ll Clinton to Athens in November.

G. Papandreou in Skopje, Tirana today

Foreign Minister George Papandreou will visit Skopje and Tirana today before flying on to Luxembourg where European Union foreign ministers will meet to discuss the grave humanitarian and refugee problems in the Balkans.

Mr. Papandreou told reporters yesterday that his visits to the two Balkan capitals, swamped under the weight of a massive influx of displaced Kosovo Albanians, would include visits to refugee camps.

He said his talks would focus on coordinating the safe distribution of humanitarian aid.

The Greek FM also reiterated that Greece had not specified how many refugees it would take and would take a decision based on the attitude to be taken by its European Union partners.

In addition, he said that in his conversation with Turkish Foreign Minister Ismael Cem on Sunday, the Turkish FM had told him that Ankara had also come under "pressure" from US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright to accept refugees.

He said he and Mr. Cem were cooperating on issues of humanitarian aid, including the issue of Turkish planes flying through Greek air space and on how refugees and aid were to be transported.

AEK Athens to play friendly in bomb-ravaged Belgrade today

The popular AEK Athens football team is scheduled to play an unofficial game with Belgrade's Partizan in the Yugoslav capital this afternoon, part of an anti-war event.

Visibly moved, many of the players, team officials and reporters comprising the more than 150-member AEK delegation spoke of "a visit of peace" and of "a historic match" prior to their departure from Athens airport yesterday afternoon.

The team's management has repeated over the past week that sports are over and above politics, and that through the team's visit they want to send a message to NATO.

Taking part in the "peace charter" are 156 people, 16 of whom are AEK players. Political party respresentatives will also be on hand.

" Sports and soccer are over and above politics. And this match is over and above any political expediency," AEK President Dimitris Melissanidis stated yesterday before the team's departure for Belgrade, via Hungary.

Opposition to genetically modified crops aired at conference

Another decade of scientific experiments and observation may not be enough to pinpoint possible effects on human health and the ecosystem from the cultivation and consumption of genetically modified (GM) plants, toxicology and health experts warned yester day.

Experts appearing at a press conference in Thessaloniki also opposed the experimental cultivation of GM plants in Greece and called on the government to put a freeze on the issue of licences for such crops for at least the next decade, and hinted that pressure was being exercised by "various sides" for the Environment Ministry to reverse a ban in effect for 1999.

The press conference was held in view of a discussion by the Thessaloniki Prefectural Council of a request submitted by the multinational Monsanto for the cultivation of GM cotton and corn in Thessaloniki.

Anastasios Kovatsis, professor of Toxicology at Thessaloniki's Aristotelion University, warned of the danger of varieties in farm products disappearing and the creation of monopolies in cultivation and distribution.

Tassos Kourakis, a professor at the university's Medical School, said the spread of GM crops entailed risks of epidemics breaking out.

Paola Meyer of the Biological Products Certification Organisation said research had shown that the consumption of GM products created allergies and cancers, and increased the levels of estrogen and fatty substances in the human metabolism.

Michalis Tremopoulos, a member of the Thessaloniki Prefectural Council and representative of the "Citizens' Coalition - Ecology, Solidarity" movement, claimed the Greek government was being pressured by the US and multinational companies involved in GM crop cultivation to allow the cultivation of such crops in Greece.

Finally, the Thessaloniki prefectural council also expressed its categorical opposition to any licence for the experimental cultivation of GM crops in the prefecture. The prefectural councils of Serres, Imathia, Evros and Xanthi have also rejected appli cations by several companies for GM cultivations.

Stocks rally, fuelled by PM's foreign policy speech

Equity prices rebounded substantially yesterday on the Athens Stock Exchange recovering all of the previous session's losses.

Traders said market sentiment was encouraged by a speech on Monday by Prime Minister Costas Simitis, who said that Greece would not get involved in military confrontations and that the government would not sacrifice the aim of euro entry because of the crisis in Kosovo.

The general index ended 2.55 percent higher at 3,300.20 points, off the day's highs.

Turnover was 93.314 billion drachmas and volume 16,733,421 shares. The market also reacted favourably to a government decision to float another stake in Hellenic Telecoms, and to stable conditions in the domestic money and bond markets.

Traders, however, noted that developments in Kosovo were being closely monitored by the market.

National Bank of Greece ended at 21,350 drachmas, Alpha Credit Bank at 21, 450, Ergobank at 22,500, Ionian Bank at 18,400, Titan Cement at 22,900, Hellenic Petroleum at 2,300, Intracom at 17,900, Minoan Lines at 6,890, Panafon at 7,620 and Hellenic Telecoms at 6,800.

Bond prices edge up in light trade

Bond prices yesterday gained 60-70 basis points, returning to last Friday's levels.

The new 10-year bond was at 102.85, showing a yield of 5.90 percent.

Electronic trade totalled 59 billion drachmas.

In the foreign currency market, trade was quiet and the central bank made no intervention.

At the central bank's daily fix, the euro ended at 326.480 drachmas from 326.900 drachmas in the previous session.

After the fix, the drachma gained on talk that a political solution to the Yugoslav crisis might be found. The national currency was trading at 325.86 against the euro.

National Bank of Greece gets OK for hefty share cap rise

National Bank of Greece's shareholders yesterday approved a share capital increase of 170.5 billion drachmas to fund expansion plans, invest in the latest banking technology, and strengthen the bank's position before the country's entry into the euro zone .

The plan envisages issuing 14,843,024 new shares at a nominal value of 1, 450 drachmas each to be offered to existing shareholders at a ratio of one new to 10 old at 11,500 drachmas each.

The general shareholders' meeting mandated the bank's board to offer 682, 326 shares to the bank's staff at the same price.

Public subscriptions will begin on April 26 and last until May 28.

Following the increase, National Bank's share capital will total 226 billion drachmas, or 156,450,000 shares at a nominal value of 1,450 drachmas each.

The bank's governor, Theodoros Karatzas, said that the crisis in Yugoslavia should not have a negative impact on the Greek economy and the Athens bourse.

Titan Cement to up stake in Bulgarian producer

Titan Cement Company, a blue chip on the Athens Stock Exchange, is to acquire almost full control of Plevenski Cement after a share capital increase by the Bulgarian firm to 751 million lev (751,000 German marks) from 171.3 million lev.

Titan is to buy all shares in the rights issue, raising its stake in Plevenski to 96 percent from 83 percent.

The Greek firm first bought into Plevenski and then gradually increased its share as part of Sofia's privatisation programme.

Titan is to modernise the plant's production lines and boost capacity, which is currently at 360,000 tonnes annually.

WEATHER

FOREIGN EXCHANGE

Wednesday's rates (buying)
U.S. dollar          301.747
Pound sterling       479.414
Japanese yen (100)   248.823
French franc          49.374
German mark          165.592
Italian lira (100)    16.726
Irish Punt           411.228
Belgian franc          8.028
Luxembourg franc       8.028
Finnish mark          54.471
Dutch guilder        146.965
Danish kr.            43.583
Austrian sch.         23.536
Spanish peseta         1.946
Swedish kr.           36.488
Norwegian kr.         38.791
Swiss franc          203.087
Port. Escudo           1.615
Aus. dollar          189.502
Can. dollar          200.880
Cyprus pound         560.520
Euro                 323.868

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