Athens News Agency: News in English (PM), 99-09-01

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

NEWS IN ENGLISH

Athens, Greece, 01/09/1999 (ANA)

MAIN HEADLINES

• PM announces measures to support farmers
• Wild storm causes traffic chaos in Athens
• Balkan stability pact coordinator in Thessaloniki
• NATO sub-HQ in Larissa open for business
• Train carrying KFOR troops derails, no injuries
• Zakynthos rocked by 4.9 quake
• Weather
• Foreign Exchange

NEWS IN DETAIL

Prime Minister Costas Simitis on Wednesday announced the government's plans to restructure rural Greece and provide extensive support to farmers. Simitis was speaking after chairing a meeting at which final decisions were taken on measures to strengthen the agricultural sector. Simitis said the government was earmarking 9.5 trillion drachmas for the 2000-2006 period to guarantee farmers' incomes and ensure agricultural development.

Wild storm causes traffic chaos in Athens

A sudden storm on Wednesday morning brought traffic chaos and flooded streets to almost the entire north-east region of Attica. Fire department authorities received fifty calls for assistance from owners and tenants of flooded basement apartments during the two-hour storm, which began at 11 a.m. The driving rain caused the underpass on central Mesogeion Avenue to also flood, resulting in drivers abandoning their vehicles when they became bogged down in the waters. The wet conditions also contributed to a number of minor traffic accidents on the roads.

Balkan stability pact coordinator in Thessaloniki

The European Union's coordinator for the Balkan stability pact, Bodo Hombach, on Wednesday likened the process of reconstructing the Balkans to a 'marathon' and advised all parties to be patient. Hombach was speaking in the northern city of Thessaloniki, which he will use as a 'second base' after Brussels for the activities that he will be coordinating in the region. The EU official arrived in Greece yesterday and had talks with Prime Minister Costas Simitis and Foreign Minister George Papandreou. He arrived in Thessaloniki today accompanied by Papandreou and Deputy National Economy Minister Rodoula Zissi.

NATO sub-HQ in Larissa open for business

The NATO flag was raised today at the NATO subheadquarters in Tyrnavos, Larissa, northern Greece, one of the four southern NATO sub-headquarters activated today. The official ceremony for the event, at least for the Tyrnavos headquarters, is scheduled for October 5 with the attendance of national leadership and NATO representatives, while the NATO representation level will be determined during a special meeting with Greek General Staff leadership. The activation of the Tyrnavos headquarters coincides with the first large air-naval exercise to be conducted early December at the Southern NATO Wing.

Train carrying KFOR troops derails, no injuries

A freight train transporting KFOR armoured vehicles from Thessaloniki to Skopje came off its tracks early on Wednesday about five kilometres from the border with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), police said. Police said that there were no injuries among the eight Belgian soldiers escorting the military equipment aboard the train. Traffic at the railway lines to and from the Greece-FYROM border is disrupted.

Zakynthos rocked by 4.9 quake

Seismologists in Greece recorded a strong earth tremor registering 4.9 on the Richter scale near the Ionian island of Zakynthos early on Wednesday. They said the tremor originated from an epicentre 260 kilometres west- southwest of Athens, in the sea region off the island of Zakynthos. It was recorded at 5.15 a.m. There were no reports of damage or injuries.

WEATHER

FOREIGN EXCHANGE

Wednesday's rates (buying)

(M.P.)

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