Athens News Agency: News in English, 01-07-24

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

CONTENTS

[01] Inflation rise, bourse decline hurt Greek households in 2000

[02] Italy denies existence of list naming extremists bound for Genoa

[03] Man charged for slandering woman on online

[04] Greek economic aid to Balkans will not be delayed, gov't spokesman says

[05] Gov't orders Attica tourism campaign ahead of Olympics

[06] Foreign Exchange Rates: Wednesday

[07] Tour operators protest strike by archaeological workers

[08] Gov't denies sending lists of Greek activists to Italy

[09] Greek growth to double the EU average

[10] Weather Forecast: Hot and sunny on Wednesday

[11] Athens Bourse Close: Stocks nose up in edgy trade

[12] Onassis Foundation approves academic grants for next year

[13] Simitis honours junta resistance during visit to Yiaros

[01] Inflation rise, bourse decline hurt Greek households in 2000

Greek households in 2000 were adversely affected by a rise in inflation and a lasting decline on the Athens Stock Exchange, a survey released on Tuesday said.

Conducted by the ICAP research company, the survey on the quality of life in 2000 was conducted in 1,000 homes in 46 cities, towns and villages between April 2 and May 8.

Respondents said their finances were hit by unexpected price rises in certain basic categories of consumer goods and services, including foodstuffs and transportation, in turn linked to an increase in world oil prices.

As a result, 42.4 percent of households polled felt that their financial situation had worsened, against 31.0 percent in the same survey conducted a year earlier, ICAP said.

At the same time, 18.7 percent of households said that they had managed to improve their finances since last year, mainly from new sources of work stemming from the country's high growth rate.

Also in 2000, one of the main sources of financial improvement in 1999 was lost, as the Athens bourse slumped and remained at low levels, respondents said.

In the latest poll, 1.6 percent of respondents saw their income rise due to the stock market, sharply down from 12.1 percent a year earlier, ICAP said.

[02] Italy denies existence of list naming extremists bound for Genoa

ROME (ANA - L. Hatzikyriakos) - Italy has officially denied the existence of a list containing the names of extremists provided to Italian authorities by other European countries.

Italian Interior Minister Claudio Scajola, replying to questions by opposition deputies late on Monday night, admitted that cooperation with other police and secret services did not function.

He said legal and technical problems prevented other police forces from sending lists of names to Italy and referred to the example of Greek demonstrators.

"In certain cases, international cooperation did not give the desired results due to difficulties of a legal character faced by police forces of other countries to give lists with the names of extremist elements.

"Such a case is that of the 2,000 Greek demonstrators for which the police, not having preventive reports in its possession, proceeded with verifying identities at the port of Ancona. Consequently, 150 people were repatriated - not without difficulty and despite protests by the Greek authorities - for whom there was suspicion that they belonged to organisations. And in this case there were strong protests by those who are protesting today about the lack of controls," Scajola said.

Communist Reformation Party Deputy Giordano said they were Greek deputies.

Scajola in turn asked whether all 150 were deputies.

[03] Man charged for slandering woman on online

A man was charged on Tuesday of placing slanderous and false information at an online singles site based in Paleo Faliro, Athens.

Following an order of the Athens First Instance Court prosecutor, authorities filed legal action against Ioannis Alifrantis, 27, on charges of slander via the Internet.

Authorities began investigating the case of Alifrantis when one victim claimed she discovered a photograph of her face electronically pasted on the body of another woman on the Internet with an adjoining logotype that made reference to private information about her and that she was looking for intimate relations.

According to the woman who lodged the complaint, the above ad offended both her integrity and character, as it was inaccurate.

Police experts then began breaking down the digital data pertained to the case and following ten days of investigations were able to locate the electronic imprint of the assailant which was deposited at an online singles site that was based out of Paleo Faliro.

[04] Greek economic aid to Balkans will not be delayed, gov't spokesman says

There would be no delays on Greece's part on the implementation of the economic support program for the Balkans, government spokesman Dimitris Reppas said

Speaking to reporters, he said that Greece was fulfilling its obligations and was in the process of implementing a policy that calls for the re-organisation and restructruring of the Balkans, which also involves economic support.

[05] Gov't orders Attica tourism campaign ahead of Olympics

Development Minister Nikos Christodoulakis on Tuesday ordered a publicity campaign to promote tourism in Athens and Attica ahead of the Olympic Games to be hosted by Athens in 2004.

The 2002-2004 project, budgeted at 150 million drachmas, will begin with a marketing survey.

In a separate move, Christodoulakis also allowed the construction of new hotels in Thessaloniki and the expansion of existing hotels.

[06] Foreign Exchange Rates: Wednesday

Indicative buying rates for Wednesday

U.S. dollar 388.186

German mark 172.829

French franc 051.531

Pound sterling 550.618

Irish punt 429.202

Belgian franc 008.379

Luxembourg franc 008.379

Dutch guilder 153.389

Italian lira (100) 017.457

Austrian schilling 024.565

Danish kroner 45.404

Swedish kroner 36.300

Finnish mark 056.852

Spanish peseta 002.032

Portuguese escudo 001.686

Japanese yen (100) 312.786

Swiss franc 224.399

Norwegian kroner 042.242

Cyprus pound 589.176

Canadian dollar 252.239

Australian dollar 197.079

[07] Tour operators protest strike by archaeological workers

The Association of Tour Operators and Travel Agents in Greece (HATTA) on Tuesday sharply criticised a strike by workers at the culture ministry, leading to the closure of archaeological sites for another week.

"The destruction of tourism in Greece, a profitable sector of the economy, is inadmissible, as well as the exploitation of tourism as a lever for pressure to meet long-standing workers' demands," HATTA said in a statement.

"It is also inadmissible that the state has failed to realise that the damage and losses incurred from the closure of the archaeological sites is many times greater than the demands," the statement said.

[08] Gov't denies sending lists of Greek activists to Italy

The government once again denied press reports on Tuesday that it had passed information to Italian authorities regarding Greeks headed for the G8 Summit in Genoa.

Government spokesman Dimitris Reppas stressed that the report run by the Greek newspaper 'Ta Nea' was untrue and that no Greek government agency had supplied either lists or information about people to Italy.

He also said that Greece had fought so that Greek citizens would be allowed to go to Italy to take part in peaceful protest.

The reports were categorically denied by the Greek intelligence service EYP, which said it had not sent any list of Greek activists to its Italian equivalent either in writing or over the phone, while it also denied that an EYP team had been sent to Italy to work with Italian authorities.

In its press release, the Greek agency pointed out that information on people, organisations and bodies intending to participate in the Genoa protests had been freely available on the Internet and in press reports for some time prior to the G8 summit, where it was accessible to both Greek and foreign readers.

Parliament

The Genoa incidents also figured in statements made by Parliament Speaker Apostolos Kaklamanis on Tuesday, during a ceremony in Parliament to mark the 27th anniversary since democracy was restored in Greece after a seven-year military junta that fell in 1974.

"Democracy's answer cannot be brute force and the downward slide chosen by authorities in Genoa," Kaklamanis said, commenting on the way Italy had handled the protests.

The issue was commented on by all parties in Parliament, most of whom expressed varying degrees of sympathy with the protestors.

Following the ceremony, Kaklamanis met with Coalition of Left leader Nikos Constantopoulos to discuss events in Genoa, and particularly the reports in 'Ta Nea'.

Kaklamanis said that he did not question the government spokesman but that Parliament would look into the allegations.

He denied a request by Constantopoulos for a debate in Parliament, at least during the summer sessions, but said he might convene the appropriate Parliamentary committee.

Questions on whether the government collected information on the personal lives of Greek citizens were put during the session by 38 ND deputies.

[09] Greek growth to double the EU average

Greek growth is to double the average rate in the 15-member European Union in 2001 and in coming years, National Economy and Finance Minister Yiannos Papantoniou said on Tuesday.

He was speaking after a meeting with Prime Minister Costas Simitis to discuss the budget for 2002 and economic policy for that year.

[10] Weather Forecast: Hot and sunny on Wednesday

Sunny weather is forecast throughout the country on Wednesday, later clouding over on the northern mainland. Winds northwesterly, light to moderate. On the mainland, temperatures will range from 18C to 36C; and in the islands from 22C to 33C. Hot and sunny in Athens with temperatures between 23C and 35C. Same in Thessaloniki, with temperatures from 22C to 33C.

[11] Athens Bourse Close: Stocks nose up in edgy trade

Equities finished higher in nervous, volatile trade on Tuesday, still trying to consolidate after over a week of sharp increases and declines.

The Athens general share index gained 0.92 percent to end at 2,615.93 points, with turnover at 271.45 million euros (92.5 billion drachmas) including a block trade of 44.5 billion drachmas in Motor Oil Hellas to transfer stock to new owners after the firm's IPO.

The FTSE/ASE-20 index for blue chip and heavily traded stocks ended 0.99 percent higher; the FTSE/ASE-40 for medium capitalisation paper 1.34 percent up; and the FTSE/ASE-80 for small cap equities gained 1.67 percent.

Advancers led decliners at 280 to 55 with 24 issues remaining unchanged.

A week ago on Monday the bourse had shed nearly five percent in a session as part of a lasting slump after buyers resolutely stayed out of the market, with small capitalisation shares the worst hit.

Since then, the market has posted roller coaster closes day by day with players recently buying back into blue chips.

[12] Onassis Foundation approves academic grants for next year

The Alexander Onassis Public Benefit Foundation has approved 55 grants and scholarships for the next academic year, it announced on Tuesday.

Beneficiaries include nine members of national academies and professors, 21 researchers and artists, seven primary and secondary school teachers of Greek and 18 postgraduate students.

The beneficiaries are from the following countries: Albania, Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, United States, Japan, India, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Canada, Croatia, Latvia, United Kingdom, Mexico, Yugoslavia, Holland, Ukraine, Pakistan, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, Turkey and Czech Republic.

More information can be obtained at the Foundation's website (www.onassis.gr).

[13] Simitis honours junta resistance during visit to Yiaros

Prime Minister Costas Simitis arrived on the former prison island of Yiaros by helicopter on Tuesday, the 27th anniversary of the day when democratic government was restored in Greece, for a visit that symbolised both respect for those who fought and suffered for democracy and opposition to the forces that opposed it.

During the years of the seven-year military junta that ruled Greece between 1967-1974 the island of Yiaros had been used by authorities to detain political prisoners, mainly originating from the Left, who opposed the dictatorial regime. The island had also been used to detain communist sympathisers during the civil war years of 1947-1955.

Speaking during the visit, Simitis said that Yiaros was a symbol for Greece:

"A symbol of the tyrrany that we do not want and will never live under again and a symbol of the Resistance, that we will never forget."

He announced that the Aegean Ministry would proclaim a tender for raising a monument on the island, to be handled by a committee headed by composer Mikis Theodorakis, himself among those who had resisted and been persecuted by the colonels' junta.

After placing a marble plaque at the entrance of the Yiaros prisons, which were built by the prisoners themselves during the civil war years, the prime minister wandered through the now empty corridors and cells, accompanied by government ministers and former resistance members that had once been held there.

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