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The Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in English, 99-07-27
From: The Hellenic Radio (ERA) <ert.ntua.gr/>
CONTENTS
[01] PM SIMITIS' TALKS ON CRIME AND IMMIGRATION
[02] THE GREEK TURKISH DIALOGUE CONTINUES
[03] THE GREEK PM AND THE DEFENSE MINISTER VISIT UROSEVAC
[04] MEETING BETWEEN THE GREEK AND CYPRIOT SPEAKERS OF THE HOUSE
[05] GREEK NAVY ARMAMENT PROGRAMME APPROVED
[06] THE AMERICAN HOUSE ENDORSED AN AMENDMENT BILL ON THE AEGEAN
[07] TENDERS FOR THE TAKE OVER OF ERGOBANK
[08] COLLISION OF TWO CARGO-BOATS
[01] PM SIMITIS' TALKS ON CRIME AND IMMIGRATION
The prime minister Kostas Simitis' recent round of contacts with
political party leaders on the issue of the crime rate and immigration
in Greece, ended yesterday. After the meetings, the prime minister
urged the parties to leave the handling of the issue of crime out of
the parties' confrontation. Mr Simitis said he was convinced that the
parties would cooperate for the citizens' security, adding that the
cabinet which will meet tomorrow to discuss the immigration policy
would take into consideration the proposals of the opposition parties.
Opposition New Democracy party leader Kostas Karamanlis said the
government was a flop in dealing with the increasing crime rate, while
the Democratic Social Movement leader Dimitris Tsovolas stated that
radical changes in the government's neo-liberal policy in dealing with
crime were required, as this policy creates unemployment, poverty and
social isolation.
[02] THE GREEK TURKISH DIALOGUE CONTINUES
The Greek and Turkish delegations, at the level of foreign ministry
experts had a first round of talks on economic, trade and environment
issues in Ankara yesterday, while today they will have a meeting with
the Turkish foreign minister Ismail Cem. Meanwhile, the government
spokesman Dimitris Reppas has described the process of the Greek
Turkish dialogue as difficult and strenuous. The talks will resume on
July 29th and 30th in Athens, on ambassadors' level and will focus on
the combat of organised crime, illegal immigration, drugs and
cooperation over criminal acts that could be described as terrorist.
[03] THE GREEK PM AND THE DEFENSE MINISTER VISIT UROSEVAC
The prime minister Kostas Simitis and the national defence minister,
Akis Tsohatzopoulos today will visit the Greek contingent in the
international peace-keeping force stationed in Urosevac. Their visit
takes place in the wake of the Conference for the reconstruction of the
Balkans scheduled to take place in Serajevo, Bosnia on July 30th.
[04] MEETING BETWEEN THE GREEK AND CYPRIOT SPEAKERS OF THE HOUSE
The recent meeting between the speaker of the Greek parliament
Apostolos Kaklamanis and the speaker of the Cypriot House Spyros
Kyprianou focused on the Cyprus issue and the Greek Turkish relations.
On his way from Rome, Mr Kyprianou briefed Mr Kaklamanis on the
contacts he had during his two day official visit to Italy, as well as
on the course of Cyprus' admission negotiations with the EU. Mr
Kaklamanis expressed his dissatisfaction over the recent Turkish
provocative acts in the Aegean at a time when the Greek Turkish
dialogue has started.
[05] GREEK NAVY ARMAMENT PROGRAMME APPROVED
The government's Defence and Foreign Affairs Council met yesterday,
under the chairmanship of the prime minister, Kostas Simitis, and
approved the Navy's armament programme which costs over 500 billion
drachmas. The programme involves the construction at the shipyards of
Elefsina and Skaramanga, of a petrol-tank, 3 submarines and 3 rocket
launchers in cooperation with the German and Italian shipyards. The
issue of purchasing second-hand torpedo boats from the US is being
examined.
[06] THE AMERICAN HOUSE ENDORSED AN AMENDMENT BILL ON THE AEGEAN
An amendment bill that the American house of representatives has
adopted by acclamation, calls on Ankara to accept the sea borders of
the Aegean, as defined by the Lausanne and the Italian-Turkish treaties
of 1932. Although the decision is not binding, Greece and Turkey are
also called to have recourse to the international court at The Hague in
case they disagree with it.
[07] TENDERS FOR THE TAKE OVER OF ERGOBANK
The board of Ergobank issued an announcement last night, advising its
shareholders to accept the offer of the Latsis Group for the take over
of the bank, as it is more advantageous. The Bank of Piraeus reacted to
the announcement, as it had earlier decided to increase its shareholder
capital by 765 billion drachmas in order to obtain the control of
Ergobank.
[08] COLLISION OF TWO CARGO-BOATS
The cargo-boat Pel Mariner sank last night after a collision with the
another cargo-boat, Pel Ranger, 5 miles southwest of the island of
Tenedos, inside Turkish territorial waters. The body of Anastasios
Georgantzis, 51 year old second engineer of the cargo-boat Pel Mariner
has been retrieved from a raft. The 43 year old Pakistani oiler, Abdul
Latif was picked up safe and sound from the same raft, by the ferryboat
St Raphael that was sailing near-by. The other 10 members of Pel
Mariner's crew were also picked up safe and sound, while none of the
seamen of Pel Ranger were hurt.
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