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The Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in English, 99-08-09
From: The Hellenic Radio (ERA) <ert.ntua.gr/>
CONTENTS
[01] PRESIDENT CLINTON TO VISIT GREECE IN NOVEMBER
[02] AFTER VISITING ATHENS, PRESIDENT CLINTON WILL THEN GO ON TO ANKARA.
[03] TALKS BETWEEN SIMITIS AND KLIRIDIS IN SEPTEMBER
[04] CYPRUS TO ACQUIRE RUSSIAN AIR DEFENCE SYSTEMS
[05] FOREIGN MINISTER TO EMBARK ON NEW POLITICAL CONTACTS
[06] REPORTS OF CHANGES IN MILITARY SERVICE DENIED
[07] GREECE IN GRIP OF HEATWAVE
[08] AUSTRALIAN ARCHBISHOP DENIES RUMOURS
[09] FURTHER MOVES TO PEG INFLATION
[10] NEW EDUCATION ASSESSMENT BODY TO BE ESTABLISHED
[11] RITA SAKELLARIOU TO BE BURIED TODAY
[01] PRESIDENT CLINTON TO VISIT GREECE IN NOVEMBER
The American president, Bill Clinton, is to visit Greece from 22nd to
24th November after attending the summit meeting in Constantinople of
the Organisation for Security & Cooperation in Europe. The Greek prime
minister, Kostas Simitis, and the Cypriot president, Glafkos Kliridis,
will also participate in the summit.
[02] AFTER VISITING ATHENS, PRESIDENT CLINTON WILL THEN GO ON TO ANKARA.
It is thought that the agenda for the talks which President Clinton
will have with Mr Simitis in Athens will almost certainly include the
state of relations between Europe and Turkey, the Cyprus dispute and
issues of bilateral interest. There is marked interest on the part of
the American administration in a normalisation of Greek-Turkish
relations, given that procedures get under way in September, with the
participation of Greece, to settle outstanding issues in relations
between Europe and Turkey. In tandem the Greek- Turkish dialogue will
continue on bilateral issues of "low- level political importance". It
is also known that Washington is keen to see a settlement of the Cyprus
dispute within 1999.
[03] TALKS BETWEEN SIMITIS AND KLIRIDIS IN SEPTEMBER
The Greek prime minister is to have important talks with the Cypriot
president in early September to decide on tactics related, on the one
hand, to President Clinton's planned visits to Athens and Ankara, and
on the other the direct talks to which the UN secretary general, Kofi
Annan, is expected to invite the two sides in the Cyprus dispute.
Preparations for the talks between Mr Simitis and President Kliridis
will be undertaken by the alternate foreign minister, Iannos
Kranidiotis, who will go to Cyprus this week for talks with the Cypriot
president and the foreign minister, Iannis Kasoulidis. The new State
Department envoy for the Cyprus issue, Thomas Weston, will embark on a
tour of Nicosia, Athens and Ankara at the end of August. During that
period, he will also have contacts in London and Brussels regarding
Cyprus' entry to the EU and relations between Europe and Turkey.
[04] CYPRUS TO ACQUIRE RUSSIAN AIR DEFENCE SYSTEMS
According to reports from Nicosia, Cyprus is to purchase some Russian
anti-aircraft defence systems. The first four Tor-M1 rocket systems are
expected to be delivered in the next few weeks. This will effectively
reinforce the air base at Paphos which is participating in the single
defence doctrine between Greece and Cyprus.
[05] FOREIGN MINISTER TO EMBARK ON NEW POLITICAL CONTACTS
The foreign minister, Giorgos Papandreou, will start a fresh round of
contacts with political leaders and PASOK members after 15th August to
discuss the Greek-Turkish dialogue and the minorities issue.
[06] REPORTS OF CHANGES IN MILITARY SERVICE DENIED
The national defence ministry has clarified that there is no question
of young men being drafted to do military service at 18 before
attending university, of a reduction in the length of service or of
women serving for a compulsory three-month period.
[07] GREECE IN GRIP OF HEATWAVE
Prefectural and municipal departments, ambulance services and hospitals
are standing by to deal with casualties of the heatwave which is
expected to hit Greece in the next few days. Temperatures are already
climbing, reaching 40 degrees centigrade in some parts of the country
today, while tomorrow and Wednesday they are expected to soar to 42
degrees centigrade. The meteorological office says the heatwave will
start to ease off on Thursday. The public health department has advised
people to stay out of the sun, drink lots of non- alcoholic liquids,
consume light meals and take frequent cool showers.
[08] AUSTRALIAN ARCHBISHOP DENIES RUMOURS
Archbishop Stylianos of Australia said yesterday that he would not be
replacing Archbishop Spyridon of America, despite rumours that have
been spread in the last few weeks concerning such a possibility.
[09] FURTHER MOVES TO PEG INFLATION
The Greek government's economic staff has been planning a series of
interventions to deal with inflation in the next four-month period, in
a bid to prevent any deviation from the goal of Greece's entry to the
euro zone.
[10] NEW EDUCATION ASSESSMENT BODY TO BE ESTABLISHED
The education ministry is to set up a special body of assessors
comprising 400 inspectors who will make unannounced visits to the
classroom to assess pupils and teachers.
[11] RITA SAKELLARIOU TO BE BURIED TODAY
The funeral takes place today of popular Greek singer Rita Sakellariou,
who died of cancer last week at the age of 65. Her long career was
marked by hits written by the best-known Greek composers of popular
music such as Vamvakaris, Tsitsanis, Kazantzidis and Papaioannou.
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