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The Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in English, 99-08-31
From: The Hellenic Radio (ERA) <ert.ntua.gr/>
CONTENTS
[01] TALKS ON EU FUNDING FOR TURKEY
[02] GREEK ATHLETES HONOURED
[03] OLYMPIC GAMES REVENUE
[04] MONTENEGRIN PRESIDENT VISITS ATHENS
[05] ARCHBISHOP DIMITRIOS MEETS GREEK PRESIDENT
[06] TURKEY CONTINUES TO PRAISE GREEK AID FOR EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS
[07] NO CURRENT PROPOSALS FOR A CYPRUS SETTLEMENT
[08] DEFENCE PACTS SIGNED WITH UKRAINE
[01] TALKS ON EU FUNDING FOR TURKEY
The issue of European Union financing for Turkey, the possibility of
lifting the Greek veto on EU funding and the Greek initiative for the
dispatch of economic aid to Turkey are at the focus of talks which the
foreign minister, Giorgos Papandreou, is having with the country's
political leaders and former ministers. Last night Mr Papandreou had
meetings with the former foreign ministers, Karolas Papoulias and
Iannis Haralambopoulos, both of whom said they supported the Greek
initiative for EU funding to be granted to Turkey. However, they
expressed their opposition to the lifting of the Greek veto. A similar
view was expressed by the former foreign minister, Theodoros Pangalos,
in an interview with the daily newspaper Ta Nea. While he agreed with
the offer of urgent humanitarian aid to Turkey, Mr Pangalos described
those in favour of the lifting of Greece's veto as ignorant of history.
The government spokesman, Dimitris Reppas, said the Greek proposal had
been carefully studied and would be presented at next weekend's
informal meeting of the EU foreign ministers' council. Today Mr
Papandreou is scheduled to have meetings with the honorary president of
the New Democracy party, Konstantinos Mitsotakis, the leader of the
Democratic Social Movement, Dimitris Tsovolas, and the Political Spring
party president, Antonis Samaras.
[02] GREEK ATHLETES HONOURED
The prime minister, Kostas Simitis, is giving a reception at midday
today in honour of the Greek athletes who were awarded medals at the
recent World Athletics Championships in Seville.
[03] OLYMPIC GAMES REVENUE
Advertising for the 2004 Olympic Games is expected to provide more than
530 million dollars in revenue for Greece. Meanwhile Athens university
professor Konstantinos Kartalis took up duties at the Olympic Games
2004 special secretariat at the ministry of culture yesterday.
[04] MONTENEGRIN PRESIDENT VISITS ATHENS
The Greek prime minister is having a meeting this morning with the
president of Montenegro, Milo Tzuganovic, who is on a visit to Athens.
Yesterday Mr Tzuganovic had talks with the foreign minister, Giorgos
Papandreou, at which they discussed the situation in the Balkans in the
aftermath of the war in Kosovo, particularly relations between Serbia
and Montenegro. Mr Tzuganovic, who makes no secret of the distance he
maintains from the government in Belgrade, said he was very satisfied
with his talks with the Greek government and the level of relations
between their two countries.
[05] ARCHBISHOP DIMITRIOS MEETS GREEK PRESIDENT
The new Archbishop of America, Dimitrios, was received yesterday by the
Greek president, Kostis Stefanopoulos, who congratulated him on his
election and said he hoped solutions would be found to the problems
facing the Greek communities in America. Earlier the Archbishop visited
the education minister, Gerasimos Arsenis, for an exchange of views on
the education of children of Greek descent abroad and issues concerning
the Greek schools which come under the aegis of the Greek Orthodox
Archbishopric of America.
[06] TURKEY CONTINUES TO PRAISE GREEK AID FOR EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS
In Turkey, people living in the region struck by the recent devastating
earthquake are trying to come to terms with its tragic repercussions
and begin their lives again. The country's rulers continue to express
their gratitude to Greece for the prompt and on-going assistance
offered to the victims of the earthquake. The chairman of the
Turkey-EU joint parliamentary committee, Kiursat Eser, has been
particularly warm in expressing his appreciation for Greece's sincere
help and support after the earthquake, and described Greece as a
"bridge of rapprochement" rather than an obstacle in Turkey's relations
with Europe. For his part, the director of the Tupras oil refineries
said Greece had played an important part in putting out the fires which
blazed at the site immediately after the earthquake struck. He pointed
out that the Greek aid was the first to arrive and was the most
effective. A concert organised jointly by Greek Radio and the
prefecture of Xanthi took place in Xanthi yesterday evening, with the
participation of popular singers Giorgos Dalaras and Thanassis
Gaiphilias. The proceeds have been donated to the earthquake victims.
The general secretariat for equality is also organising a performance
this evening at the Herod Atticus Theatre in Athens, where a theatre
group from Roumeli will stage a play by the ancient Greek playwright
Aristophanes.
[07] NO CURRENT PROPOSALS FOR A CYPRUS SETTLEMENT
The Cypriot government spokesman, Michalis Papapetrou, said yesterday
that the Cypriot government considered the package of ideas proposed by
the former UN secretary general, Boutros Ghali, in the Cyprus issue as
outdated and that it had been superseded by newer documents. He said
neither the Ghali package of ideas nor any other document was up for
consideration at the present time. Instead, there were two unacceptable
demands by the Turkish-Cypriot representative, Rauf Denktash, for
recognition of his self-styled state and for acceptance, a priori, of
the solution of a confederation on the island. The Cypriot government's
position, Mr Papapetrou pointed out, was that attention should be
focused on existing issues rather than formulating hypotheses based on
documents of the past.
[08] DEFENCE PACTS SIGNED WITH UKRAINE
The Greek national defence minister, Akis Tsohatzopoulos, who is on an
official visit to Ukraine, signed an inter-governmental agreement on
defence and technical cooperation between the two countries yesterday.
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