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The Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in English, 99-09-03
From: The Hellenic Radio (ERA) <ert.ntua.gr/>
CONTENTS
[01] PAPANDREOU BRIEFS POLITICAL LEADERS ON GREEK PROPOSAL
[02] PRIME MINISTER ANNOUNCES NEW ECONOMIC MEASURES
[03] ARCHBISHOP TO VISIT SERBIA
[04] CALL FOR TOUGHER UN ACTION IN THE CYPRUS DISPUTE
[05] BRITISH AND TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTERS MEET IN LONDON
[06] GREEK EARTH TREMOR REGISTERED
[07] OLYMPIC CHAMPIONS FLY AID TO TURKEY
[08] BALKAN ENERGY INITIATIVE
[09] KYRKOS TO BE NOMINATED FOR PRESIDENCY
[10] SPATE OF SUMMER STORMS HITS GREECE
[01] PAPANDREOU BRIEFS POLITICAL LEADERS ON GREEK PROPOSAL
The foreign minister, Giorgos Papandreou, had meetings yesterday with
the New Democracy party president, Kostas Karamanlis, the general
secretary of the Greek Communist party, Aleka Papariga, and the
president of the Coalition, Nikos Konstantopoulos, to brief them on the
Greek proposal regarding EU funding for Turkey, in view of the
forthcoming informal meeting of the EU foreign ministers' council in
Helsinki. During her meeting with Mr Papandreou, Ms Papariga said her
party supported the dispatch of humanitarian aid to Turkey, while the
Coalition leader accused the government of failing to take a clear
stand over the issue of the Greek veto. The New Democracy party
spokesman, Aris Spiliotopoulos, said his party did not disagree with
the position adopted by the foreign minister, which was in any case the
one adopted by the New Democracy party, but he pointed out that the
move should have taken place earlier. Today Mr Papandreou will have
meetings with the president of the republic, Kostis Stefanopoulos, the
speaker of the house, Apostolos Kaklamanis, and the Liberal party
leader, Stefanos Manos.
[02] PRIME MINISTER ANNOUNCES NEW ECONOMIC MEASURES
The prime minister, Kostas Simitis, yesterday announced a package of
economic measures worth 470 billion drachmas aimed at promoting social
justice and boosting the income of low wage-earners. At the end of a
marathon cabinet session, the prime minister said state revenue had
exceeded the government's expectations and that the time had come to
help those in greatest need. The measures include a reduction of the
special consumer tax on private cars and heating oil, a rise in the
non-taxable income limit to 1,900,000 drachmas, abolition of the
so-called objective criteria for the self-employed, and an increase in
farmers' pensions and unemployment benefits. The government's general
economic policy will be outlined by the prime minister tomorrow during
his inaugural address at this year's International Trade Fair in
Thessaloniki. The opposition has described the package of measures as
serving "pre-election expediencies" and claims they are not consistent
with the government's policy. The Greek Communist party described the
measures as inadequate, while the Coalition of the Left characterised
them as "pre-election promises".
[03] ARCHBISHOP TO VISIT SERBIA
Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens and all Greece is to pay an official
visit to Belgrade soon. Preparations are already under way for his
trip. Meanwhile the Holy Synod of the Greek Orthodox Church will
convene on Monday to discuss the thorny issue of the proposed visit to
Greece by Pope John Paul II.
[04] CALL FOR TOUGHER UN ACTION IN THE CYPRUS DISPUTE
The Cypriot government spokesman, Michalis Papapetrou, said in Nicosia
yesterday that the easygoing manner with which the UN secretary
general, Kofi Annan, dealt in his latest report with the issue of the
safety of the Greek-Cypriots trapped in the northern occupied sector of
the island made it easy for the occupying forces not to treat the issue
with the necessary gravity and respect. Even the Turkish-Cypriot
leader, Rauf Denktash, has admitted that the recent death of
68-year-old Stelios Harpas in occupied Karpasia was murder. Mr
Papapetrou underlined that the Cypriot government held the occupying
regime responsible for the safety of the Greek-Cypriots trapped in
northern Cyprus. The UN, he said, also has a responsibility and the
Cypriot government called upon the Organisation to show more action in
this respect.
[05] BRITISH AND TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTERS MEET IN LONDON
After his meeting with the British foreign secretary, Robin Cook, in
London yesterday the Turkish foreign minister, Ismail Cem, said the
Cyprus dispute was a highly complex issue. For his part, the British
foreign secretary expressed the hope that recent initiatives would lead
to a commonly accepted solution to the Cyprus issue that would allow
both Cyprus and Turkey to become members of the EU.
[06] GREEK EARTH TREMOR REGISTERED
An earthquake measuring 4.6 on the Richter scale was registered at 8.30
this morning, Greek time, with its epicentre in the Gulf of Evvia, 65
km north-northwest of Athens.
[07] OLYMPIC CHAMPIONS FLY AID TO TURKEY
The Union of Greek Olympic Champions flew to Constantinople yesterday
with a cargo of humanitarian aid for the earthquake victims in Turkey.
The Olympic medalists included Papakostas, Migiakis, Galaktopoulos,
Tselili, Xanthou and Papanastasiou. Meanwhile the proceeds from ticket
sales for last night's football match between PAOK and Galata-Serai are
to be donated to the earthquake-stricken population of Izmit.
[08] BALKAN ENERGY INITIATIVE
Energy ministers from five Balkan countries - Greece, Bulgaria,
Bosnia-Hercegovina, Romania and the Former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia - are to meet in Thessaloniki on 10th September to sign a
declaration on the setting-up of a competitive electric energy market
in south-eastern Europe and the promotion of investments in the energy
sector.
[09] KYRKOS TO BE NOMINATED FOR PRESIDENCY
The Coalition's political secretariat has decided to propose to the
party's central committee the candidacy of Leonidas Kyrkos as the new
president of Greece.
[10] SPATE OF SUMMER STORMS HITS GREECE
Many parts of Greece have been hit in the last few days by torrential
rain and thunderstorms which have caused a number of flash floods and
considerable damage to property. The meteorological office forecasts
that the unsettled weather will continue for the next 48 hours bringing
more storms, some of them heavy, to several regions.
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