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The Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in English, 99-09-30
From: The Hellenic Radio (ERA) <ert.ntua.gr/>
CONTENTS
[01] GREEK ECONOMY PROGRESSING
[02] LATEST DEVELOPMENTS ON THE CYPRUS ISSUE
[03] C. KARAMANLIS IN SUPPORT OF CYPRUS' ACCESSION TO THE E.U.
[04] TURK REPUBLICAN LEADER MEHMET ALI TALAT CRITISIZES DENKTASH
[05] A. TSOHATZOPOULOS ASKS FOR THE END OF CLEANSING OPERATIONS AGAINST SERBS
[06] A. TSOCHATZOPOULOS TO ATTEND MILITARY EXERCISE IN CYPRUS
[07] MEASURES FOR THE EARTHQUAKE STRICKEN PEOPLE IN ATTICA
[08] DIMITITRIS DOLLIS, NEW GENERAL SECRETARY FOR GREEKS ABROAD
[09] PATRIARCH DIODOROS IN GREECE
[01] GREEK ECONOMY PROGRESSING
Greece will join the economic and monetary union in January 2001 , the
Greek national economy minister Yiannos Papantoniou said in his speech
at the International Monetary Fund and World bank session in
Washington, underlining that until March, time by which Greece's
application will have been submitted, Greece will have met the
inflation criterion. Mr. Papantoniou also anounced the reduction of
short term interest rates by the end of the year, adding that the
economic policy being implemented during the last years in Greece had
consolidated a climate of stability, with high development rates,
enabling thus the rise of real incomes and the upgrading of social
services.
[02] LATEST DEVELOPMENTS ON THE CYPRUS ISSUE
The Greek Foreign minister Yiorgos Papandreou met yesterday with the
American ambassador in Athens Nicolas Burns, who briefed the Greek
minister on the difficulties and problems of the Cyprus issue discussed
between the American President Bill Clinton and the Turkish Prime
minister Bouled Ecevit. In the meantime, the American envoy of the
American President Alfred Moses is expected to visit Athens, Nicosia
and Ankara next week. During his speech in Washington, the Turkish
Prime minister Bouled Etcevit stated that the improvement of the
climate between Greek-Turkish relations might allow for a solution to
be found to the problems related to the Aegean, adding however, that in
Cyprus exist two states. I.Kassoulides gets briefed on Clinton-Ecevit
discussions The Cypriot Foreign minister Ioannis Kassoulides had a
telephone contact with the American Presidential envoy Alfred Moses,
the American undersecretary Mark Grossman and the special coordinator
of the Cyprus issue Thomas Weston and was briefed on the discusions
held between American President Bill Clinton and Turkish Prime minister
Bouled Ecevit on the Cyprus issue. Mr. Ioannis Kassoulides expects to
be briefed further on the Clinton-Etcevit discussions and about Mr.
Moses' visit to Nicosia, Athens and Ankara next week.
[03] C. KARAMANLIS IN SUPPORT OF CYPRUS' ACCESSION TO THE E.U.
Addressing the Parliamentary group of the European Popular party in
Brussels yesterday, the New Democracy party leader Costas Karamanlis
stated that Cyprus meets all the criteria for its accession to the
European Union and cannot be the victim of Turkish-Cypriot
representative Rauf Denktash's blackmails. Mr. Karamanlis expressed his
reservations as to whether Turkey should become a European Union
member, without first meeting the accession criteria.
[04] TURK REPUBLICAN LEADER MEHMET ALI TALAT CRITISIZES DENKTASH
The leader of the Turkish Republican party Mehmet Ali Talat critisized
again the Turksish-Cypriot representative Rauf Denktash for his
intransigence on the Cyprus issue. According to the Turkish-Cypriot
press, Mr. Talat referred to the climate created after the earthquake
in Greece and Turkey, Cypriot President Glafkos Klerides' mild and
conciliatory policy and Rauf Denktash's insistence for the recongnition
of his pseudo-state aiming at creating new obstacles for the solution
of the Cyprus issue. Finally, he called on Mr. Denktash to abandon his
intransigence, since as he said the side which would primarily benefit
from the settlement of the Cyprus issue will be the Turkish-Cypriots
whose economy is deteriorating and who begin to migrate for a better
future.
[05] A. TSOHATZOPOULOS ASKS FOR THE END OF CLEANSING OPERATIONS AGAINST SERBS
Addressing the meeting of the European Socialist parties which took
part in Skopie yesterday, Greek Defense minister A. Tsochatzopoulos
critisized the International Community for delaying in implementing the
United Nations resolutions as regards Kossovo. He also stressed that
the Balkan countries which had asked that the national cleansing
operations against the Albanians be stopped, should now demand the end
of the national cleansing of the Serbs and the rest of the nationals
living in Kossovo. The members of the Presidency of the European
Socialist party whose vice president is Mr. Tsochatzopoulos, had the
opportunity to visit Pristina, where they met with the United Nations
official in Kossovo Bernar Kousner.
[06] A. TSOCHATZOPOULOS TO ATTEND MILITARY EXERCISE IN CYPRUS
Greek Defence minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos is visiting Cyprus today to
participate in the parade of 1st October for Cyprus'national
independence and then to watch the first part of the military exercise
"Nikiforos-Toxotis". National Defence undersecretary Dimitris
Apostolakis is expected in Cyprus next week. "Nikiforos-Toxotis"
exercise is expected to take place between 2nd and 7th October with the
aim of the exercise being to checking of the combative capability of
the national guard. Participating in the exercise will be Greek naval
units and jet fighters.
[07] MEASURES FOR THE EARTHQUAKE STRICKEN PEOPLE IN ATTICA
The Government spokesman Dimitris Reppas has stated that the
extraordinary assistance of 200.000 drachmas will be submitted to
earthquake stricken people irrespective of the deadline for the
applications. Pensioners of the social insurance fund IKA will begin
receiving the social welfare allowance of 120.000 drachmas from
tomorrow. Businesmen whose premises have been damaged by the recent
earthquake have received an extenstion of time until 29th October for
submitting expired social contributions to IKA.
[08] DIMITITRIS DOLLIS, NEW GENERAL SECRETARY FOR GREEKS ABROAD
Dimitris Dollis, who for many years was a labour party MP in Australia,
yesterday officially took up the post of General Secretary for Greeks
Abroad. Present at the brief ceremony were Foreign mininster Yiorgos
Papandreou, Foreign undersecretary Grigoris Niotis and the President of
the Council for Hellenes Abroad, Andrew Athens.
[09] PATRIARCH DIODOROS IN GREECE
The Patriarch of Jerusalem Diodoros arrived in Athens yesterday, within
the framework of an offical visit, following an invitation extended by
the government and the Church of Greece. Patriarch Diodoros was
received at the airport by the Archbishop of Athens and all Greece,
Christodoulos, and foreign ministry representatives. During his stay
in Athens, the Patriarch of Jerusalem will meet with the country's
state and political leadership.
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