|
|
|
The Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in English, 99-10-25
From: The Hellenic Radio (ERA) <ert.ntua.gr/>
CONTENTS
[01] MEETING BETWEEN THE GREEK AND TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTERS
[02] COALITION LEADER VISITS TURKEY
[03] ITALIAN SPEAKER VISITS CYPRUS
[04] TURKISH PRIME MINISTER SPEAKS ABOUT CYPRUS
[05] A DELEGATION OF THE WORLD COUNCIL OF CHURCHES IN CYPRUS
[06] REACTIONS OVER HISTORY TEXTBOOK IN ALBANIA
[07] INCOME POLICY FOR 2,000
[08] PLANS ON CHANGES IN FARMING COOPERATIVES
[09] GREEK FARMERS WILL BE COMPENSATED FOR RUINED CROPS
[10] PLANS ON THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
[11] CONFERENCE OF MUNICIPALITIES AND COMMUNITIES IN RHODES
[12] FLIGHT SECURITY LEVEL IN GREECE
[13] GREEK WOMEN LIVING IN EUROPE IN THE 21ST CENTURY
[14] POST-QUAKE DEVELOPMENTS IN GREECE
[15] LARGE FAMILY DAY
[01] MEETING BETWEEN THE GREEK AND TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTERS
The Greek and Turkish foreign ministers, Giorgos Papandreou and Ismail
Cem, will meet in Thessaloniki on Wednesday on the sidelines of the
regular ministerial conference of the Organisation for Economic
Cooperation of Black Sea Countries.
[02] COALITION LEADER VISITS TURKEY
The leader of the Coalition of the Left Wing and Progress Nikos
Konstantopoulos who is on a three-day tour of Turkey will have contacts
with the leaders of the Popular Republican party and other political
figures. The coalition party's initiative aims at increasing the number
of contacts between political organizations and parties in a bid to see
things in their actual dimension, Mr Konstantopoulos told reporters. He
will also meet with the Turkish president Suleyman Demirel and the
speaker of the Turkish National Assembly Gildirim Akbulut. On Sunday,
Mr Konstantopoulos visited the ecumenical patriarchate in Fanari and
the regions hit by the recent earthquakes in Turkey.
[03] ITALIAN SPEAKER VISITS CYPRUS
The Speaker of the Italian Parliament Luciano Violante arrived in
Nicosia on Sunday on an official visit to Cyprus, following an
invitation extended by the Speaker of the House of Representatives
Spyros Kyprianou. In statements at Larnaka airport, Mr Violante said
that the European integration had significant prospects for Cyprus. He
also expressed the hope that the Mediterranean would become a field of
peace and cooperation. The Speaker of the House of Representatives
Spyros Kyprianou, said Mr Violante's visit was important, since it is
the first time that a Speaker of the Italian parliament visits Cyprus.
[04] TURKISH PRIME MINISTER SPEAKS ABOUT CYPRUS
In an interview with Newsweek magazine, the Turkish prime minister
Bulent Ecevit expressed his wish for permanent peace with Greece on
condition that two independent states exist in Cyprus.
[05] A DELEGATION OF THE WORLD COUNCIL OF CHURCHES IN CYPRUS
A three member delegation of the World Council of Churches visited
Cyprus last week for contacts with the Greek Cypriot and Turkish
Cypriot communities and underlined the need for stronger bi-communal
contacts and for a society of citizens with greater influence in
Cyprus' affairs.
[06] REACTIONS OVER HISTORY TEXTBOOK IN ALBANIA
Greek teachers, the Greek community and the Greek embassy in Tirana
have reacted strongly over a history book of the Greek nation which was
introduced this year as a textbook in the first grade of high-schools
in Albania. The history book once again raises the question of the
so-called Chams minority, which had triggered off a major dispute
between Greece and Albania in the past.
[07] INCOME POLICY FOR 2,000
The government's income policy for the year 2,000, provides for
increases of 2.5 to 8 percent, as well as significant increases in
pensions and allowances. The national economy undersecretary Nikos
Hristodoulakis is expected to make the relative announcement next
Tuesday during his meeting with the board of the Civil Servants Union.
[08] PLANS ON CHANGES IN FARMING COOPERATIVES
The agriculture minister Giorgos Anomeritis said yesterday after
meetings he had with representatives of the farmers in Thessaloniki
that the government is planning changes in the structure and operation
of farming cooperatives. In addition, Mr Anomeritis estimated that the
farmers would not go ahead with protest actions in winter.
[09] GREEK FARMERS WILL BE COMPENSATED FOR RUINED CROPS
Farmers whose produce was ruined by bad weather in the first three
months of this year will start receiving 733 million drachmas in
compensation next Wednesday. The Workers' Housing Organisation has gone
ahead with favourable conditions for the payment of housing loans.
According to three decisions signed by labour and social security
minister Miltiadis Papaioannou, debtors who by August 26th have paid up
to 50% of their loan will be considered as having paid-off in full.
[10] PLANS ON THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
The government is planning a series of important changes, with the aim
of updating the stock exchange. These changes include an increase in
the ceiling for daily increases of shares to 12 -16 % from 8% it is
today, extended working sessions and new conditions in negotiating
share prices for new companies entering the bourse.
[11] CONFERENCE OF MUNICIPALITIES AND COMMUNITIES IN RHODES
A conference of the Central Union of Greek Municipalities and
Communities ended on the island of Rhodes on Saturday. It was
ascertained at the conference that the municipalities created through
the merger of smaller ones in accordance with the "Kapodistrias" plan
should be supported and backed financially. At the same time, interior
undersecretary Giorgos Floridis said municipal police would be
strengthened and 9,000 new employees hired.
[12] FLIGHT SECURITY LEVEL IN GREECE
American experts are visiting Greece in the end of October in order to
check the flight security level at Greek airports. Last Friday, British
pilots removed Greece from their list of high risk airports. In the
meantime, the board of Olympic Airways met yesterday to discuss the new
operational plan of the company. During last week's meeting, the
representatives of the employees had expressed their opposition to
certain points of the plan and had threatened to vote against it, if
specific amendments were not introduced. Today, the managing director
of Olympic Airways Rod Leeds is expected to present some changes on the
plan and then submit it for approval to the members of the committee.
[13] GREEK WOMEN LIVING IN EUROPE IN THE 21ST CENTURY
A conference on Greek Women Living in Europe in the 21st Century,
organized by the Council of Hellenes Abroad opened in Nicosia on
Saturday with the participation of Greek women from all over Europe.
Greek foreign undersecretary Grigoris Niotis addressed the conference.
Addressing the meeting, other officials pointed out that Greek women
could play an important role in maintaining the Greek national identity
and in helping to resolve national issues.
[14] POST-QUAKE DEVELOPMENTS IN GREECE
The Geodynamic Institute of the Athens National Observatory reported on
Saturday that an earthquake measuring 3,8 on the Richter scale took
place in Athens with its epicentre located on Mount Parnes.
Seismologists described the earthquake as part of the after-shock
activity of the September 7th quake.
[15] LARGE FAMILY DAY
The state and political leadership of the country have delivered
messages on the occasion of the Large Family Day. The president of the
republic Konstantinos Stefanopoulos described as invaluable-especially
nowadays-the contribution to the country by the large families. The
prime minister Kostas Simitis announced measures to alleviate their
problems and encourage couples to have more children. Finally, the
president of the ND party Kostas Karamanlis called on the state to
recognise the contribution of the large families and do something in
return.
|
