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The Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in English, 99-11-09
From: The Hellenic Radio (ERA) <ert.ntua.gr/>
CONTENTS
[01] AMERICAN PRESIDENT OUTLINES PRIORITIES IN EUROPE
[02] PROTESTS IN ATHENS AGAINST AMERICAN PRESIDENT'S VISIT
[03] STATE DEPARTMENT CONDEMNS ATTACKS ON AMERICAN TARGETS
[04] PRIME MINISTER ADDRESSES SOCIALIST INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS
[05] IMF OPTIMISTIC ABOUT GREEK ECONOMY
[06] OPPOSITION LEADER CRITICIZES AGRICULTURAL POLICY
[07] ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH WINDS UP VISIT TO ALBANIA
[08] GREEK PRESIDENT ATTENDS OPENING OF EXHIBITION IN MUNICH
[09] BAD WEATHER DEVASTATES MANY PARTS OF GREECE
[01] AMERICAN PRESIDENT OUTLINES PRIORITIES IN EUROPE
The American president, Bill Clinton, who arrives in Athens on
Saturday, said yesterday that normalization of Greek-Turkish relations
was one of the United States' three priorities in Europe. Speaking at
the University of Georgetown in Washington on the occasion of the tenth
anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, the American president said
the other two priorities were cooperation with Russia and the
stabilization of the Balkans. He added the most difficult task would be
securing permanent peace in the region of the Aegean sea. Greece, he
said, which was the world's oldest democracy, is today a model for the
newer republics in the Balkans and a guarantee for stabilization in the
region. He added that the vital role Greece could play within the EU
would be one of the topics discussed during his visit to Greece.
[02] PROTESTS IN ATHENS AGAINST AMERICAN PRESIDENT'S VISIT
A protest march to the American embassy yesterday evening, organised by
a group of well-known actors and artists who earlier staged a mock
trial of President Clinton outside the parliament building on
Constitution Square, went off peacefully. The Greek government has
decided to let demonstrators reach the American embassy in rallies
scheduled to take place during the period of the Clinton visit. The
government spokesman, Dimitris Reppas, said every measure had been
taken to ensure that next Saturday's events did not create any problems
for the timetable of the American president's visit, but added that
people in Greece were free to demonstrate in a legal and peaceful
manner.
[03] STATE DEPARTMENT CONDEMNS ATTACKS ON AMERICAN TARGETS
The American State Department spokesman, James Rubin, has condemned the
recent attacks on the Hellenic-American Union and a Levi's store in
Athens and said the United States was working very closely with the
Greek authorities on the security measures being taken for President
Clinton's visit. Late last night the State Department issued an
announcement, valid until 1st December, stating that mid-November was
generally a period of demonstrations in Greece to mark the Polytechnic
student uprising against the dictatorship in 1973, and warning American
nationals living in or visiting Greece to avoid areas where
demonstrations were being held.
[04] PRIME MINISTER ADDRESSES SOCIALIST INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS
Addressing the 11th congress of Socialist International in Paris, the
Greek prime minister, Kostas Simitis, said socialism was an endless
process that endeavoured to deal with both old and new problems. Mr
Simitis had meetings yesterday with his counterparts from France and
Italy, Lionel Jospin and Massimo D'Alema, as well as with the Austrian
chancellor, Viktor Klima. Meanwhile Greece expressed reservations over
a paragraph of the Paris declaration of Socialist International
concerning the right to intervene for humanitarian reasons; Greece
claimed any such intervention would have to be in accordance with
International Law and UN resolutions.
[05] IMF OPTIMISTIC ABOUT GREEK ECONOMY
In its latest report, the International Monetary Fund has expressed its
optimism on the course of the Greek economy. The IMF also praised the
Greek government for its firm implementation of the programme of
convergence with the other European economies, and expressed its
certainty that Greece will join the European economic and monetary
union on January 1st, 2001. Greek national economy minister Yannos
Papantoniou yesterday discussed the timetable for Greece's entry with
EU commissioner Pedro Sobles.
[06] OPPOSITION LEADER CRITICIZES AGRICULTURAL POLICY
The leader of the main opposition New Democracy party, Kostas
Karamanlis, who began a tour of Crete with a visit to the city of
Rethymnon yesterday, was harshly critical of the government's
agricultural policy. Mr Karamanlis is to visit Chania today. In the
meantime, Vassilis Kontogiannopoulos, parliamentary deputy for the
region of Ilia in the Peloponnese, and a former education minister,
announced at the weekend that he was definitely leaving the New
Democracy party.
[07] ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH WINDS UP VISIT TO ALBANIA
Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos of Constantinople is to leave Tirana
today returning to Fanari at the close of a lengthy visit to Albania.
Yesterday he visited Korytsa and was extended a warm welcome by the
people.
[08] GREEK PRESIDENT ATTENDS OPENING OF EXHIBITION IN MUNICH
The president of the republic, Kostis Stefanopoulos, visited Munich
yesterday to attend the opening of an exhibition entitled "Modern
Greece: Greeks and Bavarians in the period of Ludwig I." President
Stefanopoulos had talks with the Bavarian prime minister and
representatives of the Greek community in Germany.
[09] BAD WEATHER DEVASTATES MANY PARTS OF GREECE
The spate of bad weather which hit many parts of Greece, especially
Lakonia and Corinthia in the Peloponnese, and western Attica, has left
its mark and the railway line to the Peloponnese was cut off for two
days. Government spokesman Dimitris Reppas said assessment of the
damage would begin today and compensation paid to people whose property
was damaged by flooding.
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