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The Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in English, 99-12-01
From: The Hellenic Radio (ERA) <ert.ntua.gr/>
CONTENTS
[01] ANKARA MAINTAINS RESERVATIONS ON CYPRUS' EU ADMISSION
[02] NATIONAL ECONOMY MINISTER SATISFIED WITH EU DECISION
[03] OPINION POLLS SHOW PASOK AHEAD OF OPPOSITION
[04] FOREIGN MINISTER MEETS RUSSIAN COUNTERPART
[05] PRESIDENT INAUGURATES EXHIBITION IN PATRAS
[06] CONFERENCE ON PARTHENON MARBLES ENDS IN LONDON TODAY
[07] SLIGHT EARTH TREMOR IN ATTICA LAST NIGHT
[08] PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL RADIO-TELEVISION COUNCIL RESIGNS
[01] ANKARA MAINTAINS RESERVATIONS ON CYPRUS' EU ADMISSION
Ankara maintains its legal and political reservations concerning
Cyprus' admission to the EU, Turkish foreign minister Ismail Cem has
said, while the proximity talks between Cypriot president Glafkos
Kliridis and Turkish Cypriot representative Rauf Denktash are to open
in New York on Friday. Diplomatic circles have said the same procedure
will be followed on the Cyprus dispute as was the case in negotiations
on the Middle Eastern and Irish issues.
[02] NATIONAL ECONOMY MINISTER SATISFIED WITH EU DECISION
National economy minister Yannos Papantoniou appears fully satisfied
with the outcome of the EU ECOFIN ministers meeting in Brussels and the
decision that the European Commission would stop monitoring Greece's
public deficit. Mr Papantoniou said what was left was to meet the
inflation criterion which, even if marginally, would be fulfilled in
early 2000. To this end, the minister addressed a plea to the business
world for restraint on price hikes or even the freezing of prices. Mr
Papantoniou pointed out that the stock exchange would continue showing
upward trends despite short-term fluctuations, adding the impetus
reflected the sound course of the economy. He also noted that the
tendency for interest rates would be to drop, something which would
become increasingly noticeable starting in May.
[03] OPINION POLLS SHOW PASOK AHEAD OF OPPOSITION
Opinion polls indicate that the ruling PASOK party may be the winner in
the coming parliamentary elections. A nation-wide poll conducted by the
company "Metron Analysis" on behalf of the radio station "Flash" shows
that the ruling party is ahead with 32.5% of voters preference, in
comparison to the main opposition New Democracy party which holds
31.3%, a difference of 1.2%.. Government spokesman Dimitris Reppas and
PASOK secretary Kostas Skandalidis described the results as a positive
reaction of the Greeks to the government's achievements. In the same
poll, prime minister Kostas Simitis was preferred by 45.5% as most
suitable to fill the post of prime minister, while New Democracy party
leader Kostas Karamanlis was preferred by 31%.
[04] FOREIGN MINISTER MEETS RUSSIAN COUNTERPART
Foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou flew to Moscow yesterday on a
two-day working visit for talks with his Russian counterpart Igor
Ivanov on bilateral relations, the Cyprus dispute and the situation in
the Balkans and the Caucasus. After the meeting, Mr Ivanov underlined
the great importance of constant political dialogue between the two
countries. Mr Papandreou agreed with the assessment and went on to
express the gratitude of Greece for Russia's support of UN resolutions
on Cyprus.
[05] PRESIDENT INAUGURATES EXHIBITION IN PATRAS
Inaugurating an exhibition on the ties between the prefecture of Achaia
and the island of Cyprus in Patras yesterday, Greek president Kostis
Stefanopoulos referred to the Cyprus issue and stressed the need for a
just and viable solution.
[06] CONFERENCE ON PARTHENON MARBLES ENDS IN LONDON TODAY
During a two-day international conference ending in London today,
British historian William St Clair reiterated that the Parthenon
marbles had sustained heavy damage from cleaning procedures at the
British Museum in the late 1930s.
[07] SLIGHT EARTH TREMOR IN ATTICA LAST NIGHT
The Athens geodynamic institute has reported that a slight earth tremor
was registered shortly after midnight last night, with its epicentre in
the region of Mount Parnitha.
[08] PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL RADIO-TELEVISION COUNCIL RESIGNS
Professor Pavlos Sourlas yesterday resigned the post of president of
the National Radio-Television Council in a letter he sent to the
speaker of parliament. In his letter, Mr Sourlas accused the press
ministry of amending his decisions with no legal jurisdiction over the
matter. Press minister Dimitris Reppas described the accusations as
unfounded, also pointing out his disagreement over the retroactive
sanctions the council wished to impose. For its part, the opposition
New Democracy party commented that the government did not even show
respect for bodies it had established itself.
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