|
|
|
The Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in English, 99-12-02
From: The Hellenic Radio (ERA) <ert.ntua.gr/>
CONTENTS
[01] CHANGES IN INTEREST RATES
[02] CONFERENCE ON GREEK TOURISM
[03] ND LEADER CRITICISES THE GOVERNMENT ON THE CYPRUS ISSUE
[04] RECENT STATEMENT OF TURKISH CYPRIOT LEADER
[05] AIDS IS SPREADING
[06] WORLD CONGRESS OF GREEK YOUTH
[07] SURVEY ON FOREIGNERS IN GREECE
[01] CHANGES IN INTEREST RATES
The national economy undersecretary Christos Pachtas stressed in
Parliament yesterday that the issue of interest rates will be settled
in December. Mr Pachtas clarified that Banks will have to present the
persons getting loans with analytical accounts, while part of interest
on deferred payments concerning all kinds of interest rates will be
written off. NEW MEASURES FOR DRUG ADDICTS
The prime minister Kostas Simitis announced in Parliament yesterday the
establishment of a pilot program of detoxication of drug addicts with
methadone, underlining that the government is always open to any
proposal that would contribute to dealing with the plague of drugs.
Earlier, the Health Undersecretary Theodoros Kotsonis had announced
that the Health ministry would examine the possibility of offering
heroine to drug addicts at public hospitals.
[02] CONFERENCE ON GREEK TOURISM
Speaking at a conference on Greek tourism the Greek development
minister Evangelos Venizelos said that by the year 2006, 700 billion
drachmas would be for invested in the tourist sector from state funds.
Addressing the conference the American ambassador in Athens Nicholas
Burns said that Greece was a unique country and called on American
tourists to visit it.
[03] ND LEADER CRITICISES THE GOVERNMENT ON THE CYPRUS ISSUE
Speaking at a session of the New Democracy parliamentary group the
party's leader Kostas Karamanlis said that the Greek government was
satisfying Turkey's demands and for this reason was being praised by
other European countries. Mr. Karamanlis also expressed his concern
over the stand the prime minister would adopt at the Helsinki EU
summit.
[04] RECENT STATEMENT OF TURKISH CYPRIOT LEADER
Two days before the opening of the proximity talks on the Cyprus issue
between the Cypriot president Glafkos Clerides and the Turkish-Cypriot
representative Rauf Denktash, the later stated that the United Nations
resolutions regarding the Cyprus issue were not valid.
[05] AIDS IS SPREADING
The "Doctors of the World" have discovered that AIDS is expanding to
social groups that have no access to the National Health system, adding
that the combatting of the virus today demands a different conception
of medicine and Social Welfare.
[06] WORLD CONGRESS OF GREEK YOUTH
The two day sessions of the first world congress of Greek youth in
foreign countries continue at the conference centre "Ioannis Vellides"
in Thessaloniki today. The aim of this conference and of the 3rd
international conference of the World Council of Hellenes abroad which
will take place in Thessaloniki from 5th to 8th December is to
strengthen the relations between the 7 million Greeks living abroad
with Greece.
[07] SURVEY ON FOREIGNERS IN GREECE
According to a recent survey carried out by the National Labour
Institute more than 800,000 foreigners, most of them Albanians and also
people from other Balkan countries, as well as from Egypt, Pakistan and
the Philippines are working in Greece. 43% of them have said that they
wish to stay in Greece. In addition, the Institute's report points out
that Greeces now is acquiring the characteristics of a multinational,
multicultural society, a phenomenon observed in the United States and
all the developed European countries.
|
