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The Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in English, 99-12-10
From: The Hellenic Radio (ERA) <ert.ntua.gr/>
CONTENTS
[01] EU SUMMIT BEGINS IN HELSINKI TODAY
[02] STUDENTS THREATEN TO TAKE TO THE STREETS
[03] WORLD COUNCIL OF HELLENES ABROAD REELECTS PRESIDENT
[04] DEMOCRATIC SOCIAL MOVEMENT LEADER VISITS BELGRADE
[01] EU SUMMIT BEGINS IN HELSINKI TODAY
The official session of the EU summit begins in Helsinki today. Greek
prime minister Kostas Simitis has said the negotiations at the summit
will be difficult ones, stressing that discussions with the Finnish
presidency of the EU and the other EU governments continued, with the
aim of reaching a solution which would safeguard the interests of
Greece and the European Union and its smooth functioning. Mr Simitis
also said that the issues they were dealing with were complex ones. For
his part, speaking at the close of a dinner of the European Socialist
Party in Helsinki, Finnish prime minister and chairman of the European
Council Paavo Lipponen did not rule out the possibility of reaching a
compromise agreement on Turkey's EU candidacy within the day. Mr
Lipponen also said that all European Union countries were supporting
Turkey's candidacy, pointing out, however, that Turkey's accession
depended on the pace of its democratisation and an improvement in its
relations with Greece. At the same time, president of the European
Popular Party Wilfred Martens underlined that Ankara could not hope for
EU candidacy status unless it fulfilled the Copenhagen and Luxembourg
criteria. Meanwhile, main opposition New Democracy party leader Kostas
Karamanlis, who is also in Helsinki taking part in the European Popular
Party session, told the meeting that Turkey's European orientation was
conditional on the country's democratisation, respect for international
law, and abandoning all threats of use of force against Greece. For his
part, Turkish foreign minister Ismail Cem estimated that rejection of
Turkey's candidacy would not necessarily mean national disaster for
Turkey. In the meantime, the yearly report of the organisation "Human
Rights Watch" has said that human rights are systematically being
violated in Turkey and pro-Kurdish parties and organisations
persecuted.
[02] STUDENTS THREATEN TO TAKE TO THE STREETS
Following a legislative act allowing prosecutors to intervene in school
buildings under occupation by students, students appeared determined to
stage protest demonstrations in the streets, but the government is
equally determined to safeguard the smooth functioning of schools. The
education ministry has ordered that abstention from lessons should be
counted as absence, while teachers who refuse to teach in class will be
punished and even sacked. Tension prevailed yesterday in some schools
which are under occupation, while in Volos seven arrested students were
released.
[03] WORLD COUNCIL OF HELLENES ABROAD REELECTS PRESIDENT
The third session of the World Council of Hellenes Abroad has ended in
Thessaloniki with the election of a new 11-member presidium and the
third re-election of Andrew Athens to the post of president. It should
be noted that for the first time two women, one from Cyprus and one
from the Ukraine, were elected to the presidium.
[04] DEMOCRATIC SOCIAL MOVEMENT LEADER VISITS BELGRADE
Democratic Social Movement leader Dimitris Tsovolas is meeting in
Belgrade today with Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic.
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