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The Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in English, 00-01-10
From: The Hellenic Radio (ERA) <ert.ntua.gr/>
CONTENTS
[01] FLU EPIDEMIC ALERT
[02] AVRAMOPOULOS DENIES RUMOURS
[03] GREEK AMBASSADOR TO CYPRUS ON TURKISH INTRANSIGENCE
[04] TURKISH CYPRIOT PILGRIMS VISIT MUSLIM SHRINE
[05] SPEAKER OF CYPRIOT PARLIAMENT TO UNDERGO HEART SURGERY
[06] ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER VISITS GREECE
[07] DECEMBER INFLATION RATE ANNOUNCED
[08] ALBANIAN PRIME MINISTER VISITS ETHNIC GREEK COMMUNITIES
[09] STRICTER BORDER PROTECTION TO BE INTRODUCED
[10] NEW ATHENS SUBWAY TO OPEN SOON
[01] FLU EPIDEMIC ALERT
Greek health care services are on the alert to deal with the flu virus
which has hit hundreds of thousands of people throughout Europe. In
Italy, 15 people have died of the virus and hospitals in Rome, Milan,
Turin and Naples have admitted so many cases that people are having to
occupy beds in corridors. Britain, too, is facing a shortage of
hospital beds as a result of what experts have called the worst flu
epidemic for the past ten years. So far, in Greece, only the usual
viruses have appeared, the main symptom being a high temperature.
However, doctors say these viruses are not related to the epidemic that
has hit the rest of Europe.
SIMITIS: EMU IS GOVERNMENT'S PRIORITY
In an interview published in yesterday's edition of the newspaper,
Kathimerini, the Greek prime minister, Kostas Simitis, stated that
elections would not be held before Greece's admission to economic and
monetary union was ensured. Meanwhile, the PASOK secretary, Kostas
Skandalidis, announced after a meeting with the prime minister on
Friday that the party conference would take place on 5th and 6th
February to decide on the party's election platform. The main
opposition New Democracy party leader, Kostas Karamanlis, has also
announced that his party will hold an extraordinary conference from
March 31st to April 2nd, to discuss the party's policies in view of the
upcoming general elections. There is also intense activity within the
ranks of the Coalition, with its congress scheduled to take place at
the end of January. The Coalition leader, Nikos Konstantopoulos, has
called on the government to clarify the date and procedures for the
elections.
[02] AVRAMOPOULOS DENIES RUMOURS
In an interview with the newspaper, Ethnos tis Kyriakis, the mayor of
Athens, Dimitris Avramopoulos, responded to rumours about his standing
for parliament in this year's general election by underlining that he
was still mayor of Athens and had not declared any intention to stand
for election as a New Democracy party deputy. He added that calls by
the party leader, Kostas Karamanlis, for a general mobilization were
not directed at him.
[03] GREEK AMBASSADOR TO CYPRUS ON TURKISH INTRANSIGENCE
The Greek ambassador in Nicosia, Kyriakos Rodousakis, has said in an
interview with the Cypriot newspaper, O Fileleftheros, that the
European Union should upgrade its representation in the monitoring of
the Cyprus issue. He added that the EU should also be involved in
matters following resolution of the dispute. Turkey, he said, cannot
continue to ignore the Cyprus problem, because its EU candidacy is
indissolubly bound up with Ankara's specific actions relating to a
Cyprus solution.
[04] TURKISH CYPRIOT PILGRIMS VISIT MUSLIM SHRINE
Approximately 1,600 Turkish Cypriot pilgrims entered Cyprus' free zone
yesterday morning in order to visit the Muslim shrine of Hala Sultan in
Larnaca. The Cypriot Republic made 33 buses available for the pilgrims,
which were accompanied by UN peace-keeping forces and members of the
Cypriot police. Strict security measures were in force at the shrine.
[05] SPEAKER OF CYPRIOT PARLIAMENT TO UNDERGO HEART SURGERY
According to a medical bulletin issued on Saturday by the cardiology
department of the General Hospital in Nicosia, the leader of Cyprus'
Democratic Party, Spyros Kyprianou, is to undergo heart surgery in a
clinic in Ohio, in the United States, in the third week of January. Mr
Kyprianou has announced that he does not intend to stand for the office
of president of the republic in the next elections and said he
supported the candidacy of Tasos Papadopoulos, a member of his party.
[06] ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER VISITS GREECE
Joint action by Greece and Italy in the Balkans is among the issues
scheduled for discussion by the Greek prime minister, Kostas Simitis,
and his Italian counterpart, Massimo D'Alema, who arrives in Athens
today on an official visit. Mr D'Alema told Greek reporters that the
doors to Europe would be closed for Ankara if it failed to accept the
principles of the Copenhagen agreement and resolve its differences with
Athens. He described Greece's decision to accept Turkey's status as a
candidate for membership of the European Union as particularly
important and courageous.
[07] DECEMBER INFLATION RATE ANNOUNCED
The National Statistical Service is expected to announce today that
inflation in December was around 2.8%. The government believes the drop
in fuel prices and the winter sales which get under way today and will
last until the end of February will have a favourable effect on the
inflation rate. The governor of the Bank of Greece, Loukas Papadimos,
has recommended restraint in public spending so that the inflation
criteria for EMU may be achieved. He said the measures were necessary,
as the situation concerning Greece's progress towards EMU was still
uncertain. Meanwhile adjustment of the drachma exchange rate against
the euro is expected to take place around the end of this month. Talks
are already under way between ministry of national economy and Bank of
Greece officials and EU experts.
[08] ALBANIAN PRIME MINISTER VISITS ETHNIC GREEK COMMUNITIES
Only a few days after his visit to Athens, the Albanian prime minister,
Ilir Meta, has been touring the southern Albanian provinces of
Argyrokastro, Delvino and Aghii Saranda this weekend where the majority
of ethnic Greeks live. Mr Meta said the Greek minority was an extremely
important factor in Greek-Albanian relations and he pledged to make
further efforts to ensure respect for the rights of the ethnic Greek
population in Albania.
[09] STRICTER BORDER PROTECTION TO BE INTRODUCED
In the next few days the Greek government is to proceed with the
immediate activation of border guards in an effort to deal with the
growing problem of illegal immigration.
[10] NEW ATHENS SUBWAY TO OPEN SOON
The operation of the new Athens subway will bring relief from traffic
congestion to millions of Athenians. Work on the project has been
progressing at a rapid pace, and the prime minister is due to
inaugurate the first section on 21st January.
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