The Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in English, 00-01-17

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From: The Hellenic Radio (ERA) <ert.ntua.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] FOREIGN MINISTER BEGINS DIPLOMATIC MARATHON ABROAD

In the meantime, in a report published in the Athens Sunday newspaper, "Kathimerini tis Kyriakis," the Greek foreign minister said foreign policy was no longer practised through traditional diplomacy, but was shaped by citizens themselves.

Mr Papandreou presented his views and the new Greek diplomatic strategy regarding stability, democracy and developments in the Balkans. In an exclusive interview with the same newspaper, Cypriot Foreign Minister Yannakis Kasoulides has declared his willingness to respond positively if invited to Ankara for talks with the Turkish leadership. At the same time, he emphasized that a solution to the Cyprus issue required the right attitude to the concerns expressed by both sides.

[02] NEW ALLEGATIONS BY CYPRIOT SPEAKER

Speaking at an event organised by his party's branch in England, he said that for some time now, in both Cyprus and Greece, there had developed a mentality which had led to dangerous experiments as regards the handling of the Cyprus issue. He further claimed that Cyprus had now entered a course towards a solution based on two separate entities -- in other words, a confederation solution.

In the meantime, Cypriot Defence Minister Socrates Hasikos has denied reports that the Cypriot government was discussing disengagement measures along the United Nations buffer zone within the context of confidence-building measures promoted by the UN. The disengagement issue came to an end in August 1997, he asserted.

[03] DRACHMA REVALUATION OPENS UP NEW PROSPECTS FOR GREECE

National economy minister Yiannos Papantoniou has stated that the new parity of Greece's national currency would facilitate efforts to reduce the inflation rate, to lower interest rates and the inflow of foreign capital, stressing that the drachma was revaluated for the first time in the post-war period.

Meanwhile, the main opposition New Democracy party has described the decision reached in Brussels on the revaluation of the drachma, as the last act in a series of retractions. The Greek Communist party has said that the change in the drachma parity is anti-popular, while the Coalition of the Left claimed the government preferred the option of a hard drachma in dealing with inflation, which was at the same time being re-fuelled by uncontrollable speculation.

In addition, the Democratic Social Movement believes that the government is seeking early elections, before the Greek people learn about the tough terms that will be imposed in view of Greece's admission to the euro zone. The Political Spring party voiced the opinion that the government's inability to control inflation has led to the inevitable revaluation of the drachma, with the result that the Greek economy's competitiveness would be reduced.

[04] ND PARTY CONFIDENT OF ELECTION WIN

Mr. Karamanlis appeared confident of ND's victory in the upcoming national elections this year, and maintained that the government was not telling the Greek people the truth in relation to the difficulties the economy would soon face, due to the economic policies followed.

[05] SOCIAL POLICY MEASURES TO BE ANNOUNCED

The relative announcement on this package of measures, said Mr Drys, was the result of the government's wise fiscal policy, which in turn, has led to a budget surplus of almost 500 billion drachmas.

Mr Drys also said that no new taxes would be imposed in the year 2000 and that the objective values of real estate would freeze for the entire year, forecasting that tax revenues would increase this year at a rate of 5.3% and the Gross National Product will rise by 4.6%, while overall tax charges would be reduced.

[06] BRITISH DEFENCE SECRETARY ON OFFICIAL GREEK VISIT

[07] RECENT BUSINESS TRIP TO KOSOVO SUCCESSFUL

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