[01] PRIME MINISTER SATISFIED OVER HIS WIFE'S INTERVIEW

[02] GREECE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE MINISTERIAL SESSION

[03] TURKEY INTERESTED IN COOPERATING WITH GREECE IN TEXTILE INDUSTRY

[04] OLYMPIC AIRWAYS TO OFFER CHEAPER FARES FOR FLIGHTS OVERSEAS

[05] BALKAN FORUM ON CINEMA HELD IN THESSALONIKI YESTERDAY

[06] FYROM ECONOMY IN CRISIS SAYS GREEK UNDERSECRETARY OF ECONOMY

[07] EUROPEAN COMMISSIONERS TO VISIT ATHENS

NEWS IN ENGLISH

[01] PRIME MINISTER SATISFIED OVER HIS WIFE'S INTERVIEW

Greek Press and Media Minister mr Tilemahos Hitiris expressed today his position that the interview by the wife and director of the personal bureau of the Prime Minister ms Demetra Liani - Papandreou was interesting and that the Prime Minister mr Andreas Papandreou himself expressed his satisfaction for the interview.

Asked why the interview was given to a state owned television channel, mr Hitiris said that a choice should be done.

Mr Hitiris declined to comment on the accusations by MP and ex-minister mr Antonis Drosogiannis that ms Papandreou has ambitions of a leader and added that the government deals with the important issues that concern the country.

It is to be remided that ms Papandreou in an interview last night had refused to answer whether she will run for parliament in the elections due in two years and had stressed that the target of the attcks against her is mr Papandreou himself.

In the same interview ms Papandreou whose candidature is widely discussed, said that she will not decide on her running for a seat in the parliament under a blackmail and added that she had been photographed nude when she was younger.

The journaslist who took the interview, ms Liana kaneli, onbe of the oldest television journalists, working for the television for about decades, has been criticised for not having asked ms Papandreou, who is considered as a friend of hers on all issues she should give more detailed explanations.

There are no records yet but it is estimated that the interview drew audiences much bigger that the usual; avrage the greek state owned television has while all newspapers today had it in their top title.

[02] GREECE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE MINISTERIAL SESSION

Greek Alternate Foreign Minister mr. Giorgos Romeos, an ex-president of the European Parliament left today for Strasburg, France to participate in the meeting of the Council of Europe Ministers' Committee.

The main issue of the meeting will be "The Democratic Security in Europe - Progress in the implementation of this principle".

It is the first session FYROM will be represented at ministerial level after the country has been accepted in the organization.

[03] TURKEY INTERESTED IN COOPERATING WITH GREECE IN TEXTILE INDUSTRY

Turkish interest for cooperation with Greece in the textile sector and for the creation of joint ventures by greek and turkish businesses in Bulgaria and Albania was expressed in Thessaloniki during an exploratory meeting held by the presiding board of the turkish-german association TUDET and the management of the Association of Knitting Businesses in Northern Greece.

TUDET's Chairman mr.Ahmet Aidin said to MPA that Greece and Turkey can not afford to be competitive in the textile sector because their share in the european market is limited.

He said that Greece's share is only 4% and Turkey's 10% adding that for this reason they can not be competitive. Mr.Aidin said that competitive can be for example Italy and Germany as the italians come first with a share of 25% in the european market followed by Germany in the second place. He said that highly competitive countries in Europe are China and India which have cheap labour.

Mr.Aidin said that the textile industry in Greece fears that if the borders open Greece will be flooded with cheap products adding that this is not the case as the greek products are cheaper than the turkish products currently sold in Europe.

In the meeting participated representatives of 7 turkish textile businesses with branches in Germany and 13 representatives of greek textile companies.

[04] OLYMPIC AIRWAYS TO OFFER CHEAPER FARES FOR FLIGHTS OVERSEAS

The greek national carrier Olympic Airways is offering cheaper fares for all seats on its overseas flights starting this month.

Olympic Airways is offering tourist fares for Rome, Milan, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Amsterdam, Paris, Frankfurt, Berlin, Stuttgart, Munich, Dusseldorf, Sydney and Melbourne.

Cheaper fares will be offered and in first or business class for passengers travelling from Greece to all European destinations with the exception of Brussels, Sofia, Tirana and London.

Also, Olympic Airways is offering excursion fares together with special prices at selected hotels in Britain, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Holland, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and the United States.

[05] BALKAN FORUM ON CINEMA HELD IN THESSALONIKI YESTERDAY

The conditions existing in the promotion, distribution and exploitation of film rights were the main issues discussed in the Balkan Forum on Cinema that was held yesterday in the framework of the 36th Film Festival which is being held in Thessaloniki.

In the meeting participated representatives from Albania, Bosnia, Bulgaria, FYROM, Romania, Serbia- Montenegro and Turkey and was held after an initiative by the Council of Europe in cooperation with the Federation of Audio-Visual Media and the Federation of Critics.

The representatives proposed the forming of a unified policy which will be followed by all governments in cooperation with EUROPA CINEMA, financed by the European Union and the community programme EURIMAGES.

Another issue for discussion was the exchange of information concerning the film production in each Balkan country. The participants agreed on the need for the creation of a data bank to which all the interested parties will have access, while through it film directors, producers, actors, technicians etc will be easier informed on new productions.

The representatives of the Balkan states participating in the Forum have also agreed on a new meeting to be held on November 10th in order to start materializing those proposals.

[06] FYROM ECONOMY IN CRISIS SAYS GREEK UNDERSECRETARY OF ECONOMY

"Skopje is not Eldorado" stated greek Undersecretary of National Economy mr. Ioannis Anthopoulos in a meeting with journalists adding that the neighbouring state has gone through and is still in deep economic crisis with decrease in the per capita income, rise of inflation and stagnation of the economic activities.

Mr. Anthopoulos said that according to the Ministry of National Economy, the promotion of the economic and trade relations with Skopje go through the perception of all the former Yugoslav Republics as a unified region.

He also said that FYROM should be met with the same economic policy used towards the rest former Yugoslav Republics, adding that he hopes there will be positive developments concerning peace in the wider region.

The Undersecretary of National Economy stressed that the ministry is ready to support the neighbouring country with export credits mainly for the purchase of capital equipment adding that this depends on the name that will be selected to be used by this state.

[07] EUROPEAN COMMISSIONERS TO VISIT ATHENS

Greece will be visited this month by three EU Commissioners in the framework of their contacts with EU member states.

Transport Commissioner Neal Kinnock is expected to arrive in Athens tomorrow for talks with Merchant Marine Minister mr.Katsifaras and Transport Minister mr. Evangelos Venizelos, while on Friday EU Energy Commissioner mr. Christos Papoutsis who has been appointed by Greece is scheduled to arrive in order to address a conference on renewable forms of energy.

Meanwhile, Irish Social Affairs Commissioner mr. Flynn is scheduled to visit Athens on November 20th.