[01] GREEK PRIME MINISTER'S HEALTH REMAINS STABLE

[02] DISCUSSION ON PAPANDREOU'S SUCCESSION HAS NOT STARTED

[03] POWER OF GREEKS LIVING ABROAD GREATER THAN POWER OF GREEK STATE

[04] NEW POSSIBILITIES FOR COMMUNICATION OF GREEKS ABROAD OFFERED

[05] 31% OF THE GREEK EXPORTS COMES FROM NORTH-CENTRAL GREECE

[06] NEWS IN BRIEF

NEWS IN ENGLISH

[01] GREEK PRIME MINISTER'S HEALTH REMAINS STABLE

Greek Prime Minister mr Andreas Papandreou who has been in hospital since November 20th, remains in a condition which is described by the doctors observing him as critical but steady.

In their first communique issued today, doctors say that they continue their efforts to remove the respirator which has been used to support mr Papandreou's respiration for six days today.

According to the communique issued as usually at 1:30 pm, the Prime Minister is fully conscious and the functioning of his heart is satisfactory while the dialysis treatment continues.

Mr Papandreou was admitted in the Onassion Cardiology Centre of Athens, one of the best equipped in Athens two weeks ago suffering from a form of pneumonia.

His situation is extremely critical since eight years ago, in September 1988, he was submited to an open heart operation by the famous egyptian surgeon dr Magdi Yacub in the London hospital of Heartfiled.

The greek prime minister, born in February 1919, is married to ms Demetra Liani Papandreou and has four children from a previous marriage, one of whom is the minister of education mr Giorgos Papandreou.

A serious problem arose today in the briefing of the journalists when professor Scalkeas a member of the medical council observing mr Papandreou who was acting as the spokesman of the council refused to continue briefing the journalists after the strong criticism he received by the Greek Society of doctors who accused him of acting as a spokesman of the government.

After this development, the communique was read by the president of the Onassion, mr Panagiotis Poulis who is also the governor of the commercial bank and then the journalists submitted written questions to which the medical council would give written answers.

[02] DISCUSSION ON PAPANDREOU'S SUCCESSION HAS NOT STARTED

Not official confirmation has been marked yet of any of the prospective candidates for the succession to the greek prime minister mr Andreas Papandreou, who has been in hospital since November 20th.

The first to not contradict that he thinks of seeking election as prime minister, in case needed so, is the speaker of the parliament mr Apostolos Kaklamanis who said that he will speak on the eventuality of a candidature of his to succeed to mr Papandreou when time comes but added that such discussion can not take place while mr Papandreou is still in hospital.

54-year-old Kaklamanis, a lawyer in profession, has been elected in all parliaments after the fall of the military dictatorship and has served in the ministries of public administration, labour adn justice.

He has served as the president of the parliament since October 1993 whne PASOK under mr Papandreou got the third mandate to govern the country with an absolute parliamentary majority.

Addressing today the participants of the council of the overseas hellenism, mr Kaklamanis reminded the participants of his roots in the political area of the centre.

No other prospective candidate has said anything about his ambitions but the first in order minister mr Akis Tsohadjopoulos who keeps the portfolio of Interior affairs, public administration and decentralization has sent a message of dissaproval for all this discussion about succession.

Mr Tsohadjopoulos. 59, a civil engineer, has been replacing mr Papandreou as he should according to the greek law for government, has been one of the most loyal supporters of the greek prime minister's and held the post of the secretary of its central committee for five years until September 1995 when he left the secretariat to return to the government.

Ex-Minister of Trade and Industry mr Constantinos Simitis asked today that all scenarios concerning discussion between prospective leaders and MPs be stopped stressing that the deputies have their own sense.

Mr Simitis, a professor of economy, has always since the foundation if the party been among its leadership but has always had stong conflicts with mr Papandreou having resigned from his governments twice in the past.

The first in 1987 from the ministry of national economy where he has applied an austerity programme which had given results and the second from the ministry of trade and industry in 1995.

He is in close cooperation with ex-European Commissioner ms Vasso Papandreou, ex-foreign minister for European Affairs mr Theodoros Pangalos and European Parliament Vice President mr Paraskevas Avgerinos.

The two other MPs who are expected to deposit their candidature, the defense minister mr Yerassimos Arsenis and the vice president of the 1980s PASOK governments mr Yannis Haralambopoulos have not made any statement today but as transmitted from Athens all prospective candidates have meetings between them and with other members of the parliamentary group.

The governmental Panhellenic Socialistic Movement (PASOK) was founded, after the fall of the military dictatorship in 1974 by mr Andreas Papandreou.

Led by him, the party has governed the country for ten years having won three general elections.The first two were successive in 1981 and 1985 and the third in 1993.

The party holds 169 seats in the 300-seat greek parliament and according to the greek constitution, the new prime minister is elected by the parliamentary group of the majority party.

The highest decisive body of the party is the 19- member executive bureau which will have a session tonight under the secretary of the central committee mr Constantinos Scandalidis to discuss all open issues of the party and its future.

This is the second session of the bureau since mr Papandreou has been admitted in hospital while the 150- member central committee has not met yet.

Accroding to the statute of the party, the secretary of teh Central Committee can not be a member of the government.

[03] POWER OF GREEKS LIVING ABROAD GREATER THAN POWER OF GREEK STATE

Greek Parliament President Apostolos Kaklamanis said speaking in the Council of Overseas Hellenism held in Thessaloniki that outside the borders of the country "lives a second Greece". He said that the power of the greeks living abroad is greater than the power and the influence of the greek state.

Mr.Kaklamanis underlined that in a period of rapid spread of ideas the Hellenism of the diaspora creates a flexible organising form in order to be able to represent and support the interests of hellenism on an international scale.

In his speech under the title "Parliament and Hellenism" mr.Kaklamanis also said that hellenism and Orthodoxy go together and each must play its role toward the direction of the common goal adding that he hopes the minor problems with the Ecumenical Patriarchate will be overcomed and this effort will be backed. Mr.Kaklamanis stressed that the greek Parliament will support the establishment of the Assembly of Overseas Hellenism.

[04] NEW POSSIBILITIES FOR COMMUNICATION OF GREEKS ABROAD OFFERED

Transport and Communications Minister Evangelos Venizelos speaking in the forum "Hellenism in the Cyberspace" held in the framework of the Council of Overseas Hellenism organising conference referred to the new possibilities for the communication of the greeks living abroad offered by the Greek Telecommunications Organization (OTE) and the Ministry of Transport and Communications.

Reffering to the modern society of information mr.Venizelos stressed the new possibilities for communication that are being opened for the greek diaspora, both among the greek communities and with the international community while he pointed out the threats stemming from the world cyberspace against the different languages and the national identity as a result of the cultural uniformity it imposes.

Mr.Venizelos said that the Greek Telecommunications Organization (OTE) is taking two important steps by actively participating in the european cable network ISDN, and by entering in the market of services for the future INTERNET users. The goal of the Greek Telecommunications Organization is to be responsible for offering the INTERNET services to the wide public opinion. Until now the main users of network were research centers and Universities.

The Transport and Communications Minister pointed out Hellenism's strong presence in INTERNET through the Macedonian Press Agency (MPA), the Athens News Agency (ANA), the private mass media and through the presence in the network of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Press. Mr.Venizelos also said that the Council of Overseas Hellenism can enter the INTERNET network through MPA, ANA or through the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Press and can have its own server and home page.

[05] 31% OF THE GREEK EXPORTS COMES FROM NORTH-CENTRAL GREECE

Of the total greek exports 31% comes from the region of north-central Greece while in the Prefecture of Thessaloniki is observed the largest concentration of manufacturing units in the region, according to Thessaloniki's Arts and Crafts Chamber Chairman mr.Athanasios Kolousios. Speaking in the 1st greek Conference for the Development of Exports mr.Kolousios pointed out that this fact proves the region's economic significance.

Specifically, 64,1% of the region's manufacturing businesses are located in the Prefecture of Thessaloniki and employ 65,5% of the total number of workers employeed in this sector.

Mr.Kolousios stressed that in Greece operate 508.496 businesses of which 150.000 (about 28,46%) are manufacturing units while 70.000 (13,73%) are offering services.

Thessaloniki's Arts and Crafts Chamber represents 25.000 businesses and according to mr.Kolousios is very active in the Balkan and Black Sea region while a serious business effort is being made in Albania where 34 investment plans are in progress with estimated value of 4,5 billion drachmas.

[06] NEWS IN BRIEF