[01] ANDREAS PAPANDREOU SHOWS SIGNS OF IMPROVEMENT

[02] DOCTORS CONTRADICT ANY INTERVENTION BY MS PAPANDREOU

[03] GOVERNMENT SAYS THERE IS NO PROBLEM IN ITS FUNCTION

[04] PAPANDREOU'S SUCCESSION IS NOT DISCUSSED SAY PASOK OFFICIALS

[05] GREEK PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT IN SOFIA CANCELLD

[06] ATHENS AGAINST A MULTI SPEED EUROPE

[07] FORMER LEADER OF LEFTIST POLITICAL PARTY TO SUE GERMANY

[08] NO HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN GREECE AND CYPRUS

[09] REFERENDUM FOR THE APPROVAL OF ANY SOLUTION FOR CYPRUS PROBLEM

[10] THE COUNCIL OF OVERSEAS HELLENISM UNDERTAKES IMPORTANT INITIATIVES

NEWS IN ENGLISH

[01] ANDREAS PAPANDREOU SHOWS SIGNS OF IMPROVEMENT

Doctors of the medical council observing greek prime minister mr Andreas Papandreou since he was admitted in hospital 19 days ago, appeared today more optimistic about the eventuality that he recovers and returns home.

According to the first bulletin of the day, issued at 1:30pm today by the Medical Board observing him at the Onasion Cardiology Center of Athens, one of the best equipped in Athens, the general condition of mr Papandreou's health remains stable.

As it has been known after a long time today the prime minister managed to get up from his bed and sat in a chair for about 2 hours, while he has adjusted satisfactorily to breathing with the help of a respirator through the tracheotomy.

According to the same bulletin, the dialysis treatment to which mr Papandreou has been submitted for the last ten days, continues and there are no signs of an infection due to the use of the respirator.

In the second bulletin issued at 20:00 it was stressed that there was no problem with the function of the kidneys and the heart of mr Papandreou's.

Press and Media Minister mr Tilemachos Hitiris expressed today, recalling estimations of the doctors, his optimism that in 20 days the Prime Minister will be able to return home.

Mr Papandreou's situation has been 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.

[02] DOCTORS CONTRADICT ANY INTERVENTION BY MS PAPANDREOU

Professor Grigoris Scalkeas, president of the board of doctors observing Greek Prime Minister mr Andreas Papandreou since his admission to hospital on November 20th, contradicted today all rumours that his wife and director of his personal bureau ms Demetra Liani Papandreou has intervened in their work suggesting or excluding possible solutions for the treatment of the Prime Minister's.

The statement of the board was provoked by ms Papandreou herself who in a letter which she sent to the doctors asked them to contradict officially such rumours which appeared in the dialy papers.

The doctors say that in any case of intervention they would have resigned from the board.

[03] GOVERNMENT SAYS THERE IS NO PROBLEM IN ITS FUNCTION

Greek Press and Media Minister Mr Tilemahos Hitiris stressed today that the government continues to function normally and announced that government meetings have been scheduled to take place next Tuesday and Wednesday so that issues concerning the European Union Summit, due in Madrid next week and the state budget be examined.

The minister expressed the disapproval of the government for the initiatives of the president of the main opposition party of New Democracy mr Miltiades Evert who was today received by the president of the Republic mr Constantinos Stephanopoulos whom he informed on the opinmions of his party for the political situation in the country after the prime minitser mr Andreas Papandreou's admission in hospital, on November 20th.

Mr Hitiris accused mr Evert of irresponsibility, noting especially his positions on the issues of the economy and underscoring that two of the most prominent ex-National Economy ministers of the New Democracy governments mr Stephanos Manos and mr Giorgos Souflias have disagreed with the estimations of the leader of the their party on economy.

The minister repeated that the government does not think of a replacement of the prime minister's stressing that the constitution and the laws are fully applied.

Mr Hitiris characterised the discussion about the official governental telephone connection which has been put in mr Papandreou's room in the hospital as one of "bad taste" stressing that it is impossible that anyone believes that ms Papandreou uses it to give instructions to the ministers.

[04] PAPANDREOU'S SUCCESSION IS NOT DISCUSSED SAY PASOK OFFICIALS

The secretary of the central committee of the governmental socialistic PASOK mr Constantinos Scandalidis contradicted today that the party will proceed to a replacemnet of his founder and ever president and that there are discussions concerning an eventuality of a succession.

Ex-trade and industry minister mr Constantinos Simitis, who is included among the prospective successors to mr Papandreou's, said today that PASOK should face the situation with decisiveness.

It should be noted that all tendencies inside the governing socialistic party stress that the unity is unnegotiable for the governmental Panhellenic Socialistic Movement (PASOK) which according to them should seek reelection in the general elections due in October 1997.

The party was founded, after the fall of the military dictatorship in 1974 by mr Andreas Papandreou, who has been its president ever since, and led by him, has governed the country for ten years having won three general elections, first two of which were successive in 1981 and 1985 and the third in 1993.

PASOK 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 second highest post in the party is the secretariat to which mr Constantinos Scandalidis was elected last October after mr Toshadjopoulos had to leave it so that he return to the government.

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

The highest decisive body of the party is the 19- member executive bureau which has been elected from the 150-member central committee which has not met after mr Papandreou was admitted in hospital.

[05] GREEK PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT IN SOFIA CANCELLD

Greek Prime Minister mr Andreas Papandreou's visit in Sofia, Bulgaria, which was due in December was cancelled as the press and media minister mr Tilemahos Hitiris announced today.

Mr Hitiris said that mr Papandreou cannot go to Sofia in Decewmber but added that the visit will take place soon wither held by mr Papandreou or by the alternate of his.

[06] ATHENS AGAINST A MULTI SPEED EUROPE

The Greek position against a Europe of many speeds is well known siad today the greek press and media minister mr Tilemahos Hitiris commenting on the rcent statemnet by French president mr Jacques Chirraque and German chancellor mr Helmut Kohl on the neccessity of such an eventuality.

Greece has taken into account all european interests when Athens promoted the admission of Cyrpus in the European Union and when it achieved that negotiations on this admission start, said mr Hitiris.

[07] FORMER LEADER OF LEFTIST POLITICAL PARTY TO SUE GERMANY

Manolis Glezos, former leader of the United Democratic Left party (=84=83=80) will file suit against Germany demanding reparations for the "insult against the greek people and the humanitarian values expressed by Greece through its long history". According to mr.Glezos, the sum that will be awarded to him by the courts will be used for the construction of a National Resistance Museum.

Mr.Glezos reminded that Germany owes to Greece: 523 million dollars since World War II that were awarded by the allies and were never received, 80 millionDM since the era between the two world wars, while there are also 3,5 million dollars owed to Greece for the obligatory occupation loans and 7 million dollars for war reparations.

The damages that are impossible to be assessed, said mr.Glezos, are the deaths of 1.120.690 greeks of whom, 38.960 were killed in summary executions and also the tragedy of 77.000 greek-jews who were taken to concentration camps in Germany and only 2.000 of them survived.

Germany had decided in 1961 to offer 115 million DM to the relatives of those who had been killed. About 75% of that money was received by jews and the rest by greeks. Nevertheless, the rest of the cases had not received compensation leaving open the whole issue, the solution of which is now more pressing after the unification of Germany and the sensitization of the public opinion.

[08] NO HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN GREECE AND CYPRUS

In the annual Helsinki Watch report that was issued yesterday from the organisation's Washington office are mentioned no human rights abuses in Greece and in Cyprus for the year 1995.

Referring to the greek minority in Albania, the report states that its treatment has improved to a minor degree during this year, while concerning Turkey the report mentions the human rights violations committed against the kurds.

[09] REFERENDUM FOR THE APPROVAL OF ANY SOLUTION FOR CYPRUS PROBLEM

Cypriot President Glafkos Kliridis made it clear that any solution for the Cyprus problem will be approved by the cypriot people through a referendum before an agreement is signed.

Responding to questions by reporters, mr.Kliridis said that before an agreement is signed there will be a referendum as it was promised. He said that the cypriots must decide whether they accept the solution that will be reached.

[10] THE COUNCIL OF OVERSEAS HELLENISM UNDERTAKES IMPORTANT INITIATIVES

The Presiding Board of the Council of Overseas Hellenism had its first contact today with members of the government.

One day after they were elected, the 9 members of the Presiding Board met this morning with Minister of Macedonia-Thrace mr.Kostas Triaridis and with the Secretary General of Overseas Hellenism mr.Nikos Dimadis to discuss details for the operation of the Council's office in Thessaloniki.

On Monday, the members of the Presiding Board will meet with President of the Republic mr.Kostis Stephanopoulos and on Tuesday they will meet with the Parliament President mr.Apostolos Kaklamanis and political party leaders.

As it was announced today by the Council's President mr.Andrew Athens the Presiding Board will meet again in Thessaloniki next February in order to begin the effort for the achievement of its objectives.

According to mr.Athens, among the Presiding Board's priorities are national issues and especially, the issue of Skopje, the Cyprus problem, the respect of the human and religious rights of the greek minority in Albania and the protection of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Mr.Athens also announced that soon there will be a meeting with US Assistant Secretary of State, mr.Halbrook.

Welcoming the members of the newly elected Presiding Board to the Ministry of Macedonia-Thrace, minister mr.Kostas Triaridis said that the conference of the Council of Overseas Hellenism was of historic importance for Greece, the overseas hellenism and Thessaloniki, adding that the ministry will always support the Council's activities.

Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs, mr.Grigoris Niotis responsible for issues concerning the Overseas Hellenism, stated that the Presiding Board members will be updated on the greek positions during their meetings with Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias, alternate Foreign Minister mr.Romeos and himself.