BRIEF GREEK NEWS BULLETIN (12/02/1996) 2o

From: Macedonian Press Agency <mpa@uranus.ee.auth.gr>

Macedonian Press Agency News in English Directory

BRIEF GREEK NEWS BULLETIN BY MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY

February 12, 1996

NEWS IN ENGLISH

NEWS IN ENGLISH

[01] GERMAN ALTERNATE FOREIGN MINISTER IN ATHENS

Issues concerning the EU Inter-Governmental Conference for the revision of the Maastricht Treaty were discussed today in the meeting between greek alternate Foreign Minister Giorgos Romeos and his german counterpart Werner Hoyer who is in Athens for talks with greek officials.

The german minister said to reporters after the meeting that the external borders of all the EU member- states are external borders of the European Union. He said that a clear and a common legal interpretation from both or all sides is needed adding that if there are differences in interpretation they must be settled.

Greek alternate Foreign Minister Giorgos Romeos said that the European Union must recognize institutionally that it has external borders while a provision on mutual assistance for the protection of the borders must be included in the new treaty. He also informed mr.Hoyer that Greece will not agree to the release of EU funds for Turkey and that certain pre-conditions will be set based on the March 6th agreement concerning the respect of human rights and good neighbourly relations.

[02] GREEK-AMERICAN AHEPA TO MEET US NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL

The leadership of the greek-american organization AHEPA will meet in Washington this afternoon with high officials of the US National Security Council.

The meeting is held within the framework of the two- day conference of the organization during which will be shown a video-taped message by US President Bill Clinton. The US President will not attend the conference due to his heavy pre-election campaign schedule.

For the same reason, a meeting between mr.Clinton and leading members of the greek-american community was postponed yesterday.

In the conference will be discussed the greek-american relations and will be attended by a delegation of New Democracy Parliament deputies who will brief the greek- americans on the greek government positions concerning the recent turkish provocations.

[03] TURKISH NAVAL AND AIR EXERCISE BEGAN TODAY IN THE AEGEAN

A two-day Naval and Air exercise of the turkish armed forces began today in the international waters off the coasts of the greek islands of Lesvos, Samos and Kos in the Aegean.

Greece's armed forces will be observing the manoeuvres from a distance while it was clarified that the exercise had been planned before the recent greek-turkish crisis in the Aegean. Also, it was made known that Greece had been notified of the turkish exercise and has issued a permit.

Turkey's military exercise "Civic Pence" is not a provocation aimed at Greece, stated today the turkish government spokesperson Omer Akbel.

According to mr. Akbel, who vehemently denied that the military maneuvers are in any way related to the recent Imia crisis, the exercise is taking place in international and turkish waters.

The turkish government's spokesperson also noted that Greece, too, has carried out similar naval military exercises.

The "Civic Pence" naval exercise employs turkish military navy units and will continue intermittently through March 19.

[04] ALLEGED SECRET AGREEMENTS WITH US RUMOURS,SAYS ATHENS

Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas characterized as rumours the alleged secret agreements with the United States on the issue of the Aegean.

Mr.Reppas added that those rumours come from abroad and that their reproduction is unacceptable.

[05] TURKEY TO PROMOTE ITS SIDE OF IMIA ARGUMENT IN EUROPE

Turkey's acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Deniz Baykal will embark on a series of visits to european capitals next week in order to pormote his government's side of the coin regarding the sovereignty of the Imia islets, as well as Turkey's positions regarding its rupture with Greece.

On Wednesday Mr. Baykal will meet with the British Secretary of State Malcolm Rifkind, while, on Friday, he will travel to Brussels to hold a meeting with NATO's General Secretary Javier Solana, and European Union's General Commissioner of International Relations Hans Van Den Broek.

It should be noted that Ankara has ceased referring to the Imia cluster of islets as "Kardak" and instead has adopted the name "Isketje", a title discovered last Thursday in the archives of the turkish foregin ministry.

[06] GREEKS DO NOT HAVE INHERITANCE RIGHTS HERE,SAYS TURK JUDGE

Turkey's Supreme Court has issued an opinion with which it denies greek citizens the right to inherit property estate or any other assets in the country.

The opinion, announced today, stemmed from a recent case heard in the 2nd Appellate Department of the Supreme Court regarding the inheritance to an heir who is a greek citizen.

In summary, the high court's opinion stated that "Greece, although in its jurisdiction does not undergo any obstacles, impedes with various ways the acquirement of greek property estate by turk citizens." The Court concluded that the clause of reciprocity in estate property inheritance is not observed by Greece.

This decision halts any hopes that greeks could claim the inheritance left by their ancestors who fled Turkey during the mass persecutions of 1955 and 1964, or those who died from natural causes.

The turkish daily "Zaman" in a first page article stated that "Turkey proceeds to legal retaliation against Greece." Furthermore, the article outlines that Article 35 of the turkish law regarding the acquirement of estate property, grants inheritance rights only under the clause of reciprocity.

Meanwhile, Turkey claims that the turk citizens living in Thrace do not have the right of buing and selling or of inheritance. This, however, is not true since, according to greek law, no discrimination is made among greek citizens and all are granted equal rights. It is a known fact, afterall, that muslims who are greek citizens and residents of Thrace have in the recent years acquired estate property on the area.

[07] COUNCIL OF OVERSEAS HELLENISM MET PRESIDENT OF REPUBLIC

Andrew Athens, President of the World Council of Overseas Hellenism and Presiding Board members met today with greek Republic President Kostis Stephanopoulos and assured him that they will do anything possible in order to support Greece's interests and to make the greek positions known to the US government officials.

The World Council delegation informed mr.Stephanopoulos on the efforts made within the framework of their contacts with White House officials regarding the issue of the greek-turkish crisis.

Meanwhile, mr.Athens is expected to deliver an open letter to greek Prime Minister Kostas Simitis calling for the appointment of an Undersecretary resposible for issues concerning the greeks living abroad. This post had been abolished in the new cabinet.

Tomorrow, the delegation will meet with greek Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos and with alternate Foreign Minister Giorgos Romeos while it will also meet and with US Ambassador to Athens mr.Thomas Niles. On Friday, the delegation will leave for Thessaloniki where it will have contacts with Minister of Macedonia-Thrace and with other local officials while on Monday it will leave for Constantinople.

[08] PASOK PARTY CONGRESS TO BE HELD IN JULY

Greek Prime Minister Konstantinos Simitis saluted today the government's Central Committee for its decision to hold the ruling socialist PASOK party congress between July 11 and 14.

In his statement, mr. Simitis said that the upcoming congress will constitute the beginning of a new period for the party, which is in need of a mass organization, open to the challenges and needs of the current times. "In order to achieve that," the Premier said, "we must leave aside entrenchments and motives."

Press and Mass Media Minister Dimitris Reppas later stated that Mr. Simitis' talk of "motives and entrenchments" was not an implication but rather an expression of a point of view based on principles and values. Moreover, Mr. Reppas added, the Premier's statement is aimed at anyone who promotes personal interests at the cost of the values and principles of PASOK.

"Soon," mr. Reppas said, "even the most distrustful will understand that PASOK is functioning collectively and differently."

[09] FYROM'S LIAISON OFFICE HEAD IN ATHENS PRESENTED CREDENTIALS

Head of FYROM's liaison office in Athens Liupco Arsofski presented his credentials to greek Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos. Mr.Arsofski assured mr. Pangalos that he will make every effort for the improvement of relations between the two countries.

Director of the Greek Foreign Ministry's Balkan Affairs Directorate mr.Dimitris Kipreos underlined the progress observed in the greek-skopjan relations and together with mr.Arsofski stressed that regarding the issue of the name there is the New York process and the issue is being discussed within its framework.

[10] PASOK LEADER'S HEALTH SHOWS CONSTANT IMPROVEMENT

According to the latest medical bulletin issued today by the Onasion Cardiosurgery Center, the health condition of PASOK leader Andreas Papandreou has remained stable during the past 24 hours.

"For the past two days, Mr. Papandreou has not had a fever and has not been supported by a respirator," the medical report stated.

The treating physicians are expressing their overall optimism and are satisfied by the course of the former prime minister's health. Also, Mr. Papandreou is now able to walk throughout the hospital's corridors unaided.

[11] GREEK PARLIAMENT PRESIDENT RECEIVED MOLDAVIAN COUNTERPART

Issues of bilateral interest were discussed today by greek Parliament President Apostolos Kaklamanis and his counterpart from Moldavia, Petri Lukinski who is on an official visit to Greece, as head of a three-member Parliament delegation, after an invitation by the greek Parliament.

In the meeting were discussed specific proposals for the further development of the relations between the two countries in the political, cultural and judicial sectors. Also, they exchanged views on the strengthening of the cooperation between the two Parliaments by establishing a Parliamentary Group of Friendship and by the exchange of Parliament delegations' visits.

The President of the Parliament in Moldavia thanked mr.Kaklamanis because Greece was among the first countries that in 1991 recognized Moldavia's independence and also for the activities of the greek businessmen in the country.

[12] "CYPRUS WEEK IN GREECE" TO BE HELD IN THESSALONIKI

The third exhibition of "Cyprus Week in Greece" is expectedto be a financial event with wide range dimensions as it will bring under one roof multiple cypriot businesses and consumers alike.

A business symposium taking place under the exhbition's auspices is expected to be a summit event that will bring together various greek and cypriot politicians.

The exhibition, result of a co-ordinated effort by the Authority of Cypriot Exhibitions of the Republic of Cyprus and Thessaloniki's International Fair organizer Helexpo, will take place betwen February 28 and March 3.

[13] THESSALONIKI'S TRADE CHAMBER DELEGATION TO VISIT FYROM

A delegation of Thessaloniki's Chamber of Trades will visit FYROM by the end of February or in early March. The visit initially had been scheduled to take place in the first two weeks of February but it was postponed in order to have time for the better preparation of the contacts with the skopjan businessmen.

According to the Chamber, businessmen have expressed strong interest in participating to the delegation. A special interest has been expressed by the food and drinks sectors and by the consumers' goods sector while there is also interest from the chemical industry sector.

[14] ATHENS-BELGRADE:NEW FLIGHTS INSTALLED BY OLYMPIC AIRWAYS

Greece's Olympic Airways recently completed its negotiations for the installment of flights that will connect Athens with Belgrade, a route currently monopolized by the Yugoslav airline company JAT.

The new route is expected to be especially profitable for OA as the number of passengers to and from both cities is on the rise as, following the international community's lift of sanctions imposed on Yugoslavia, a boom of business investors is expected in both countries.

The flights, which are awaited to commence as early as April, will possibly have a stopover in Thessaloniki.

[15] ATTACK AGAINST KURDISH CULTURAL CENTER BY MIT AGENTS

The bomb attack against the kurdish Cultural Center in Limassol that took place last Saturday was the work of turkish secret agents, according to Kurdistan's National Freedom Front representative in Athens, Tsevet Amed.

Mr.Amed mentioned that for the attack are responsible the same circles which murdered greek-cypriot Theophilos Georgiadis about two years ago.

He also denied the allegations according to which responsible for the bomb attack is the Democratic Party of Masout Barzani characterizing this information as "deliberate misinformation" aiming at hurting the friendly relations between Cyprus and Kurdistan.

Mr.Amed also added that the Front and Barzani's party do not bring their differencies outside their country and revealed that recently the two parties held a high level meeting for the establishment of a Kurdish National Congress.

[16] FOREIGN EXCHANGE RATE REPORT

CURRENCY          FIXING      BUY         SELL
ECU              303.1300   302.2210    304.0390
U.S. Dollar      243.0150   242.2860    243.7440
Deutsche Mark    164.8580   164.3630    165.3530
UK Sterling      372.3600   371.2430    373.4770
French Franc      48.9880    47.8440     48.1320
Swedish Crown     34.9250    34.8200     35.0300
Danish Kroner     42.6260    42.4980     42.7540
Norwegian Crown   37.7710    37.6580     37.8840
Italian Lira      15.4560    15.4100     15.5020
Swiss Franc      202.2300   201.6230    202.8370
Spanish Peseta     1.9600     1.9541      1.9659
Finnish Mark      52.5900    52.4320     52.7480
Yen              227.6200   226.9370    228.3030