[01] THE PRIME MINISTER ARRIVES LATE THIS AFTERNOON IN THESSALONIKI TO INAUGURATE THE CITY'S 61ST INTERNATIONAL TRADE FAIR

[02] THE PRE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN OF THE POLITICAL PARTIES OF THE OPPOSITION

[03] MR.SIMITIS' INTERVIEW TO THE NEWSPAPER "ANGELIOFOROS"

[04] THE EUROPEAN UNION SHOULD SUPPORT THE POSITIONS OF ITS MEMBER- STATES, STATED THE PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

[05] FOREIGN MINISTER PANGALOS WILL MAKE A ONE-DAY FORMAL VISIT TO PORTUGAL

[06] 30 US HOUSE REPRESENTATIVES SENT A LETTER TO PRESIDENT CLINTON CALLING FOR JUSTICE IN THE CASE OF THE KILLING OF THE TWO GREEK-CYPRIOTS

NEWS IN DETAIL

[01] THE PRIME MINISTER ARRIVES LATE THIS AFTERNOON IN THESSALONIKI TO INAUGURATE THE CITY'S 61ST INTERNATIONAL TRADE FAIR

Prime Minister, Kostas Simitis arrives late this afternoon in Thessaloniki to inaugurate the city's 61st International Trade Fair, while his speech on the economic programme of his government is expected with great interest.

The Prime Minister is expected at Thessaloniki's Macedonia Airport at 6:45'pm in the afternoon and at 8pm in the evening will formally open the international exhibition. The International Trade Fair will be open to the public starting tomorrow morning, and at 9:30' tomorrow evening the Prime Minister will present an account of the government's work and his government's economic programme, during a formal dinner that will be given in his honour by the management of Thessaloniki's International Trade Fair.

[02] THE PRE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN OF THE POLITICAL PARTIES OF THE OPPOSITION

A New Democracy party delegation will visit the Ministry of Finance in order to analyze the recent announcements made by the party's leader, Miltiadis Evert on the economy and on ways of ensuring the necessary resources for their implementation.

On Saturday, mr.Evert will visit the city of Larisa and on Sunday will speak in an outdoors political rally in the central square of the town of Karditsa.

Meanwhile, New Democracy's honorary President, Konstantinos Mitsotakis began a three-day tour in the Peloponnese, while today he will speak in an outdoors meeting in the town of Argos. On Saturday, he will visit the regions of Tripoli and Sparta and on Sunday will tour the prefectures of Mesinia and Ilia.

Political Spring party leader, Antonis Samaras begins a tour on the island of Crete today.

Communist party General Secretary, Aleka Papariga speaking to National Bank of Greece employees wondered how can the big political parties speak about a pro-people development policy in their programmes, at a time when they have as their guide the european convergence programme. Ms.Papariga also reiterated the Communist party proposal for the holding of a referendum on the Maastricht Treaty.

Coalition of the Left party leader, Nikos Konstantopoulos, who is on a tour in the city of Volos stated that the policies followed until now are policies that are not justified by the greek society, the greek people or the existing situation.

Mr.Konstantopoulos later will visit the cities of Karditsa and Larisa and assured his party's supporters that the party will honour the percentage of votes it will get in the elections and will fight in order to bring a change in the existing setting and policies.

Democratic Social Movement President, Dimitris Tsovolas is going to speak today in an outdoor political rally in the city of Kalamata.

[03] MR.SIMITIS' INTERVIEW TO THE NEWSPAPER "ANGELIOFOROS"

Prime Minister, Kostas Simitis in his interview to Thessaloniki daily "ANGELIOFOROS", stated that the radical changes that took place in the past 6 years in the Balkans have made Northern Greece and Thessaloniki the right place for the development of a new greek policy in the Balkans.

Mr.Simitis pointed out that Northern Greece with the city of Thessaloniki, is a region with great potential that needs the construction of public works projects in order to become the metropolitan center of a wider region embracing all the neighbouring Balkan states.

Mr.Simitis stated that the development of Thessaloniki is a top priority in PASOK's complete plan for a strong Greece.

The Prime Minister also said that in the period of 1993-1996, PASOK governed the country with firmness, responsibility and consistency, while 150 thousand new jobs were created without causing the over-expansion of the public sector. Also, mr.Simitis said that the government of PASOK has established new infrastructures and new institutions that support the middle-sized businesses.

[04] THE EUROPEAN UNION SHOULD SUPPORT THE POSITIONS OF ITS MEMBER- STATES, STATED THE PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

European Parliament President, Klaus Haensch met with New Democracy leader, Miltiadis Evert and they discussed issues concerning the greek-turkish relations, the recent events in Cyprus and the European Union.

The New Democracy leader characterized mr.Haensch as his personal friend and as Greece's friend and stated that he is one of the first europeans who had stated that the greek borders are european borders and vice versa, while he has asked the European Parliament to condemn the turkish stance in the latest incidents that took place in Cyprus.

Mr.Evert repeated that his party supports a confederate Europe in which every member-state will keep its national identity intact.

The european Parliament President stated that Europe must support the positions of its member-states and can not remain neutral to the problems Greece is facing with Turkey.

Mr.Haensch added that the European Parliament has repeatedly proven with its decisions that it supports peace and is against Cyprus' division, while he promised that the efforts for the improvement of the situation will intensify.

[05] FOREIGN MINISTER PANGALOS WILL MAKE A ONE-DAY FORMAL VISIT TO PORTUGAL

Foreign Minister, Theodoros Pangalos left today for a one-day visit to Portugal and afterwards will go to Dublin to participate in the Informal Council of EU Foreign Ministers.

Mr.Pangalos will brief the european partners on the latest developments in the greek-turkish relations, as well as on the recent events in Cyprus. He will also emphasize that Ankara has not given yet a response to the common position expressed by the EU partners during the last Council of Foreign Ministers regarding the terms and the pre-conditions for the normalization of the Euro- Turkish relations and the release of EU funds for Turkey.

[06] 30 US HOUSE REPRESENTATIVES SENT A LETTER TO PRESIDENT CLINTON CALLING FOR JUSTICE IN THE CASE OF THE KILLING OF THE TWO GREEK-CYPRIOTS

Thirty US House Representatives sent a letter to US President Bill Clinton calling him to persist in bringing to justice those guilty of the killing of the two greek-cypriots.

They characterized the actions of the turkish occupation forces as barbaric and stressed that there should be a reaction.

Also, they strongly criticized the actions and the statements made by turkish Foreign Minister, Tansu Ciller while they stressed that the United States can not look the other way when Turkey kills citizens of US allies.

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