Subject: News I, 6/08/93 Athens News Agency Bulletin, August 6, 1993 =========================================== Athens, 6/8/1993 (ANA): Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis is due to go to Belgrade today to meet with Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic, the government said in an announcement yesterday. It said the trip was arranged following telephone consultations with European Community leaders and international mediators Lord Owen and Thorvald Stoltenberg. After Belgrade, the premier will go to Brussels where he is scheduled to attend funeral services tomorrow for King Baudouin of Belgium. Mr. Mitsotakis will also meet with EC Commission President Jacques Delors, the announcement said. On Monday and Tuesday, Mr. Mitsotakis had telephone contacts with Mr. Milosevic following a request by Mr. Owen and Mr. Stoltenberg for Greek intervention to help break the impasse in the Geneva talks. The talks, which seemed close to collapse, appeared revived again yesterday after Bosnian Serbs offered to quit heights overlooking Sarajevo and open two routes into the capital, demonstrating they had the upper hand but wanted to salvage peace talks and ward off threatened NATO air strikes. Meanwhile in Brussels, a NATO spokesman said alliance aircraft have stepped up training exercises over Sarajevo in preparation for proposed air cover for UN peacekeepers. Belgrade, 6/8/1993 (ANA - A. Kourkoulas): Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholoemos arrived in Belgrade yesterday on the first leg of a Balkan tour, which includes visits to Romania and Bulgaria. Arriving in Belgrade, the Patriarch referred to the tribulations of the Serbian people and expressed the orthodox Church's support in these difficult times. "We are here as bearers of a message of faith, love and hope for the Serbian people. All problems, no matter how difficult, should be settled by dialogue, not war", he said at a sermon following church services later yesterday at Belgrade Cathedral. The Ecumenical Patriarch was greeted at the airport by Patriarch Pavle of Serbia and church officials. His plane was given special clearance to land at Belgrade airport, where air traffic has been halted by United Nations sanctions against Serbia and Montenegro. Athens, 6/8/1993 (ANA): The General Secretariat for Greeks Abroad hosted 145 youths aged between 15 and 25 years from Greek communities in Europe, the United States, Australia, Canada and Africa at a special summer programme. The month-long programme, which began July 16, included tours of historical and archaeological sites and classes in Greek language and culture. Athens, 6/8/1993 (ANA): Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis received the US Charge d' Affaires to discuss issues of mutual concern, government spokesman Vassilis Manginas said yesterday. Athens, 6/8/1993 (ANA): Premier Constantine Mitsotakis yesterday chaired a meeting to discuss the partial privatisation of the Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation (OTE), government spokesman Vassilis Manginas said. He said the procedure for privatising the phone company would be outlined in draft legislation that would encompass all of the government's policy objectives. The spokesman reiterated the premier's statement Wednesday that the state would retain the majority 51 per cent share in the company as well as the majority on OTE's board of directors. The government has said it will sell 35 per cent of OTE's shares to a strategic investor. Ten per cent of its shares will be sold on the Athens Stock Exchange and the remaining four per cent will be distributed free to OTE employees. The government's goals in privatising the phone company include modernising the phone utility and eliminate bureaucratic obstacles and other administrative delays in its decision-making process, he added. Responding to press questions, Mr. Manginas said there was complete agreement on the company's privatisation, although some differences of opinion has been expressed concerning the details of the process. The meeting was attended by National Economy and Finance Minister Stephanos Manos, Communications and Transport Minister Theodoros Anagnostopoulos and other officials. Athens, 6/8/1993 (ANA): Private deposits rose by 31 billion Drs in the first half of 1993, compared with an increase of 596 billion Drs in the corresponding period last year, according to figures released yesterday by the Bank of Greece. During the same period, according to the central bank figures, investment in REPOS (repurchase options on state securities) rose by 360 billion Drs, as against a drop of 67 billion Drs in the same period of 1992. Investment in state securities with maturity dates of up to one year were 151 billion Drs, down to 379 billion Drs from 530 billion Drs in the first half of 1992. The Bank of Greece said in a statement that it views this development as positive since it indicates a shift in the investing public's preferences towards securities with a duration of over one year. The central bank said the money supply in the broad sense (M3), which includes currency in circulation, private deposits, REPOS and bank bonds, rose by 333 billion Drs in the first half of 1993, compared with an increase of 584 billion Drs in the corresponding period of 1992. Athens, 6/8/1993 (ANA): Inflation was running at an annual rate of 15.7 per cent at the end of July, compared with 13.6 in July 1992 and 18.8 per cent in July 1991, according to figures released yesterday by the National Statistics Service. According to the same figures, the consumer price index fell by 1.9 per cent in July this year, equalling the July 1992 drop. National Statistics Service Secretary General Emmanuel Kontopyrakis projected a drop in the annual inflation rate to 14.5 per cent in August and to around 13.3 per cent in September. An annual rate of 12.3 per cent for the year was possible, he added. Athens, 6/8/1993 (ANA): Premier Constantine Mitsotakis yesterday chaired a meeting to discuss shipping cooperation with Russia, government spokesman Vassilis Manginas said. The spokesman said the meeting was called to follow-up on issues raised during a recent visit by Russian President Boris Yeltsin. The meeting was attended by Merchant Marine Minister Alexandre Papadongonas, Foreign Undersecretary Virginia Tsouderou and National Economy Undersecretary Theodoros Kassimis, he added.