From: Theodore Zarros Subject: News (in ENGLISH)- Fri, 20 May 1994 (Greek Press Office BBS, Ottawa). Athens News Agency Bulletin, New development bill tabled in Parliament ----------------------------------------- Athens, 20/5/1994 (ANA): The government yesterday tabled a new development bill in Parliament, providing for new categories of investments eligible for incentives. Introducing the bill, National Economy Minister Yiannos Papantoniou and Alternate National Economy Minister George Romaios said new categories would include expenditure for implementing long-term business plans to modernise the organisation and technology of industries with a view to increasing their competitive capacity. The bill introduces changes regarding the procedure for evaluating investment proposals. New categories include major industrial investments, others exclusively relating to modernisation of production machinery - provided there are no repercussions on the environment - and investments for relocating high-pollution manufacturing plants to specially-equipped industrial regions. Other incentive-eligible investments carry expenditure for certification of products and production processes, development and commercial exploitation of inventions, the establishment or expansion of quality-control laboratories, establishment of companies in Technology Parks, manufacture of new products not currently being produced by other companies in Greece, development of flexible production lines, creating centres for joint business activities and the supply of services with the participation of educational institutions and research centres, and ventures providing high technology services. Evert ----- Athens, 20/5/1994 (ANA): Main Opposition New Democracy Miltiades Evert yesterday criticised the government for tabling the development bill in Parliament with a delay of seven months. Mr. Evert said the bill had been tabled "after damage was done." He added that a group of ND experts would examine the bill, and "tomorrow (today) we will be in a position to speak of its effectiveness." Greece calls for other options to Cyprus settlement --------------------------------------------------- Athens, 20/5/1994 (ANA): Greece said yesterday that "alternative ways" of resolving the Cyprus problem should be examined in view of Turkey's continuing intransigence and lack of political will to work for a solution. Speaking to reporters after the latest fruitless meeting between the special envoy of UN Secretary General Boutros Boutros Ghali, Gustave Feissel, and Turkish-Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash Foreign Ministry spokesman Costas Bikas said: "Unfortunately, Greek concern that Turkish intransigence will continue appears to be borne out and, consequently, the time is now ripe for a true assessment of the situation regarding which side bears responsibility. This should be contained in the UN Secretary-General's report on the course of mediating efforts for the Cyprus problem, and should reflect the attitude of the Turkish side which, once again, displays lack of political will." "The UN," Mr. Bikas continued, "should no longer tolerate the continuing time-consuming tactics being followed by the Turkish side concerning a settlement of the Cyprus problem." Papantoniou denies EU Commission urging ECOFIN action on Greek public deficit ----------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 20/5/1994 (ANA): National Economy Minister Yiannos Papantoniou yesterday denied reports that the European Commission was urging EU Finance Ministers to recommend to Greece measures to deal with its soaring deficits. The reports were also dismissed by European Commissioner for Economic Affairs Henning Christophersen's spokesman, in Brussels. "It's black propaganda," Mr. Papantoniou told news media. Newspaper reports said the European Union's executive body was concerned with the state of the Greek economy and intended to ask the EU Council of Finance Ministers (ECOFIN) to intervene. Mr. Papantoniou said Athens had received no recommendation whatsoever from any organisation, and reiterated the government was not planning to impose new taxes. Mr. Christophersen's spokesman also told reporters in Brussels that the Commission did not intend to urge EU Finance Ministers to request Greece to battle its increasing deficit through a new set of measures. No Bank of Greece retaliation against foreign banks over drachma-Papantoniou -------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 20/5/1994 (ANA): National Economy Minister Yiannos Papantoniou denied press reports yesterday claiming the National Bank of Greece would send foreign banks an ultimatum cautioning them to stop speculating against the Greek drachma or it would freeze 60 percent of their as sets. "The Bank of Greece has shown it disposes of all necessary means to maintain the parity of the drachma," Mr. Papantoniou said. A Central Bank announcement also dismissed the reports as being "groundless", saying that "the Bank of Greece makes no distinction between Greek and foreign banks." The Athens daily "Eleftherotypia" reported the Bank of Greece planned to freeze up to 60 percent of the assets of foreign banks, if the latter continued speculating against the Greek drachma. The government freed capital flow with the European Union Monday. Greece fully enforces UN Yugo embargo - FM spokesman -------------------------------------------------- Athens, 20/5/1994 (ANA): The government has taken all necessary measures to secure enforcement by Greek authorities of sanctions against Serbia and Montenegro, Foreign Ministry spokesman Costas Bikas said yesterday. Mr. Bikas was replying to questions on press reports claiming the US was holding back 25 per cent of military aid to Greece because Athens was allegedly violating the embargo against Serbia. "To begin with," Mr. Bikas said, "the 7 to 10 ratio of US military aid to Greece and Turkey is maintained." "As for the possibility of US withholding part of its military aid to Greece until the Washington Administration concludes its report on the extent to which Greece is supposedly violating the embargo against Serbia, the Greek side has the following remarks to make: "The Greek government has taken all measures to ensure complete respect by Greek authorities for sanctions against Serbia and Montenegro, and full and constant co-operation with all international organisations, especially the CSCE co-ordinator on the sanctions, to secure complete and strict compliance with UN-related resolutions. "In addition, no charge has been levelled against Greece by any competent body. "On the other hand, the CSCE sanctions co-ordinator has repeatedly expressed satisfaction to the Greek government for measures it has taken and efforts it is making, despite the resulting considerable harm to the Greek economy." Greece lauds Frenchmen's' release by Bosnia Serbs ------------------------------------------------- Athens, 20/5/1994 (ANA): Greece welcomed the release Wednesday of eleven French aid workers held by Bosnian Serbs on arms smuggling charges, Foreign Ministry spokesman Costas Bikas said yesterday. The Foreign Ministry had received a request from French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe to mediate for the release. The spokesman said Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias had contacted both his Serbian counterpart in Belgrade and the foreign minister of the Bosnian Serbs requesting them to resolve the issue. Greece denies Turkish charges over PKK -------------------------------------- Athens, 20/5/1994 (ANA): Greece yesterday rejected a Turkish demarche claiming members of the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) were being trained in Greek territory to carry out acts of terrorism in Turkey. The demarche was conveyed by the Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister to Greek Ambassador to Ankara Alexandros Philonas. The Greek envoy rejected the Turkish demarche as "totally vague and unfounded", government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said. The spokesman attributed the Turkish demarche to efforts "to export its domestic problems" and said that Greece would not contribute to the creation of a climate of artificial tension "which is the outcome of similar demarches and statements by Turkish officials". "Greece unreservedly condemns all acts of violence and terrorism," Mr. Venizelos said, adding that the PKK had no official representation in Greece. Bulgarian FM due in Athens, visit of "particular importance" ------------------------------------------------------------ Athens, 20/5/1994 (ANA): Bulgarian Foreign Minister Stanislav Daskalov will pay a three-day visit to Greece beginning May 23 at the invitation of his Greek counterpart Karolos Papoulias, the Foreign Ministry announced yesterday. Foreign Ministry spokesman Costas Bikas said that Greece attached "particular importance" to its relations with Bulgaria. "As demonstrated by recent developments," Mr. Bikas said, "the very good relations between Greece and Bulgaria are a stabilising factor in the Balkans." Former PM trial on phone tapping case almost certain ---------------------------------------------------- Athens, 20/5/1994 (ANA): Former Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis looks certain to stand trial before a special court, after a parliamentary committee said yesterday he should be indicted for involvement in a phone-tapping scandal. The move to prosecute Mr. Mitsotakis was led by socialist and hard-line communist deputies, who formed the majority in an all-party investigative committee. Strong opposition was voiced by conservative lawmakers who said they would present Parliament with a separate finding. A senior prosecutor's report to Parliament in December said between the period of 1988 to 1991 there had been "repeated violations of telephone calls, of discussions, of use of information and tapes obtained in illegal ways." The report was issued following a probe ordered by Mr. Mitsotakis last spring, after a former employee of the state-run phone company (OTE) said he had systematically bugged the phones of Mr. Mitsotakis' political rivals. The employee, Christos Mavrikis, said he tapped the phones on orders of Mr. Mitsotakis' security Chief, Army General Nikos Grillakis (Ret.). "The socialists view Mr. Mavrikis as the sole source of truth when, in reality, he made a fool of himself before the Committee and had been caught telling lies several times during his testimony," said Nikos Katsaros, a conservative member of the committee. Dora Bakoyiannis, daughter of the ex-premier and former Culture Minister, also faced allegations of involvement in the scandal, but the committee said they found no incriminating evidence against her. Mr. Mitsotakis has repeatedly denied involvement saying the case was politically motivated by his socialist foes who control the majority of Greece's 300-seat parliament. Russian, Greek Commerce Chambers sign co-operation protocol ---------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 20/5/1994 (ANA): The Russian Federal Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry concluded a protocol of co-operation yesterday. The agreement, signed by the presidents of the two chambers, Stanislav Smirnov and Ioannis Papathanasiou, aims at facilitating members of the two Chambers, including any person interested in entering markets of the two countries, to take advantage of opportunities for joint co-operation, investments, establishment of joint enterprises and transfer of technology and know-how. Other aims include providing information and assistance to members for participating in Russian and Greek trade fairs, seminars, banquets and lectures on economy. Help will also be provided for organising trade missions aimed at expanding and increasing the volume of trade exchanges between the two countries. Greece reaffirms human rights for good relations with Albania ------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 20/5/1994 (ANA): Greece reiterated yesterday it desired good relations with Albania, noting this would hinge on Tirana's respect for the rights of the ethnic Greek minority in the neighbouring country. "Relations (between Greece and Albania) should be multi-faceted so that they may contribute to security and stability in the Balkans," Foreign Ministry spokesman Costas Bikas said. The spokesman added Greece respected the territorial integrity of the neighbouring country, adding there was great potential for developing economic relations between the two Balkan states. Referring to the possibility of another meeting between the foreign ministers of the two countries, Karolos Papoulias and Alfred Sereqi, the spokesman reiterated that "in order that there should be substantive progress in Greek-Albanian relations, such a meeting should first be prepared at the level of foreign ministry officials...". Mr. Bikas said that Greece's positions had been conveyed to the Albanian side by the Foreign Ministry Director of Albanian Affairs Petros Angelakis, to the Albanian ambassador in Athens and Greece's ambassador to Tirana during talks with the Albanian foreign under-secretary. Replying to questions on the continuing detention by the Albanian authorities of five members of the ethnic Greek political organisation "Omonia", Mr. Bikas said that "co-ordinated efforts" were being made at international organisations to secure their release and ensure respect for the rights of the Greek minority in Albania.