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A.N.A. Bulletin 16/3/95From: " Greek Press Office BBS, Ottawa" < grnewsca@sympatico.ca>ATHENS NEWS AGENCY BULLETIN, March 16, 1995 Ellnviko Grafeio Tupou kai Plnroforiwv Ottawa, Canada E-Mail Address: grnewsca@sympatico.ca) CONTENTS ======== [1] November 17 terrorist group suspected of attack on TV channel [2] Premier comes down hard on PASOK dissenters [3] Reactions [4] The Five [5] Government spokesman [6] Stephanopoulos to have first meeting with Papandreou tomorrow [7] Vance meets with Crvenkovski, Zacharakis at UN? more meetings expected [8] Greece to follow EU line on clashes in Istanbul [9] Anthopoulos begins Australian, New Zealand tour [10] Greece, Iran agree to co-operate on terror, drugs and smuggling [11] Triarides meets with Kazakhstani ministers [12] Premier meets with pensioners: minor changes will be made [13] Premier says 'objective criteria' mean social justice for all [14] Parliament committee gives green light for sale of Skaramangas [15] Greek film extravaganza to begin in Paris next week [16] Ionian Academy to be re-established ================================================================= [1] November 17 terrorist group suspected of attack on TV channel ----------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 16/03/1995 (ANA): A senior police official said last night an explosion at one of Greece's top private television stations last night bore all the hallmarks of the November 17 terrorist group. The blast, apparently caused by a rocket-propelled grenade, in the outer Athens suburb of Peania shortly before 9 p.m. last night caused extensive damage to MEGA television studios but no injuries. Cars parked nearby were also damaged. Attica police chief Christos Keramidas said that the police believed the attack was the work of the November 17 group as the weapon had been identified as one of those stolen from an army camp in Larissa. No group had claimed responsibility until late last night. Police said the rocket was launched from the terrace of a building 120-150 metres away from the station. Two clocks, batteries and a fuse pipe were found at the launching spot. Government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos condemned the incident shortly after the explosion, saying it was " unprecedented." " The government condemns any terrorist attack (including those) against the media and the press," Mr. Venizelos said. Later, Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou condemned the blast. " The vicious circle of terrorism continued today with the target the very institution of the free press. The condemnation of such acts from all political forces in Greek society is a given. Today, this phenomenon took new, more provocative dimensions, a s a blind strike without warning." Main opposition New Democracy party leader Miltiades Evert also condemned the attack, calling it a " worrying phenomenon." " It is especially worrying when the mass media are attacked at such a critical period," Mr. Evert said. Political Spring party leader Antonis Samaras described the incident as " unprecedented and cowardly" saying it was waged against freedom of information and pluralism. Coalition of the Left and Progress, Nikos Constantopoulos condemned the " terrorists' criminal attack" saying it was a blow against democracy and the freedom of the press. Public Order Under-Secretary Sifis Valyrakis said the incident was a " methodical terrorist attack aiming at destabilisation." The board of the Union of Journalists of Athens Dailies (ESHEA) in a statement condemned the attack, describing it as a blind strike against democracy and the dissemination of information and stressed that journalists would remain faithful to their duties. The Foreign Press Association also condemned the attack and expressed its support to the Greek colleagues affected. [2] Premier comes down hard on PASOK dissenters ----------------------------------------------- Athens, 16/03/1995 (ANA): Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou yesterday accused dissenters within the ruling party of " undermining the social work of the government and causing anxiety in the business world" . The ruling Panhellenic Socialist Movement has called five high-profile dissenters within the party to give an account of themselves at a meeting of the party's Ethics Committee tomorrow. The five are Theodoros Pangalos, Dimitris Tsovolas, Vasso Papandreou, Yiannis Papaspyrou and Christos Kipouros. Sources said the decision to call the five was prompted by statements made by the first three in recent months and by statements by Mr. Papaspyrou and Mr. Kipouros in the run-up to the election of a new president of the republic. " We are following the provisions of the (party) charter. It is clear that they have overstepped certain limits. No matter how prominent they are, there are certain limits of propriety," the prime minister said. The premier also said the five were " giving the impression that something is going wrong and that changes must be made" . Mr. Papandreou stressed that the decision to call the five before the Ethics Committee had been taken by the party's Executive Bureau. The prime minister also categorically denied reports of an imminent cabinet reshuffle. " There has never been any thought of a reshuffle," he said, adding that there would not be even the slightest change in the composition of the government in the immediate future. Finally, he said that, within the next few days, he would announce an initiative for changes in the law on ministerial accountability, party finances, and the constitution. [3] Reactions ------------- Athens, 16/03/1995 (ANA): Trade and Industry Minister Costas Simitis, another prominent party dissident, stated after returning from London yesterday that prohibitions and disciplinary action were not a solution to problems or party unity, and defended the freedom to criticise. He acknowledged, however, that there were certain breaches of proper conduct among cadres. Head of the PASOK group in the European Parliament and Executive Bureau member Paraskevas Avgerinos described the referral of the five to the Ethics Committee as the " worst possible option, incomprehensible and unacceptable" . Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias, speaking in Ioannina, north-western Greece, said he approved of the referral of dissidents to the Ethics Committee, saying there was confusion as to what PASOK wanted, and the situation was worrisome for the base of the party. He also claimed there would be no problem from a possible expulsion or the imposition of sanctions against cadres, saying the party had plenty of reserves. Commenting on former alternate foreign minister Theodoros Pangalos' statement Monday that instead of looking for the cause of fever, PASOK was " trampling on the thermometer" , Mr. Papoulias said, " Mr. Pangalos may have high fever and break the thermometer himself..." [4] The Five ------------ Athens, 16/03/1995 (ANA): By late last night, of the five cadres summoned to appear before the Ethics Committee, only deputy Christos Kipouros had positively stated that he would do so. He expressed surprise at being summoned for expressing disagreement with the lifting of the government's veto on Turkey's customs union with the European Union and said his case was very different from the other four. Former finance minister Dimitris Tsovolas and deputy Yiannis Papaspyrou said they would refuse to appear, the former comparing the Ethics Committee to a " kangaroo court" , and the latter saying he did not know the reasons why he was being summoned. Mr. Pangalos said he had not thought about his reply to the summons, and added that although he agreed with the prime minister's view that there were problems begging for a solution in the party, disciplinary action was not the appropriate way. Ms Papandreou stated that as a PASOK member she was ashamed and indignant at the methods some people in the party pursued, which sabotaged the efforts for an effective solution to the problems faced by Greek society. " For my part, I can still look everyone in the eye," she said. [5] Government spokesman ------------------------ Athens, 16/03/1995 (ANA): Government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos yesterday dismissed a claim by former New Democracy prime minister Constantine Mitsotakis that the ruling party was about to disintegrate, saying such statements were the reflection of the main opposition's own internal problems. In reply to a question whether recent developments in the party presented dangers to its cohesion, he said the government possessed a comfortable majority of 170 and there was no problem of either political or government stability. Mr. Venizelos refused to comment on the referral of the five to the Ethics Committee. [6] Stephanopoulos to have first meeting with Papandreou tomorrow ----------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 16/03/1995 (ANA): Greece's new president, Kostis Stephanopoulos, will have his first official meeting with Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou tomorrow, government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos announced yesterday. The spokesman said that the purpose of the meeting, which is being held on the initiative of Mr. Papandreou, was to allow the premier to brief Mr. Stephanopoulos on " all the current domestic and foreign problems facing the country" . He clarified that the issue of revising the constitution would not be raised during the meeting, since only parliament was competent to deal with the matter. Meanwhile, Mr. Stephanopoulos yesterday met with former parliamentary presidents Ioannis Alevras and Athanasios Tsaldaris. [7] Vance meets with Crvenkovski, Zacharakis at UN, more meetings expected --------------------------------------------------- New York, 16/03/1995 (ANA - M. Georgiadou): Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) Foreign Minister Stevo Crvenkovski and Gre-ece's representative at the United Nations Ambassador Christos Zacharakis had separate talks in New York Tuesday with UN mediator for the Skopje issue Cyrus Vance. Asked about his meeting with Mr. Vance, Mr. Crvenkovski said that it was " nothing special." " I met with Mr. Vance and we will probably meet again soon, but I don't know when," he said. Mr. Zacharakis told reporters that " negotiations could begin again, provided the necessary prerequisites exist" . He did not rule out the possibility of further meetings with Mr. Vance when Mr. Crvenkovski returns from Washington to New York tomorrow. Also present at the Vance-Crvenkovski and Vance-Zacharakis meetings was US President Bill Clinton's special envoy on the Skopje issue Matthew Nimetz. Asked if conditions were ripe for the continuation of efforts by Mr. Vance to find a settlement to the dispute between Athens and Skopje, Mr. Nimetz replied: " For as long as there is no real progress, there is no progress at all. Therefore we are continuing the talks." Skopje's parliament was expected yesterday to adopt a draft law on a new emblem for the republic, which differs from the original proposal of the Star of Vergina, but the discussion was put off. According to an ANA despatch from Belgrade, the draft law proposes the same emblem for FYROM as the one it had when part of former Yugoslavia, but without the red star. The emblem proposed by the Social Democratic Union party will feature the poppy, tobacco, wheat, mountains and a sun which in no way resembles the Star of Vergina -- an ancient Greek symbol which has been one of the causes of dispute between Athens and Skopje. [8] Greece to follow EU line on clashes in Istanbul --------------------------------------------------- Athens, 16/03/1995 (ANA): Greece will act in the same way as the other European Union member states with regard to the recent events in Turkey, government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said yesterday replying to questions on recent clashes between Alawites and police in the neighbouring country. Asked to comment on accusations made in Turkey that Greece is behind the violence, Mr. Venizelos said the accusations were " the usual nonsense and artificial tension." Such accusations are of " much less importance" when they are not made by the Turkish government, the spokesman added. [9] Anthopoulos begins Australian, New Zealand tour --------------------------------------------------- Melbourne, 16/03/1995 (ANA - S. Hatzimanolis): National Economy Under-Secretary Ioannis Anthopoulos arrived in New Zealand yesterday, his first stop on a 15-day tour that will also take in Australia. The tour aims to promote economic and trade relations between Greece, Australia and New Zealand. Mr. Anthopoulos is accompanied by government officials and approximately 20 businessmen. During his stay, Mr. Anthopoulos will discuss issues of economic and trade co-operations with officials in both countries and the further promotion of economic relations. [10] Greece, Iran agree to co-operate on combating terrorism, drugs and smuggling -------------------------------------------------- Athens, 16/03/1995 (ANA): Greece and Iran yesterday signed an agreement aimed at combating terrorism, drug trafficking and smuggling. The agreement, between the Public Order Ministry and the Iranian Interior Ministry, was signed in Tehran by Public Order Minister Stelios Papathemelis who began a visit to the Iranian capital on Tuesday. During talks with his Iranian counterpart, Mr. Papathemelis underlined the seriousness of the Turkish threat against Greece and warned of Turkish expansionism which also harmed Iranian interests. The Iranian side welcomed Greece's initiative on the Bosnian crisis and stressed that Tehran shared an identity of views with Athens. The foreign ministers of Iran, Greece and Bosnia-Herzegovina had talks on the Bosnian crisis in Athens last week as part of Greece's efforts to contribute to a solution to the crisis and will resume talks in Tehran at the end of April on ways to bring peace to the war-torn former Yugoslav republic. Mr. Papathemelis is due to sign a police co-operation accord aimed at improving bilateral relations and have talks in Syria today. He is also expected to discuss the rekindling of Greece's initiative for peace in the Middle East. [11] Triarides meets with Kazakhstani ministers ----------------------------------------------- Athens, 16/03/1995 (ANA): Macedonia-Thrace Minister Constantine Triarides yesterday met with Kazahkstan's Public Works Minister Samil Bekpoulatov and his Under-Secretary Igor Berner, currently visiting Greece. Their visit aims at investigating opportunities for co-operation with Greek construction companies for road-building projects in Kazakhstan. The two officials also expressed their wish for further strengthening of bilateral relations with the opening of an embassy in Athens and a consulate in Thessaloniki, as well as the opening of an air route between the capital of Kazakhstan, Alma Ata, with Thessaloniki. Mr. Triarides assured Mr. Bekpoulatov and Mr. Berner that he will support any business initiative s and that there is a specific programme for 1996 for the promotion of co-operation in the economic and trade sectors, through a series of meetings and visits to Kazakhstan. [12] Premier meets with pensioners: minor changes will be made -------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 16/03/1995 (ANA): Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou said yesterday that the government would announce measures to support old-age pensioners on March 31 but stressed that the situation in public finances did not allow " great changes" this year. Speaking to reporters after a one-hour meeting with pensioners' representatives, Mr. Papandreou acknowledged that certain pensions were below what they should be, describing them as a little more than " tips" . He said that most " but not all" of the pensioners' demands were just and expressed his " regret, outrage and indignation" over the force used by riot police against pensioners outside his official residence last week. " I have already apologised for what happened," Mr. Papandreou said, describing as " sabotage" the incident in which police fired tear gas at pensioners trying to break through a police cordon. " If there is any repetition," he said, " the penalties will be severe" , adding that this applied to " anyone who attempts in such a manner to dynamite social peace" . The pensioners' representatives, however, expressed dissatisfaction over the results of their talks with Mr. Papandreou. Their co-ordinating body was due to meet yesterday to decide what stance they should take. Two of the representatives told reporters after the meeting that they were " leaving empty-handed" . Political Spring party leader Antonis Samaras called on the government to raise pensions. Mr. Samaras called on Mr. Papandreou to use revenues from state securities to fund the pension increases. [13] Premier says 'objective criteria' mean social justice for all ------------------------------------------------------------------ Athens, 16/03/1995 (ANA): Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou said yesterday that the government could not countenance the widespread objections to the new " objective criteria" for estimating taxable income. " Either we promote social justice or give up," the premier said after a meeting with pensioners. " There can be no classes not paying taxes." Farmers and merchants protesting the new bill were yesterday joined by handicraftsmen and trades-people, who said they would hold a 24-hour strike towards the end of the month. A delegation of the General Confederation of Workers of Greece (GSEE) met Finance Minister Alecos Papadopoulos yesterday to convey unionists demands on the " objective criteria" . GSEE President Christos Protopappas said he considered the implementation of the law essential and that extreme and isolated cases of injustices could be met with amendments allowing for taxation justice. Main opposition New Democracy party leader Miltiades Evert strongly criticised the government's economic and taxation policy, saying the government's refusal to embark on a dialogue with pensioners, farmers, handicraftsmen and self-employed professionals had led to deadlock and great social unrest. Mr. Evert said the taxation bill led to recession because the Finance Ministry ultimately received less revenue than it could have and because chaos still prevailed with circulars on its implementation. Meanwhile, the Struggle Co-ordination Committee (SEA) of handicraftsmen and trades-people yesterday called a 24-hour nation-wide strike on March 29. SEA warned it would call a 48-hour strike next time unless its claims were met which include abolition of the objective criteria, measures to restrict the operation of multinational stores, measures for working space and shops' working hours and funding for small and medium-size enterprises. SEA President Dimitris Korfiatis said three letters containing the sector's claims had been addressed to the prime minister urging him to intervene but had received no response so far. He said SEA would resort to justice to have the taxation law declared unconstitutional and that mobilisation planned in various cities throughout the country would go ahead as scheduled. [14] Parliament committee gives green light for sale of Skaramangas ------------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 16/03/1995 (ANA): A parliamentary committee yesterday approved the draft bill providing for the privatisation and sale of Hellenic Shipyards-Skaramangas, which has been met with strong opposition from labour unions. Arguing in favour of privatisation, Alternate Industry Minister Christos Rokofyllos said that the shipyard was heavily in debt and European Union directives dictated its sale. The government, he said, was in favour of selling the shipyard " but not for a pittance" , and would make every effort to secure the highest possible price. " Any eventual contract (of sale) will have to be ratified by Parliament and the final decision therefore lies with the House," Mr. Rokofyllos said. The main opposition New Democracy rapporteur, Athanasios Nakos, said that ND was in favour of privatisation " but not in this way" , demanding that the draft bill be withdrawn and replaced by another " which is in line with international practice" . Both the Political Spring party and the Communist Party of Greece opposed the draft bill. The General Confederation of Workers of Greece (GSEE) and Attica Labour Centres rallied outside Parliament on Monday to protest the proposed sale of the shipyard. Workers at the shipyard, the biggest shipbuilding and ship-repair unit in the eastern Mediterranean, staged a 24-hour strike in February to protest the government's plans. Last month, shipyard workers prevented representatives of a Swedish company interested in buying Hellenic Shipyards from entering and inspecting the installations. The deadline for offers from prospective buyers participating in an international tender for the purchase of up to 100 per cent of the shares of Hellenic Shipyards expires on March 20. [15] Greek film extravaganza to begin in Paris next week -------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 16/03/1995 (ANA): The most extensive retrospective of Greek cinema ever shown abroad will open at the Georges Pompidou Cultural Centre in Paris on March 22. Dedicated to the memory of actress Melina Mercouri, Greece's late culture minister, the event will showcase more than 100 Greek motion pictures. The four-month retrospective covering the period 1926 to 1995 is organised by the Greek Film Centre and is a follow-up to the highly successful " Cine-mythology" Greek cinema festival that opened in April 1993 at New York's Museum of Modern Art and is still running, having been screened in over 30 film libraries and cinemas in the United States, Australia and Canada. The films to be screened during the retrospective, at the Pompidou Centre's Garance Hall, range from Joseph Hepp's 1926 production " The Adventures of Vilar" to Theodore Angelopoulos' " Ulysses' Gaze" (1995). Apart from the more well-known classics, such as Michael Cacoyannis' two internationally-renowned films, " Zorba the Greek" (1964, starring Anthony Quinn) and " Stella" (1955), and Jules Dassin's " Never on Sunday" (1959), both of which starred Mercouri, the selection will include such classics as Orestis Laskos' " Daphnis and Chloe" (1931), Nikos Koundouros' " The Little Aphrodites" (1963), Angelopoulos' " Alexander the Great" (1980), George Katakouzinos' " Angelos" (1982), Kostas Ferris' " Rembetiko" (1983), Pandelis Voulgaris' " The Stone Years" (1985), Kostas Vrettakos' " The Children of Hellidona" (1987) and Periklis Hoursoglou's " Lefteris" (1993). [16] Ionian Academy to be re-established ---------------------------------------- Athens, 16/03/1995 (ANA): Greece is to re-open a nineteenth century school on the Ionian island of Corfu to conduct research, in collaboration with the London School of Economics and the University of Paris, on issues of concern to united Europe. Education Minister George Papandreou said the Ionian Academy, which closed in 1864, would be re-opened to conduct research on institutional, political and economic sectors in Europe, social and regional inequalities within the European Union and the evolution of relations between the North and South and East and West. The Ionian Academy was founded in 1824 and funded by the English count and philhellene, Frederick Guilford. It closed in 1864 after students gradually began to attend the Athens University. Mr. Papandreou said that the academy will be re-established through a presidential decree, under the supervision of the ministry and will have co-operation with the London School of Economics and the University of Paris. According to the minister, former president of the European Commission Jacques Delors has " strongly supported" the effort. |
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