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Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 97-04-11

Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: The Greek Press & Information Office, Ottawa Canada <grnewsca@sympatico.ca>

ATHENS NEWS AGENCY BULLETIN (No 1161), April 11, 1997

Greek Press & Information Office
Ottawa, Canada
E-Mail Address: grnewsca@sympatico.ca


CONTENTS

  • [01] Greece briefed by Dutch presidency on consultations in Ankara
  • [02] EU-Turkey Association Council session April 29
  • [03] Official Simitis visit to Austria
  • [04] G. Papandreou-Niles meeting focuses on Greek-Turkish relations
  • [05] Kranidiotis in Cyprus
  • [06] KYSEA to rubber stamp Albanian force next week
  • [07] Europarliament ratifies joint resolution on Albania
  • [08] Apostolakis visit to US continues with tour of General Dynamics plant
  • [09] FYROM official says Athens-Skopje relations vital for his nation's stabilization
  • [10] Gov't-PASOK committee on social dialogue issue 19-point text
  • [11] Conference for young parliamentarians slated
  • [12] EU ban on livestock exports from Evros region lifted
  • [13] CEDEFOP activities to be presented at Europarliament
  • [14] Kavala residents demand Kozloduy's closure
  • [15] People's Republic of China official in Athens
  • [16] High court decides in favor of US national's extradition
  • [17] Convergence program only way forward, Papandreou says
  • [18] Re-opening of the Greece-Novorossyisk shipping route discussed
  • [19] Gov't examines course of economy
  • [20] Drachma depreciates against EU currencies
  • [21] Greek businessmen look at investing in Croatia
  • [22] New bridge approved for Greek-Bulgarian border
  • [23] Taxi driver arrested for series of murders

  • [01] Greece briefed by Dutch presidency on consultations in Ankara

    Athens, 11/04/1997 (ANA)

    Alternate Foreign Minister George Papandreou and Foreign Under-secretary Yiannos Kranidiotis held talks yesterday with the diplomatic delegation of the Dutch EU presidency, which was returning from consultations in Ankara.

    The three-member delegation had talks in Ankara on Wednesday within the framework of the Dutch presidency's mediation initiative aimed at normalization of Greek-Turkish relations.

    Speaking at Wednesday's session of the Economist's "Roundtable with the Greek Government" conference in Athens, Mr. Kranidiotis said Greece viewed in a positive light a proposal for an exchange of "scientific views" between Greek and Turkish experts concerning procedural matters related to bilateral relations.

    Mr. Kranidiotis said yesterday's talks with the Dutch delegation of the EU presidency concerned precisely this issue, adding that the delegation conveyed Turkey's views to Greece.

    He said there were no final conclusions from the talks because Prime Minister Costas Simitis and Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos first had to be briefed.

    Mr. Kranidiotis clarified that the proposal for the formation of a committee of experts came from the Dutch presidency and that Athens "views this process within the framework of confidence-building between Greece and Turkey".

    After thanking the Dutch presidency for its efforts, Mr. Papandreou referred to his recent private meeting with Dutch Foreign Minister Hans van Mierlo.

    "The presidency has its own specific thoughts, which I shall convey to the prime minister. We shall see whether the two sides agree to the proposals of the Dutch presidency. Our positions are quite clear. We are now waiting for an unequivocal statement on the part of Turkey," Mr. Papandreou said. Both Mr. Papandreou and Mr. Kranidiotis declined to refer to the views of the Turkish side as conveyed by the Dutch delegation.

    They underlined, however, that Turkey must respect international law and state that it rejects the use of force as a means of resolving any problems it may have with Greece.

    Last week Foreign Minister Pangalos called on Ankara to retract its threat of war against Greece and to accept the existing borders in the Aegean in light of efforts to find common ground in Greek-Turkish relations. The Turkish national assembly passed in June 1995 a resolution authorizing the Turkish government to declare war against Greece in the event Athens exercises its lawful right and extends its territorial waters to 12 nautical miles.

    In a related development, government spokesman Dimitris Reppas said the proposal for the formation of a committee of experts, referred to by Mr. Kranidiotis on Wednesday, constituted "an element of policy within the framework of broadening ways of resolving problems in Greek-Turkish relations".

    Yesterday's talks, Mr. Reppas added, between Mr. Papandreou, Mr. Kranidiotis and the EU presidency delegation was "within the framework of the effort to resolve the problems in relations" between Greece and Turkey.

    Referring to the conditions set by Greece as prerequisites for any improvement in relations with neighboring Turkey, Mr. Reppas reiterated that these were refraining from using force, Ankara's retraction of its war threats, respect by Turkey for international law and recourse to the International Court at the Hague for resolving differences of a legal nature.

    The spokesman also stressed that normalization of Greek-Turkish relations also presupposed a "positive response" from Ankara to Greece's proposals.

    Asked whether there had been any positive initiatives on the part of Turkey, Mr. Reppas said recent statements by Turkish Chief of Staff General, Gen. Ismail Hakki Karadayi, and other officials expressing the desire for good relations between the two countries could be viewed as "positive initiatives".

    "However there is a distance between these positions and the policy being pursued by Turkey," he added.

    [02] EU-Turkey Association Council session April 29

    Brussels, 11/04/1997 (ANA - G. Daratos)

    The EU permanent diplomatic representatives committee (COREPER) has set April 29 as the date for the EU-Turkey Association Council session.

    It has not been decided whether the issue of Turkish-EU economic co-operation will be discussed during the session, and particularly the issue of an ECU 375 million EU grant to Turkey. The grant has been frozen by Athens' veto until Ankara agrees with an EU resolution to refer the Imia dispute to the International Court of Justice at The Hague.

    [03] Official Simitis visit to Austria

    Vienna, 11/04/1997 (ANA - D. Dimitrakoudis)

    Prime Minister Costas Simitis is to pay an official visit to Austria between April 20 and 23, it was announced yesterday.

    Talks are expected to deal with a broad range of issues, including the situation in the Balkans - particularly centering on Albania and the former Yugoslavia - as well as on future EU and NATO expansion. Discussions are also expected to focus on the Cyprus issue, with which Austria has a special relationship, being the country with the longest-serving contingent in the UN peacekeeping force on the island (since 1964).

    The last visit of a Greek prime minister to Vienna was that of the late Andreas Papandreou in May 1983. Former Austrian chancellor Franz Vranitzky paid a brief visit to Athens during Athens' assumption of the rotating EU presidency in January 1994, which oversaw the successful negotiations for Austria's EU accession.

    Mr. Simitis will head to Bonn for an official visit after Vienna.

    [04] G. Papandreou-Niles meeting focuses on Greek-Turkish relations

    Athens, 11/04/1997 (ANA)

    Alternate Foreign Minister George Papandreou and US ambassador to Athens Thomas Niles yesterday discussed Greek-Turkish relations and the EU Dutch presidency's relevant initiatives on the issue.

    A statement after the meeting said EU-US relations, as well as issues pertaining to the WEU, NATO and the Intergovernmental Conference were also discussed.

    [05] Kranidiotis in Cyprus

    Athens, 11/04/1997 (ANA)

    Foreign Under-secretary Yiannos Kranidiotis was due to leave yesterday for Cyprus to speak at an event organized by the Union of European Journalists on the issue of "Cyprus-Turkey-EU."

    During his stay, Mr. Kranidiotis will also have talks with Cypriot President Glafcos Clerides, the island republic's newly-appointed Foreign Minister Yiannakis Cassoulides and Gustave Feissel, the representative for Cyprus of the UN Secretary-General.

    [06] KYSEA to rubber stamp Albanian force next week

    Athens, 11/04/1997 (ANA)

    The government announced yesterday that the Government Council for Foreign Policy and Defense (KYSEA) would meet next Friday to give a final approval for the dispatch of a Greek contingent set to participate in a multinational protection force in Albania.

    However, government spokesman Dimitris Reppas added that "a few dozen men from the Greek force" would go to Albania in the middle of next week to make preparations prior to the arrival of the main contingent of more than 700 troops.

    Mr. Reppas reiterated that the Greek contingent would be based in Tirana and Vlore "but at a later stage it could move to southern Albania, with the primary mission of controlling access routes to Kakavia and Krystallopigi as well as to ports in the Albanian south through which the humanitarian aid will pass."

    Asked who took the decision for the dispatch of the Greek contingent, the spokesman replied that it was taken by Prime Minister Costas Simitis and the competent ministers.

    National Defense Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos told Parliament yesterday that the sending of the force is in accordance with both Greek and international law and that armed forces officers and NCOs will participate in the mission on a voluntary basis.

    "If this is insufficient, then other members of the armed forces will also be used," he said, adding: "The legality of the decision is also substantiated by Article 82 of the Constitution, which anticipates that the country's general policy is set out b y the government."

    Mr. Tsohatzopoulos further stressed that "the restoration of peace and stability in Albania has to do with peace in the Balkans and the wider region and consequently serves the national interest."

    He made the statement in reply to a question put forth by Communist Party of Greece (KKE) deputy Orestis Kolozov.

    Mr. Kolozov said the government's decision is unconstitutional because "it anticipates sending Greek troops outside Greek borders", adding that the issue should be debated in Parliament first and then a decision should be taken.

    Meanwhile, the Greek force to be sent to Albania as part of a multinational force to be deployed is in its final stage of preparation. The force will probably leave the port of Igoumenitsa with Hellenic Navy vessels.

    [07] Europarliament ratifies joint resolution on Albania

    Strasbourg, 11/04/1997 (ANA)

    The European Parliament yesterday ratified a joint resolution on Albania by political groupings with an overwhelming majority - 355 in favor, eight against and 17 abstentions.

    The resolution criticizes European governments which underestimated vote rigging accusations in elections held in Albania last May and allowed the country to be led to the present crisis with their inertia or their support for (Albanian President Sali) Berisha.

    The resolution supports the national reconciliation government as the first step in an institutional change process and calls on the European Union to help Albania now at least to go ahead with free elections after preconditions for the independence of justice, freedom of the mass media and the participation of all democratic politicians in lists are safeguarded.

    It further criticizes the EU Council of Ministers for not succeeding in agreeing on joint action and recognizes as positive, efforts made by Greece, Italy, France, Spain, Austria and Denmark, which are participating in the police mission to Albania.

    [08] Apostolakis visit to US continues with tour of General Dynamics plant

    New York, 11/04/1997 (ANA)

    National Defense Under-secretary Dimitris Apostolakis, currently on a visit to the United States, visited the installations of the General Dynamics company in Detroit on Wednesday.

    Mr. Apostolakis is visiting the US at the head of a West European Union (WEU) delegation in the framework of the Transatlantic Forum, where Athens holds the presidency between July 1996 to June 1997.

    Senior officials of the company briefed him on the operational capabilities of the "Abrams" M1-A2 main battle tank and on the manufacturers' economic proposals concerning off set benefits.

    Mr. Apostolakis said that the choice between potential suppliers will combine the best specifications and the lowest price, while particular emphasis will be placed on securing the greatest workload for the domestic defense industry.

    Mr. Apostolakis arrived in Los Angeles, the second and last stop of the WEU delegation's visit to the US, where he will head several meetings on Wednesday.

    [09] FYROM official says Athens-Skopje relations vital for his nation's stabilization

    Bonn, 11/04/1997 (ANA - P. Stangos)

    Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski said here yesterday that normalization of relations between Skopje and Athens is important for his country's stabilization and a factor assisting in the effort to attract German investment.

    Mr. Crvenkovski, who is paying an official visit to Bonn as of Wednesday, was scheduled to meet with German Chancellor Helmut Kohl yesterday afternoon.

    The FYROM official expressed satisfaction over the development of relations between his country and Greece in an interview with "Deutsche Welle", stressing the fact that Greece is emerging as the landlocked former Yugoslav republic's largest trade partner.

    The main goal of Mr. Crvenkovski's visit to Germany is the economic side of bilateral relations and an effort to persuade German banks and businessmen to invest in FYROM.

    [10] Gov't-PASOK committee on social dialogue issue 19-point text

    Athens, 11/04/1997 (ANA)

    Prime Minister Costas Simitis yesterday chaired a joint PASOK/government committee on the issue of social dialogue, stating afterwards that a 19-point text will be issued to social partners on Monday, while debate will be initiated after Easter.

    He said the 19-point text will include issues such as securing consensus with increases in real income under inflationary conditions, changes in investment incentives, application of developmental criteria regarding the future of ailing enterprises, and interventions in the labor market.

    "The aim of our intervention is the adjustment, with consensus, to the new economic realities and unemployment. For PASOK, consensus procedures are better than any unilateral decision, or submission to the market," he said.

    [11] Conference for young parliamentarians slated

    Athens, 11/04/1997 (ANA)

    A conference of young parliamentarians who are members of parliaments in eastern Mediterranean countries will be held on April 12-16.

    The conference, organized for the first time, will focus on issues concerning democracy, the role played by young deputies in their country's political life, women's participation in politics and the European Union's MEDA program in the effort to develop democratic and economic structures.

    On the part of Greece, the conference will be attended by the deputies Nora Katseli, Vyron Polydoras, Dimitris Koutsogiorgas, Mano-lis Kefaloyiannis and Georgios Rokkos. The official start to the conference will be declared on April 13.

    [12] EU ban on livestock exports from Evros region lifted

    Athens, 11/04/1997 (ANA)

    The EU Standing Veterinary Committee has lifted the ban on the exportation of livestock from the northeastern border region of Evros, imposed after the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease last year.

    Five members of the committee, meanwhile, are carrying out extensive on-the-spot checks concerning the amounts paid in compensation to stockbreeders in the whole of Thrace, which has been plagued by animal diseases since 1994.

    [13] CEDEFOP activities to be presented at Europarliament

    Athens, 11/04/1997 (ANA)

    The activities of the European Center for Development and Professional Training (CEDEFOP), the only European institution headquartered in Greece (Thessaloniki), will be presented for the first time at the Europarliament's headquarters in Strasbourg this week.

    Special reference will be made to the organization's labor program in 1997 and to its medium-term priorities up to the year 2000.

    CEDEFOP is placing particular emphasis in 1997 on analyzing data and results on vocational training issues, the wider use of informatics and research within the framework of the European Union's training programs and dissemination of informatics.

    [14] Kavala residents demand Kozloduy's closure

    Athens, 11/04/1997 (ANA)

    Several residents of the Kavala prefecture have voiced concern with the continuing operation of Bulgaria's Kozloduy nuclear plant.

    The issue was discussed in a prefectural council meeting yesterday. The council approved a resolution demanding that the plant shut down and call on the Greek government to use its status as a member of the European Union in order to exert pressure to the neighboring country to close the Soviet-era reactor.

    [15] People's Republic of China official in Athens

    Athens, 11/04/1997 (ANA)

    The minister and general auditor of the People's Republic of China Guo Zuengyan will arrive in Athens tomorrow at the invitation of the State Audit Council President Apostolos Botsos.

    The Chinese official will meet senior judicial officials of the Council and will be briefed on its organization and functions and on the way fiscal management is conducted.

    [16] High court decides in favor of US national's extradition

    Athens, 11/04/1997 (ANA)

    The Supreme Court yesterday decided in favor of extraditing US national Mark Miller to the United States, where he is wanted for allegedly importing a large quantity of marijuana into that country.

    Mr. Miller was arrested in the Peloponnese at the request of US officials.

    [17] Convergence program only way forward, Papandreou says

    Athens, 11/04/1997 (ANA)

    The successful implementation of Greece's convergence program with the European Union is the only way forward for the country, Development Minister Vasso Papandreou stressed yesterday in her opening speech at the "Shaping a national policy for the future of the Greek economy" conference.

    The government has targeted fiscal reform and monetary stability through a reduction of deficits and a stable parity of the drachma, Ms Papandreou said.

    "These goals must be achieved for the convergence program," she stressed.

    At the same time, she added, the government's development program aims to boost the competitiveness of the Greek economy through the completion of basic infrastructure works, upgrading human resources and improving productivity.

    The effective implementation of the development program will lead to an increase in the domestic product and, subsequently, to admittedly small but real increases in workers' incomes.

    So far, she said, the successful implementation of the convergence program and the fall in inflation and interest rates as well as deficits has significantly improved the investment climate.

    The successes of the economic policies applied to date, she said, can be attributed to the realism imbued in the convergence and development programs and to their acceptance by a majority of the Greek people.

    [18] Re-opening of the Greece-Novorossyisk shipping route discussed

    Novorossyisk, Russia 11/04/1997 (ANA)

    Visiting secretary general of overseas Greeks, Stavros Lambrianidis, held a meeting yesterday with the mayor here and representatives of the local parliament, focusing on the re-opening of the Greece-Novorossyisk shipping rout e and the teaching of Greek in this Russian Black Sea port.

    Visiting the city within the framework of the "Greek Cultural Month in Northern Russia," Mr. Lambrianidis elaborated on the positive consequences a re-opening of the shipping route would have on Greek-Russian trade relations.

    On his part, the president of the Hellenic Foreign Trade Board (HEPO) Ioannis Tzen, who is also visiting Russia as part of the Greek delegation, held talks with Greek-Russian and several Russian entrepreneurs concerning the prospect of establishing a Greek-Russian chamber in the region.

    Novorossyisk, the largest Russian port on the Black Sea, is home to some 120,000 ethnic Greeks.

    [19] Gov't examines course of economy

    Athens, 11/04/1997 (ANA)

    There is no need for new financial measures as the course of the Greek economy is positive and under complete control, National Economy and Finance Minister Yiannos Papantoniou said yesterday, following a three-hour meeting on the economy.

    The meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Costas Simitis, examined the course of macro-economic indicators and the execution of the state budget over the first quarter.

    The meeting was also attended by Development Minister Vasso Papandreou and undersecretaries of the national economy, finance and development ministries and the governor of the Bank of Greece Lucas Papademos.

    [20] Drachma depreciates against EU currencies

    Athens, 11/04/1997 (ANA)

    The value of the drachma fell against almost all European Union member-state currencies in March, compared to February, according to the monthly bulletin of foreign currency parities compiled by the Exports Research and Studies Center (KEEM).

    A total of eleven EU member-state currencies appreciated against the drachma by between 0.005 per cent (Finnish mark) and 0.60 per cent (pound sterling).

    The Italian lira and the Swedish krona depreciated against the drachma by 0.54 per cent.

    The following foreign currencies appreciated against the drachma in March (compared to the previous month):

    US dollar (1.68 per cent), Swiss franc (0.99 per cent), Canadian dollar (0.38 per cent), Australian dollar (4.4 per cent), Japanese yen (1.86 per cent) and the Cyprus pound (0.54 per cent).

    In the same month, the value of the Norwegian krona dropped by 0.65 per cent against the drachma.

    [21] Greek businessmen look at investing in Croatia

    Zagreb, 11/04/1997 (ANA)

    A business mission of Greek entrepreneurs and investors is visiting Zagreb to examine the opportunities for economic co-operation and trade, as well as the promotion of joint programs with third countries.

    The mission, representing 21 Greek firms is organized by the Hellenic External Trade Organization with the support of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce and the Croatian and Greek embassies.

    The mission was scheduled to meet with representatives of 45 Croatian businesses and visit three major supermarket chains to discuss possible exports from Croatia.

    [22] New bridge approved for Greek-Bulgarian border

    Sofia, 11/04/1997 (ANA- N. Hios)

    The Bulgarian government has approved a Greek proposal for the construction of a new bridge in the area of the Koulata-Promahon border post.

    Foreign Minister Stojan Stalev has been authorized to sign the agreement.

    [23] Taxi driver arrested for series of murders

    Athens, 11/04/1997 (ANA)

    Athens police arrested a taxi driver on charges of committing five murders as well as a number of attempted murders and armed robberies over the past 10 years.

    Dimitris Vakrinos, 35, has reportedly admitted to killing his room-mate, 53-year-old Panayiotis Gaglias on Aug. 6, 1987, by using an iron bar. The victim had apparently stolen a hunting rifle from Vakrinos and when the latter told him that he would go t o the police, Gaglias threatened to beat him up.

    Vakrinos' second victim was Anastasia Simitzi, 26, whom he killed on Nov. 20, 1993.

    According to reports, after leaving a nightclub the woman asked Vakrinos to take her home. Instead, he asked her to make love with him and when she refused and insulted him, Vakrinos drove her to a remote area near Mantra, Attica, doused her with petrol and burned her alive, police said.

    His third victim was a colleague, Theodoros Andreadis, 39, who was murdered on Jan. 9, 1994. The two taxi drivers had quarreled four months before the murder because the victim had picked up a customer from a taxi lane.

    Posing as a customer, Vakrinos asked Andreadis to take him to Loutraki. Along the way, he asked the driver to stop and shot him four times. He then drove the taxi back to Elefsina where he doused it in petrol, burning both the vehicle and the driver.

    Vakrinos' last two victims were the brothers Costas and Antonis Spyropoulos, 33 and 35, respectively, whom he killed on Dec. 21, 1995.

    The two brothers were shot repeatedly after chasing Vakrinos, who had earlier stolen the car of Costas Spyropoulos. He told police that he had stolen the car because he wanted to drive to the Moschato district to kill a youth who had reportedly insulted him during a row over a parking space.

    Vakrinos is also alleged to be responsible for four cases of attempted murder, one of which was against a police officer and five armed robberies.

    Authorities believe Vakrinos committed the murders because he had an acute inferiority complex and psychological problems since a child, in addition to childhood abuse.

    Vakrinos reportedly spent many of his childhood years in an orphanage.

    End of English language section.


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