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Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 99-01-14

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

From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

  • [01] Simitis: No progress on Greek-Turkish relations until after Turk elections
  • [02] OECD report notes Greek economy on target for EMU entry
  • [03] Stocks nosedive in heavy trade, dragged down by fears abroad
  • [04] Central bank lowers key rates as inflation falls
  • [05] Drachma comes under pressure, falls against euro
  • [06] Gov't announces general guidelines for '99 Public Investment Budget
  • [07] Tourism employees call off strike, sit-in
  • [08] Athens Medical completes Dr 1.0 bln share capital rise
  • [09] Government denies giving IMF fake data
  • [10] National Bank of Greece to release overtime data after allegations
  • [11] Hellenic Textiles reports change in shareholders
  • [12] Piraeus Invest posts net 1998 profit of Dr 4.1 bln
  • [13] Bank of Piraeus denies buyout of Aspis Bank
  • [14] Record number of Austrian tourists in '98
  • [15] Nikas promotes performance, int'l activities
  • [16] Petrol prices increase
  • [17] Athens Foreign Exchange
  • [18] Spanish royal couple host reception for PM and his wife
  • [19] Gov't to table draft law on aid to developing countries
  • [20] PASOK delegation concludes visit to Israel,Palestinian aytonomous areas
  • [21] Trascripts cite Kissinger belief that Moscow pressed for Turkish invasion of Cyprus
  • [22] Karamanlis cites S-300s, public transports, OA and education in criticising gov't
  • [23] PM adopts wait-and-see attitude to Avramopoulos' prospects
  • [24] Euro-MP Hatzidakis tables question OTE price hikes, unfair competition
  • [25] Veteran artist,photographer Hios dies in NYC
  • [26] High Court rules against moral damages for cheated spouse

  • [01] Simitis: No progress on Greek-Turkish relations until after Turk elections

    MADRID 14/01/1999 (ANA - S. Liarellis)

    Prime Minister Costas Simitis said here yesterday that he did not foresee progress in Greek-Turkish relations until conditions of political stability were created in Turkey.

    Mr. Simitis, who is paying a three-day visit to Spain, told Greek reporters that progress could not possibly be achieved until elections were held in Turkey (on April 18), because every government in Ankara would be thinking of the appeal its policy wou ld have on voters and would try to attract them by creating tension and by exaggerating.

    The Spanish capital was the site of a July 1997 meeting between Greek and Turkish leaderships that ended with the joint issuance of the so-called "Madrid communique" that was to govern good-neighbourly relations between the two sides.

    However, yesterday the Greek PM said: "I do not predict any progress before elections are held in Turkey and a government is formed."

    Referring to European Union issues, Mr. Simitis expressed the view that the EU countries of the south, the Union's poorest, would observe a common position in negotiations concerning "Agenda 2000."

    Mr. Simitis held talks on Tuesday with Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, which confirmed an identity of views on ongoing negotiations witin the EU on 'Agenda 2000'.

    Mr. Simitis said that despite the fact that each country has its own problems, the main issues should be given priority. He said that such issues were the need for seeking a new method of estimating European Union revenues, continuation of the cohesion policy and structural funds.

    On the question of a threatened veto by Spain, Mr. Simitis said that countries usually avoid it. However, he added, a veto can be used if an agreement is not reached.

    "I do not consider it possible, but I cannot rule it out," he said.

    Mr. Simitis said that negotiations might continue after June unless a satisfactory compromise is reached.

    Athens News Agency

    [02] OECD report notes Greek economy on target for EMU entry

    PARIS 14/01/1999 (ANA - O. Tsipira)

    A report by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), expected to be released today, contains a positive assessment of the course of the Greek economy towards future participation in Economic and Monetary Union (EMU).

    However, the report also cites relative delays in the implementation of structural changes, de-escalation of inflation and a reduction in the public debt, which constitute important targets of the government's macroeconomic policy.

    "Thanks to continuous efforts in recent years" the goal of the incorporation of the drachma in the euro zone on Jan. 1, 2001 "appears feasible for Greece," the conclusion of the report reads.

    It cites, in particular, a significant reduction in the general deficit of the annual budget and forecasts that the decrease will continue in the immediate future, with public debt following a similar trend.

    A drastic fall of particular inflation indicators has been achieved despite the drachma devaluation in mid-March, the report notes.

    As regards economic growth, it notes a continuing improvement, with rates surpassing the EU average in recent years. This is primarily attributed to higher public investment spending.

    Athens News Agency

    [03] Stocks nosedive in heavy trade, dragged down by fears abroad

    Athens 14/01/1999 (ANA)

    Equities came under heavy pressure to end sharply lower on the Athens Stock Exchange yesterday following a similar trend in international markets.

    The general index ended 185.13 points, or 6.21 percent lower at 2,798.21, halting a rally which started on December 15.

    The Bank of Greece's decision to cut key rates was largely ignored by investors who focused on a financial crisis in Brazil that could spread to Latin America and severely hurt Wall Street.

    In addition, European stock markets reacted negatively to figures showing that major eurozone economies were heading into recession.

    The market had also discounted a lowering of domestic rates.

    Sector indices suffered heavy losses.

    Banks nosedived 6.52 percent, Leasing plunged 6.89 percent, Insurance fell 3.37 percent, Investment ended 6.74 percent off, Construction dropped 7.47 percent, Industrials fell 5.47 percent, Miscellaneous ended 6.97 percent down and Holding fell 3.63 per cent.

    The parallel market index for small cap companies ended 5.07 percent off while the FTSE/ASE 20 index ended 6.51 percent down at 1,758.87 points. Turnover was heavy at 111 billion drachmas on a volume of 23,348,000 shares.

    Viosol, Thessaliki, Mytilineos and Hellenic Sugar were the most heavily traded stocks.

    Broadly, decliners led advancers by 219 to 54 with another 8 issues unchanged.

    Papoutsanis, Sato, Dimitriadis, Britannia, Tasoglou and Hellenic Bottling hit the daily 8.0 percent limit up.

    General Bank, Ionian Bank, Ergo Invest, Karamolegos, ETBA Leasing, Heracles Cement, Titan Cement, Attica Aluminium, Intracom and Dorian Bank all hit the daily 8.0 percent limit down.

    National Bank of Greece ended at 63,100 drachmas, Ergobank at 33,650, Alpha Credit Bank at 29,765, Ionian Bank at 14,642, Titan Cement at 21,252, Intracom at 13,708, Hellenic Petroleum at 2,260, Minoan Lines at 6,890 and Hellenic Telecommunications Orga nisation at 7,724 drachmas.

    Athens News Agency

    [04] Central bank lowers key rates as inflation falls

    Athens 14/01/1999 (ANA)

    The Bank of Greece yesterday announced a new round of interest rate cuts in line with falling inflation.

    It reduced its regular two-week deposit intervention rate in the interbank market by 25 basis points to 12 percent; and lowered the rate for overnight funds by 10 ten basis points to 11.50 percent for sums up to 300 billion drachmas.

    The central bank also cut the Lombard rate by two percentage points to 13.50 percent, and the overdraft penalty rate by two points to 20 percent.

    Monetary authorities are pursuing a cautious policy of rate cuts with the decline expected to accelerate in the second half of the year after a slide in inflation forecast in the first half.

    Consumer price inflation was 3.9 percent in December.

    Athens News Agency

    [05] Drachma comes under pressure, falls against euro

    Athens 14/01/1999 (ANA)

    The drachma came under pressure yesterday triggering an intervention by the central bank, which sold 120 million euros in order to curb the national currency's slide.

    The euro was 325.959 drachmas at the Bank of Greece's daily fix against 323.760 the previous day. In late trade the drachma again was in the corner, trading at 326.75 to the euro.

    The secondary bond market was volatile with a slide in prices in early trade, followed by a rise and then a further decline that left securities around 100 basis points lower.

    In the money market rates showed signs of consolidating at lower levels following the central bank's intervention rate cuts despite a slight upward push during trade.

    Athens News Agency

    [06] Gov't announces general guidelines for '99 Public Investment Budget

    Athens 14/01/1999 (ANA)

    National Economy Deputy Minister Christos Pachtas yesterday sent regional and prefectural authorities a circular with the general guidelines concerning the drafting of programmes within the framework of the Public Investment Budget (PIB) for 1999.

    All authorities are invited to submit proposals to the ministry on the basis of guidelines until the end of January.

    The spending ceiling for PIB has been set at 2,195 billion drachmas, of which 1,700 billion goes to projects jointly financed with EU funds, and 495 billion drachmas to plans financed through national resources or with assistance from international organisations.

    The ceiling is 16.3 per cent higher than in 1998, 34 per cent higher in relation to 1997, double that of 1996 and triple that of 1993.

    The circular stresses that the timely and smooth completion of the Public Investment Programme in 1998 allows for the first time the implementation of the new one in 1999 without any delay. Already with a decision of the national economy deputy minister , funding of 137 billion drachmas concerning all ministries have been approved.

    The circular stresses that in the framework of the new convergence programme, investment is the crucial tool in promoting developmental policy in Greece with the aim of taking the country into the third phase of EMU. In the current year, emphasis is giv en to the continuation of the effort for securing efficiency which has already been promoted through a set of institutional, organisational and functional interventions, including:

    - An integrated management information system (MIS), which will allow a detailed recording of all data concerning all projects in projects.

    - Quality control of public projects, which will continue in the current year.

    The ceiling for agriculture is 134.8 billion drachmas, for transport projects 295.3 billion, railways 185.7 billion drachmas and energy 115.1 billion drachmas.

    Athens News Agency

    [07] Tourism employees call off strike, sit-in

    Athens 14/01/1999 (ANA)

    Workers of the Greek National Tourism Organisation (GNTO) yesterday called off an indefinite strike and sit-in at headquarters after assurances by the government that a restructuring of the state body would be delayed to allow talks.

    Development Minister Vasso Papandreou and GNTO General Secretary Mihalis Kyriakidis told workers that two presidential decrees on changing the state tourism body's status would be stalled for two weeks.

    The government wants to restructure GNTO, reducing its size and allocating many functions to other authorities.The Association of Greek Tourism Enterprises said in a statement that the government's plan to modernise GNTO was sound although there was some room for improvement.

    Athens News Agency

    [08] Athens Medical completes Dr 1.0 bln share capital rise

    Athens 14/01/1999 (ANA)

    Athens Medical, a member of Apostolopoulos Group, has completed a share capital increase of one billion drachmas following an internal merger of clinics in the group, it said in a statement yesterday.

    The company issued 10,090,500 new shares of which existing shareholders were granted 3,975,000 at a ratio of two new for 10 old. The remaining shares were distributed to shareholders of the other companies included in the merger plan. The merger of Athens Medical with the InterBalkan Medical Centre in Thessaloniki, Apollonion Clinic and Phaliro Medical will increase the Group's capacity to 1,150 beds.

    Athens Medical expects its turnover for the year 2000 to exceed 70 billion drachmas.

    Athens News Agency

    [09] Government denies giving IMF fake data

    Athens 14/01/1999 (ANA)

    The government yesterday denied allegations by an Athens newspaper that it had supplied the International Monetary Fund (IMF) with false data on the country's trade balance.

    "The data given by Greece to international organisations is checked on a regular basis and there is no room for misinformation," government spokesman Yiannis Nikolaou said.

    An article in yesterday's edition of "Athinaiki" claimed the IMF had charged the government with providing the misleading data.

    It also alleged that the government had delayed briefing the IMF on banking reserves.

    Athens News Agency

    [10] National Bank of Greece to release overtime data after allegations

    Athens 14/01/1999 (ANA)

    Government spokesman Yiannis Nikolaou said yesterday that National Bank of Greece, a blue chip listed on the Athens bourse, would publish a reply to allegations of inflated pay for some of its staff due to fraudulent overtime claims.

    Mr. Nikolaou said that the bank's executives were on sharply lower salaries than their counterparts in the private sector, and their pay had been endorsed by shareholders at their general assembly.

    Reporters had asked Mr. Nikolaou to comment on allegations in "Eleftheros Typos", an Athens daily, that some members of staff received remuneration of more than two million drachmas with overtime pay accounting for 1.5 million of the total.

    The spokesman said figures published by the newspaper were incorrect.

    Athens News Agency

    [11] Hellenic Textiles reports change in shareholders

    Athens 14/01/1999 (ANA)

    Hellenic Textiles,which is listed on the Athens bourse, said yesterday that Royal Ten Cate of the Netherlands had sold 32 percent of its 64.07 percent shareholding to Stitching Hellenic. The two firms now have an equal stake in Hellenic Textiles after the share sale on December 30.
    Athens News Agency

    [12] Piraeus Invest posts net 1998 profit of Dr 4.1 bln

    Athens 14/01/1999 (ANA)

    Piraeus Invest said yesterday that its net 1998 profit was 4.1 billion drachmas, up 119.4 percent from 1997.

    Management will propose a dividend of 320 drachmas per share against 160 drachmas a year earlier.

    The company has 97 percent of its funds invested in equities.

    Athens News Agency

    [13] Bank of Piraeus denies buyout of Aspis Bank

    Athens 14/01/1999 (ANA)

    Bank of Piraeus told the Athens Stock Exchange yesterday that it had no plans to acquire Aspis Bank.

    It was responding to a report in a financial daily that claimed large blocks of shares had been exchanged, representing the purchase of a majority shareholding by Bank of Piraeus.

    Athens News Agency

    [14] Record number of Austrian tourists in '98

    VIENNA 14/01/1999 (ANA - D.Dimitrakoudis)

    A record number of Austrian tourists visited Greece last year based on recent data provided by Austria's statistics service.

    Air travel from Austria to Greece increased by 11.7 per cent within the first eight months of 1998 compared to the same period in 1997, bringing the total number of passengers between January-August 1998 to 390,546 compared to 349,531 for the same period in 1997. Some 120,000-150,000 Austrian tourists visited Greece via ferry boat connections from Italy.

    The total number of Austrian tourists that visited Greece by August 1998 reached 550,000, equalling the total number of Austrian visitors during all of 1997. Forecasts provided by the largest tourist agencies in Austria are particularly optimistic for 1999.

    Athens News Agency

    [15] Nikas promotes performance, int'l activities

    Athens 14/01/1999 (ANA)

    Executives of the Nikas sausage and cold meats manufacturer yesterday presented to the Institutional Investors' Association figures on the company's international activities as well as on expansion into new sectors in Greece.

    Nikas officials said production at a plant in Sofia, Bulgaria began last month, aimed at a significant market share in 1999, while a plant in Skopje is expected to start operation within the first quarter of 1999.

    Meanwhile, a trade agreement was signed in Romania for distribution of Nikas products from the plant in Bulgaria through a specialised distribution network, while construction of a new hi-tech unit will start this month in Cyprus.

    The Nikas group, which recently purchased the Houndris cheese producing company, is expanding into the large local cheese-making market.

    Athens News Agency

    [16] Petrol prices increase

    Athens 14/01/1999 (ANA)

    The prices of gasoline, diesel and heating oil will increase as of today and for a week.

    According to the development ministry, the prices of super gasoline, unleaded and diesel will increase by 2.2 drachmas per litre and of heating oil by 2.7 drachmas per litre.

    In the Attica area and the Thessaloniki prefecture super gasoline will cost 193.7 drachmas per litre, unleaded 177.1 drachmas per litre and heating oil 66.8 drachmas per litre.

    Athens News Agency

    [17] Athens Foreign Exchange

    Athens 14/01/1999 (ANA)

    Bank of Greece closing rates of: January 13, 1999

    Parities in Drachmas

    Banknotes            Buying  Selling
    US Dollar            276.530 282.941
    Can.Dollar           181.020 185.217
    Australian Dlr       175.683 179.757
    Pound Sterling       456.042 466.616
    Irish Punt           410.560 420.079
    Pound Cyprus         553.536 566.370
    Pound Malta          685.694 714.265
    Turkish pound (100)    0.072   0.075
    French franc          49.293  50.436
    Swiss franc          202.313 207.004
    Belgian franc          8.015   8.201
    German Mark          165.322 169.155
    Finnish Mark          54.382  55.643
    Dutch Guilder        146.726 150.128
    Danish Kr.            43.430  44.437
    Swedish Kr.           35.420  36.242
    Norwegian Kr.         36.978  37.835
    Austrian Sh.          23.498  24.043
    Italian lira (100)    16.699  17.086
    Yen (100)            246.661 252.380
    Spanish Peseta         1.943   1.988
    Port. Escudo           1.613   1.650
    
    Foreign Exchange     Buying  Selling
    New York             276.530 282.941
    Montreal             181.020 185.217
    Sydney               175.683 179.757
    London               456.042 466.616
    Dublin               410.560 420.079
    Nicosia              553.536 566.370
    Paris                 49.293  50.436
    Zurich               202.313 207.004
    Brussels               8.015   8.201
    Frankfurt            165.322 169.155
    Helsinki              54.382  55.643
    Amsterdam            146.726 150.128
    Copenhagen            43.430  44.437
    Stockholm             35.420  36.242
    Oslo                  36.978  37.835
    Vienna                23.498  24.043
    Milan                 16.699  17.086
    Tokyo                246.661 252.380
    Madrid                 1.943   1.988
    Lisbon                 1.613   1.650
    
    Athens News Agency

    [18] Spanish royal couple host reception for PM and his wife

    MADRID 14/01/1999 (ANA - S.Liarellis)

    Prime Minister Costas Simitis and his wife Daphni were honoured at an official reception here yesterday by Spain's royal couple, King Juan Carlos I and his wife Sophia.

    The Greek PM was on the second day of an official three-day visit to Spain.

    The Spanish couple visited Greece last year.

    Juan Carlos asked Mr. Simitis about his contacts in Madrid.

    Earlier, Mr. Simitis had a series of meetings with Spain's political party leaders in Madrid, including Socialist Party (PSOE) leader Joaquin Almunia and the party's canidate for the premiership Jose Boril.

    Mr. Simitis also met former prime minister Filipe Gonzales, who in general appeared pessimistic on the course of the European Union.

    A mere majority of socialists in Europe is not enough, there have to be concrete programmes and planning, Mr. Gonzales said in statement after meeting Mr. Simitis.

    Talks were also held between Mr. Simitis and the mayor of Madrid Jose Maria Alvares del Manzano.

    Before sitting at the luncheon, Mrs. Simitis and the Spanish premier's wife visited a retirement home.

    Other contacts : Meanwhile, accompanying Press Minister Dimitris Reppas met with his counterpart Jose Antonio Martin Marin, briefing him on how the PASOK government deals with issues related to broadcast media.

    The two ministers agreed that the new technologies offered tremendous potential.

    Culture Minister Evangelos Venizelos met with Spanish Education and Culture Minister Agire, with whom he discussed in detail cooperation for the "Cultural Olympiad". Mr. Venizelos expressed support for the idea of a "world culture forum" in Barcelona in 2004.

    The two ministers also discussed the details of the exhibition on the work and personality of 17th century Cretan artist El Greco.

    National Economy Deputy Minister Alekos Baltas also held contacts with Spanish officials on bilateral trade and economic relations after the meeting of the two countries' prime ministers. Discussions dealt with speeding up the signing of an agreement for the prevention of double taxation and the exchange of visits by business delegations.

    Mr. Baltas also discussed joint investement ventures in Greece, aiming to tap the emerging markets in the Balkans.

    A Spanish delegation is expected in Athens in March.

    Athens News Agency

    [19] Gov't to table draft law on aid to developing countries

    Athens 14/01/1999 (ANA)

    Greece, while participating actively in programmes of economic assistance to developing countries, has been found that it enjoys minimal benefits, the government noted.

    This vacuum is now being filled with a draft law prepared by Alternate Foreign Minister George Papandreou that will be tabled in Parliament within this month and entitled "Arrangements of Issues of Bilateral State Development Assistance and Cooperation to Third Countries and Non- governmental and Other Similar Provisions".

    In the preamble to the draft law, it is stated that "the effort made during the 1980-1990 decade showed that the lack of the appropriate institutional, legal and functional framework has resulted in a small crop of results in this international effort of Greece".

    "This lack," the report adds, "is covered by the present draft bill, which also poses in parallel the basic terms for a full developmen of a strong programme of external assistance and cooperation of Greece with third countries for the creation of relations from which they can expect many and direct benefits, both in kind and money".

    Athens News Agency

    [20] PASOK delegation concludes visit to Israel,Palestinian aytonomous areas

    Athens 14/01/1999 (ANA)

    A delegation of the ruling PASOK party, headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Yiannos Kranidiotis and executive bureau member Theodoros Tsoukatos, wound up a visit to Israel and the autonomous Palestinian areas yesterday.

    The delegation arrived the invitation of Israel's opposition Labour Party.

    Mr. Kranidiotis and Mr. Tsoukatos met Israeli Foreign Minister Ariel Sharon and Foreign Ministry Director General Eytan Bentsur for a lengthy exchange of views on the future of the Mideast peace process and the role played by Greece in facilitating dialogue between the Israeli and Palestinian societies within the framework of the "Dialogue of Athens" scheme.

    Mr. Kranidiotis stressed the importance attached by Greece and the EU on the implementation of the Oslo Agreements and the Wye River Memorandum, which will allow the whole region top move forward towards becoming an area of stability and propserity for all parties.

    According to reports, Mr. Sharon assured the Greek delegation that cooperation between Turkey and Israel is not directed against third countries.

    On his part, Mr. Kranidiotis said progress in the peace process will benefit not only the parties involved, but also the cause of peace in the wider area of the eastern Mediterranean region, including Cyprus, and will enable the EU to build even closer political and economic ties with the state of Israel.

    They also discussed the perspectives of deepening bilateral relations between Greece and Israel through specific frameworks of cooperation in the economic, education, military and trade fields. These issues will be examined thoroughly during the official visit of Mr. Sharon will be paying to Athens on Feb. 25.

    The delegation also held meetings with officials and leadership of the Labour Party, including candidate prime minister Ehud Barak and secretary general Cohen. Talks focused on upgrading relations and strengthening cooperation between the two sides on a bilateral level, as well as in international fora.

    The delegation handed to Mr. Barak an invitation by the Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis to participate at the PASOK congress to be held on March 18 in Athens.

    During their three-day visit, the delegation met Faycal Husseini in east Jerusalem and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in Ramallah.

    Mr. Kranidiotis left for Jordan late at night for talks today.

    Israeli protest : JERUSALEM (ANA-AFP) - Meanwhile, Israel yesterday officially protested over a visit by Mr. Kranidiotis to the Orient House on Monday in the eastern part of Jerusalem, where he met with Mr. Husseini.

    "If we knew that the Greek official would go to the Maison d' Orient, Foreign Minister Ariel Sharon would not have received him today (yesterday), " a foreign ministry statement read.

    The ministry further said the meeting with Mr. Husseini was a serious violation of the agreements reached with the Palestinian Authority.

    Kranidiotis reply : AMMAN (ANA) - In a latenight response from Jordan, Mr. Kranidiotis clarified that the visit to east Jerusalem by himself and Mr. Tsoukatos was not a government mission but as part of a PASOK delegation.

    The two officials met with Mr. Husseini in Jerusalem on Monday.

    The clarification was issued in reply to the Israeli protest over the visit to the Orient House.

    A statement issued by Mr. Kranidiotis read as follows:

    "The visit to the Orient House was not a governmental one, but a visit by a PASOK delegation, headed by executive bureau member Theodoros Tsoukatos, and in which I took part in my capacity in charge of PASOK's international relations department.

    "Further, the meeting with Faycal Husseini was held in the context of preparations for the fourth meeting of 'Athens Dialogue Scheme' between Israeli and Palestinian dignitaries". According to sources, a similar reply has also been issued by Greece's embassy in Tel Aviv.

    Athens News Agency

    [21] Trascripts cite Kissinger belief that Moscow pressed for Turkish invasion of Cyprus

    WASHINGTON 14/01/1999 (ANA - T. Ellis)

    The United States apparently intended to promote solutions both on Cyprus and the Aegean in the autumn of 1974, recently declassified transcripts of talks held in October 1974 between then mercurial US secr etary of state Henry Kissinger and Chinese vice-FM Qiao Huang Hua.

    The two men had held discussions in New York on the sidelines of a UN General Assembly in 1974. In a conversation on Oct. 2, 1974, made public recently, Mr. Kissinger had claimed that the Soviet Union goaded Turkey into invading Cyprus following a coup against then Cyprus President Makarios in July 1974 that was engineered by a shadowy military junta then ruling Greece. He added that had he known about reports of a coup on Cyprus he would have stopped it.

    Mr. Kissinger, replying to Mr. Qiao's questions in 1974, had said that when the coup on Cyprus occurred he was in Moscow and that intelligence reports were not taken seriously by his subordinates.

    "There are many intelligence reports which float around, but if no one brings them to me I assume they do not exist," the former US diplomat claimed, adding: "if I had known about the report, I would have stopped it (the coup)." The transcripts were rec ently released after six-year efforts by William Burr, a historian at the National Security Archives department of George Washington University. He cited the Freedom of Information Act (FOI) to obtain the information.

    Mr. Burr's was one of the co-contributors to a recently released book entitled "The Kissinger Transcripts."

    The portions about the Cyprus affair were left out.

    Athens News Agency

    [22] Karamanlis cites S-300s, public transports, OA and education in criticising gov't

    Athens 14/01/1999 (ANA)

    Main opposition New Democracy (ND) leader Costas Karamanlis addressed a ND women's meeting last night and referred to latest political scenarios, the PASOK government and the controversial education reform issue.

    "No one can stop the power of clarity and transparency," he said, adding: "We serve the values for which people have fought in the past and made this small place a European country." He further said 1999 will be a challenge for ND, noting that its target will not solely be an electoral win but also to form a strong and honest government which would show respect for citizens.

    The ND leader reiterated a view that the party, as a party of the "middle", was open to all, even to those who had rejected it in the past.

    Criticising the government over its policy, Mr. Karamanlis referred to the S-300 missiles issue, underlining that the government's performance had been lower than circumstances required.

    He also spoke of a decay and lack of transparency in the public sector, saying that public transports were a disgrace while state-run Olympic Airways was a "ship-wreck".

    On the current issue over education reforms, Mr. Karamanlis spoke of "experiments" on the part of the government and repeated his call for the holding of nation-wide talks in order to agree on the basic axes of education policy.

    Athens News Agency

    [23] PM adopts wait-and-see attitude to Avramopoulos' prospects

    MADRID 14/01/1999 (ANA - S. Liarellis)

    Prime Minister Costas Simitis yesterday refrained from giving his own forecast on whether Athens Mayor Dimitris Avramopoulos would form a new party, saying this would not affect PASOK's planning or political initiatives.

    Mr. Simitis said "let him (Avramopoulos) say what he intends to do first and when the picture clears, then we will make our comments."

    The prime minister said that "as far as PASOK was concerned" he rejected Mr. Avramopoulos' belief that "political parties have completed their historical cycle".

    "Mr. Avramopoulos has the right to take political initiatives, if he so wishes, the same as any other Greek citizen," he said.

    Referring to the upcoming PASOK congress in March, the premier and PASOK president said that differences in view, contradicting opinions and even tensions were natural in large political parties, while he stressed that an absolute coincidence of views could not become the party's objective.

    Meanwhile in Athens, Parliament President Apostolos Kaklamanis said that "in a democracy everyone is free to take initiatives subject to the judgement of a sovereign people," in relation to the popular Athens mayor's intentions.

    Athens News Agency

    [24] Euro-MP Hatzidakis tables question OTE price hikes, unfair competition

    STRASBOURG 14/01/1999 (ANA - H. Haralamboupoulos)

    In a tabled question submitted to the European Commission, New Democracy Euro-MP Costas Hatzidakis charged that state-run Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation (OTE) will implement illegal increases in local tel ephone rates. He also said OTE is engaging in unfair competition by exploiting a dominant market position, namely, in the provision of Internet services.

    Mr. Hatzidakis stressed that OTE makes computer users' access to the Internet difficult and more costly by delaying, on one hand, approval of a four-digit nationwide number to Internet providers (except its own subsidiary OTEnet), while on the other rai sing local rates by 38.4 per cent. The price hike burdens consumers and makes the cost of connecting with Internet providers much less competitive than its own subsidiary.

    He charged that in both cases, OTE contravenes fundamental provisions of European legislation, according to which changes in rates are allowed only after cost control, which the state-run telecoms utility has never carried out.

    Athens News Agency

    [25] Veteran artist,photographer Hios dies in NYC

    NEW YORK 14/01/1999 (ANA - M.Georgiadou)

    Noted Greek-American artist and award-winning photographer Theo Hios died on Sunday at the age of 90, the Susan Teller Gallery in New York announced yesterday.

    Hios, who was born in 1908 in Greece, moved to the United States in 1929 and was married to ceramist Catherine Lekakis.

    A WPA artist, New School teacher, Bronze Star-honoured combat photographer for the US Marine Corps who served in the Pacific theatre during World War II as well as a Gottlieb Foundation Grant recipient, the New York City- based Hios was admired for his social realism, visionary pieces and abstractions.

    More than 60 years of work by Hios were on display at the Susan Teller Gallery early last year in honour of the artist's 90th birthday.

    Hios also had more than 30 one-man shows and participated in numerous group exhibitions.

    In addition to extensive archives of work by Hios at the US Marine Corps Museum in Washington and the Anne SK Brown Military Collection at Brown University, works by Hios are also contained in the collections of The Brooklyn Museum, the New York Histori cal Society, the Carnegie Institute, the National Collection of Fine Art, the Newark Museum, the Tel Aviv Museum and the Athens National Gallery.

    Athens News Agency

    [26] High Court rules against moral damages for cheated spouse

    Athens 14/01/1999 (ANA)

    The Supreme Court ruled yesterday that a female spouse who had been cheated on by her husband is not eligible, pursuant to civil law, of receiving damages for moral harm.

    The woman had filed the lawsuit against her husband asking for damages of 10 million drachmas, accusing him of having an affair with a widow, not fulfilling his family obligations and of mistreating her, among others.

    The Supreme Court decision was influenced by a Court of Appeals ruling which had examined a similar case and had judged that the specific accusations are not unusual and cannot be regarded as an insult to one's personality.

    Athens News Agency

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