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Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 00-09-01Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>CONTENTS
[01] Greece to see first budget surplus in 2001Athens, 01/09/2000 (ANA)Greece is to see a budget surplus in 2001, marking a first in the country's recent history, National Economy and Finance Minister Yiannos Papantoniou said on Thursday.Speaking to reporters after an inner cabinet meeting, Papantoniou also said that in coming years the government would save 1,500 billion drachmas. The sum would be used to help finance reform plans in health and education. He added that the new budget, which is due to be sent to parliament in October for a vote in December, contained tax relief the ruling PASOK party had pledged before national elections on April 9. The measures are to raise the tax-exempt ceiling, reduce tax rates, introduce 5.0 percent inflation-linked indexation of the tax scale, increase farmers' and state IKA pensions, and boost welfare and unemployment benefits. Papantoniou also repeated that the government aimed to achieve a growth rate of 5.0 percent in coming years, attaining real and social convergence with the European Union's developed economies. "(With inflation at 2.0 percent) we have one of the best combinations of economic returns in the European and world economy," the minister added. Also attending the inner cabinet meeting were Health and Welfare Minister Alekos Papadopoulos and Labor and Social Security Minister Tassos Yiannitsis. [02] Statements draw opposition fireAthens, 01/09/2000 (ANA)The Coalition of the Left and Progress later issued a statement sharply criticizing Papantoniou's statements."Running contrary to expectations it cultivated before the elections of (economic) redistribution policies for the more vulnerable and for the social state, the government has intensified its tough, one-sided policy at the expense of those who bore the brunt of entry into the euro zone," said Dimitris Papadimoulis, a member of the party's political secretariat. [03] Greece signs latest deal for French-made missilesAthens, 01/09/2000 (ANA)Greece on Thursday signed a 21-billion-drachma deal with French defense contractor Aerospatiale Matra for the acquisition of three artillery fire control systems as well as 27 guided missiles for three new naval craft.Delivery of the Exocet MM40 (Block 2) missiles will begin in December 2001 and conclude in latter part of 2004, in line with a building schedule for the three missile patrol boats at a local shipyard west of Athens. Additionally, the French side also stressed it was ready to supply the Hellenic Air Force's fleet of Dassault-made "Mirage" 2000-5s with the same type of missiles. According to the defense ministry, Greek firms participating in the offset benefits emanating from the Aerospatiale Matra order include the Elefsina Shipyards, Neorion Shipyards on the island of Syros, the state-run EBO ordnance maker, Denifet, Olympic Tool and Miltech. (One US dollar equals about 380 drachmas) [04] Greece to send extra infantry unit to KosovoAthens, 01/09/2000 (ANA)The government spokesman on Thursday confirmed that the government has decided to marginally increase the strength of the Greek military contingent serving in Kosovo by sending there another infantry unit which is based in Thessaloniki.[05] Papandreou departs for E.U. ministers' meeting in Evian, FranceAthens, 01/09/2000 (ANA)Foreign Minister George Papandreou left for the French town of Evian on Thursday, where he is to attend an informal European Union foreign ministers' meeting over the weekend.According to a foreign ministry spokesman, the E.U. ministers will discuss issues such as the future of the E.U., the course of enlargement, the European defense and security identity and the Yugoslav crisis. More specifically, the meeting will examine the course of the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) while it may also discuss relations between the E.U. and Turkey, in the light of E.U. Commissioner Guenter Verheugen's recent visit to Ankara. The Yugoslav crisis, however, is among the main priorities of the French presidency and, along with sending in teams of foreign observers, talks will focus on the upcoming presidential elections in the country on September 24, which the E.U. believes could become the springboard for democratic developments. The spokesman noted that Greek and French views on Yugoslavia coincide, while on the question of sanctions against the neighboring country, he said these would be discussed and that events had confirmed Greece's position that these should be lifted. Finally, the spokesman announced that the French E.U. presidency was going to call an international conference on the western Balkans on November 24-25, in which the leaders of the E.U. and the countries of former Yugoslavia would take part. [06] Greek, Russian officials discuss issues concerning supply of natural gasAthens, 01/09/2000 (ANA)A Russian delegation is currently in Athens to discuss issues concerning the supply of Russian natural gas to Greece. Development Minister Nikos Christodoulakis on Thursday headed a ministry delegation in talks with Russian Deputy Energy Minister Ustushanin. The Russian delegation included representatives of the Gazprom and Gazexport companies. Pending issues between the two sides have been referred to arbitration but efforts are still being made for a friendly settlement. Development ministry sources said the meeting was held in a good and constructive climate. Talks on the natural gas issue will continue in Moscow in the second half of September.[07] Kaklamanis notes flaws of globalizationNew York, 01/09/2000 (A. Spyridaki - ANA)Globalization began as a promising phenomenon but has offered very little to date, Parliament President Apostolos Kaklamanis said on Thursday. "Differences between rich and poor are increasing, unemployment and organized crime are on the rise, the environment is being continuously burdened and conflict and tension in international relations have not abated," he said in an address to the UN - sponsored Inter-parliamentary conference in New York. He cited Cyprus as a "characteristic" example of a victim of provocative policies, with its citizens suffering violations of their most fundamental rights during the 26 years since the Turkish invasion of the island. Kaklamanis said that national parliaments were in a position and should contribute to the consolidation of democracy and equality, claiming a leading role in the protection of human rights and individual freedoms. [08] Reppas slams proposed bill as 'attempt to disorient public'Athens, 01/09/2000 (ANA)A bill for transparency in public works and state procurements that was proposed by main opposition New Democracy on Thursday and rejected by a Parliamentary majority, met with scathing criticism from government spokesman Dimitris Reppas, who accused ND of trying to "disorient public opinion by creating issues out of nothing."The government spokesman said the bill backed by ND leader Costas Karamanlis created the impression of serving conflicting private interests that were going against each other in order to secure public-sector procurements contracts. According to Reppas, transparency in the public sector was legally secured by a series of laws that fully protect the interests of the Greek state. [09] Council of Hellenes Abroad convenes in new Thessaloniki officesAthens, 01/09/2000 (ANA)The presidency of the Council of Hellenes Abroad (SAE), chaired by Andrew Athens, convened in Thessaloniki on Thursday in the presence of Deputy Foreign Minister Aggeliki Laiou, in charge of expatriate affairs. The members will meet for three days at the Council's newly acquired offices, which will be officially inaugurated on Saturday.Thursday's session was devoted to organizational matters, while the agenda for Friday includes such issues as a program for medical care in the former Soviet republics, training programs for young ethnic Greeks and forums for youth, women, culture etc. The medical care program concerns ethnic Greeks in Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia and Albania, where 100 million dollars will be spent on setting up 20 medical centers in these countries. Three centers already operate in Georgia, the Ukraine and Armenia and provide free treatment to both ethnic Greeks but other citizens of those countries. In Georgia, in particular, several dozen operations for heart problems have been carried out. Also sitting in on the meetings is the chairman of the parliamentary committee for overseas Greeks, Grigoris Niotis, a number of MPs, Overseas Greeks General Secretary Dimitris Dolis and others. Thursday's meeting was also attended by Macedonia-Thrace Minister George Pashalidis. [10] Holy Synod meets to discuss school curriculum changes and identity card issueAthens, 01/09/2000 (ANA)At a meeting on Thursday, the Holy Synod of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Greece discussed the recently announced changes to the school curriculum and the identity-card issue. According to a Church spokesman, the meeting decided to send a letter to Education Minister Petros Efthymiou in which they applaud a decision to reduce the number of subjects for nationwide university entrance exams but express their objection to religious studies being among the subjects dropped. On identity cards - where the Church objects to a government decision to drop all record of religious affiliation in new state-issued IDs - the Holy Synod decided to push ahead with plans for the collection of signatures in support of their views. The meeting agreed that a circular explaining the process of collecting signatures would be read out in all churches on September 14, and the informal referendum would begin the next day. The Church spokesman added that the ways in which the fairness of the result would be ensured will be announced on Friday.[11] Vartholomeos makes plea for end to controversy that has divided Church and StateISTANBUL 01/09/2000 (ANA/A. Kourkoulas)Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos on Thursday appealed for unity among Greek people, saying that he joined President of the Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos in his plea for an end to conflict "because we have bitter experience from the recent and more distant past of the consequences of division and discord."The Patriarch made the statements in Istanbul, after officiating the mass in a church in the city's old quarter. On Wednesday, President Stephanopoulos had appealed for an end to the conflict that had pitted the Church of Greece and the government against each other - referring to the identity-card crisis and a recent government decision to drop religious studies as an exam subject for nationwide university-entrance exams. [12] Serbian Patriarch awards medal of honor to Greek ambassadorBELGRADE 01/09/2000 (ANA - M. Mouratidis)Serbian Patriarch Pavle on Thursday awarded a medal of honor to Greek Ambassador to Belgrade Panayiotis Vlassopoulos as an expression of gratitude to the Greek people for their material and moral support to the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Serbian people.The Patriarch underlined that the Greek people supported the Serbian people during a difficult period in their history and thanked the Greek ambassador for his contribution towards strengthening the ties between the two peoples. [13] Turkish military chief cites proposals to Greek sideISTANBUL, 01/09/2000 (ANA - A. Kourkoulas)Turkey's military chief said this week that his country's general staff is awaiting a response from Greece over proposals for military cooperation. "The Greeks have not yet responded to the proposals we've made," Gen. Hussein Kivrikoglu said during a reception he hosted for Turkey's top military leadership on the occasion of the country's national holiday.Meanwhile, the Turkish daily "Radikal" reported that Kivrikoglu said Turkey's general staff "regularly holds talks" with the Greek armed forces' general staff, among others. Asked by reporters of Greece's intention to purchase a batch of French-made air-to-ground "Scalp" cruise missiles, Kivrikoglu said, "Turkey will take the necessary measures." [14] EU Commissioner to present proposals for people with special needsAthens, 01/09/2000 (ANA)Greek E.U. Commissioner for Employment, Anna Diamantopoulou, is to present a package of measures to combat discrimination against people with special needs at a European forum that begins on Friday on the island of Crete.Diamantopoulou's proposals will chiefly address non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and are expected to stress the rights of people with special needs to contribute to society creatively and not as passive recipients of policy. She is expected to emphasize the importance of education, vocational training and employment in social integration. [15] Trade union report sees unemployment down at 7.5 pct in 2004Athens, 01/09/2000 (ANA)Greece's unemployment rate is expected to rise slightly this year to a total of 11.9 percent from 11.7 pct in 1999, but could fall to 7.5 percent by the end of 2004, the Labor Institute of GSEE - Greece's largest union umbrella - said in its annual report on Thursday.Savvas Robolis, a professor at the Panteion University of Athens, presenting GSEE's report in Thessaloniki said he expected the unemployment rate to rise to 11.9 percent this year but presented a model to combat unemployment which could contain the unemployment rate to 7.5 percent over the next four years. "Increasing competitiveness and combating unemployment is not achieved through lowering labor cost, deregulating the labor market, industrial relations and the social welfare, but through increasing productivity and upgrading quality in production procedures," GSEE's report said. Robolis said that according to Eurostat's - the EU's executive agency - figures 20 percent of Greek workers have more than one job, earning 65 percent of the EU's average earnings. Only 6.0 percent of Greek workers are part-time employed, compared with a 17.4 percent figure in the E.U., due to low-paid jobs in the country. Robolis said that 86 percent of Greek businesses and one in three industries were operating with multiple working shifts, compared with a 71 percent average rate in the E.U. GSEE's report also reveals that Greece spends only 0.35 percent of its gross domestic product on labor policies, compared with an average of 1.13 percent in the E.U., ranking one step from bottom in the EU's relative list. The report said that economic immigrants in Greece were creating jobs for Greek citizens. Professor Robolis said that immigrants working in the agricultural sector helped in increasing the total volume of turnover, while those working in the manufacturing or the construction sectors occupied low-paid jobs for which Greek workers had no interest. The situation was different, however, in the small- and medium-sized enterprises sector where employers were employing unskilled immigrants paying low wages and no social security contributions, he said. [16] Ministry to provide data on social insurance fund investments in the bourseAthens, 01/09/2000 (ANA)The Labor and Social Security Ministry will provide to Parliament all available data relating to the investments of state social insurance funds in the stock market, the Labor Ministry said on Thursday.State social insurance funds invested 17,360 million drachmas in shares listed on the Athens Stock Exchange in the first four months of 2000, the statement said in response to a question tabled in Parliament by Coalition of the Left deputy Panagiotis Lafazanis. Meanwhile, the Construction Workers Union said that the government and the Social Security Foundation (IKA) bore a huge responsibility for investing a considerable part of its funds in the bourse, and called for their liquidation. [17] Greek stocks rebound strongly on ASEAthens, 01/09/2000 (ANA)Greek investors breathed a sigh of relief on Thursday when stock prices rebounded strongly reversing a free-fall in the previous six sessions on the Athens Stock Exchange.Dealers, however, remained cautious over the market's trend reminding of short-lived rebounds in the past. Turnover exceeded the 100 billion drachmas level, a sign that liquidity may be improving. Buying interest focused on smaller capitalization stocks creating a general upward trend which steadily expanded in blue chip stocks. The general index ended 3.72 percent higher at 3,557.15 points, recouping part of a 8.75 percent loss in the previous six sessions. The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavy traded stocks jumped 3.80 percent to 2,010.09 points and the FTSE/ASE 40 index soared 5.05 percent to 489 points. Turnover was an improved 103.9 billion drachmas. The parallel market index for smaller capitalization stocks ended at 614.05 points, up 7.40 percent. Broadly, advancers led decliners by 333 to 10 with another 17 issues unchanged. Hellenic Bottling, Hellenic Telecoms, Alpha Bank, Hellenic Petroleum, Doudos and National Bank were the most heavily traded stocks. Equity futures end up, tracking Athens bourse Athens, 01/09/2000 (ANA)Equity futures traded on the Athens Derivatives Exchange finished higher on Thursday, in line with the indices on which they are based.The FTSE/ASE 20 index closed 3.80 percent up, and the FTSE/ASE 40 ended 5.05 percent higher. Turnover was 15.385 billion drachmas. A total of 2,117 contracts were traded on the FTSE/ASE 20 with turnover at 8.0 billion drachmas. On the FTSE/ASE 40 index, 3,802 contracts changed hands on turnover of 7.34 billion drachmas. [18] Bond prices edge down in moderate tradeAthens, 01/09/2000 (ANA)Bond prices in the domestic secondary market on Thursday finished down slightly in moderate trade.The Greek benchmark 10-year bond showed a yield of 6.093 percent from 6.039 percent in the previous session. The Greek paper's yield spread over German bunds was 78 basis points from 79 basis points for the two previous trading days. Turnover through the central bank's electronic system totaled 72 billion drachmas from 48 billion drachmas in the session before. Of the total, buy orders accounted for 40 billion drachmas of turnover. [19] Drachma ends down vs. euro, up vs. dollarAthens, 01/09/2000 (ANA)The drachma on Thursday ended lower against the euro and higher versus the US dollar in the domestic foreign exchange market. At the central bank's daily fixing, the euro was set at 337.680 drachmas from 337.620 drachmas in the previous session. Also at the fix, the dollar was set at 377.290 drachmas from 380.110 drachmas a day earlier.[20] Prime minister, Bank of Greece governor discuss monetary policyAthens, 01/09/2000 (ANA)Government spokesman Dimitris Reppas on Thursday said that Prime Minister Costas Simitis discussed monetary policy issues with Bank of Greece governor Lucas Papademos on Wednesday."The result of this conversation was that monetary policy should be eased cautiously as it will have both positive and negative results. It will rekindled investment interest but if interest rates were rapidly lowered there was a risk of overheating in the economy," Reppas said. [21] Greece calls for comprehensive approach to single-hull tanker issueAthens, 01/09/2000 (ANA)Greece has asked the European Union to exempt 278 Greek tankers from a plan to withdraw from service old single-hull vessels, and called for a comprehensive and coordinated approach to the issue of environmental protection from oil spills.The Commission's proposals envisage the withdrawal of single-hull tankers built before 1982 when they reach age 23, and of those built after 1982 when they reach age 28, despite longer operating limits envisaged by the Marpol international convention. According to a Greek memorandum submitted to the European Commission and the current six-month rotating French presidency, if all 278 tankers affected were included in the plan, 3,295 seamen would lose their jobs and many countries would face supply problems. The total withdrawn capacity would be more than 14 million d.w.t. The Commission's proposals were prompted by the sinking of an oil tanker off the coast of Brittany in France in 1999, which caused considerable oil pollution. Merchant Marine Minister Christos Papoutsis said on Thursday that plans to promote safety in sea transportation and environmental protection, in which Greece was prepared to cooperate closely, would have to take seriously into account the competitiveness of the European Union's merchant navy and issues of employment. "Additionally, due to the international character of the industry, it is necessary for the solutions to be found to be acceptable and applicable worldwide," he added. First-Half Corporate Results [22] Athens Water reports 7.8 percent rise in H1 turnoverAthens, 01/09/2000 (ANA)Athens Water on Thursday reported a 7.8 percent rise in its 1st half turnover to 38.2 billion drachmas from 35.4 billion in the same period last year. The listed company also announced a 17 percent fall in sales cost to 26.7 billion drachmas over the same period, reflecting lower amortization. Pre-tax profits jumped 101 percent in the January-June period to 13.3 billion drachmas, from 6.6 billion the same period in 1999.[23] Banca Monte Dei Paschi di Siena buys 5.0 pct stake in Alpha Bank RomaniaAthens, 01/09/2000 (ANA)Italian bank Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena signed a deal with Alpha Bank on Tuesday to buy a 5.0 percent equity stake in Alpha Bank Romania.The equity participation will be accomplished through a capital increase in Alpha Bank Romania. Alpha Bank Group is the largest private financial group in Greece with an expanding presence in southeastern Europe and Banca Monte Dei Paschi di Siena, which was established in 1472, is the oldest bank in the world and one of the major banking groups in Italy. Both institutions will benefit from the relationship. Alpha Bank having an strong presence in the Romanian market and Banca Monte Dei Paschi di Siena providing a powerful link with the important Italian business community. Alpha Bank holds a 85 percent equity stake in Alpha Bank Romania, with the remaining 10 percent owned by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Alpha Bank Romania reported net profits of 6 million US dollars last year and its workforce totals 325. The bank plans to open five new branches in the country by the end of 2001. [24] Alleged 'scam artist' in custody, robbery reportedAthens, 01/09/2000 (ANA)A local man was arrested inside an Eurobank branch in downtown Athens on Wednesday after staff noticed that documentation, including a passport, he provided for a consumer loan was forged.According to reports, following a search of his residence, Apostolou was also charged with using bogus medical certificates from state hospitals to achieve a 45,000-drachma monthly disability pension since 1997; bilking one million-drachma consumer loans under false pretenses from at least nine commercial banks and widespread credit card fraud. The suspect was identified as 52-year-old Grigorios Apostolou. Meanwhile, in an unrelated incident, an unidentified local woman was arrested on charges of operating an illegal brothel in her fourth-floor Dafni district apartment. Three foreign women were also arrested on prostitution charges, while 255,000 drachmas were confiscated during a police raid on Wednesday. Further west in Attica prefecture, four gunmen robbed a 50-year-old plant employee of three million drachmas on Wednesday in the industrial district of Mandra. The woman had reportedly just made a withdrawal from a local Eurobank branch and was headed back to her work in the same region when a vehicle carrying the four suspects blocked her car. Finally, two separate police items were reported from the city of Ioannina, NW Greece, over the past few days involving Albanian nationals as victims. In the first, the charred body of a driver located inside a vehicle that swerved off the national highway early Thursday morning before bursting into flames was identified as Edmund Mousai, 29. In the second, a 17-year-old Albanian was stabbed in the back along one of Ioannina's main avenues on Thursday evening by a compatriot identified only as "Seit", police said. The victim was hospitalized while police are searching for the perpetrator. [25] Experts' report on 27 collapsed buildings due out this yearAthens, 01/09/2000 (ANA)An experts' report on the collapse of 27 buildings during the highly destructive earthquake last September will be completed and released by the end of this year, the Environment and Town Planning ministry announced on Thursday.In a letter to relatives of the 127 victims that died inside the fallen buildings, Environment Minister Costas Laliotis stressed that "the state's primary duty is for the truth to come out and for justice to be served." For this reason, he added, the state was collecting and sending to public prosecutors all the evidence at its disposal and at the disposal of the victims' families. Laliotis said that the 27 dossiers compiled on the collapsed buildings showed evidence of various minor and major transgressions of town planning and building codes, as well as simple cases of bad workmanship. In many cases, he added, experts had also discovered serious discrepancies between the blueprints on which planning permission had been based and the buildings themselves. [26] Head of International Civil Aviation Organization due in AthensAthens, 01/09/2000 (ANA)The president of the council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Dr. Assad Kotaite, will be in Greece on an official visit on September 2-6.While in Greece, Dr. Kotaite will meet with President of the Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos, Foreign Minister George Papandreou and Transport and Telecommunications Minister Christos Verelis. The agenda for the ICAO chief's talks with Greek officials includes issues such as safety in international civil aviation, environmental concerns linked to noise pollution and aircraft exhaust fumes and Greece's legal position on statutes and structures of aviation law. [27] Greece transports 9,500 tonnes of peaches to SerbiaAthens, 01/09/2000 (ANA)Following coordinated action by Foreign Minister George Papandreou and Agriculture Minister Giorgos Anomeritis, the transport of 9,500 tonnes of peaches to Serbia got underway on Wednesday. The peaches will be transported to 13 regions of Serbia (36 cities) by 475 Greek refrigerated trucks. Four thousand tonnes (costing 580 million drachmas) are being sent as food aid by Greece (Agriculture Ministry). The remaining 5,500 tonnes (costing 632.5 million drachmas) are being sent by the European Union as humanitarian aid.[28] Group claims Polish embassy car torchingAthens, 01/09/2000 (ANA)Unidentified persons set fire early Thursday to a Polish embassy car in an Athens northern suburb, causing minor damage, and the torching was later claimed by a group calling itself "Black Star".An anonymous caller telephoned ELEFTHEROTYPIA daily later and claimed responsibility on behalf of the group for the 2:30 a.m. torching of the car, which belonged to an employee of the Polish embassy, as it was parked in the suburb of Aghia Paraskevi. "Black Star" first emerged in August 1999, claiming responsibility for a home-made firebomb at the entrance of the Greece-Israel Friendship Society near the central Athens district of Exarchia. The group has also claimed the torching of a car belonging to the UN office in Athens in the central Athens district of Kolonaki in mid-June, another car belonging to Athens University's European Center for Civil Law a week later in the Athens district of Ambelokipi, and a car belonging to the Italian embassy in Athens in mid-August. [29] Defense minister says Cyprus has the right to join European armyLARNACA, 01/09/2000 (CNA/ANA)Cyprus has both the right and the obligation to participate in the European Union Common and Foreign Security Policy, Defense Minister Socratis Hasikos said on Thursday, dismissing loud criticism by the Turkish Cypriot side about the government's attempts to join the European army."Our accession course is a one way street and a strategic policy choice. Our effort to be part of the European army must be seen within this context," Hasikos said, on his way to Athens for a private visit. Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash has threatened to leave the UN-sponsored peace talks, due to resume next month in New York, if the EU makes any further move to bring Cyprus closer to participating in the European army. Defense minister Hasikos pointed out that Cyprus is already engaged in the process of participation in its capacity as a candidate country and is set to attend in November a meeting of the 15 E.U. members with other candidate states, one of which is Turkey. Replying to questions, the minister said Denktash's remarks target the E.U. and not the Cyprus Republic. Asked if Denktash's threats would affect the talks, Hasikos hoped this would not be the case. "What will affect the talks is the approach Ankara and Denktash will adopt and whether the Turkish Cypriot leader will go with a sincere disposition and will to find a peaceful, lasting and viable settlement," the minister added. He also said Denktash does not act on his own accord but acts as Ankara's "executive body in the Turkish-occupied areas of Cyprus." On the abduction of two young Greek Cypriots by the occupation regime, Hasikos said "they are being held illegally and we demand their immediate release." Two 24-year olds were abducted by the occupation regime on Tuesday night when their car strayed into the northern part of the island. In different remarks about Turkey's E.U. partnership agreement, the spokesman said the content of the agreement is subject to negotiation within the E.U. "What we are aiming at is to see this partnership agreement include clear obligations and commitment with regard to Cyprus," he added. [30] Kyprianou attends summit of parliamentary presidents in New YorkNEW YORK, 01/09/2000 (CNA/ANA)Cyprus House President Spyros Kyprianou, in New York attending the summit of Parliamentary Presidents, has had a series of meetings with many of his counterparts and is set to see many others on the sidelines of the summit.On Friday, he is scheduled to address some 150 parliamentary speakers participating in the summit. He is expected to talk about the inability of the UN to implement its own Charter. On Thursday, Kyprianou was due to meet his Italian counterpart Luciano Violante and the President of the Interparliamentary Union, organizer of the summit, Indian Najma Heptulla. On Friday he will see Russian Duma speaker Gennady Seleznyov and intends to give a press conference. Kyprianou has already met Lord Russell Johnston, president of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, who will visit Cyprus in the second week in December, at Kyprianou's invitation. The House President talked to Israeli Knesset president Avraham Burg, who renewed an invitation to Kyprianou to visit Israel. The visit is set for November. [31] Greenpeace activists chain themselves to rails at Presidential PalaceNICOSIA, 01/09/2000 (CNA/ANA)Protesters, members of the global environmentalist group "Greenpeace" and local activists, on Thursday chained themselves to the rails at the Presidential Palace, as the cabinet was due to meet, to press on with their demand to save the Akamas peninsula, on the far northwestern coast.Police intervened to cut the chains and removed the protesters from the rails at the entrance and the exit to the Presidential Palace, where ministers were arriving for a cabinet meeting. "Today's protest is only the tip of the iceberg," George Perdikis, speaking on behalf of the local environmentalists, has said, as others waved banners "Akamas belongs to all of us, we must save it" and "Development for the inhabitants, not the wealthy." Some 20 protesters, members of the Greenpeace ship "MV Greenpeace" and local supporters demand that the government abandons plans for tourist development in the area of Akamas, an unspoilt beauty spot with unique flora and fauna. Perdikis said the cabinet decision for mild and controlled development will lead to Akamas' destruction and a sell out to big business interests. Greenpeace and local environmental groups intend to intensify their protests, they said. Erini Constantinou, of the Cyprus branch of Greenpeace, said Thursday's protest was symbolic and we wanted to protest the cabinet decision on Akamas and demand protection for the area." A statement by Greenpeace said the organization raised the issue of Akamas with E.U. representatives, who said the E.U. is monitoring "the practical application of environmental protection measures in candidate countries and would expect candidates to comply with the spirit of our legislation during the period of accession." [32] Britain to continue to remind Turkey concerning Loizidou caseNICOSIA, 01/09/2000 (CNA/ANA)Britain will continue to remind Turkey of the need to respect the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in the Loizidou case, British Minister for Europe Keith Vaz said in a reply letter to British Member of the European Parliament Theresa Villiers.He noted that the British government shares Villiers' concern over Turkey's non-compliance with the judgment and "fully supports the judgment and attaches great importance to it being upheld." Greek Cypriot Titina Loizidou won a case against Turkey and the European Court of Human Rights ruled in December 1996 that Turkey should pay her some 900,000 US dollars in compensation for prohibiting her to enjoy her property in the northern part of the island it occupies since 1974. "We will continue to remind Turkey of the need to respect the Court's decision and hope for an early resolution to this issue," he said. In his letter Vas said he had taken careful note of Villiers' suggestion that compliance with the Loizidou case should be included in Turkey's Accession Partnership. "We are currently considering our approach towards the Accession Partnership and will carefully review all factors before we reach a position in Autumn," he added. Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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