Antenna: News in English (AM), 98-10-27

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From: Antenna Radio <http://www.antenna.gr> - email: antenna@compulink.gr

Last Updated: Tuesday, 27-Oct-98 09:07:59

CONTENTS

[01] Simitis visit Mount Athos

[02] EU summit in Austria

[03] EU summit in Austria

[04] Papoutsis

[05] Nikiforos-Toxotis military exercises

[06] Apostolopoulou-anti-cancer vaccine

[01] Simitis visit Mount Athos

The prime minister spoke after meeting with patriarch Vartholomeos at one of the Athos monasteries, Xenophon.

The occasion for their meeting there was the 1000th anniversary of Xenophon.

The monastics in this holy region in northern Greece welcomed the prime minister with a doxology in Vartholomeos's presence.

Little was divulged about what the Greek leader and the patriarch discussed. But Vartholomeos said he considered it important, because he wants to do what he can to preserve the monastic community.

Simitis said the government wants to foster more cooperation between Athos and the patriarchate.

Sources said that Simitis and Vartholomeos also discussed church-state relations.

[02] Athos-Vartholomeos-Christodoulos

Ecumenical orthodox patriarch Vartholomeos and Archbishop Christodoulos celebrated the ancient roots of orthodoxy in one of its holiest places, Mount Athos, and one of its now ancient monasteries, Xenophon, which has just turned a thousand.

On Sunday morning the ecumenical patriarch and archbishop of Greece said a holy liturgy at the monastery.

Among those present was Greek president Kostis Stephanopoulos. Vartholomeos presented him with the gold cross commemorating the 1000 years of Xenophon.

In his speech, Stephanopoulos thanked Vartholomeos. He also praised Christodoulos, thanking him for the successful spiritual leadership he's been providing to the Greek people.

After leaving Athos, Christodoulos went to Thessaloniki, becoming the first head of the orthodox church in Greece to be present at that city's celebration of the name day of its patron saint, Dimitrios.

At St Dimitrios cathedral, Christodoulos addressed the faithful. He called Thessaloniki "New Byzantium. Byzantium is our womb", he added, "and to it we return".

After his address, the archbishop held vespers.

On the feast day, Monday, Christodoulos said a divine liturgy in the cathedral, in the presence of the president and government officials.

The singing of the national anthem highlighted the message of unity sent out by religious and political leaders on the religious holiday.

Culture minister Evangelos Venizelos said "Whoever's pessimistic about the future should remember that there's unity among the Greek people".

Former Greek president Christos Sartzetakis added that the Greeks of today are obliged to defend Hellenism on behalf of the forefathers who gave the nation its freedom.

[03] EU summit in Austria

Kostas Simitis talked to reporters at the end of an informal EU summit in Austria.

The European Union's 15 heads of state agreed at their informal summit in Pertsach, Austria over the weekend that they need to do something to help the world out of its economic slump.

But they couldn't agree to what exactly should be done, so they put off any concrete decisions until the official summit in December.

There did seem to be concurrence on one thing: interest rates should be lowered. Austrian chancellor Victor Klima said the time is right for lower rates.

At a press conference, Greek prime minsiter Kostas Simitis said lower rates would fan investment and thus create jobs and more business opportunities.

Interest rates vary around the EU. In Germany, they float between 3 and 4 per cent. In Greece, they're around 13 per cent.

But Simitis says that if the government's economic policies continue to be crowned with success, they'll fall.

But Athens' priority is reducing inflation from its current 5 per cent to 2.5 per cent by the end of 1999 - it's one of the criteria Greece must meet if it wants to join the single currency in 2001.

The Pasok government has launched a last leg drive to get the figure it wants, and is appealing to all Greeks to do their bit to ensure success.

In Austria, he spelled it out: "It's noted that the majority of Greeks accept economic and monetary union", he said. "But we don't need just acceptance in theory, we also need to accept the measures needed to achieve our targets. Inflation depends on thousands of decisions made in the marketplace every day; those who make those decisions play a decisive role in determining the course of the Greek economy".

The prime minister believes it's vital that producers and retailers show price restraint over the next year, if the country is to achieve an inflation rate acceptible to the EU.

[04] Papoutsis

Ever since the ruling party took a beating in the local elections a week ago, Pasok has been soul searching, and there has been criticism of the prime minister's economic policies and selection of election candidates.

In his interview, Papoutsis calls the elections "an ultimatum of defeat". The party has got to turn things around, voters aren't happy.

Papoutsis also says the prime minister is most responsible for Pasok's problems, but he isn't the only one responsible.

He explained to Antenna: "Many people in the party take part in making decisions, some more, some less".

The prime minister, he adds, has got to take the initiative in restoring the party's image, which he says is one of division right now.

The government has got to explain to the people, he says in his newspaper interview, that Euopean economic and monetary union is not just about economic targets; it's also about EU social policy and environmental policy. The prime minister has got to make it clear that the EU is for all Greeks.

[05] Nikiforos-Toxotis military exercises

But Turkish aircraft tried in vain to disrupt the manoeuvres just as they had over the previous days.

Turkey tried once again Sunday to turn Greece and Cyprus's exercises into a showdown. Between Wednesday and Sunday over 200 Turkish fighter aircraft buzzed Greek planes trying to reach Cyprus to take part in the manoeuvres.

They also placed civilian flights in jeopardy.

Greek defence minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos said, "It's true, they even bothered civil air flights, planes from other countries. But Turkey should understand", added Tsochatzopoulos, "that nothing it can do will alter our determination to maintain our joint defence doctrine with Cyrpus".

On Sunday, 40 Turkish fighters tried to block the path of Greek planes heading for Cyprus for the last day of exercises, which included flights over the city of Larnaca. Six Greek F-16s made those flights, and landed at the air base in Pafos to refuel.

The exercises are over, but the Greek air force remains on alert, since the Turkish violations of the Athens and Nicosia Flight Information Regions continued even after the manoeuvres were over.

In Thessaloniki for the celebration of the feast day of that city's patron saint, Dimitrios, Tsochatzopoulos said the Balkans are once again passing through a period of instability and crisis. Greece, he added, is a pole of stability, peace, and cooperation in the Balkans during these troubled times.

[06] Apostolopoulou-anti-cancer vaccine

Vaso Apostolopoulou first sent out a message of hope last year, after lab tests showed her vaccine reduced the size of tunours in lab mice.

Now, researchers in Australia say her drug has combatted cancerous cells in women in the early stages of breast cancer.

In the latest trials at Austin University in Melbourne, researchers found that Vaso Apostolopoulou's vaccine stimulates the immune system into destroying cancerous cells in women with breast cancer.

The vaccine is based on mucin, a synthetic protein found in carcinogenic cells, and sugar. The drug stimulates the immune system into action against tumorous cells.

Apostolopoulou says her vaccine appears to be effective in patients with a certain type of immune system, one that responds to her inoculation by creating anti-cancer antibodies.

The researcher says her trials will reveal more about that in 3 or 4 years. If the results are positive, she promises, she'll be able to come up with a vaccine effective against all types of cancer.

Researchers have found that the vaccine is unhelpful in patients in the advanced stages of breast cancer.

But Apostolopoulou isn't giving up on them. In a parallel study, people in advanced stages of the disease will be injected with the vaccine reinforced with defence system hormones, in the hope that the inoculation will be effective for them too.

(c) ANT1 Radio 1998

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