Drug seizure figures at Greek-Turkish border
NEWS IN DETAIL
Athens stands by Cyprus on missiles purchase
Greece yesterday defended Cyprus' decision to conclude an arms deal for the
purchase of the advanced Russian-made S-300 surface-to-air missiles.
In statements from Thessaloniki, National Defence Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos
countered a charge by his Turkish counterpart Turhan Tayan, who on Sunday
said that the Cypriot government is mounting an arms build up. The Greek
minister reiterated that the island republic "is a victim of invasion and
has the elementary right of defence against the aggressor."
The multi-million dollar arms deal was signed in Moscow on Saturday.
Turkish troops, currently estimated at 35,000 men, have been occupying 37
per cent of Cyprus' territory since 1974, in violation of repeated UN
resolutions calling for their withdrawal.
Mr. Tsohatzopoulos stressed that Greece, as a guarantor power of Cypriot
independence, stands in solidarity and guarantees the island republic's
freedom and protection.
Cyprus cites right to defence
The Cyprus government yesterday confirmed the signing of an major arms deal
for the purchase of the Russian-made S-300 surface-to-air missiles.
Foreign Minister Alecos Michaelides told a private television network that
the sophisticated weapons system will be delivered at a later date, without
revealing details. The multi-million dollar arms deal has generated
reservations from Washington and European capitals and vehement protests
from Ankara.
"The missiles will boost our defence capability and are not in any way an
act of aggression," he added, noting that President Glafcos Clerides'
proposal for the demilitarisation of Cyprus was still on the table.
Mr. Michaelides wondered why no representations were made over the
continuing illegal presence of some 35,000 Turkish troops in occupied
Cyprus, when the UN chief himself has confirmed this massive military
presence, and the repeated violations of the island republic's air space by
Turkish warplanes.
In an interview with the BBC World Service, Mr. Michaelides said that there
had been "no move in the past 22 years and no pressure exercised on Turkey
to withdraw its 35,000 occupation troops from the island."
He noted that Turkish fighters often fly over Cyprus and added "a few
months ago Turkish reconnaisance planes photographed the whole of the
island."
President Glafcos Clerides told the press at Larnaca airport yesterday that
the Republic of Cyprus maintained the right to arm itself as long as the
Turkish occupation of northern Cyprus continued.
Russian exporter: missile deal will not 'disrupt balance'
Russia's main arms export agency,Rosvooruzheniye,on Sunday hailed a
contract it won to supply missiles to Cyprus, and said the weapons would
not disrupt the balance of forces in the region.
Valery Pogrebenkov, a spokesman for the state-controlled company, which has
a near monopoly on arms exports from Russia, told Reuters that the company
hoped more deals with Cyprus would follow the contract, which was concluded
on Saturday.
Mr. Pogrebenkov said that "after their installation, Cyprus will have the
most reliable anti-aircraft defence system in the region."
Moscow sees the S-300 as its equivalent of the US-made Patriot, effectively
used during the Gulf War. The chief difference, the Russians claim, is that
the S-300 is quicker and more effective.
Nikolai Bezborodov, the deputy head of the defence committee in Russia's
lower house of parliament, the state Duma, also defended the contract,
which he said corresponded to Russian national interests.
"Each country has the right to chose its allies and partners," Mr.
Bezborodov told the Itar-Tass news agency.
US reaction
The US State Department yesterday also reacted to the Cyprus-Russia arms
deal by saying that the presence of the S-300 missiles was a destabilising
factor that undermined peace efforts.
"The United States expresses regret over this step...It will complicate
efforts of achieving permanent peace in Cyprus and will constitute a new
and destabilising factor on this island," State Department spokesman
Nicholas Burns told reporters.
Simitis to chair meeting on foreign policy issues
Prime Minister Costas Simitis on Thursday will chair a meeting of the
foreign ministry's political leadership on Greece's national issues.
According to an ANA dispatch from Nicosia, Cyprus President Glafcos
Clerides said that he would travel to Athens in mid-January to discuss with
Greece's political leadership developments on the Cyprus issue.
National Bank branch firebombed
Unidentified assailants smashed the windows of the National Bank of
Greece's branch in the Athens district of Neos Kosmos and hurled a
"cocktail molotov" bomb inside, causing serious damage to furniture.
After the fire was extinguished by the fire brigade, neighbours said the
attackers were two youths who made their getaway on a high-powered
motorcycle.
Cultural Capital '97 events
Two large exhibitions will be inaugurated tonight as part of events marking
Thessaloniki as the 1997 Cultural Capital of Europe. An exhibition of 62
sculptures, collages, and a large collection of photographs and documents
from the tumultuous life of their creator, dadaist and surrealist sculptor
Max Ernst, organised by the Swedish Maalmo Museum, and will run until Feb.
22 at the city's Municipal Gallery. An exhibition of works by French
photographer Robert Doisneau at the Hellenic Railways Organisation (OSE)
building on Aristotelous Street, wwill run until Jan. 28 .
Seamen call strike for next week
All Greek-flagged ships will remained docked at ports throughout the
country on Jan. 13-14 after the Panhellenic Maritime Federation (PNO)
decided on Sunday to call a new strike for Greek dockers. Their main demand
is that a taxation exemption for the sector not be abolished.
The new strike was called after a fruitless meeting was held on Saturday
between PNO's administration and Finance Undersecretary George Drys, who
refused to commit himself on preserving the special method of taxation for
seamen.
Commenting on the undersecretary's negative stance, PNO President Yiannis
Halas said the new strike will probably have the form of continuing strike
actions.
Additional measures for protection of Epirus
Public Order Minister George Romeos examined major problems facing the
Epirus region that emerged from the increased influx of Albanian illegal
immigrants as well as the trafficking of drugs from the neighbouring
country to Greece, during a four-day tour of Ioannina and Thesprotia
prefectures.
Mr. Romeos announced the creation of a special border corps, provision of a
helicopter for better border surveillance and the strengthening of police
units with equipment and specially trained dogs. The corps will commence
operations at the end of 1997.
He also referred to the legalisation of illegal immigrants in Greece,
adding that a meeting will be held with the appropriate ministers in Athens
on Feb. 14 to examine the issue.
On the question of the smuggling of drugs from Albania, Mr. Romeos conceded
that it posed a major problem and announced that within the framework of
the Schengen agreement, Greece will install computers at all border
entrances guard borders and monitor foreign nationals, which will be linked
to a central computer in Strasbourg.
Drug seizure figures at Greek-Turkish border
The Kipoi border post on the Greek-Turkish frontier had apparently become a
favourite entry point for illegal narcotics smugglers, according to
officials, as several large drug seizures have occurred at the crossing
over the last six years.
Specifically, during the 1990-96 period, 78 drug-related arrests were
recorded, while 697 kilos of heroin, 2,918 kilos of hashish and nine kilos
of opium were confiscated.
Along those lines, customs officials at the Kipoi border post were honoured
in 1992 as "United Europe's Best Border Post in Terms of Drug Interdiction."
According to customs officials, a significant contribution to the more
effective search of vehicles and cargos entering Greece through Kipoi has
been the implementation, some two and half years ago, of the "Nark Control"
electronic narcotics detection system.
Officials noted that increased security and vigilance on Greek borders has
been responsible for a shift of smugglers' routes elsewhere, namely, along
a Turkey-Bulgarian-Romania road axis, and a "Mediterranean" route, using
ferry boats from Turkey to Italy.
WEATHER
Rainstorms and snowfalls are forecast in most parts of Greece today. But
weather improvement is expected as of tomorrow night. Southeastern winds
will become stronger in the Ionian sea. Athens will be sunny turning to
cloudy in the afternoon with possible rain and temperatures ranging from 9-
16C. Thessaloniki will be cloudy and rainy with temperatures from 2-
113C.
FOREIGN EXCHANGE
(closing rates - buying) US dlr. 243.556
Pound sterling 412.771 Cyprus pd 521.098
French franc 46.541 Swiss franc 180.375
German mark 157.123 Italian lira (100) 15.980
Yen (100) 210.205 Canadian dlr. 176.457
Australian dlr. 192.646 Irish Punt 408.168
Belgian franc 7.626 Finnish mark 52.397
Dutch guilder 139.991 Swedish kr. 35.327
Norwegian kr. 37.944 Austrian sh. 22.330
Spanish peseta 1.866 Portuguese escudo 1.56
(C.E.)
