NEWS IN DETAIL

UN envoy on Cyprus meets Greek officials

In a meeting with the press after their talks, Kranidiotis said he had been briefed by Han on his recent talks in Nicosia and Ankara. He recalled that UN Secretary General Koffi Annan had sent a letter to the prime minister on the UN's future efforts to resolve the Cyprus issue.

The Undersecretary further emphasised that the Cyprus issue was not a difference between the two communities in the island republic but a question of invasion and occupation, and in that sense, the key to future developments was in Turkey's hands.

He reiterated the position that the Cyprus issue was an international and a European problem, which did not solely concern relations between the two communities or between Greece and Turkey, since the problem in Cyprus was the Turkish occupation and not the Cypriots' right to defend themselves.

Greece, he said, supported a proposal by Cypriot President Glafcos Clerides for the demilitarisation of the island and the installation of a multi- national force to maintain peace and stability. Greece also supports the resumption of direct talks in Cyprus.

"(These talks) should begin as soon as possible," he noted, adding however that "common ground" should first be found, that is, a convergence (of views) providing for some chance of success in the talks.

He noted however, that there did not appear to be much cause for optimism with regard to this "common ground", and added that efforts would continue and current contacts had not been completed.

The UN envoy restricted his statements to thanking the Greek government for what he called important talks which formed part of a tour of the region in an attempt to explore all possibilites for promoting an agreement on resolving the Cyprus issue through the resumption of talks.

Asked whether he shared Kranidiotis' estimation that Turkey held the key to further devlopments, Han avoided a direct answer, noting the importance of the support of the international community, including Greece and Turkey, in solving the problem.

Athens unhappy with UN chief's letter

The letter was printed in the Sunday newspaper To Vima.

"Of course (the government) can not be pleased when certain problems are not dealt with at their source," he noted, reiterating the position that the Cyprus problem was a question of invasion and occupation.

With regard to a potential initiative by Washington on the issue, Reppas observed that the Greek government had no official knowledge of any position on the part of the US.

Questioned on recent statements by Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash regarding Cyprus' accession to the European Union, Reppas stressed that that Cyprus could not be held hostage to Turkey.

Mr. Annan stressed that efforts aimed at achieving a solution to the Cyprus issue can succeed if both leaders (Cyprus President Glafcos Clerides and Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash) commit themselves to handling all issues in a collective manner an d on the basis of the mutual will to compromise.

Mr. Annan requested from Mr. Simitis and Turkish Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan, to whom he has also addressed a letter, to support his efforts to have the Cyprus issue resolved.

"The data required for us to process a settlement are at our disposal. I am referring in particular to high-level agreements concluded in 1977 and 1979 and by which the two sides agreed to the establishment of a bi-communal and bizonal federation, decisions taken by the Security Council, the package of ideas and to other ideas probed in past years," it said.

The letter further says that it has also been recognised that an overall settlement can be achieved through mutual concessions with overall negotiations between the leaders of the two communities, which must last as long as is necessary for a solution to be found and that it is vital now for both leaders to commit themselves to such a process.

80 kg of cannabis found on four men

The four hid the drugs in isolated areas near gypsy camps in the outer Athens suburbs of Ano Liossia, Zefyri and Menidi.

In a separate incident, a Yugoslav, Fatmir Imeri, 40, has been arrested in possession of 300 gr. of heroin and 70,000 dr., proceeds from drug sales.

Farmers call off protests until March

"Given the maintenance of calm we could characterise all as winners and all of us as losers because of lost time," government spokesman Dimitris Reppas told reporters.

Farmers yesterday decided to call off their latest round of protests, after having the wind taken out of their sails on Friday when police deflated the tyres of 1,500 tractors parked on national roads in central Greece.

Farmers' representatives said, however, that they would resume their protests again in March, on the anniversary of the bloody Kileler farmers' uprising in 1910.

"Cooperation and comprehension and not extreme forms of protests are the only way to resolve the farmers' problems," Reppas said.

He reiterated that the government was in favour of dialogue and that "the prime minister's doors are open", noting however there did not seem to be any demand to meet with the prime minister on the side of the coordinating committee.

The decision to call off the second round of protests came after a rally at the Mikrothives junction in Thessaly, and following speeches at rallies in major farming towns by members of the government and ruling party PASOK.

Sources close to the Thessaly Coordinating Committee, which led the decision to resume protests this month, said the farmers had put an end to their protests because they were discouraged by recent developments and lack of coordination by farmers.

The government, meanwhile, had followed up on its sleight of hand to deflate the farmers' tyres by organising senior government members to speak at rallies in Karditsa and Larissa.

Smaller-scale protests, however, continued throughout the weekend, although none came close to disrupting traffic on national roads, a move that the government was determined to avoid.

In December, a 25-day blockade of road and rail links virtually cut the country in two, and caused extensive disruption to transport and export and other industries.

The Thessaly Coordinating Committee on Saturday, meanwhile, demanded the government repair damage to their machinery, saying they would file charges against police for "extensive damage" caused to their tractors.

Teachers to decide Wednesday on whether to continue strike

A final decision on the future of the three-week strike by high school teachers, which is entering its fourth week today, and the two-week strike by primary school teachers will be taken on Wednesday when the general assembly of Greek teachers union presidents will take place in Athens.

Untill then high schools and primary schools will remain closed this week pending any further decisions.

Teachers' main claims are salary increases for teachers working in first- stage education, a reduction in the working week from 25 to 21 hours and the hiring of more teachers.

Mr. Arsenis said that salary increases given to teachers corresponded to those given to university professors "at a time of fiscal difficulty".

He said he had accepted the claim for a reduction in weekly working hours from 25 to 21 hours, but in three years' time, adding that the placing of replacements at schools will be limited as of September to allow for more hirings.

Swedish deputy finance minister in Athens today

"Our aim in these contacts is the exchange of information and views on issues which will be discussed at joint meetings of finance ministers of the European Union's member-states," Mr. Estrus told Swedish radio before his departure for Athens.

The European Commission is promoting a package of measures regarding the harmonisation of taxation legislation in EU states to combat tax evasion and to improve revenue-gathering by member-states.

Thessaloniki gets revamped local daily 'Nea Macedonia'

The proprietors of "Nea Macedonia" are George Kouris, who also owns Athens daily "Avriani" and Katerina Vellidis, the proprietor of "Macedonia" and "Thessaloniki".

"Macedonia" and "Thessaloniki" were forced to close over financial problems suffered by the Vellidis Group. The closure followed strikes by journalists over the Group's failure to pay pension dues.

Fourth case of meningitis reported

Another soldier serving in the region has died of the disease, while two others are hospitalised, one in Alexandroupolis, the other in Thessaloniki.

State film award winners announced

The first three prizes for feature length films went to Andreas Patzis for "Slaughtering the Rooster", to Yannis Smaragdis for "Cavafy" and to Yannis Typaldos for "Terra Incognita".

Prize for best documentary went to G. Zervas and G. Papakonstantinou for "When Chagall cost less than a kilo of potatoes".

The prizes will be awarded at a special event to be held within the next few weeks in Thessaloniki.

WEATHER

SPORTS

Olympiakos - Heraklis 2 - 1 Athinaikos - Panathinaikos 0 - 2 Kavala - Pyrgos 1 - 0 Panahaiki - Ionikos 2 - 1 PAOK - Kalamata 2 - 0 Edessa - Aris 1 - 0 Xanthi - Kastoria 6 - 0 AEK - OFI 0-1 Apollon - Veria to be played today

Standings: Olympiakos 48 AEK 42 Panathinaikos 42 OFI 37 Kavala 31 Pyrgos 30 PAOK 29 Veria, Panahaiki 28 Ionikos 27

FOREIGN EXCHANGE

(M.P.)

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