NEWS IN DETAIL

New wave of illegal immigrants unlikely, but Athens prepared

Petsalnikos expressed the view however that such an eventuality was not likely at the present moment.

The collapse of get-rich-quick pyramid investment schemes has brought financial ruin to hundreds of thousands of Albanians, increasing the possibility of an increase in the number of illegal immigrants entering Greece.

Asked at a press conference in Thessaloniki whether increased measures had been taken at the border to prevent the entry of illegal immigrants, Petsalnikos replied:

''The jointly responsible ministries have already planned for such an eventuality. The measures are constantly at an increased level with joint police and army patrols, but they have not been intensified.''

The Macedonia and Thrace Ministry is one of the ministries referred to by Petsalnikos, since it is responsible for a geographical region bordering on ''high-risk'' countries with respect to illegal immigration.

The others are the ministries of public order, of the interior and of national defence.

Government spokesman Dimitris Reppas confirmed later that no extraordinary measures had been taken at the country's borders since the government ''does not believe such a problem will manifest itself in an explosive form''.

Reppas was replying to reporters' questions on the possibility of a wave of illegal immigrants from Balkan countries entering Greece and reports broadcast by the BBC that Greece had taken special measures on its borders.

''The forces stationed along the borders are permanent and adequate to deal with any problems. However, the government is following developments very closely,'' the spokesman added.

Greece will broach Balkans unrest at next EU meeting

At the next EU General Affairs Council, Reppas said, Greece will propose the undertaking of initiatives in the region.

''The spirit of the proposal will be for the entire situation to be viewed in its political dimension. That is, we shall propose the granting of economic assistance as well as consultations and contacts with the leaderships of the Balkan countries aimed at consolidating democratic institutions,'' Reppas said.

Meanwhile, Coalition of the Left and Progress leader Nikos Konstantopoulos today noted a ''dangerous discrepancy between the fluidity prevailing in the Balkans and the intense movement concerning our national issues on the one hand, and the government's passive inertia on the other''.

Konstantopoulos was speaking to reporters after a one-hour meeting with President Kostis Stephanopoulos which focused on national issues.

The Coalition leader called on the government to undertake ''coordinated initiatives'' and activate the European Union for the confrontation of problems in the Balkan countries.

He added that the initiatives presupposed tackling the issue of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM).

Konstantopoulos said he was planning a tour of the Balkan countries which would take in Albania, Yugoslavia, FYROM, Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia, although specific dates had not yet been set.

Investigation into death of Russian underworld figure continues

Initial police investigations indicate that after arriving in Greece, Solonik moved into a villa in Thrakomakedones, near Mt. Parnitha. He later moved to Lagonisi, on the coast south of Athens, where he lived with another four Russian gang leaders. All five men, according to police sources, were dealing in arms and drugs as well as supplying women from eastern European countries to night clubs and brothels in Greece.

Police believe that Solonik was murdered in a house at Lagonisi and his body then dumped in the field were it was later found. It is believed his murder was related to a contract to kill a prominent businessman living in Italy.

Shortly before Solonik's body was found, six Russian police officers had come here on a tip that he had been murdered, and that information was contained in a parcel hidden near Athens airport. A box was found containing a diagram of the location of Solonik's body.

Reppas comments on international pressure

''The declaration may still be utilized today and constitutes the basis of the policy with which Turkey must fall in line,'' Reppas said.

The EU foreign ministers' declaration of 15 July inter alia called on Turkey to refrain from using or threatening the use of force and to have recourse to the International Court at the Hague concerning its territorial claims against Greece.

The spokesman called on international officials who express interest in Greek-Turkish relations and the Cyprus problem to ascertain which country's policy was circumventing international law and international treaties and ''to obstruct the implementation of this policy''.

On what he described as the ''much-vaunted'' initiative expected from the United States on the Cyprus problem, Reppas said that no initiative had so far been forthcoming.

Asked whether the failure for such an initiative to be manifested would be regarded as a negative development, Reppas replied that ''it would be a negative development if there was a lack of interest on the US side, as too would be the manifestation of interest which undermined our national issues''.

Border regions get priority in Northern Greece planning

At the same time, efforts will be made to broaden inter-Balkan and Black Sea cooperation, he said, announcing the ministry's planning for 1997.

''In this direction, the upgrading of the ministry's role, with the operation of the Macedonia-Thrace Special Coordinating Council and the establishment in Thessaloniki of special secretariats of other ministries, is a top priority for the leadership of the ministry,'' Petsalnikos said.

The ministry's planning for the current year includes turning to advantage the programme for border areas, the development of special programmes of the Macedonia and Thrace Ministry and the use of new technology for the implementation of programmes such as distance training of teachers and the creation of an ''electronic trade zone''.

Other projects are the linking-up of the ministry with the Internet, the operation of the National Institute for Cartography and Cartographic Heritage and the preparation of a draft law designed to alleviate the problems of ethnic Greeks returning from abroad to settle in Greece.

Reviewing the ministry's activities during 1996, Petsalnikos referred in particular to the implementation of special programmes in Thrace at a cost of 32 billion drachmas and in western Macedonia totalling 82 billion drachmas, the setting up of preventive medicine mobile units, the television coverage of Macedonia-Thrace in cooperation with ET-3 and the establishment of an Office for Inter-Balkan Cooperation.

100 million for archaeology in Northern Greece

He made the announcement while opening the sessions of the archaeology meeting ''A decade of Archaeological Work in Macedonia and Thrace'' at Thessaloniki University, which is being held for the tenth consecutive year.

Petsalnikos referred to the ''great importance'' attached by the ministry to the archaeological finds uncovered in excavations, adding that this was why it had decided to fund the archaeological research of Thessaloniki University.

The sessions of the meeting will continue until Saturday with speeches and presentations by Greek and foreign archaeologists concerning excavations being conducted in Macedonia and Thrace.

Premier calls for social dialogue instead of confrontation

Speaking in the western Attica district of Ano Liosia last night, Mr. Simitis said strengthening the country's defence has a high price, which is imposed by the threats Greece is faced with -- the national defence ministry will spend four trillion drachmas in armaments over the next 10 years.

"Expenditures are high and they are limiting our other possibilities but they are necessary at the moment," he said.

Mr. Simitis said European unification is not a compulsory option for the country.

"Today you only survive when you decide to develop dynamically through competition. And Greece wants and can achieve the target of development; it wants and can have a presence on the international scene; it wants and can achieve prosperity and social justice. This is our plan for the Greece of today and tomorrow," he said.

Mr. Simitis said that Greece is the only EU country where instead of social expenditures being curbed, and instead of salaries and incomes being pinned down, a balance has been achieved between fiscal discipline and the safeguarding of working people 's income in real terms.

Cyprus to encourage Greek investors

The new policies are part of efforts to harmonise the Cypriot economy with European states and to lure foreign investment to the island-republic.

Many previous restrictions on foreign capital and the activity of foreign investors have been abolished under the new guidelines and specific definitions on where foreign investment is limited, for reasons of national security or social benefit, have be en drafted.

An official document issued by the Cyprus central bank said that Greek businessmen would be dealt with under different terms to encourage joint enterprises with Cypriot firms.

The establishment of banks, insurance firms, airline companies and publishing concerns will be examined on a case-by-case basis.

Agricultural Bank drops interest rates

The bank's governor, Christos Papathanasiou, said that the new rates, effective as of tomorrow, would range between 0.25 per cent and 0.75 per cent.

Specifically, the basic interest rate for a regular savings account will be 10 per cent for sums up to 3 million drachmas and 10.25 per cent for amounts over 3 million drachmas.

The higher interest ''Dimitra'' account will have an interest rate of between 10.75 per cent and 11.25 per cent, depending on the amount deposited.

Similarly, the ''Athina'' account for students will have a rate of between 10 per cent and 10.75 per cent and the ''Estia'' current account a rate of 8.50 per cent to 10.50 per cent, again according to the amount of savings.

WEATHER

FOREIGN EXCHANGE

(M.P.)

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