NEWS IN DETAIL

Greece, Uzbekistan sign several bilateral agreements

The six agreements provide for cooperation in tourism, education, training, technology, culture and the avoidance of double taxation. Mr. Karimov arrived in Athens Monday afternoon for an official two-day visit at the invitation of President of th e Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Mr. Simitis referred to the longstanding cultural ties linking the two countries.

Stressing the need for the further development and the strengthening of Greece's relations with all the countries of central Asia, Mr. Simitis described the agreements as a "springboard" for closer ties and cooperation between Athens and Tashkent.

The premier said that peace and friendship accord was based on the principles of respect for international law and international treaties as well as the territorial integrity of states.

Describing his talks with Mr. Simitis as "fruitful and constructive", Mr. Karimov referred to the two countries' common cultural ties, noting that archaeological finds had proven the presence of the ancient Hellenistic kingdom of Bactria in the region.

Turning to the two countries' modern history, Mr. Karimov spoke of the tens of thousands of Greek political refugees who settled in Uzbekistan after the Greek civil war.

He said the majority of these refugees had since returned to Greece with fond memories of their life in Uzbekistan, noting that approximately 10,000 ethnic Greeks currently live in that nation.

Mr. Karimov said he had ascertained during his talks in Greece that there was plenty of room for the further strengthening of bilateral relations, since there were no issues on which the views of Athens and Tashkent diverged.

Uzbekistan, he added, was interested in broadening its relations not only with Greece but also with the European Union with which his country had signed a cooperation agreement.

Mr. Karimov said he attached particular importance to his visit to Greece, given that the legal basis had been created for the further development of bilateral relations. With respect to bilateral cooperation, Mr. Karimov stressed the opportunities opening up in the agricultural sector, the processing of farm products, textiles, light industry, electronics, computerisation, transport, communications and tourism.

Prospects for expanding bilateral relations were also discussed by Mr. Karimov and President Stephanopoulos earlier yesterday.

Interest in Greek olive oil

During his speech, Mr. Stephanopoulos spoke of Greek national issues and criticised Turkey's policy in the Aegean and Cyprus, and also referred to the framework of the apparent improvement in Greek relations with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM).

"The general policy of neighbouring Turkey, which refuses to accept the Aegean's international legal status and doubts Greece's sovereign rights, causes us concern over the maintenance of peace and stability in our broader region," he continued.

Mr Stephanopoulos also spoke of the situation in the Balkans, noting that Greece "seeks peace, friendship and cooperation with its neighbours in the Balkans in order for this sensitive region to be a zone of excellent cohabitation, with no sites of tension."

The Uzbek president also visited the Elais foodstuffs company plant yesterday, in view of a possible agreement for expanding the company's activities in the former Soviet republic.

Mr. Karimov suggested units similar to the Elais plant be constructed in his country, in a project estimated to be worth roughly US$30 million.

As a first step Mr. Karimov proposed an Elais branch of olive oil products, which the company specialises in, be opened in Uzbekistan with a simultaneous publicity campaign for olive oil, as well as the selling of a mixture of cottonseed oil - widely used in the country -- and olive oil.

Albanian premier in Athens today

Mr. Fino, who is heading a high-level Albanian government delegation, will meet with Prime Minister Costas Simitis, Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos and other government officials.

Meanwhile, special OSCE envoy for Albania, former Austrian chancellor Franz Vranitzky, will also be in Athens today for talks on the forthcoming deployment of the multinational force in the crisis-racked country.

The United Nations on Friday gave the green light for the formation of a 5, 000-strong force, half of which will be deployed and half held in reserve to protect humanitarian relief operations in the strife-ridden country. Greece will be participating in the force with about 700 troops. Other countries which will contribute contingents are Italy, France, Spain, Hungary, Romania and Turkey.

Sources later said that three battalions stationed in northern Greece were alerted and prepared to leave for Albania, as Greece's contribution to the multinational force in the neighbouring country.

Fino: Tirana will foster new climate of relations with Athens

He also appeared optimistic as regards the results of his visit to Athens today.

Mr. Fino said there were no preconceptions regarding the distribution of a multinational force in his country, adding that no representative of insurgents had expressed opposition to the deployment of such a force in the south of Albania.

Ellis Awards to several Greek-Americans

The awards are given annually since 1986 by the National Coalition of Nationalities for remembrance of the thousands of immigrants who landed on the island before being admitted to the United States.

This year's Greek-American recipients include Proini publishers Nikos Mougiaris and Panikos Papanikolaou, the first as member of World Association of America, and the second as president of the Cypriot Federation of America. Also to receive awards are b usinessman Savvas Tsivikos, and the honourary Cypriot Consul in Los Angeles, Andreas Cyprianidis.

Social insurance sector in crisis

Speaking on the second day of the 14th Conference of the Panhellenic Federation of Employees of Social Policy Organisations (POPOKP), fund employees said that the clear drop in pensions in correlation to contributions, which had increased, according to data for the period 1989-1996, together with the operating deficit of social security in 1996, was the result of widescale contributions evasion, shoddy administration of fund reserves and reduced state funding of Social Policy Organisations.

POPOKP President Yiannis Koutroumanis told the ANA that any measures taken by the government to tackle the problems of social security should not be in the direction of reducing pensions, raising retirement ages and increasing contributions.

General Confederation of Workers of Greece (GSEE) Secretary for Social Policy, Stephanos Laimos, told the conference that measures should be taken "to restructure the entire system" in order to tackle the "serious" problems of Social Policy Organisation s.

Initial reports cite new drop in inflation

Final figures are expected to be publicised in the middle of next week when final assessments will have been made.

The officials also assess that if the downward trend continues, inflation will fall to levels below 6 per cent at the beginning of the summer. The government's target for all of 1997 is 4.5 per cent compared to 7.5 per cent in 1996.

Cyprus' advantages as financial centre extolled

Mr. Christoforou made the statements at a conference organised yesterday by the Hellenic Foreign Trade Board (HEPO) and the Cypriot firm Totalserve Management Hellas.

According to a Totalserve announcement, the conference was aimed at briefing HEPO members on the benefits they achieve from using Cypriot offshore companies, combined with the 26 inter-state tax agreements Cyprus provides. Totalserve has been active in Greece for a year.

Athens, Montreal to become sister cities

Mr. Avramopoulos is visiting the Canadian city to attend celebrations marking the March 25 national holiday, on the invitation of the Montreal Greek community and Mayor Pierre Bourke.

Mr. Avramopoulos said the protocol would refer to cultural and economic exchanges and investment programmes, designed to boost ties between the two municipalities and the Canadian city's Greek community.

The Athens mayor said he received "moral support" for Athens 2004 Olympic Games bid from his Montreal counterpart.

Mr. Avramopoulos left for New York last night where he is to have talks with Greek-American community leaders and, from there, travel to Boston.

Greek, Egyptian labour talks

During the meeting, which was also attended by Labour Undersecretary Christos Protopapas and his Egyptian counterpart, issues discussed included labour and social security matters concerning ethnic Greeks in Egypt and Egyptian workers in Greece.

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