Athens News Agency: News in English (AM), 97-05-09

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr>

NEWS IN ENGLISH

Athens, Greece, 09/05/1997 (ANA)

MAIN HEADLINES

• EU-Cyprus accession talks to start six months after IGC
• Inflation falls to lowest in 32 years
• State bonds to carry single-digit interest rates
• US positive to latest development in Greek-Turkish relations
• Cypriot socialist leader: Cyprus issue at 'difficult stage'
• SAE's president comments on solution for Cyprus problem
• Greece to participate in PfP exercise in FYROM
• Greater transparency sought in state procurements
• Interpol conference on child abuse ends with warnings
• Greece takes out $1.25 billion loan
• Weather
• Foreign exchange

NEWS IN DETAIL

European Commission President Jacques Santer said in Athens yesterday that negotiations for Cyprus' EU accession will begin as scheduled, six months after the completion of IGC talks, even if there is no political agreement for a solution to the Cyprus problem.

Mr. Santer, who spoke to reporters on his arrival here yesterday said the European Union's commitment would be kept.

He said, however, that he hoped for a political solution to the problem prior to the Cyprus' accession to the European Union.

The European Commission has compiled a very positive report on Cyprus, he said, adding that "there is no problem in Cyprus gaining accession to the European Union."

Regarding Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) and Greece's hopes to participate in the single currency, he said that economic indicators of the country presented a considerable improvement.

"The results and the indicators of the Greek economy are heading in the right direction," he said.

Mr. Santer arrived in Greece in order to attend today's events marking the Day of Europe. He already met with President of the Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos.

Mr. Santer is also due to visit the Thessaloniki headquarters of the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP) on Sunday. He will visit Mount Athos on Saturday and will tour several Thessaloniki's museums before leaving Greece on Sunday.

Inflation falls to lowest in 32 years

The annualised rate of inflation fell to 5.9 per cent in April, the lowest rate since November 1965, when it stood at 5.6 per cent, the National Statistics Service (ESYE) announced yesterday.

ESYE added that the consumer price index rose by 0.9 per cent in April, compared to 1.0 per cent during the same month last year.

This small difference caused inflation to fall to 5.87 per cent, rounded up to 5.9 per cent.

ESYE's secretary general, N. Karavitis,predicted inflation will fall further this month, to around 5.6 per cent.

ESYE is currently considering what impact projected increases in public utitlity rates will have on the inflation rate, one of three Maastricht- mandated conditions for European Monetary Union.

According to ESYE, the most significant price increases were those of milk, at 3.0 per cent, fresh fruit (3.8 per cent), potatoes (11.3 per cent), vegetables (6.7 per cent), the mandatory contribution to the state-run radio and television network (ERT) billed through electric bills (33.3 per cent), hotel rates (8.4 per cent) and holiday packages at 7.6 per cent.

State bonds to carry single-digit interest rates

Finance Undersecretary Nikos Christodoulakis yesterday announced that the interest rate for one-year Treasury bills would fall for the first time to a single-digit figure from the present 10.25 per cent in June.

At the same time, Mr. Christodoulakis announced the state's borrowing programme from mid-May to mid-June.

On May 19, he said, bonds with interest coupons - index-linked to inflation - would be issued for the first time with durations of five and ten years. The securities, he added, will be made available through public subscription.

The bonds will have a fixed real annual return of 4.0 per cent and the capital will be readjusted yearly according to the rate of inflation. The 4.0 per cent will be calculated annually on the readjusted capital and paid on a yearly basis with the settled interest coupons.

The proceeds will be taxed at 7.5 per cent.

US positive to latest development in Greek-Turkish relations

US State Department spokesman Nicholas Burns yesterday reiterated what he called the positive stance being adopted by the United States regarding the recording of Greek-Turkish differences by a "committee of experts" from both countries.

Mr. Burns stressed there are many proposals aimed at improving the climate between the two countries, saying that "the US is encouraging Greece and Turkey to meet and discuss the many proposals which have beenIin order to try and reduce the tension between them.

"When Secretary of State Madeleine Albright was ambassador to the United Nations, she visited the eastern Mediterranean in July '96 and presented some proposals for the reduction of the tension between Greece and Turkey and we hope that these and other proposals will be taken up."

Cypriot socialist leader: Cyprus issue at 'difficult stage'

Visiting president of the Cypriot socialist party EDEK, Vassos Lyssarides, said after talks with main opposition New Democracy leader Costas Karamanlis, that the Cyprus issue was at a particularly difficult stage, which would determine future developments.

He predicted "unexpected initiatives and expected pressures".

The EDEK leader called for a coordinated policy from political parties in both Greece and Cyprus.

He later met with Communist Party of Greece (KKE) Secretary General Aleka Papariga and Democratic Social Movement (DHKKI) leader Dimitris Tsovolas which, according to reports, included assessments that a "back-stage" solution is being promoted for the Cyprus issue.

SAE's president comments on solution for Cyprus problem

The president of the World Council of Hellenes Abroad (SAE), Andrew Athens, predicted yesterday that if discussions on Cyprus do not progress for the problem's resolution before the island republic's presidential elections this autumn, they will be postponed until 1998.

Mr. Athens made the statement during a press conference in Thessaloniki before the opening of the SAE's five-day meeting.

He also expressed his satisfaction on the position taken by US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.

During the SAE conference, the body's members are to meet with government officials in order to discuss problems faced by expatriate Greeks and by the SAE, 17 months after its creation.

The president of SAE's US branch, Christos Tomaras, said the body has already begun recording the names of all Greek expatriates, who amount to roughly 770,000 families in North America and Canada alone.

He added that the US branch is planning an event during which expatriates will be briefed on investment opportunities in Greece.

The SAE branch in America issues a weekly report on the Internet on the condition of the Greek economy. The web site's address is http://saeworld.org

Greece to participate in PfP exercise in FYROM

Greece is to participate in a "Partnership for Peace (PfP)" exercise in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) between May 11-17, an official announcement stated yesterday.

The exercise, code-named "Rescuer '97", is being organised by the United States and FYROM, and is based on a scenario envisioning "a large earthquake in the south of FYROM", the announcement added.

The countries involved - Albania, Bulgaria, Italy, Romania, Slovenia and Turkey - will participate in the exercise through the supply of personnel and materials, transportation of the injured, repairing road axes and the protecton of aid against theft.

The Greek contingent will deal with transporting the injured using the Axios River, the announcement said.

"Greece's participation in this exercise was decided on after the organising countries committed themselves to referring to the host country as 'FYROM'," it added.

Greater transparency sought in state procurements

Prime Minister Costas Simitis chaired a three-hour cabinet meeting yesterday, focusing on greater transparency in state procurements and improvement in the country's agricultural policy.

During his regular press briefing afterwards, government spokesman Dimitris Reppas said phenomena of conflict have been observed between business interests which are turned into political and party disputes and as a result society is inconvenienced and the political setting is muddled.

He said that during the PASOK government in particular such accusations have existed which merely camouflaged business interests which were not satisfied. Mr. Reppas said the government aims at pursuing inter-party agreement on the issue with the utilis ation of the existing institutional framework and individual improvements, wherever necessary, with a view to achieving transparency and avoiding delays in the procurement process.

He said the existing institutional framework is more than adequate, adding that Parliament's Institutions and Transparency Committee would be further activated in the future, while the possibility is being considered that when Parliament ratifies procurement contracts it will not do so solely at the government's initiative. Moreover, the Auditing Council will be provided with more experts to enable it to do its work more effectively in the future.

Mr. Reppas said that by September 1 the process of preparing a farmers' register according to initial plans will have been completed. He further said that after relevant European Union funds have been secured early pensioners will have their pensions in creased from 75,000 to 100,000 drachmas a month.

Interpol conference on child abuse ends with warnings

"These days, it is easier to find a stolen car than a kidnapped child," said Norwegian law enforcement official Anne Christin Olsen, president of the Interpol work group for the protection of children.

Addressing the final session of an Interpol three-day conference, both Greek and foreign police officials spoke of the limited abilities authorities have at national and international levels to limit such crimes.

Replying to questions Ms Olsen said the majority of those committing crimes against children go unpunished because of the inability of their victims to expose them.

"The child always knows the attacker," she said, "but many times it is either dependent on him, or is afraid, or is simply not in a position to name him."

For this reason, she added, one of the most common categories of sexual or physical abuse are handicapped children.

Estimates put the number of child prostitutes around the world at around one million, although there are no official statistics from any country.

Ms Olsen said police officers need better training and constant education in order to handle such crimes.

Interpol's general secretariat in Lyon has created the first databank concerning cases of child disappearances or abductions, and it is helping to trace roughly 500 children at present, according to French police official Agnes Firnier.

Ms Olsen denounced what she called the international community's hypocrisy, stating that although many are aware of the abuse of children, "most just don't want to know". She appealed to all countries and governents, as well as to parents to inform children of the dangers lurking both inside and outside the home.

"Children must learn to say 'no' to whoever approaches them with a dangerous purpose," she said.

Nearly 70 specialised police officers from 25 countries participated in the conference.

Greece takes out $1.25 billion loan

Finance Undersecretary Nikos Christodoulakis yesterday announced the signing in London on May 16 of a $1.25 billion syndicated loan contracted by the Greek state from a consortium of foreign banks. The finance ministry will use the loan to refinance outs tanding foreign debt totalling $1.1 billion. Mr. Christodoulakis said the new loan had a five-year duration with an interest rate equal to the LIBOR dollar rate with a premium of 0.25 per cent.

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