Athens News Agency: News in English (PM), 97-06-24

Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

NEWS IN ENGLISH

Athens, Greece, 24/06/1997 (ANA)

MAIN HEADLINES

• Gov't welcomes Holbrooke interest in Cyprus
• Athens condemns Turkish activity in occupied territories
• Marlon Brando leaves Greece for Cyprus
• Albanian agreement bodes well for elections
• New international airport ready in 2001
• Norwegian Parliament President to visit
• Philippines president urges closer business ties with Greece
• Europartenariat `97 opens in Piraeus
• German state parliament delegation in Athens
• Greek army chief on official visit to Spain
• British sports minister: Greece should stage the 2004 Games
• Weather
• Foreign exchange

NEWS IN DETAIL

The government today described as ''positive'' the interest shown in the Cyprus problem by US special presidential envoy on the Cyprus issue Richard Holbrooke.

''Mr. Holbrooke appears to want to deal in a systematic and diligent way with efforts to find a solution to the Cyprus problem,'' government spokesman Dimitris Reppas said.

Holbrooke said yesterday that the Cyprus problem should be resolved within the framework of a single sovereign state.

He added that the solution of a single sovereignty in the framework of a bi- zonal and bi-communal federation seemed ''unavoidable''.

The envoy also firmly opposed linking the Cyprus issue with Greek-Turkish relations, especially concerning the Aegean.

Reppas said however that the government would not ''hasten to judge the US official's stance on the basis of statements alone'', adding that ''we shall wait for him to undertake the initiative and shall judge him in practice''.

In the government's view, Reppas said, Holbrooke's initiative will be manifested after quite some time, possibly following upcoming direct talks between Cyprus President Glafcos Clerides and Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash and elections in Cyprus.

Athens condemns Turkish activity in occupied territories

The increased Turkish military activity in the occupied part of Cyprus reflects the ''spirit'' in which Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash is entering into talks with Cyprus President Glafcos Clerides, government spokesman Dimitris Reppas said today.

This, the spokesman added, is precisely the message being sent by Turkish activity on Cyprus.

Noting that Nicosia had lodged relevant protests, Reppas expressed the hope that the Turkish military activity would be ''taken into consideration'' by international organisations.

Clerides and Denktash will hold direct talks under UN auspices beginning July 9.

Marlon Brando leaves Greece for Cyprus

Hollywood legend Marlon Brando left Greece today for Cyprus after a four- day visit as a guest of shipping magnate Yannis Latsis' daughter, Marianna.

Speaking last night at an event on the environment entitled ''Biochemical Dilemmas of Our Times'' at the Megaron Pallas in the Athens suburb of Kifissia, the often controversial actor said ''it is logical that you hate the Turks for invading Cyprus''.

''There is not a page in history which has not been written in blood. The weak have and will always be put against the wall,'' Brando said, speaking of the genocide of native American Indians, the death of 800,000 Tutsis in Africa and ''the Americans who went to Vietnam and were dehumanized''.

Speaking further on the war in Vietnam, Brando condemned presidents Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon for sending 60,000 young Americans to their death ''just to satisfy their political ambitions''.

The kids who were sent to Vietnam were not to blame, he said, adding:

''The ones who sent them to fight, invoking freedom, the motherland and economic prosperity were to blame.''

Albanian agreement bodes well for elections

Athens yesterday welcomed an agreement signed by Albania's major parties in rome yesterday pledging to ensure a free and fair ballot in elections scheduled for this Sunday and recognising the need for a coalition government.

"We welcome this agreement... all of Greece's initiative in the period preceding (the elections) have been inspired by this spirit as have the talks representatives of the Greek government had with representatives of Albanian parties visiting our country," government spokesman Dimitris Reppas said.

The Rome agreement, he added, would help in ensuring free and fair elections.

In an annoucement issued shortly later, the foreign ministry reiterated Greece's support for the agreement signed in Rome, stressing that Greek diplomatic activity had contributed to the achievement of the agreement and for the success of electoral procedures, which "is imperative for stability and democratic developments in friendly and neighbouring Albania".

Greece, it added, would continue to follow developments in the situation with unabated interest.

New international airport ready in 2001

A new international airport being built for Athens in Spata will be ready to go in February 2001, Public Works, Town Planning and Environment Minister Costas Laliotis told a news conference today.

Laliotis expressed satisfaction over progress made in the project and said that the timetable set was realistic and final.

Speaking to reporters after an inspection of the airport site, the minister said construction in several sectors was well ahead of schedule.

The organisation and supervision of works by engineering contractor Hochtief of Germany was impressive, he said.

During the current phase 1,540 workers are employed on the site, 115 of whom are foreigners. According to the schedule the number of workers will rise to 2,000 in July to reach a total of 7,000 until the official start of operations.

Spata airport, budgeted at 658 billion drachmas, is one of the biggest construction projects under way in Europe.

It is funded by the Greek state and the European Union's Cohesion Fund with a joint contribution of 117 billion drachmas. The European Investment Bank is providing another 312 billion drachmas with private funding and bank lending covering the rest.

The contractors will manage the airport for 30 years and the new facility will handle up to 16 million passengers annually and around 600 flights daily.

Norwegian Parliament President to visit

Norwegian Parliament President Kirsti Grondahl is due in Athens tomorrow for a four-day official visit at the invitation of her Greek counterpart, Apostolos Kaklamanis.

During her stay, Grondahl will be received by Presdient Kostis Stephanopoulos and have talks with Foreign Undersecretary Yiannos Kranidiotis, Kaklamanis and the members of the Greece-Scandinavia parliamentary friendship group.

She will also meet with main opposition New Democracy party leader Costas Karamanlis and Athens Mayor Dimitris Avramopoulos.

Philippines president urges closer business ties with Greece

Philippines President Fidel Ramos urged Greek businessmen to invest in his country, saying that bilateral trade had great development prospects due to the two countries' stable economies and their strategic geographical position.

Ramos was addressing the Commerce and Industry Chambers of Athens (EBEA) on the last day of his official visit to Athens.

"Greece, as a member-state of the European Union and a bridge between the Middle East, central Europe and the Philippines, which lie at the crossroards of Asian and Pacific sea routes, has many competitive advantages yet to be exploited on a bilateral level," Ramos said.

Urging closer links in the maritime sector, he said Greek ships already employed many seamen from the Philippines but there also were major investment opportunities in the shipbuilding sector.

EBEA president Ioannis Papathanasiou backed Ramos' call for closer business ties between the two countries.

During their visit the Philippine delegation signed a cooperation agreement with the Hellenic Export Promotion Organisation (OPE).

Businessmen from Greece and the Philippines exchanged views during meetings of Europartenariat Hellas '97, an international forum for business cooperation that was held in Pireaus.

Europartenariat '97 opens in Piraeus

The 16th Europartenariat opened at the Peace and Friendship Stadium in Piraeus yesterday, bringing together representatives from small- and medium- sized enterprises of Europe, the Americas and Asia.

European Commissioner for Energy, SMEs and Tourism Christos Papoutsis opened the two-day meeting designed to improve relations and furthering trade between European Union businessmen and those of other countries.

Mr. Papoutsis underlined that only 550 days are left until the start of the third and last stage of Economic and Monetary Union (EMU).

The strengthening of the competitiveness of European enterprises, economic development and the creation of employment constitute major priorities, he said, adding that to this effort, the European Commission also organises these meetings in the framework of Europartenariat.

The next Europartenariat '97 meeting will be held in the French city of Clermont-Ferrand in October.

German state parliament delegation in Athens

Parliament President Apostolos Kaklamanis received a delegation from the parliament of Baden-Wurtenberg yesterday and briefed its members on Greek positions regarding Greek-Turkish relations and stability in the Balkans.

The delegation is headed by the president of the Baden-Wurtenberg parliament, Mr. Straub.

Mr. Kaklamanis outlined what he called Turkey's expansionist policy towards Greece, adding that "the image of present-day Turkey resembles that of Iran shortly before the collapse of the monarchist regime. Unless it is democratised and unless a political solution is given to the Kurdish issue, it will continue to remain a huge problem for Europe," he said.

Greece's initiatives to consolidate peace and cooperation in the Balkans, the overall repercussions of the Kurdish issue and education for ethnic Greek children in Germany were among the matters also discussed during the talks.

Mr. Straub invited Mr. Kaklamanis to visit Baden-Wurtenberg in the framework of the official visit he will pay to Germany in November at the invitation of the president of the German Federal Parliament.

Greek army chief on official visit to Spain

The chief of the Hellenic Army General Staff, Lt-Gen. Manoussos Paragioudakis yesterday began a four-day official visit to Spain at the invitation of his Spanish counterpart, Lt-Gen. Jose Faura Martin. During his stay, Lt. Gen. Paragioudakis will visit military academies, units and be briefed on the activities of the Spanish army.

He will also have talks with the chief of Spain's national defence general staff and Lt. Gen. Martin on issues of common interest.

British sports minister: Greece should stage the 2004 Games

British Sports Minister Tony Banks has expressed the view that Athens has very strong arguments and special reasons to organise the Olympic Games of 2004.

He said if the games were ever to be organised in one place on a permanent basis, there was no doubt that this place should be Greece.

"The Greeks always have special reasons and very strong arguments to organise the Olympic Games, taking into account that they gave them to the world. There is also an argument that has concerned me at times, if there should be a permanent home for the holding of the Olympic Games. And it has been recommended that the permanent place for the Olympic Games should be Greece, as their (Games) organisation is now becoming increasingly costly. So, I believe that the Greeks have a very good case," he said.

WEATHER

FOREIGN EXCHANGE

(M.P.)

Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article