Athens News Agency: News in English (AM), 97-08-14
NEWS IN ENGLISH
Athens, Greece, 14/08/1997 (ANA)
MAIN HEADLINES
- Cyprus talks continue despite Turkish cypriot objections
- Negotiations on Cyprus' constitution next March
- IOC members continue visits to Athens
- Augusta makers protest Merchant Marine ministry decision
- Messages marking Armed Forces Day
- More authorities for Thessaly local government
- Gov't aims at revitalising rural districts
- Olympic Airways crash investigation
- Works on Athens' new airport proceed at fast pace
- Sariza mineral water withdrawn
- Olympiakos thrashes Mozyr 5-0
- Weather
- Foreign exchange
NEWS IN DETAIL
Cyprus talks continue despite Turkish cypriot objections
Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash yesterday expressed his objections to
a new United Nations document submitted on Tuesday for discussion at talks
with Cyprus Republic President Glafcos Clerides near Montreux, Switzerland.
Talks continue today in the presence of Diego Cordovez, the UN secretary
general's special advisor on the Cyprus issue, as diplomatic observers have
stated that neither Mr. Denktash nor Turkey can afford a walk-out at this
point. The two leaders are meeting for the second time after July in direct
talks under UN auspices.
According to reports, the new document under discussion includes a draft
for a joint communique to be signed by both leaders, and a lengthier annex
named "Guidelines for drafts of legal documents which will contain a
settlement for the solution of the Cyprus issue".
Mr. Denktash criticized the contents of the document and the procedure to
be followed, and reiterated his opposition to the continuing process for
Cyprus' accession to the European Union (EU).
According to sources, the document contains two changes that don't alter
the essence of an initial document that was submitted during the first
round of direct talks in Troutbeck, New York, from July 9 to 12. The
documents are drafted along the plan for a bizonal, bicommunal single
unity.
The same sources said one of the changes in the new document includes the
deletion of a reference on "sovereignty" emanating from the two communities.
It says instead that there should be one federalist state with single and
indivisible sovereignty. It retains all other references to political
equality between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities.
The other change concerns the addition of a paragraph calling for the
strict observation of all international treaties on human rights.
The document does not contain any reference to the need for the withdrawal
of foreign occupation forces and settlers (from the Turkish-occupied
northern part of Cyprus), nor to the island's demilitarisation, or the
deployment of multinational forces, something which the Greek Cypriot side
has called for.
Whatever powers are not vested in the federal government shall be handed
over to the federated states, each of which shall be responsible for its
own administration, security, law and order and justice, all of which
should be compatible with the federal constitution. This latter shall also
include provisions for solving differences, but the document does not
detail the method.
The last paragraph of the document mentions that the talks aiming for a
solution to the Cyprus problem are carried on with respect of one side for
the other, in an effort to establish a joint partnership based on a spirit
of friendship and cooperation. This means that both sides must pledge to
change policies that might possibly create problems in the effort to
establish the federal republic of Cyprus.
Diplomatic observers expressed fears that this particular point could be
interpreted by the Turkish Cypriot side as an argument either against
Cyprus' accession talks to the EU or against the deployment of the Russian-
made SS-300 missiles in the island republic.
The first section of the document, acting as a joint communique, consists
of five paragraphs, while the guidelines consist of 13 paragraphs.
The joint communique section includes the provision that talks to formulate
a constitution shall be held in parallel with talks on the rest of the
issues related to the bizonal and bicommunal unity.
Negotiations on Cyprus' constitution next March
Negotiations on the constitution and other aspects will begin in March 1998,
following the Cyprus Republic's presidential elections in February
1998.
Drafts on all aspects of the issues involved in solving the Cyprus problem
must be submitted by each side to the UN by December 31 of this year. This
will give the UN Secretary General enough time to prepare his own documents
for submission to both sides, prior to the March 1998 negotiations.
Diplomatic observers noted as positive the fact that the new Cordovez
document calls on the two sides to discuss the finding of a solution on the
basis of UN resolutions as well as the summit agreements of 1977 and
1979.
The annex also rules out the integration of Cyprus or a section of it with
another country. It also forbids the division of the island or the breaking
away of sections. The document also foresees the existence of special
relations of the federal state with Greece and Turkey that would be in line
with the 1960 independence agreements, which would remain in effect and be
supplemented accordingly. It also adds that proposals for guarantees and
security arrangements should be submitted to the UN Security Council for
approval.
Further details were unavailable since a press black-out is still in effect
until the end of the current negotiations at Montreux.
The UN secretary general's spokeswoman in Geneva, Therese Gastaut, said the
talks will continue until the weekend.
IOC members continue visits to Athens
With only three weeks remaining for the crucial day of September 5 when the
International Olympic Committee (IOC) is due to announce its decision over
the city that will host the Olympic Games in the year 2004, IOC members
continue their visits to the five candidate cities.
The six members of the IOC currenty in Athens are from Israel, Libya,
Norway, Australia, New Zealand and China.
The IOC life members yesterday planted olive trees with their names on them
in Athens' IOC Members Park. They were also shown around the Olympic
Stadium and were briefed on the Athens file to host the 2004 Olympics.
Augusta makers protest Merchant Marine ministry decision
Italian helicopter-makers Augusta company has appealed to the Council of
State to cancel a decision for the purchase of six search-and-rescue
helicopters by the Merchant Marine ministry.
Augusta argued that the tender and decision for the purchase excluded
middle-sized helicopters, made for 18 of the 24 existing types of
helicopters, violated Greek presidential decision 370/1995 on preventing
favoritism among suppliers and was too costly.
According to the company, the 18 billion drachmas allotted for the purchase
was enough only for three heavy-duty helicopters, while statistics on
rescue missions show that middle-sized helicopters which would cost less
were perfectly able to be used for rescue missions.
The helicopters will be used by the Port Authorities and according to the
tender specifications may hold up to 12 rescued people.
Messages marking Armed Forces Day
Political parties and leaders issued messages for Armed Forces Day
tomorrow.
New Democracy party leader Costas Karamanlis said in his message that "the
armed forces provide a living guarantee of the independence, integrity and
the honour of the nation," and that the responsibility of political forces
is to formulate a single and long-term foreign and defence policy, which is
the only one effectively capable of securing the country against any
provocations and designs.
The Coalition of the Left stressed the importance of promoting a national
strategy of peace and security, but also the need for transparency and
control of armaments contracts and procurements.
Democratic Social Movement (DHKKI) leader Dimitris Tsovolas stressed that
the state must contribute to further strengthening the armed forces through
economic upgrading and meritocracy for officers, and the rational and
transparent utilisation of funds for defence.
More authorities for Thessaly local government
A historic decision for the broader Thessaly region was signed Tuesday by
the Regional Director of Thessaly Mr. P. Vasiliou, whereby as of September
1 the region will effectively acquire the powers of a ministry.
The decision, based upon provisions of a bill approved recently, allowing
the transfer of ten regional directorates to,Thessaly. These, will employ
about 1,200 employees, who are currently employed with regional services
under the Ministry of Interior, Public Administration and Decentralisation.
This development is essentially signalling the establishment of an
autonomous decentralised administration in Thessaly.
Gov't aims at revitalising rural districts
Interior and Public Administration Minister Alekos Papadopoulos said
yesterday that reactions against government plans for the merging of the
multitude of the country's small municipalities into larger units have been
overplayed by a section of the press.
He said that many recommendations and observations had been taken into
account, but what could not be accepted as a factor in the mapping out of
the new municipalities was the personal strategies of local strongmen and
their parochial interests.
Finally, he reiterated that the endeavour aimed at revitalising rural
districts that were in a state of collapse.
Olympic Airways crash investigation
An Olympic Airways Boeing 727 that crash-landed on Tuesday evening at
Thessaloniki's Macedonia Airport was towed to a hangar yesterday morning
for an inspection.
None of the 26 passengers or the crew members were injured when the pilot,
Stefanos Vasilikos, landed in torrential rain and was forced to make an
abrupt turn off the end of the runway, causing one of the wings to break
off.
Experts have retrieved the flight recorder, which has been sent to Athens
for examination.
According to informed sources, attention is being given to the aircraft's
landing, as its wheels appear to have touched down less than half-way to
the end of the runway.
The 26 passengers from Athens, along with the 113 who were to join the
flight to Frankfurt in Thessaloniki, left on another OA aircraft, a Boeing
734, later the same evening.
Works on Athens' new airport proceed at fast pace
Work for the new Athens airport at Spata are proceeding at a pace faster
than envisaged by the plan, it was reported yesterday.
One year after the laying of the founding stone, 60 per cent of earth
removing works has been completed, and construction of the main building of
the airport is proceeding normally.
Also, since August 1, work has started on the water supply and drainage
systems and the fire station.
Sariza mineral water withdrawn
The Health Ministry has ordered the withdrawal of "Sariza" bottled mineral
and soda water after lab tests found enterococcus and pseudomonad micro-
organisms in bottle samplings.
The infectuous pseudomonad can resist even the strongest antibiotics. The
bottling plant on Andros island was also shut down pending disinfection.
The Ministry said the problem was pinpointed at the plant, while the famed
Sariza spring was given a clean bill of health.
Olympiakos thrashes Mozyr 5-0
Olympiakos last night beat Mozyr of Belarus 5-0 in the preliminary round of
the European Champions soccer League.
The held at the Athens Olympic Stadium was attended by 50,000 spectators
who saw an impressive Olympiakos score all five goals in the second half.
The return match will take place in Belarus on August 27.
WEATHER
Unsettled weather will continue in most parts of Greece today, with
possible showers and thurderstorms in the mainland and the islands of the
northern and eastern Aegean Sea. Winds northerly, light to moderate,
becoming strong in the southern Aegean. Athens will be partly cloudy with
possible showers in the afternoon and temperatures from 19-28C. Same in
Thessaloniki with temperatures from 18-28C.
FOREIGN EXCHANGE
Wednesday's closing rates - buying US dlr. 289.638
Pound sterling 455.569 Cyprus pd 532.199
French franc 46.430 Swiss franc 190.272
German mark 156.554 Italian lira (100) 15.997
Yen (100) 248.712 Canadian dlr. 207.655
Australian dlr. 214.928 Irish Punt 416.008
Belgian franc 7.581 Finnish mark 52.275
Dutch guilder 139.022 Danish kr. 41.100
Swedish kr. 36.277 Norwegian kr. 37.734
Austrian sch. 22.251 Spanish peseta 1.854
Port. Escudo 1.545
(C.E.)
|
