Athens News Agency: News in English (AM), 97-10-09

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

NEWS IN ENGLISH

Athens, Greece, 09/10/1997 (ANA)

MAIN HEADLINES

• Simitis: 'step-by-step' approach to guide policy towards Ankara
• Defence minister: Greece ready to discuss problems with Turkey
• Greece's Georgiou elected president of A.T.A.
• Greece condemns Turkish policy of continuous demands
• ELBO unveils new armoured vehicle
• Holbrooke: Greek-Turkish impasse won't affect US effort on Cyprus
• No extra cash for Athens metro contractors, minister says
• More EIB funding for Egnatia Motorway project acquired
• OA discounts on European destinations
• Elderly in Greece show high chronic depression rates
• Greek state telecom orders Dr 70 bln of supplies
• Athens conference on public administration in Central/Eastern Europe
• Ergo mutual funds perform above average
• Weather
• Foreign exchange

NEWS IN DETAIL

Prime Minister Costas Simitis yesterday reiterated Greece's insistence that a step-by-step approach, involving international adjudication, was the way forward in solving differences with Turkey.

"Only if Turkey adapts its policy to fall in line with international rules and international law will it find support from Greece in its course towards Europe," Mr. Simitis said in an address to the ruling PASOK party's Parliamentary group.

Greece, he added, insisted on the principles of the joint communique signed by Athens and Ankara in Madrid over the summer,as well as on the "step-by- step" rapprochement of the two countries, starting from a referral of the Turkish claim on the eastern Aegean Imia islets to the International Court at The Hague.

"If this does not happen, it is not possible to free financial aid to Turkey by the EU," he said.

The premier said Greece would never allow its sovereign rights to be the subject of any dialogue nor to be disputed.

The premier stressed that the promotion of friendship and cooperation were in the interests of both Greece and Turkey, while noting that "short reckoning makes long friends".

Defence minister: Greece ready to discuss problems with Turkey

National Defence Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos said Greece was prepared to discuss bilateral problems with Turkey, but cautioned that "the logic of compromise and appeasement" does not lead to the attainment of national aims.

"Greece is prepared to discuss the problems existing between the two countries, but remains steadfast on the basic pre-conditions, that is, that international law and treaties apply in the Aegean region, and there is nothing for negotiation. Turkey must understand that we cannot formulate our relations on the basis of the supposed problems existing between the two countries," he stated in Thessaloniki.

He called on Turkey "to stop functioning as a destabilising factor in the region".

Commenting on Turkey's absence from NATO's "Dynamic Mix" military exercise in various parts of Greece last week, he said:

"For decades Greece's participation in NATO exercises was not possible because Turkey managed to mobilise the majority in directions which in the end blocked our own participation. I think it has become understood this time, with a steady position on ou r part and without high tones, but with resoluteness and insistence on certain principles, that there can be cooperation between NATO membes and exercises held in the broader region of the eastern Mediterranean in the measure that Greece's contribution is evaluated as basic. We have proved this, it is a fact."

Greece's Georgiou elected president of A.T.A.

Greek Atlantic and European Cooperation Association President Theodossis Georgiou is the new President of the Atlantic Treaty Association (ATA), elected to the post by absolute majority at the final session of the ATA General Assembly in Sofia.

He replaces Haluk Bayulken, a Turkish career diplomat. ATA also has three new vice presidents - Alan Lee Williams of the UK, Jean-Antoine Giansily of France, and Troels Froling of Denmark.

ATA Secretary General Alfred Cahen and Vice President Solomon Passi retained their posts as they were elected only a year ago.

ATA will persevere in establishing a radically new organization that will obliterate the bitter memories of the Cold War, Mr. Georgiou told the delegates after his election.

Greece condemns Turkish policy of continuous demands

Greece's permanent representative to the United Nations has expressed regret at Turkey's tactic of continually presenting demands aimed at changing the status quo in the Aegean.

"Nevertheless, it is a fact, and not propaganda, that Turkey has presented since 1974 an open-ended agenda of claims that converge into the single objective of revising the existing status quo in the Aegean," he said.

Replying to statements by his Turkish counterpart on October 3, he said that in its attempts to lay claim to the Imia islet and the island of Gavdos last year, as well as its references to "grey areas" in the Aegean, Turkey was distorting the truth.

"In order to deny these facts, my colleague has distorted realities," he said.

"Turkey maintains that all its claims against Greece can be solved through dialogueIwithout any reference to international law," the diplomat said, adding that no country would accept such a dialogue that would legalise claims that had no basis in inter national law.

"One cannot begin a dialogue with a neighbour who wants to take away part of one's sovereignty," he said.

"Turkey asserts that the whole range of arbitrary claims that she has put forward concerning Greek sovereignty or sovereign rights in the Aegean should be resolved through dialogue, a convenient codeword for negotiations without reference to the rules a nd principles of International Law. Such a dialogue is unacceptable for any country because it would legitimise claims that have no foundation in International Law. You cannot conduct a dialogue with a neighbour that intends to acquire parts of your sover eign territory, " he added.

ELBO unveils new armoured vehicle model

A new type of armoured vehicle has been unveiled by the Hellenic Vehicles Industry (ELBO) for potential use by the Greek armed forces, ELBO president Lycourgos Sakelaris announced yesterday.

At an event attended by National Defence Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos, Mr. Sakelaris said that the "Centaur" model is slightly larger than the armoured personnel carrier "Leonidas" and features a gun and machine gun.

It is a tracked vehicle which can reach a speed of up to 70km per hour and will be used to support infantry units. Armed forces officers will be shown the plans for the vehicle in Athens in a fortnight to decide if it is worth producing.

ELBO is to undertake a 90 billion drachma programme on behalf of the Greek armed forces for the manufacture of land vehicles.

This was announced by Mr. Tsohatzopoulos who said that ELBO would be commissioned to undertake the programme within the next three to four months. The procurement includes 2,000 large- and medium- size trucks, 611 multi-purpose vehicles, 88 military buses and dozens of jeeps. "

During a visit to ELBO's installations yesterday, Mr. Tsohatzopoulos signed an agreement on behalf of the national defence ministry for the procurement of 57 Leonidas-type armoured personnel carriers at a cost of 19 billion drachmas.

Holbrooke: Greek-Turkish impasse won't affect US effort on Cyprus

The recent failure of a US effort to record progress in Greek-Turkish relations will not affect Washington's efforts on the Cyprus issue, special US presidential emissary on the Cyprus issue Richard Holbrooke said yesterday.

After a meeting at the Greek embassy with ethnic Greek residents in the US, Mr. Holbrooke said he planned to visit Athens, Ankara and Nicosia but did not know exactly when.

He said that at this point he would concentrate his efforts on economic cooperation between Greek and Turkish businessmen and on promoting economic ties between the two communities on Cyprus.

No extra cash for Athens metro contractors, minister says

Environment, Town Planning and Public Works Minister Costas Laliotis yesterday criticised the international consortium building the Athens metro over its attitude to geological problems uncovered in central Athens during construction. Mr. Laliotis said Olympic Metro, the projec t's contractor, comprising more than 20 firms from Greece and abroad, was fully responsible for assessing geological data and selecting the method of digging underground tunnels.

"The Olympic Metro consortium is fully responsible and the ministry will not earmark any more funds to deal with the new problems," he told reporters.

Mr. Laliotis was responding to hints by a representative of the consortium over the need for extra funds for the additional works required.

More EIB funding for Egnatia Motorway project acquired

Completion of the eastern part of the Egnatia Motorway project will now proceed after a contract for the first installement of a European Investment Bank (EIB) loan of 70 billion drachmas was signed yesterday in Thessaloniki.

The contract was signed by Environment, Town Planning and Public Works Minister Costas Laliotis and EIB vice-president Panagiotis Gennimatas. Egnatia will span the breadth of northern Greece when completed, connecting the Ionian port of Igoumenitsa with the Greek-Turkish border.

The eastern part of Egnatia relates to the Kavala by-pass and Komotini- Kipoi stretch.

Mr. Gennimatas said that though the Komitini-Kipoi road will be of "low return", it will be funded by the EIB because it serves the economic development of Thrace. He added that the construction of the Egnatia Motorway "signalled the open proposals for cooperation and strengthening of economic ties with the other side (Turkey)."

Mr. Gennimatas announced that next month he will travel to Turkey in order to hold discussions on a proposal for the extension of Egnatia as far as Istanbul, the construction of which will probably be co-funded by the two countries.

OA discounts on European destinations

Olympic Airways is reducing its fares by up to 35 per cent as of October 1, to 15 destinations in Europe from Athens and Thessaloniki. The fares apply to the entire winter season.

The return fare from Athens and Thessaloniki to London drops from 169,000 to 92,000 drachmas, Brussels from 186,000 to 89,000 drachmas and to Dusseldorf from 161,400 to 77,000 drachmas.

Elderly in Greece show high chronic depression rates

More than 200,000 elderly Greeks suffer from chronic depression, the Greek Gerontological and Geriatric Association said yesterday.

In an announcement for a seminar on the issue on Monday in Thessaloniki, the association said that 8 per cent of the total population experiences a depression crisis at least once a year.

The percentage of younger people was lower, while 20 per cent of senior citizens suffered from chronic depression, experts said, with more men affected.

Therapy could obliterate the problem, they said, but most people didn't even know they were suffering from the disorder.

The association said the aged showed a higher rate of affliction mainly because most are no longer part of the labour force and felt they were useless to society, even if they lived with their children's families.

Greek state telecom orders Dr 70 bln of supplies

Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation (EOT) will sign a series of contracts worth 70 billion drachmas for supplies over the next five years, its board said yesterday.

The state telecom's board also decided to appeal to the Council of State, the country's highest administrative court, over a decision to abolish a decision by the national telecommunications committee allowing higher connection fees in the mobile teleph one network.

Athens conference on public administration in Central/Eastern Europe

Greece is ready to give countries of central and eastern Europe the benefit of its experience in reshaping public administration.

"This will contribute decisively to the task of administrative reorganisation, " Public Administration Undersecretary Stavros Benos told the first day of a seminar for civil servants in the region, yesterday.

The government was aware of the difficulties facing administrators in central and eastern Europe in adapting to unification of the European Union, and the role of public administration in achieving unity was crucial, Mr. Benos said. Greece has devised a scheme to reform local government, which has yet to be voted by parl iament, and is trying to streamline operations in state services. The three-day seminar on adminstration and European unification is being held under Sigma, a programme run by the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development.

Hosting the event are Greece's interior, public administration and decentralisation ministry with the National Centre for Public Administration.

Ergo mutual funds perform above average

Total assets for Ergobank mutual funds totalled 601 billion drachmas on Sept. 30, achieving an 82.86 per cent increase against the corresponding period last year.

During January-September 1997, the corresponding increase is 62.6 per cent, or 231 billion drachmas.

Assets for Ergobank Anaptyxiako mutual funds totalled 15.8 billion drachmas, an increase of 1.46 per cent since the beginning of the year. Its total return of 79.72 per cent since the beginning of the year places it at the top level in its category and is considerably higher than the average in that category (75.26 per cent).

Increases were also registered in assets of other categories of Ergo mutual funds.

WEATHER

FOREIGN EXCHANGE

(C.E.)

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