Athens News Agency: News in English (PM), 97-10-19
NEWS IN ENGLISH
Athens, Greece, 19/10/1997 (ANA)
MAIN HEADLINES
- No back-tracking on medicine policy - PM
- 111 illegal immigrants arrested
- Turkish harassment to be raised at NATO
- Full EU funds absorption ahead, gov't
- Bundesbank's Tietmeyer in Athens
- Papoutsis on EU structural funds
- Yilmaz states readiness for solutions
- No fear of Aegean incident, NATO chief
- Kranidiotis meets Italian counterpart
- Half Greek firms accused of tax crimes
- Commission rejects casino appeal
- Weather
- Foreign exchange
NEWS IN DETAIL
No back-tracking on medicine policy - PM
The government will not back-pedal on its pricing policy for medicines,
calculated to rationalise health spending and ensure better and cheaper
health care for Greeks, Prime Minister Costas Simitis said today.
"We will not yield on our pharmaceuticals policy, because we want cheap
medicines and only in this way can we ensure the health of the people," he
said in Grevena, on the final day of his three-day tour of Western
Macedonia.
The prime minister said the decisions that had been taken to adjust prices
on medicines were "important and calculated to save money and contain the
phenomenon of excessive use of medication, all of which are to be benefit
of the Greek citizen."
Opposition to the policy, he added, came from those thinking only of "vast
profits". Fair business practice and the interests of the Greek people were
not foremost in their minds, he added.
Pharmacists have declared an indefinite strike for October 31 to protest
the measures, which they say will reduce their profit margins while
Boehringer Ingellheim Hellas, the Greek subsidiary of the German pharmaceuticals
company, announced last Monday that it would withdraw eight of its products,
accusing the government of undermining the future of the company's
activities in Greece.
The eigth products to be withdrawn by Boehringer - including cough
suppressants, mulit-vitamins and analgesics - account for 80 percent of the
company's turnover and 176 percent of its annual profits.
The government announced in early October that the price of 4,075 drugs
will be reduced by an average of 19 per cent, while another 1,934 drugs'
prices would increase by an average of 14 per cent.
According to Development Undersecretary Michalis Chrysochoidis, the new
pricing policy was calculated to benefit both consumers and social security
funds, as well as the domestic pharmaceutical industry.
In June, Health Minister Costas Geitonas said that Greece was among the top
consumers of pharmaceuticals, especially antibiotics. Spending had shot up
to 584 billion drachmas from 87 billion drachmas in 1987.
111 illegal immigrants arrested
A group of 111 Iraqi illegal immigrants, including 53 children, were
arrested on the islet of Prassonisi, south of the Aegean island of Rhodes,
early today.
The Iraqi Kurds - including 31 men and 27 women - were reported to be in
"bad shape, mentally and physically" and were immediately given medical aid
and food.
They told authorities that they had been left on the island by a boat from
the Suez after a 13-day trip.
Turkish harassment to be raised at NATO
The harassment by Turkish fighter planes twice last week of a Greek Air
Force C-120 carrying Defence Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos will be raised at
the next meeting of NATO Defence Ministers, Tsohatzopoulos said on Saturday,
during a tour of northern Greece.
The C-130 Hercules military transport was approached by Turkish F-16
fighters both on its way to Cyprus and on the return trip, with Mr.
Tsohatzoploulos on board. In the second instance on Thursday, one Turkish
aircraft came close enough to cause turbulence for the ministerial
transport.
Mr. Tsohatzopoulos said that the Turkish air force carried out a planned
mission to harass the Greek aircraft, adding that there was specific
evidence to this effect. "We will not let this matter go unchallenged, we
will raise it during the next meeting of NATO Defence Ministers... This is
a kind of behaviour that signals the undermining of security and cooperation
in the wider region", he said.
Finally Mr. Tsohatzopoulos rejected Turkish air force claims that they were
not aware of the fact that the C-130 was carrying the Greek Defence
Minister.
On Friday, government spokesman Dimitris Reppas said the necessary
representations had already been made to Ankara regarding the first case of
harassment, adding that the necessary steps would also be taken with
respect to the second such incident on Thursday.
The relevant evidence related to the two incidents would be placed at the
disposal of all parties on the matter, including the United States, Mr.
Reppas said.
The spokesman again criticised the stance of the Turkish armed forces,
which he described as beyond all principles and rules. He also indirectly
criticised the United States, saying it was inconceivable for "someone to
whistle away unconcerned" in the f ace of such evidence.
Asked to comment on statements by US mediators for the Cyprus problem who
claimed that the holding of recent joint military exercises by Greece and
Cyprus complicated the situation in the region, Mr. Reppas replied:
"(The exercises) should not create a problem for anyone."
Full EU funds absorption ahead, gov't
Greece's absorption rate of EU Community Support Framework funds will reach
100 per cent by the end of the year, National Economy and Finance Minister
Yiannos Papantoniou said on Friday.
Speaking to reporters after a four-hour inner Cabinet meeting, Mr.
Papantoniou said 1997 would be a year marked by a significant recovery of
Community fund absorption, reflecting the satisfactory course of major
infrastructure projects and related progr ammes.
He noted that the meeting discussed for the first time the issue of linking
the second and forthcoming third Community Support Frameworks with the aim
of ensuring a continuous inflow of funds until the year 2000.
Mr. Papantoniou declined to comment on the Spraos reports' proposals on
overhauling the state's finances.
Government spokesman Dimitris Reppas said later that ministers would submit
their proposals by Dec. 31 in order for the government to decide its final
position on linking the second and third Community Support Framework progra-
mmes.
Bundesbank's Tietmeyer in Athens
Bundesbank President Hans Tietmeyer on Friday praised Greece for the
economic progress recorded since 1985 in a speech at the Bank of Greece in
honour of former governor and prime minister, Xenophon Zolotas.
"The country has recorded significant progress since 1985 and one cannot
but congratulate Greece," he said.
Earlier, the head of the German central bank paid a visit to Prime Minister
Costas Simitis, with whom he held a 45-minute discussion.
In his speech, Mr. Tietmeyer analysed the repercussions of European
Monetary Union (EMU), saying that "the euro is likely to have a broader and
deeper market in relation with the deutsche mark".
He also described as "not very accurate" the vision of a tripolar monetary
system based on the dollar, the euro and the yen, saying that the Japanese
currency would not have the strength in Asia which the euro would have in
Europe.
He described the dollar as a "strong currency" and said there were no
indications that markets were losing their confidence in it. According to
Mr. Tietmeyer, "the euro and the dollar would enter in a constructive and
healthy competition, which will ben efit the international monetary
system".
Regarding the likely level of the euro-dollar parity, he said, "it is an
empirical question which will ultimately be answered in the light of
monetary union."
Papoutsis on EU structural funds
The European Union's (EU) Structural Funds for all member states total 210
billion ECUs at 1997 rates, which means that in real terms it is a bit
larger than the second Delors package of funding, European Commissioner
Christos Papoutsis said on Friday.
Mr. Papoutsis, responsible for energy, tourism and small and medium-sized
businesses among others, said the EU budget inflation total would reach 500
million drachmas by the next accession round, an increase by 25 per cent,
but the GDP for the community would only increase by 5 per cent.
Yilmaz states readiness for solutions
Turkish Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz said on Friday he is "ready to consent
to a just solution" in relations between Greece and Turkey at his upcoming
meeting with Prime Minister Costas Simitis in Crete on Nov. 3.
Mr. Yilmaz, who made his statement in the French capital, where he arrived
on an official visit, reminded that he had proposed that the International
Court at The Hague should deal with Greek-Turkish differences in their
entirety.
French President Jacques Chirac, who held talks with Mr. Yilmaz on Friday,
revealed his intention to maintain equal distances between Ankara and
Athens. The meeting, lasting approximately an hour and a half, was a lso
attended by French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrin.
Referring to the content of the talks, French Presidency spokeswoman
Catherine Colonna said "the French President did not take anybody's side
but calls on both countries to overcome their passions and resolve their
differences with prudence and moderation."
Replying to a press question on how the French president views Turkish
violations (of Greek airspace), Ms Colonna said "details of the issue were
not discussed. It is not up to us to take a position."
On the question of Cyprus and negotiations for its accession to the
European Union, Ms Colonna explained that the issue was included in the
talks.
"The French position does not differ from that of the partners. The
negotiations will start as scheduled. However, the results do not depend
solely on us but also to what extent the island's internal problems will be
resolved," she said.
No fear of Aegean incident, NATO chief
The Commander-in-Chief of Allied Forces Southern Europe, US Admiral Joseph
Lopez, said on Friday he did not fear a serious incident between Greece and
Turkey in the Aegean.
Speaking at a press conference at the Officers' Club in Thessaloniki
following completion of the evaluation of the large-scale NATO exercise
"Dynamic Mix '97", Adm. Lopez said that the information and indications he
had received to date did not lead him to the conclusion that a serious
incident was imminent in the Aegean.
He added however that irrespective of assessments, NATO was constantly
working to secure cooperation and prevent clashes in the region.
"We are cooperating with diplomatic, economic and political organisations
and we support political solutions," Adm. Lopez said.
Adm. Lopez several times stressed the importance of dialogue and cooperation
between nations, underlining that this was NATO's objective.
He said "Dynamic Mix" - conducted in Greece and Italy between September 23
and October 13 with the participation of forces from 14 NATO member states -
had been a great success.
Kranidiotis meets Italian counterpart
Foreign Undersecretary Yiannos Kranidiotis held a 45-minute discussion with
his Italian counterpart Piero Fascino in Rome on Friday before the start to
a high-level ministerial conference on Albania.
In a statement afterwards, Mr. Fascino said "we are favourably disposed
towards Cyprus being among countries with which accession negotiations
start. In parallel, we hope that with the negotiations discussions will
start between the Nicosia government a nd the Turkish Cypriot community,
which will allow for the admission of Cyprus to the EU, overcoming any
danger of a confrontation."
Mr. Fascino went on to say that "Italy believes that Turkey's relation with
Europe must be favoured in every way, because this is the rightest way to
have the problems which appeared in Turkey resolved."
"The problems we have with Turkey are not dogmatic. They are political
problems. Political solutions must be found for these issues. The problem
of Cyprus is not only a Greek-Turkish problem, it is a European problem.
"And I had the opportunity to explain this to my colleague Mr. Fascino,
with whom I had a very interesting, useful and constructive discussion,"
Mr. Kranidiotis said on his part.
Half Greek firms accused of tax crimes
One in two Greek enterprises is guilty of infringing tax regulations,
according to data revealed yesterday by the financial crimes squad,
SDOE.
Most of the enterprises were in the hotel and entertainment sectors.
The data was based on inspections made by the squad during the summer.
The financial crimes squad made more than 10,000 inspections in September
and discovered 3,418 cases of tax infringements, or a 46.78 percent rate,
while penalties imposed totalled 5.2 billion drachmas.
Overall, the squad has made 64,510 inspections and reported 282,903 tax and
customs infringements since April. Total penalties were 26.7 billion
drachmas.
Commission rejects casino appeal
The European Commission has rejected as legally without foundation an
appeal from the consortium that was to have built and operated a casino at
Flisvos, on Athens' southern coast. The contract had been subsequently
cancelled by the Greek government.
According to informed sources, at a meeting of the Commission four days ago
it was decided to file away the appeal, since the cancellation of the
contract by Development Minister Vasso Papandreou was not in contravention
of Directive 93/97 on public con tracts.
Also taken into consideration was a previous decision by the Council of
State ruling against the contract in the interests of environmental
protection.
Weather
Gale force winds in the Aegean and low temperatures throughout the country,
with local cloud and possibility of rain in the afternoon with the
exception of western Greece where it will be mostly fair. Athens cloudy,
winds strong northerly. Similar conditions in Thessaloniki.
Foreign exchange
Friday's closing rates - buying US dlr. 274.189
Pound sterling 443.107 Cyprus pd 528.280
French franc 46.483 Swiss franc 187.176
German mark 155.833 Italian lira (100) 15.948
Yen (100) 228.289 Canadian dlr. 197.765
Australian dlr. 201.654 Irish Punt 443.107
Belgian franc 7.555 Finnish mark 51.941
Dutch guilder 138.310 Danish kr. 40.910
Swedish kr. 36.099 Norwegian kr. 38.857
Austrian sch. 22.136 Spanish peseta 1.847
Port. Escudo 1.531
(M.P.)
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