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Athens News Agency: News in English (AM), 97-11-06

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, 06/11/1997 (ANA)


MAIN HEADLINES

  • Social partners reach 'Confidence Pact towards 2000'
  • Government satisfied with outcome of Crete summit
  • Violations of Greek air space continue
  • 'USS Oak Hill' to visit Thessaloniki
  • Seminar in the US on Greek language and culture
  • Exchange outflows reach 300 mln ECU
  • Quakes rock Athens, Crete
  • Greek freighter fired on off Corfu
  • Papantoniou slams 'irresponsible rumours' concerning the drachma
  • EU report: Greece to enter EMU in 2001
  • Greek 1998 budget due November 12
  • Bank of Greece drains liquidity, raises interest rates
  • Greek drachma parity strengthens in October
  • Tourist flow to Greece to record increase
  • Weather
  • Foreign exchange

NEWS IN DETAIL

Social partners reach 'Confidence Pact towards 2000'

The text of a finalised agreement bearing the ambitious title "Confidence Pact towards 2000" was concluded between the government, trade unions and employers' organisations yesterday.

The agreement is expected to be officially approved at a plenary session of social partners' representatives on Monday after previously undergoing the test of approval by the trade unions themselves where disagreements among the various trade union groupings are already emerging.

Labour Undersecretary Christos Protopapas, considered the architect of the agreement, said he felt optimistic and stressed that such an agreement constitutes a necessity for the economy, society and the country.

Agreement between the social partners was based on the text presented by Mr. Protopapas and whose finalised shape will be publicised today after observations and corrections accepted will be included.

According to the text, on the question of incomes policy, the government commits itself to "safeguard and gradually improve" labour income.

Secondly, with regard to taxation reform, it promises relief benefitting low-wage earners, although there is no specific commitment to increase the level of tax-free income or an index-linked salary scale.

Thirdly, on the question of unemployment, the agreement reached anticipates direct measures for unemployed people under 29 and the longterm unemployed over 55.

A change in the development law was also agreed in the direction of supporting investments, employment and incentives for expanding into the Balkans and new markets in eastern Europe.

The extension of partial employment in the public sector was consolidated and, indeed, with provisions excluding permanent status for newly-appointed employees lying outside processes stipulated by the relevant Peponis law. All reference to the "overall settlement of working time", pursued by the government, was erased, as was the 35-hour working week proposal supported by the trade unions.

General Confederation of Workers of Greece (GSEE) President Christos Polyzogopoulos said the commitment to safeguard and improve income is important, and assessed that the report is far more advanced than the corresponding agreements, such as those in Spain and other European countries.

Civil Servants Union (ADEDY) President Yiannis Koutsoukos said unions will closely watch the implementation of policies agreed.

Federation of Greek Industries (SEB) Vice-President Nikos Analytis said a social institution was won which will contribute considerably towards social cohesion, adding that no government, either the present one or that which will succeed it, must undermine it.

Mr. Protopapas committed himself that the government will take all necessary action to implement all that has been agreed, meaning that at least three new laws are expected: for development, labour protection and contracts in the public sector.

Opposition to the text was voiced by union groupings affiliated to the main opposition New Democracy party, the Communist Party of Greece and the Coalition of the Left and Progress.

Government satisfied with outcome of Crete summit

The government is satisfied with the results of the informal Southeast European Summit held in Crete this week, according to spokesman Dimitris Reppas, who said the meeting had laid the foundations for a new era in bilateral relations and multilateral cooperation.

The sidelines meeting between the Greek and Turkish prime ministers, he added, had also been beneficial. He said the next meeting between the two would be held next year in Antalya at the next Southeast European Summit.

Asked whether Mr. Simitis had rejected an invitation from Mr. Yilmaz, the spokesman said that for another meeting between two prime ministers to take place there would first have to be a positive step. Such conditions, he said, did not currently exist.

With regard to Mr. Yilmaz's reported proposal that he and Mr. Simitis appoint special envoys to maintain contact between them, Mr. Reppas stressed there was no agreement to appoint envoys.

However, he said nothing was rejected in general unless it harmed national interests. The idea of special envoys, he said, neither harmed nor benefited national interests but was not considered necessary at this point.

The government spokesman added that Turkey's habit of violating Greece's air space and infringing the Athens FIR cast a shadow over the effort to improve bilateral relations.

Mr. Simitis, he said, had raised the issue with the Turkish prime minister, who maintained that Turkey did not recognise the 10 mile limit for Greek air space. This, said Mr. Reppas, was an unbridgeable difference of opinion.

He denied that there had been any bad feeling on the part of the foreign ministry over the Simitis-Yilmaz meeting, saying that Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos himself had played a major role in organising the summit.

He said the foreign minister was responsible for the exercise of foreign policy and could not be "marginalised" by anybody, responding to press questions on whether the Turkish side had attempted this.

The foreign minister would be briefing the government of the United States and other interested countries on the results of the meeting, as well as the president of the republic, Mr. Reppas said.

Mr. Pangalos will also brief the other European Union member states on the results of the Southeastern European Summit during the General Affairs Council meeting in Brussels on Monday and Tuesday..

The Summit was held in Crete with the participation of leaders of Albania, Bulgaria, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Romania, Turkey and Yugoslavia, and a representative of the government of Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Violations of Greek air space continue

National defence ministry sources said 15 pairs of Turkish F-16 and F-4 fighter planes had infringed the Athens Flight Information Region (FIR) an equal number of times yesterday by early afternoon.

They also said there had been 35 violations of Greece's national airspace by the Turkish jetfighters, mainly between Kos and Rhodes islands, and also between Limnos-Lesvos, Hios-Lesvos and Hios-Samos.

In all instances the Turkish aircraft were intercepted by Greek F-16 and Mirage-2000 jetfighters. The sources said that in at least six instances the interception procedures had developed into mock dogfights.

They added that another six pairs of Turkish warplanes had infringed the Nicosia FIR.

'USS Oak Hill' to visit Thessaloniki

The 'USS Oak Hill', a newly-commissioned ship, will pay its first ever port visit and the first visit by a United States Navy ship to the port of Thessaloniki in several years on November 7, the US embassy said yesterday. The USS Oak Hill will be in Thessal oniki for a week and is skippered by Commander Michael A. Durnan, USN, on its first overseas deployment. This is the first port of call for the 800-member crew of sailors and Marines on board.

The USS Oak Hill is a dock landing ship whose mission is to transport Marines ashore during amphibious operations. The ship carries a crew of 340 men including 21 officers with an additional complement of 450 Marines. The ship displaces about 16,000 ton nes and is 185 metres long by 26 metres wide. The USS Oak Hill was commissioned in September 1996.

Cdr. Durnan and senior officers will pay courtesy calls on local officials and business organisations and will host a reception on board for officials and other guests.

Seminar in the US on Greek language and culture

The Greek civilization, culture and history are at the centre of various activities, actively sponsored by the American Archdiocese, organised by Greek American organisations and targeted at third and fourth generation youths.

As part of this campaign and also in order to present Greek American writers, the publishing house 'Seaburn' oraganised a three-month seminar on the Greek language and culture. During the opening of the seminar, on Oct. 24 at the Bryant High School, Sea burn director Dr. Sam Chekwas presented to students a new Enlgish translation of poetry by Dionysios Solomos.

Further, Seaburn's annual exhibition of Greek books will open in Stamford, Conecticut, Nov. 16. The exhibition will then travel to many other states, including New York and Philadelphia.

Exchange outflows reach 300 mln ECU

According to sources of the Bank of Greece, yesterday's exchange outflows during the Fixing process reached 300 million ECU.

However, at 5 p.m. when the Bank of Greece leaves the inter-bank market, exchange inflows in the region of 200 million ECU occurred, a fact also leading to an increase in the drachma's value as against the ECU since the parity was set at 309.50 drachmas as against 310.40 drachmas at noon.

According to the same sources, the country's exchange reserves yesterday ranged between 12.5 and 13.5 billion dollars.

Quakes rock Athens, Crete

Athens felt another strong earth tremor yesterday, almost exactly 24 hours after two tremors originating from the Attica prefecture.

The tremor registered 4.6 Richter at 12:28 and was followed by two weaker aftershocks of 4.3 at 12:32 and 4.1 at 12:35 p.m., emanating from the same epicentre near Avlona.

Athens Geodynamic Institute director George Stavrakakis told the ANA that the seismic activity was weak, adding that such tremors did not cause damages. He anticipated that post-quake activity would continue at the same levels.

Shortly later, at 2:23, Crete was hit by a quake registering 5.2 and with an epicentre 310 kms south of Athens, between Sfakia, a town on the south coast of Crete, and the islet of Gavdos.

Residents on Gavdos said the 40 second tremor - preceded by a loud noise - caused fear among the residents and forced them to run out onto the streets.

There were, however, no reports of injury or damage.

Scientists at the Thessaloniki Aristotelion University's Geophysics Laboratory are reserved over the development of seismic activity centred in the Oinofyta region in past days.

Laboratory Professor Vassilis Papazahos said he is optimistic but pointed out, however, that a strong earthquake has not taken place in the area since 1938 and pondered whether this means an accumulation of energy in the fissure.

He said the Attica basin is not in the direction of the fissure, meaning that even if a strong earthquake does takes place energy will not be oriented in the direction of Athens.

The fissure in question starts from the Alkyonides islands area, passes from Thebes and ends in the southern Evoikos sea region.

Greek freighter fired on off Corfu

A speedboat opened fire on a Greek freighter off Corfu island on Tuesday night and sped off towards the Albanian shores, the Greek Coast Guard said yesterday.

It said the freighter "Ioanna" had been en route to Volos from Albania, without cargo but carrying an eight-member crew, when an unidentified speedboat opened fire on it 20 nautical miles north of the Peristeria region of Corfu.

The Coast Guard said the shots had come from Kalashnikov rifles, adding that none of the crew had been injured.

Two patrol boats rushed to the site after the freighter's captain sent out an SOS, the Coast Guard said, but the speedboat "disappeared in the direction of the Albanian shores".

The "Ioanna" continued its journey to Volos after the incident.

Papantoniou slams 'irresponsible rumours' concerning the drachma

National Economy and Finance Minister Yiannos Papantoniou categorically denied in Brussels yesterday that the drachma was the focal point of any discussion at European Union bodies and expressed surprise "over the dimensions taken of irresponsible rumours."

The rumours, started from British sources in the money market sector in the morning, concerned the report that allegedly the issue was raised of devaluing the drachma, following the latest monetary crisis, during the session of the EU's Monetary Comm ittee which met on Tuesday and yesterday.

On his part, professor Yiannis Stournaras, President of the National Economy Ministry's Economic Experts' Council (SOE), a leading adviser of Mr. Papantoniou who participated in the Monetary Committee's session, spoke of shameless lies and trash, assuring that in no way was such an issue discussed at the Committee.

EU report: Greece to enter EMU in 2001

Accordig to a report in the publication "Economist Intelligence Unit" titled 'Europe', Greece will be ready to be admitted in the third stage of the European monetary unification in the year 2001.

The report says even though considerable progress has been made in public finances in Greece, there are still many problems. Apart from not having been aligned to the rest of the EU member-states, the Greek econony is only in the middle of a long-term s tability programme, while exports are facing a serious problem as far as competitiveness is concerned.

The conclusion about Greece's participation in the EU monetary union (EMU) is that "under pressure for EMU, progress has been achieved, but there is still a long and tough way to go". As far as the rest of the EU member- states are concerned, the report says that 10 out of 15 states will be admitted in the EMU in January 1999, according to the current timetable. These are Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Germany and The Netherlands, whose currencies have been retained stable in spite of some periods of uncertainty. Finland and Ireland have already fulfilled the EMU participation criteria, while the economies of Spain and Portugal are converging at a fast pace.

Italy is foreseen to enter the EMU in 2001, mainly due to its enormous debt of 123.5 percent of its NGP, instead of the 60 percent limit set by the Maastricht Treaty.

Greek 1998 budget due November 12

The 1998 budget will be tabled in parliament on November 12, National Economy and Finance Minister Yiannos Papantoniou said yesterday after a three-hour meeting chaired by Prime Minister Costas Simitis.

Mr. Papantoniou said the final recommendations of the government's economic staff had been formulated regarding 1998 incomes policy, which would go before the cabinet for approval on Friday, and would be contained in the new budget.

The budget will include an increase in revenues by one trillion drachmas and drastic cutbacks in spending.

Bank of Greece drains liquidity, raises interest rates

The Greek drachma yesterday came under renewed speculative pressure after spending the previous two days in calm waters.

The Bank of Greece, the country's central bank, was forced to intervene again in the domestic money market offering to drain seven-day repos at 70 percent. Interbank rates were held at 15-30 percent on Tuesday.

The central bank reported outflows totalling 450 million Ecus, more than the total of inflows reported during the previous two days.

The drachma continued moving lower against the Ecu in the domestic foreign exchange market. The Greek currency was lower against the US dollar and the DMark.

Meanwhile, Yiannis Stournaras, one of Greece's two representatives at the European Union's monetary committee said that the drachma never came up as an issue at the EU.

Mr. Stournaras dismissed as "absolute rubbish" rumours that the EU's monetary committee suggested that Greece should devalue the drachma.

He underlined that on the contrary the monetary committee congratulated Greece for its economic progress and its firm policy in defending the drachma.

Greek drachma parity strengthens in October

European currencies fell against the drachma in October compared with the previous month, with the exception the Norwegian krona which rose 1.47 percent against the Greek currency.

The European Currency Union (Ecu) was stable during a month which saw most foreign currencies ending lower against the drachma, with the Japanese yen losing substantial ground.

The DMark eased 0.17 percent against the drachma in October to show a 0.44 percent decline from the start of the year.

The French franc was stable although down 0.25 percent on the year.

The British pound eased 0.13 percent in the month but was 10.41 percent higher in the 10 month period from January to October.

The Ecu was steady in October but 0.07 percent higher in the first ten months of the year.

Finally, the US dollar eased 1.88 percent against the drachma on a monthly basis but was 12.86 percent up on the year and the Japanese yen fell 2.10 percent in October to show a gain of 6.16 percent since the start of the 1997.

Tourist flow to Greece to record increase

The tourist flow to Greece will record a satisfactory increase in 1997 and 1998, according to the assessments of Greek Tourist Organisation's (EOT) heads of bureaus abroad, presented yesterday ahead of the opening of the Philoxenia 1997 exhibition in Thessaloniki tonight.

The approximate projected percentage increases for the two years per country of origin are as follows:

Germany 5-7/4-5, USA 12/8-15, Austria 10/5, Australia minus 13/8-15, Japan 0/plus, France 0/plus, Canada 20/14, Britain 8.5/9, Holland 9-10/5, Russia 10-12/same, Belgium-Luxembourg 14/10, Switzerland 10/10, Israel 9/+, Spain 30/+. Increases of 2.6 and 4 8 per cent are projected from Norway and Finland respectively for this year, but slight falls next year.

Weather

Mostly fine weather for western Greece, eastern Macedonia, Thrace, and the islands of the eastern Aegean. Local clouds for the rest of the country. Weather in Athens today will be mostly mild, with temperatures ranging from 9-20 C. Partly cloudy for Thessaloniki, with temperatures of 9-15 C.

Foreign exchange

Wednesday's closing rates - buying US dlr. 269.179 Pound sterling 452.808 Cyprus pd 531.613 French franc 46.541 Swiss franc 190.732 German mark 155.843 Italian lira (100) 15.924 Yen (100) 220.045 Canadian dlr. 193.281 Australian dlr. 189.472 Irish Punt 405.688 Belgian franc 7.559 Finnish mark 51.882 Dutch guilder 138.354 Danish kr. 40.972 Swedish kr. 35.752 Norwegian kr. 38.212 Austrian sch. 22.155 Spanish peseta 1.846 Port. Escudo 1.526

(L.G.)


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