Athens News Agency: News in English (AM), 97-11-25

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

NEWS IN ENGLISH

Athens, Greece, 25/11/1997 (ANA)

MAIN HEADLINES

• Athens reiterates objections over closer EU-Turkish relations
• Beijing backs Greece's non-permanent UN Security Council bid
• V. Papandreou discusses joint Greek-Chinese enterprises
• Kranidiotis-Miller discuss Cyprus, proposed Euroconference
• Onassis Foundation charges plot against its board
• Seminar on sexual harassement held for police officers
• Conference on Europe, Mass Media and Cultural Heritage
• Athens to extradite Italian fugitive
• Greek stocks slump after four-day rebound
• EIB sets up ECU technology facililty
• Greek food industry asks for gov't promotional support
• National Theatre of Greece stages 'Medea' in Istanbul
• Weather
• Foreign exchange

NEWS IN DETAIL

Greece yesterday registered its reservations regarding Turkey's participation in the proposed European Conference as well as the strengthening of Ankara's customs union with the EU, Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos s aid during a press conference here, after attending the EU General Affairs Council session.

Alternate Foreign Minister George Papandreou also attended the session.

Mr. Pangalos stressed that Greece's positions on the above two issues remained unchanged to the degree that Turkey did not seem prepared to respond to set conditions for an improvement in its relations with Greece and the Community.

These conditions include peaceful resolution of differences, with one avenue being recourse to the International Court at The Hague, and emanating from the common position of the "15" during the last EU-Turkey Association Council session.

He said Greece raised the right of veto to the Luxembourg presidency's proposal for Turkey to accept the jurisdiction of the Court at The Hague after being admitted to the European Conference, saying that the neighbouring country should first accept the elementary rules of international legality, such as acceptance of the jurisdiction of the Court.

The minister stressed that Greece demands of Turkey to respect the principle that it cannot raise obstacles to the European course of a candidate country such as Cyprus.

He also reported that the Greek side urged the Council's presidency - due to visit Ankara this week - to discuss with the Turkish leadership the opening of negotiations between the Turkish Cypriot community and the Republic of Cyprus with a view to implementing UN resolutions on Cyprus, and the need to "encourage" Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash to hold negotiations with President Glafcos Clerides on the issue of de-escalating the arms race on the island.

Mr. Pangalos stressed that Turkey was till not making progress in sectors necessary for the strengthening of its ties with the EU, such as freedom of the press and respect for human and minority rights.

Beijing backs Greece's non-permanent UN Security Council bid

The People's Republic of China has committed itself to supporting Greece's candidacy at a vote next year for the latter's election as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council over the 1999-2000 period.

Chinese Defence Minister Chi Haotian gave these assurances to National Defence Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos, who is currently on a four-day official visit to the People's Republic of China.

The two ministers also discussed the promotion of defence cooperation between the two countries in both the sectors of defence industries and armaments programmes.

The event is of particular importance for both countries, since Athens is apparently widening its defence horizons with a major power which, apart from being a permanent member of the Security Council, constitutes a substantial factor in the world's status quo. On the other hand, China is proceeding with overtures towards the west through countries such as Greece which is a permanent member of NATO and the European Union.

In a statement afterwards, Mr. Tsohatzopoulos said "China, just as Greece does for the Balkans, constitutes a power of peace, security and cooperation for the entire Asian region, while serving a similar role at a world level, " he said.

The two ministers agreed to promote a defence cooperation agreement as soon as possible and for this reason Mr. Tsohatzopoulos invited his Chinese counterpart to pay an official visit to Greece.

Mr. Tsohatzopoulos also had the opportunity to underline Turkey's stance as a destabilising force in the region and to brief the Chinese defence minister on the course of the Cyprus issue.

On the sidelines of official talks, the Chinese minister thanked Mr. Tsohatzopoulos for Greece's position and assistance during the Albanian crisis by evacuating scores of Chinese citizens from the port of Durres last spring.

Tomorrow, Mr. Tsohatzopoulos will be received by Chinese Prime Minister Li Peng.

V. Papandreou discusses joint Greek-Chinese enterprises

Interest on the part of the People's Republic of China for the establishment of joint Greek-Chinese enterprises in major industrial and commercial sectors was among the initial focus of contacts Development Minister Vasso Papandreou had here.

The further development of economic and commercial relations between Greece and China is the purpose of the official visit being paid to Beijing by Ms Papandreou at the invitation of professor San Zenu, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Chinese government and president of one of the most important government committees, the Science, Research and Technology Committee (SSTC).

Ms Papandreou held two-hour talks yesterday with Ms. Zu Lilan, SSTC Vide- President, focusing on issues concerning cooperation in the technology sector.

Ms Papandreou said later that possibilities of activating Greek enterprises in China were great since it is a huge market developing at a speedy rate.

Ms Papandreou also discussed the prospect of developing cooperation in the tourism sector, where Greece can provide China with know-how for the creation of tourism infrastructure in the country.

China has already shown interest in specialising cooperation in the air transport sector with a proposal to establish flights to Athens or through Athens to other countries by the state-run Air China company.

Another possibility being examined is that of creating an industrial marble processing unit based on a proposal by the Latsis group.

Kranidiotis-Miller discuss Cyprus, proposed Euroconference

Foreign Undersecretary Yiannos Kranidiotis met yesterday with US State Department special coordinator for Cyprus Thomas Miller, focusing on the island republic and the proposed European Conference, which Turkey hopes to join. Mr. Kranidiotis reiterated Greece's known positions, namely, that Ankara must respond to preconditions set by the EU and contained in the documents drawn up on July 15, 1996 and April 29, 1997.

According to reports, both the EU presidency, with a visit to Turkey by Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker on Nov. 27, as well as Washington, are expected to push strongly to secure a positive gesture by Ankara, allowing for a compromise formula to be found at the December summit, where a decision on the European Conference will be taken.

The US official, according to reports, denied reports claiming the creation of a trizonal federation on Cyprus.

Replying to a question on whether the US is satisfied with the results of the meeting between Prime Minister Costas Simitis and his Turkish counterpart Mesut Yilmaz on Crete, Mr. Miller said "it is not up to us to say whether we are satisfied or not."

Onassis Foundation charges plot against its board

The board of the Alexander Onassis Foundation yesterday claimed the existence of a "judicial plot" against them, currently underway in Switzerland, with the aim of handing the fortune of Athina Roussel, the daughter of the late Christina Onassis to her father, Thierry Roussel.

The board acts as trustees for the minor Athina. In a statement, the board said that it had received two letters addressed to Mr. Roussel by his lawyers, showing that a Geneva judge had pre-decided with them to charge the Foundation on various counts that could provide grounds for annulling the trusteeship.

Seminar on sexual harassement held for police officers

A three-day seminar entitled 'Ariadne',to focus on violence and sexual harassement of minors and women, open today in Athens, organised by the public order ministry.

The seminar, which is co-funded by the European Commission under the EU's common action programme 'Stop', is to be attended by 150 police officers form Greece, experts, representatives of local government and womens' organisations from Europe and Cyprus . The meeting is aimed at establishing the base of cooperation amongst EU countires and associate member-states, in improving knowledge on the subject though existing legislation, methods and systems as well as exchanging experience in understanding the process of the victimisation of women and children. The seminar will be declared open by Public Order Minister George Romeos and speeches will be delivered by Parliament, Europarliament and GSEE representatives.

Conference on Europe, Mass Media and Cultural Heritage

A conference entitled "Europe, Mass Media and Cultural Heritage", organised by the Macedonian News Agency in cooperation with the Cultural Capital Organisation '97 was declared open yesterday by Press and Media Minister Dimitris Reppas.

Participants included several news editors,reporters and mass media professionals from Greece and abroad.

In his opening speech, Mr. Reppas described the mass media as "the main vehicle for cultural development",a special phenomenon of technology and civilisation.

He added, however, that the cultural uniformity of many media was a dangerous outcome.

Mr. Reppas further said that the state was especially interested in the domestic cultural production and promotion of cultural values through the mass media, a fact which is evident in the latest decision to announce the standards for licences regarding national, regional and local television stations.

The conference was also addressed by Macedonia-Thrace Minister Philippos Patsalnikos.

Former press minister and current Culture Minister Evangelos Venizelos, in a message which was read to participants, observed that the main priorities of the mass media should not be other than the "protection, study and dissemination of our cultural heritage."

Athens to extradite Italian fugitive

Greece will extradite Italian fugitive Enrico Bianco to the Italian authorities, government spokesman Dimitris Reppas announced yesterday.

Tight security measures were in force yesterday morning as a 45-year-old Italian national once implicated in the notorious 1978 "Red Brigades" kidnapping and murder of former Italian premier Aldo Moro appeared before a prosecutor. Bianco was arrested on Sunday aboard a yacht located at a maintenance dock in Aktion, western Greece. "Greece had an obligation to arrest him from the moment that a warrant issued by Italian authorities was pending," he said, adding that although the Moro case has been closed in Italy since 1981, Rome had not notified Athens of the final judicial outcomes, which explained why the warrant held at the Athens prosecutor's office for Bianco was still in force.

Mr. Reppas denied that the arrest was not made after information by US intelligence services.

Greek stocks slump after four-day rebound

Greek equities came under strong pressure yesterday on the Athens Stock Exchange to end sharply lower reversing a four-session advance.

The general index closed 2.57 percent down at 1,401.70 points, while the FTSE/ASE index fell 2.65 percent.

Sector indices lost ground. Banks fell 2.12 percent, Insurance eased 1.82 percent, Leasing dropped 1.11 percent, Investment was 1.50 percent off, Construction fell 2.44 percent, Industrials were 2.88 percent off, Miscellaneous eased 2.11 percent and Hol ding was 2.42 percent down.

The parallel market index for small cap companies fell 1.01 percent.

Trading was moderate with turnover at 16.4 billion drachmas.

Broadly, declining issues led advancing ones by 179 to 42 with another 14 issues unchanged.

Papoutsanis (preferred), Agrinio Metalplastic, Remek and Macedonian Plastics (common) scored the biggest percentage gains at the upper limit of 8.0 percent, while Ideal (preferred) Ermis, Benrubi and Altec suffered the heaviest losses.

National Bank of Greece ended at 25,750 drachmas, Ergobank at 14,880, Alpha Credit Bank at 16,260, Delta Dairy at 3,355, Titan Cement at 11,700, Intracom at 12,400 and Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation at 5, 210.

EIB sets up ECU technology facility

The European Investmnent Bank (EIB) has set up a new 125 million ECU European Technology Facility to invest in venture capital funds supporting high growth and technology-oriented small and medium-sized enterprises in the European Union.

EIB is providing the money to set up the Luxembourg-based fund, which is to be managed by the European Investment Fund.

The EIF management agreement was signed last week by EIB President Sir Brian Unwin and EIF's Financial Committee Chairman Gerbrand Hop on the eve of the Special European Employment Council meeting in Luxembourg.

EIF will invest the 125 million ECU drawn from the EIB's annual surpluses over the next three years in specialized venture capital funds that support the creation and development of SMEs.

EIF will take minority positions to a maximum of 25 percent of the capital of any venture capital fund with a maximum in ECU of 12.5 million per investment. The main target will be funds managed by independent management companies in the European Union.

Direct investments in SMEs are not authorised.

Eligible SMEs should, at the time of the initial investment, have net assets not exceeding 75 million ECU and employ fewer than 500 people.

However, high priority will be given to funds investing in smaller SMEs to improve their competitiveness and innovative capacity and their ability to create jobs.

Greek food industry asks for gov't promotional support

Greece's food industry yesterday urged the government to take initiatives on promoting Greek products abroad and support measures to boost competitiveness.

A food industry meeting held in Thessaloniki discussed problems faced by Greek companies in their export efforts.

Food companies urged the government to adopt an export credit policy towards the Balkans and to contribute to lifting bureaucratic barriers.

They also called for drafting of an industry survey in the food market in southeast Europe and creation of an information data base.

National Theatre of Greece stages 'Medea' in Istanbul

Euripides' "Medea" will be staged here and in Ankara next Friday by the National Theater of Greece as part of a cultural exchange programme agreed to by the Unions of Theatrical Writers of Greece and Turkey.

The play premieres tonight at the cultural centre "Kemal Ataturk".

The National Theater of Turkey will reciprocate on Jan. 21 and 22 with Demetris Psathas' play "Liar Wanted" and on Jan. 24 and 25 with 'Master Class' at the Agios Konstantinos' central stage.

WEATHER

FOREIGN EXCHANGE

(C.E.)

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