Athens News Agency: News in English (AM), 97-11-27
NEWS IN ENGLISH
Athens, Greece, 27/11/1997 (ANA)
MAIN HEADLINES
- Greek satellite, armaments top Defence Minister's agenda in China
- 4.3 trillion drachmas for public works until the year 2000
- Greek role in Balkans on agenda of Simitis-Blair meeting
- Prime Minister backs Damanaki's run for Athens mayor
- Confidence Metro will be ready in 1999 as 'Jason' reaches Syntagma
- Onassis' Foundation accuses Roussel of fabricating kidnap plot
- Director Manoel de Oliveira honoured at Thessaloniki Film Festival
- Greece to aid in construction of Albanian prison
- Piraeus hosts 15th international shipping conference
- New Olympic Airways president named
- Greece best placed to exploit Eastern European markets
- Weather
- Foreign exchange
NEWS IN DETAIL
Greek satellite, armaments top Defence Minister's agenda in China
Athens is proposing cooperation with the People's Republic of China to
launch a Greek telecommunications satellite into orbit, an issue brought up
in talks National Defence Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos had with both the
military and civil leaderships in Beijing.
Mr. Tsohatzopoulos had a 35-minute discussion with Chinese Prime Minister
Li Peng, focusing on possibilities of promoting and strengthening
cooperation between the two countries and reviewing the entire spectrum of
Sino-Greek relations.
Welcoming Mr. Tsohatzopoulos, the Chinese premier said Greece and China are
countries with ancient civilisations and history.
"We have never had feuds between us," he said, adding that "we only have
common interests", while he stressed that "the visit is strengthening
cooperation between us."
Mr. Tsohatzopoulos thanked the Chinese premier, saying "we came to China
for a briefing on developments in Greece and the wider region and to bring
proposals to deepen our relations."
During their talks, the men discussed at length possibilities for greater
rapprochement at a bilateral level as well as in the framework of
international organisations.
Mr. Tsohatzopoulos briefed Mr. Li Peng on the Cyprus issue and Greek-
Turkish relations. The Chinese official expressed the view that a solution
should be found to the Cyprus issue within the framework of the European
Union. He also called on Mr. Tsohatzopoulos to convey his assurances to Mr.
Simitis that China will support Greece's candidacy for accession to the
UN's non-permanent Security Council members over the 1999-2000 period,
while congratulating Athens for undertaking the 2004 Olympiad, saying th at
China helped in its own way by not submitting its candidacy.
Meanwhile, Mr. Li Peng thanked Mr. Tsohatzopoulos for assistance provided
by the Greek armed forces in evacuating Chinese citizens from Durres during
the Albanian crisis earlier this year.
Mr. Tsohatzopoulos and his aides also had a string of meetings with
officials of China's defence industries, examining possibilities of
cooperation in the sector.
The main issue of direct interest to Greece is cooperation in space
research and activities. Greece intends to proceed with launching its own
telecommunications satellite, an undertaking expected to take place in
cooperation with China.
Talks will be continued in Athens in the future, since Greece intends to
take a final decision on the issue in 1998.
Today is the last day of Mr. Tsohatzopoulos' visit to China, with the Greek
defence minister visiting the city of Sen Yian for a round of contacts
concerning defence and armaments issues.
Development Minister Vasso Papandreou, who is accompanying Mr. Tsohatzopoulos,
met with Chinese government officials on economic cooperation prospects
between China and the Balkan and Mediterranean regions through Greece
.
The 100 largest companies in the world are already active in Shanghai, and
more specifically, in the new industrial zone where the region's new
international airport is being built.
The region is developing rapidly, Ms Papandreou said, adding that
possibilities are provided for cooperations, initiatives and joint
enterprises.
In the framework of Ms Papandreou's meetings with relevant Chinese
ministers, the Greek side discussed mediation on China's full accession to
the World Trade Organisation (WTO).
However, a precondition for all this and for Greek mediation is the further
deregulation of trade conditions (imports) and of a smoother market
operation.
According to figures for 1996, Chinese exports to Greece increased by 6 per
cent, amounting to US$200 million.
Greek exports to China also increased (almost tripling) in 1996, compared
to 1995, totalling US$58 million.
4.3 trillion drachmas for public works until the year 2000
The environment, town planning and public works ministry has secured funds
of 4.3 trillion drachmas for all scheduled projects and actions up to the
year 2000, Minister Costas Laliotis yesterday told an economic conference
organised in Athens by the Hellenic-American Chamber and the Federation of
Greek Industries (SEB).
He said the projects and actions to be funded are of vital importance to
the country's development, restructuring and economic modernisation, adding
that it is of equal importance that private capital be used in the
construction of projects, through self-financing and co-funding, and
predicted that the positive climate which has been brought about by
Greece's cooperation with the EU, international credit organisations and
private initiatives will be maintained and boosted in the next few
years.
Commenting on the 1998 state budget, the minister said it will be a budget
of prudence and perspective, aimed mainly at meeting the required
convergence criteria and securing Greece's participation in Economic
Monetary Union in 2001.
Greek role in Balkans on agenda of Simitis-Blair meeting
Greece's role in the Balkans will be one of the main issues to be discussed
at Prime Minister Costas Simitis's meeting with his British counterpart
Tony Blair in London today, according to Labour MP Eddie O'Hara, president
of the Interparliamentary Greek-British Friendship Group.
Mr. O'Hara said he believed the Greek prime minister would ask for the
British government's support for Greece's positive initiatives in the
Balkans. Britain assumes the rotating presidency of the European Union for
the first half of 1998.
He said the British perception of Mr. Simitis's government was a positive
one, particularly of the way in which he was dealing with Greece's
difficult economic problems "with some success".
Prime Minister backs Damanaki's run for Athens mayor
Prime Minister Costas Simitis yesterday expressed his support for the
candidacy of Maria Damanaki as mayor of Athens in next year's local
government elections.
Ms. Damanaki, a member of parliament for the Coalition of the Left and
Progress, the party she once led, announced her candidacy recently at a
press conference, pre-empting both her own and the ruling PASOK party which
had been jointly discussing supporting her for the post.
Ms. Damanaki said she would make her final decision regarding her candidacy
after discussions within PASOK and the Coalition have been completed, as
well as her contacts with other party leaders, including main opposition
New Democracy party leader Costas Karamanlis.
"We support the broadest possible cooperation among progressive forces,
just as we aim at specific programmes which will contribute to improving
living conditions for citizens of the city," said Mr. Simitis.
Mr. Simitis's preference for the "broadest possible cooperation among
progressive forces" is not shared by the Coalition, which prefers
cooperation at local level rather than a centrally-based cooperation
agreement.
Confidence Metro will be ready in 1999 as 'Jason' reaches Syntagma
Environment, Town Planning and Public Works Minister Costas Laliotis
yesterday anticipated that the Athens Metro would be completed in 1999, as
62 percent of the entire project and 82 percent of the civil engineering
works - tunnels and stations - had already been completed.
Speaking at a ceremony welcoming the arrival of "Jason the Metro-mouse" -
the giant French-made tunnel boring machine (TBM) - at Syntagma Square, Mr.
Laliotis said construction of 18 (of the total 21) stations had been
completed,of which 16 were in the final stages of installation of the basic
mechanical equipment.
Traffic circulation had also been restored above nine of the stations, Mr.
Laliotis said.
The minister said that in the next 10 days the ministry would announce the
specifics on the extensions of Line 2 from Sepolia to Peristeri and Line 3
from Kerameikos to Egaleo. It would also announce at that time how the Line
3 section from Syntagma to Kerameikos would be constructed given the
problems there due to unsteady soil and antiquities.
The Sepolia-Peristeri extention provided for 2.5 kilometres of tunnel and
three stations, while the Kermeikos-Egaleo extention comprised 3.4
kilometres of tunnel, another three stations, and a depot.
He said 66 percent of the tunnel boring had been completed, representing 12
of the total 18 kilometres of the project, with 50 percent of Line 3's
tracks and 16 percent of Line 2's tracks already in place.
Mr. Laliotis said Jason had covered the distance from the Athens Academy
station to Syntagma square in a record 22 days without running into
problems such as the land subsidence on Panepistimou street that had slowed
up the project last month.
After a few days rest for maintenance work, Jason would start boring
towards the next station, under archaeological remains at the beginning of
Syngrou avenue, Mr. Laliotis said.
Onassis' Foundation accuses Roussel of fabricating kidnap plot
The chairman of the board of trustees managing the Onassis fortune of 12-
year-old heiress Athina Roussel today accused the youth's father, Thierry
Roussel, and four Swiss lawyers and judges of fabricating rumours of a
kidnapping plot.
Stelio Papadimitriou said Mr. Roussel fabricated and then leaked to the
international press the existence of such a plot earlier this month,
allegedly to be carried out by former Israeli commandos and intelligence
agents.
"I am not accusing the Swiss justice system," Mr. Papadimitriou stressed in
a three-hour press conference, saying however, that Mr. Roussel and four
others, whom he named, plotted against himself and the three other members
of the Onassis Foundation - A postolos Zambelas, Pavlos Ioannidis and
Theodoros Gavriilidis - all assigned by the late Christina Onassis to
administer the trust, along with Mr. Roussel, her divorced husband.
He also accused Mr. Roussel and his associates of trying to wrest
management of the vast Onassis fortune from the four other trustees, in
what he said was a complete contradiction of the last will and testament of
Christina Onassis, and of rulings by the Swiss Supreme Court.
Mr. Papadimitriou said a routine check by the security firm - through which
Athina has been insured against abduction - of security arrangements for
the heiress had been exploited by Mr. Roussel for his own purposes.
According to Mr. Papadimitriou, Athina had been insured with the international
firm Lloyds since 1989, immediately after her mother's death. In 1992,
another firm cooperating with Lloyds, Control Risk Group, undertook to
check security measures for Athina.
The checks were carried out initially in Mr. Roussel's knowledge on a
regular schedule. However, since 1994, when relations between Athina's
father and the Onassis Foundation deteriorated, the checks on security
measures continued in accordance with the contract but without Mr.
Roussel's awareness.
Regarding the results of such a check in 1996, Mr. Papadimitriou said a
relevant experts' report was alarming. He said that according to the firm,
"when the child's father was away from home, all security guards and
bodyguards were in their post working as usual, but when Mr. Roussel was
home all measures were disrupted."
He charged that Mr. Roussel had been seen driving off on his motorcycle
with Athina riding on the back seat without any security measures, since
all personnel stayed back at the residence.
Mr. Papadimitriou said if Athina died the legal beneficiaries would be her
father and her sisters and brothers - Mr. Roussel's children from his
marriage with his current wife.
The Onassis Foundation, he said, would have no benefit out of such an event
but it would not let Mr. Roussel "keep an eye on Athina."
Director Manoel de Oliveira honoured at Thessaloniki Film Festival
Portuguese film director Manoel de Oliveira received the "Golden Alexander"
Award yesterday at the Thessaloniki Film Festival.
Veteran Greek actress Irene Papas, the protagonist in Oliviera's film "The
Party" was also scheduled to appear at the awards ceremony.
"I deeply respect Irene Papas and I would like to work with her in other
movies in the future," the 89-year-old director said earlier, adding that
despite his advanced age he's ready to produce more films.
Greece to aid in construction of Albanian prison
Greece will aid in the construction of a 500-bed prison in Albania in order
to transfer all Albanian nationals currently held in Greek jails, under a
decision reached yesterday by the Justice Ministers of Greece and Albania,
Evangelos Yiannopoulos and Thimio Kondi, respectively.
The formation of a committee composed of three Greek and three Albanian
officials was also decided in order to promote wider cooperation in legal
matters.
Cooperation will focus on providing legal assistance for the drafting of a
new Albanian legal system and the training of Albanian judicial officials
and lawyers.
Piraeus hosts 15th international shipping conference
The 15th Annual International Shipping Conference was opened in Piraeus
yesterday by Merchant Marine Minister Stavros Soumakis, organised by the
Piraeus Marine Club, and London's City University Business School's
shipping and trade department, headed by Professor Costas Grammenos, who is
coordinating the conference. Mr. Soumakis referred to the dependence of
Greek-flagged ships on the foreign market and international money markets,
making them vulnerable to international economic crises. He also mentioned
a recent report by the European Commission on sea transport, which he said
was based on the same policy as that proposed by Greece, that is the
deregulation of maritime services without any unilaterally imposed
protectionism.
The minister also emphasised the importance of training in all areas of
shipping.
The meeting was addressed by British Ambassador in Athens Sir Michael
Llewellyn Smith, Greek Shipowners' Union president Yiannis Lyras and the
Rector of the City University Professor Raoul Franklin.
New Olympic Airways president named
Iordanis Karantzas was unanimously elected yesterday as president of
Olympic Airways, the state-run national carrier. He succeeds professor
Nikos Blesios, who resigned due to an incompatibility of posts, since he
was also the rector of the Piraeus University at the same time.
Mr. Karantzas, the company's managing director to date, will also exercise
the duties of president until a new one is appointed.
Greece best placed to exploit Eastern European markets
National Bank of Greece governor Theodoros Karatzas yesterday highlighted
the opportunities available for Greek investments in eastern Europe,
particularly since the upheaval on the international market had put
restraints on the interest of stronger economies in the region.
Speaking at the conference "The Hour of the Greek Economy" organised by the
Hellenic-American Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Karatzas referred to a European
Commission report finding that Greece was the best-placed EU member state
to take advantage of the ope ning up of central and eastern Europe.
The report predicted an 10 percent increase in Greek production by 2010 as
a result of the exploitation of neighbouring markets.
He also expounded upon the Bank of Greece's activity in the Balkans and
eastern Europe and also urged businesses to make use of the Athens Stock
Exchange as a source of capital in expanding abroad as well as to
strengthen their company profiles.
Weather
Local clouds throughout the country with chances of showers in the west and
south and local fog in the morning. Local clouds ffor Athens with
temperature ranging from 12-17 C. Same for Thessaloniki, with temperature
between 8-15 C.
Foreign exchange
Wednesday's closing rates - buying US dlr. 273.633
Pound sterling 457.014 Cyprus pd 531.216
French franc 46.491 Swiss franc 192.815
German mark 155.615 Italian lira (100) 15.880
Yen (100) 215.393 Canadian dlr. 191.873
Australian dlr. 187.185 Irish Punt 405.629
Belgian franc 7.545 Finnish mark 51.550
Dutch guilder 138.091 Danish kr. 40.886
Swedish kr. 35.494 Norwegian kr. 38.132
Austrian sch. 22.113 Spanish peseta 1.842
Port. Escudo 1.524
(L.G.)
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