Athens News Agency: News in English (PM), 98-03-17

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, 17/03/1998 (ANA)

MAIN HEADLINES

• Simitis back from Prague tonight
• Simitis' talks with Czech president
• Incentives to replace old cars
• Dane arrested with forged passports
• Business personalities of the year
• Spanish admiral on official visit to Greece
• German paper praises Simitis, criticises Yilmaz
• Hungarian prime minister in Athens tomorrow
• ASE trading soars 5.75 in first half hour
• Weather
• Foreign exchange

NEWS IN DETAIL

Prime Minister Costas Simitis is due to return to Greece from a three-day official visit to Prague this evening, government spokesman Nikos Athanasakis said today.

Announcing the premier's programme for the next few days, he said Simitis would tomorrow have talks with his Hungarian counterpart Gyula Horn who will be received by President Kostis Stephanopoulos at 1 pm local time.

Horn will arrive in Athens tomorrow for a working visit and talks with Simitis on bilateral relations, Hungary's European Union accession talks scheduled to begin on March 31 and Budapest's efforts to join NATO.

At 2 pm Simitis will host a working lunch for Horn and at 3.30 pm the two premiers will give a joint press conference.

Tomorrow evening, Simitis will reply in Parliament to opposition party questions on the recent economic developments, particularly the 14 percent devaluation of the drachma.

On Thursday morning, Simitis will chair a Cabinet meeting which will focus on efforts to revitalise the national carrier Olympic Airways.

Simitis' talks with Czech president

Prime Minister Costas Simitis had talks today with Czech President Vaclav Havel on bilateral relations and the enlargement of the European Union and of NATO, according to an ANA despatch from Prague.

No statements were made after the meeting.

Simitis flew to Prague on Sunday for a three-day official visit. Yesterday he had talks with his Czech counterpart Josef Tosovsky and Deputy Premier and Foreign Minister Yaroslav Sendivi.

Incentives to replace old cars

National Economy and Finance Minister Yiannos Papantoniou and Environment Minister Costas Laliotis agreed at a meeting today that a draft law on the incentives to be given by the State to encourage owners of old cars to replace their vehicles will be tabled in Parliament in June.

It is the second time the incentives will be given, in the form of a cash payment, the size of which has not yet been decided, as part of efforts to reduce air pollution.

The draft law will also contain provisions relating to the taxation of both new and second-hand cars.

According to informed sources, the incentives for the withdrawal from circulation of old vehicles will not be given until 1999, due to the fact that the 14 per cent devaluation of the drachma at the weekend has changed the situation in the economy and market in general.

Dane arrested with forged passports

A Danish man has been arrested near Corinth with forged passports and illegal possession of a firearm, police said today.

He was identified as Jesper Christensen, 38, of Hyidrjerj, unemployed.

Police told the ANA that Christensen was trying to elude a police check but was chased and apprehended at Kalamaki near the Corinth canal.

They said that Christensen carried two forged passports with his picture, a forged Danish driver's licence, other false documents and a 9mm pistol with 69 cartridges and an envelope containing amphitamines which, police said, were considered as drugs.

According to police Christensen is being sought by the Danish authorities for the theft of 42 trucks and 72 trailers.

Business personalities of the year

The prominent Athens daily Exousia has awarded the "10 top business personalities of the year 1997" for their "contribution to the modernisation, development and competitivenes of the Greek economy".

In a ceremony late Monday night, the awards were presented to National Bank of Greece governor Theodore Karatzas, Minoan Lines chairman (since 1976) and founding member Constantine Klironomos, DIS S.A. software company founder and CEO John Kyriakopoulos, ALUMIL aluminium extrusion industry S.A. president and managing director George Milonas, STET Hellas managinc director Giacinto Cicchese, Mytilineos S.A. Group chairman Evangelos Mytilineos, Ethniki Insurance managing director Milton Nektarios, Attica Enterprises and SuperFast Ferries chairman Pericles Panagopoulos, SEKAP S.A. tobacco cooperative president Elias Seitanidis, and FAGE S.A. dairy industry chairman Kyriakos Filippou.

Exousia publisher and editor Michael Androulidakis said the awards would be presented annually.

Spanish admiral on official visit to Greece

Spanish Navy General Staff Chief Adm. Antonio Moreno Barbera begins an official visit to Greece on Wednesday to discuss issues of mutual interest with his Greek counterpart, Rear-Adm. Georgios Ioannidis, National Defence Undersecretary Dimitris Apostolakis and National Defence General Staff Chief Gen. Athanasios Tzoganis.

German paper praises Simitis, criticises Yilmaz

"Greece shapes conditions for 2001 entry into Euro", was the title of an article by the German daily "Suddeutsche Zeitung" yesterday.

In comparing recent Greek and Turkish policies, the article focused on prime ministers of Greece and Turkey, Costas Simitis and Mesut Yilmaz, respectively, adding that Greece's image in Brussels as well as in Bonn and Luxembourg was predominately due to the Greek premier's work.

On the other hand, Mr. Yilmaz is held responsible by the German newspaper for his country's declining course vis-a-vis the EU, as well as doing practically nothing to lead his country into a united Europe.

The Suddeutsche Zeitung states that the Greek premier took a decisive step forward by devaluating the drachma, thus safeguarding Greece's entry into the European Monetary System.

Hungarian Prime Minister in Athens tomorrow

Hungarian Prime Minister Gyula Horn arrives in Athens tomorrow for a working visit at the invitation of Prime Minister Costas Simitis. The two men will discuss Greek-Hungarian relations, Hungary's European Union acces sion talks - set to begin March 31 - as well as the central European country's NATO accession.

Mr. Horn will be received by the President of the Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos and will meet Parliament President Apostolos Kaklamanis. Greek-Hungarian trade relations have surged since 1974, while several joint ventures were created in recent years. About 50 joint ventures operate in Greece, while 80 are based in Hungary. Today, Greece holds 13th place in the list of countries with investments in Hungary.

Hungarian exports to Greece for 1997 totalled US$81 million, while Greek exports to Hungary during the same time period were $52.7 million. The first ever visit of a Hungarian head of state to Greece took place in 1996, while Mr. Stephanopoulos is expected to visit in 1998. Finally, Eastern Orthodoxy was recognised as an official religion in Hungary in 1995, while 3,000 ethnic Greeks live in the country today.

ASE trading soars 5.75 in first half hour

Trading on the Athens Stock Exchange soared 5.75 percent in the first half hour of Tuesday's session, the second after the drachma's entry into the EU's exchange rate mechanism (ERM) and 14 percent devaluation, with the general share index reaching 1,744 points at 11:00 a.m. against Monday's close of 1,649.69 points, the highest level since Oct. 28, 1997 before the outbreak of the Asian financial crisis.

Demand was big for industrial shares and Hellenic Telecommuni- cations Organisation-OTE stock which hit the daily 8 percent upper volatility limit, and for export papers. The trading volume at 11:00 had reached 12.8 billion dr., while banks were also up 3-3.5 percent.

WEATHER

FOREIGN EXCHANGE

(Y.B.)

Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article