Athens News Agency: News in English (AM), 98-03-29

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, 29/03/1998 (ANA)

MAIN HEADLINES

• Central natural gas pipeline inaugurated
• Turkish embassy car torched, group claims responsibility
• Primary school teachers call strike
• High capital inflows reported
• Crete students protest reforms
• Playwright Mimis Traiforos dies at 86
• Wallet saves policeman shot by Romanian burglars
• Weather
• Foreign Exchange

NEWS IN DETAIL

Russia's ambassador to Greece on Saturday inaugurated a 166-km central pipeline which will carry natural gas from Russia to Greece.

"The natural gas which has reached Kavala will soon reach as far as Thrace, " Valentina Matvienko said during the ceremony.

The pipeline runs from the Karperi region in Serres to the village of Hakero in Kavala.

"This project is another indication of the good cooperation between Greece and Russia," Matvienko said. "It is an example of good cooperation which Greek and Russian construction companies will have as well as the excellent level of friendship and cooperation between the peoples of Greece and Russia", she added.

Representatives of construction companies present at the ceremony said that as of April 16 Russian natural gas would be available for industrial use with domestic use becoming available shortly afterwards.

Matvienko said Russia was "very interested" in seeing the completion of the Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline, in which Bulgaria, Russia and Greece were involved and which had "not only economic but political significance", she said.

"This project will contribute to the further development of Greece as well as many other regions in Europe," Matvienko said, adding that Moscow's interest in the completion of the project was more significant in the light of the Turkish unilateral decision to restrict access through the Straits.

The natural gas to be imported to Greece from Russia is expected to cover approximately 15 per cent of the country's energy needs. To be built at an estimated cost of 600 billion drachmas, financed 40 per cent by the European Union, the natural gas conveyance network will extend for over 1, 000 kilometres.

Prime Minister Costas Simitis earlier this year called the project ''the greatest energy project to be carried out in Greece since the country's electrification''.

Turkish embassy car torched, group claims responsibility

A car belonging to the Turkish embassy's defense attache was set alight overnight, authorities said.

The car, parked at the corner of Tritonos and Parthenonos streets in the residential area of Paleo Faliro, was set alight by unidentified persons at about 1 a.m. on Sunday morning.

The fire caused at least a million drachmas damage to the vehicle, as well as to a neighbouring car.

The fire department is looking into the exact circumstances of the fire.

Police said later a group calling itself "Conscientious Arsonists" claimed responsibility for the torching of the Turkish Embassy car used by its military attache.

Eyewitnesses said the arsonists were two relatively young men, who had their faces covered by scarves and left the scene on foot.

Police said a front window of the car had been smashed and burning rags soaked in petrol were thrown into it.

Primary school teachers call strike

Primary school teachers have called a nationwide 24-hour strike for Friday to protest recent Education Ministry decisions to abolish a decades-long waiting list for appointment to public schools and replace it with a competition.

The teachers will hold rallies in Athens and Thessaloniki on the day of the strike, and their unions will meet again later in April to discuss further protest activity, to be stepped up in May when the competition is planned to take place.

High capital inflows reported

Foreign capital inflows into Greek financial markets have totalled 3.5 billion US dollars since the drachma's devaluation and entry into the European exchange rate mechanism on March 14, National Economy and Finance Minister Yiannos Papantoniou said.

He added that in the last two weeks the Athens Stock Exchange jumped 30 percent and the drachma appreceiated by 3.0 percent against most foreign currencies, reflecting renewed foreign confidence in the Greek currency.

Crete students protest reforms

Students and administration at Crete's Polytechnic University clashed on Saturday night at a Hania hotel when students barred entry to those wanting to register under a new university entrance scheme.

Students closed off access to the hotel where registration was taking place for four hours. They eventually lifted their blockade after talks with university authorities.

The new university courses are part of changes to the Greek education system introduced recently by the ministry. They can be studied by graduates of at least high school level over a period of between four to six years. Those aged under 25 pay no fees; those over the age of 25 pay a nominal fee.

The Crete university was one of the first to declare participation in the programme.

Playwright Mimis Traiforos dies at 86

Eminent writer, stage director, lyric-writer and poet Mimis Traiforos died early Saturday after a long illness at the age of 86.

In 1940, Traiforos wrote the lyrics for the stirring "Children, children of Greece" which became a symbol of the Greeks' national struggle against the fascist Italian attempt to invade the country from Albania.

The song was immortalised by popular singer Sophia Vembo, herself a symbol of Greek resistance.

In the period 1941-42, Traiforos and Vembo entertained the remnants of the Greek army in exile in Egypt.

Traiforos, who one week ago was admitted to the Evangelismos Hospitalin Athens, wrote over 50 revues and other works, many of which considerably influenced modern Greek theatre.

He also worked with many of Greece's most famous composers, including Manos Hadjidakis.

Traiforos will be buried at the Athens First Cemetery on Tuesday.

Wallet saves policeman shot by Romanian burglars

A wallet may have saved the life of a policeman who was shot at by a suspected burglar early Saturday in Petralona, Athens.

Police apprehended two Romanians, identified as Lonel Milea and Ivan Nikolae, in the early hours of the morning to question them about a series of burglaries.

At some point, Nikolae managed to run away and was chased by Sergeant Christos Petropoulos who eventually cornered him in a dead-end street.

In an effort to escape, the Romanian fired a shot but the bullet hit the officer's wallet.

With the assistance of a colleague, Nikolae was arrested and the revolver confiscated.

WEATHER

FOREIGN EXCHANGE

(L.G.)

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