Athens News Agency: News in English (PM), 98-04-01
NEWS IN ENGLISH
Athens, Greece, 01/04/1998 (ANA)
MAIN HEADLINES
- Parliament to vote on OA next week
- Kosovo solution a test for Balkans
- 14 consortiums bid for major road projects
- Greece hosts Israeli jubilee events
- Two Romanians arrested
- Weather
- Foreign Exchange
NEWS IN DETAIL
Parliament to vote on OA next week
The government will call on ruling PASOK deputies to toe the party line in
the vote on the bill providing for the revitalisation of Olympic Airways
which Parliament is expected to take sometime next week, government
spokesman Dimitris Reppas said today.
The bill was tabled on Monday night, provoking strong reaction from OA
workers' representatives who have asked for more time to study the draft
law and submit their proposals.
Reppas said party discipline would be invoked in order to send the message
that the stance of the Parliamentary Group is unanimous "in order to serve
the public interest, which dictates the revitalisation of Olympic
Airways".
The government is determined to ensure the revitalisation of the national
carrier, Reppas said, because citizens are entitled to enjoy a high
standard of services and OA must become modern, competitive and reliable.
Replying to reporters' questions, Reppas said the decision to table the
bill was taken by Prime Minister Costas Simitis, to which Transport
Minister Tassos Mantelis agreed. The final decision, he continued, was
taken after consultations with Parliament President Apostolos Kaklamanis
who gave the assurance that the voting procedure will be completed at the
earliest.
The spokesman also clarified that voluntary retirement procedures had been
ruled out because on the one hand OA would not be able to foot the bill and
on the other, it would create "a huge gap" in the public deficit.
He left open the possibility of "marginal changes" being made to the bill,
while underlining that its main provisions and "backbone" with regard to
employer-employee relations at the national carrier must remain as they
are.
Reppas also did not rule out workers being "mobilised" if they take strike
action during the Easter holiday, saying that the company must continue
operating without interruptions.
Replying to other questions, Reppas reiterated that OA chairman and
managing director Theodoros Tsakiridis had not resigned.
The atmosphere was tense at the discussion of the bill at the parliamentary
committee today.
Following talks, negotiations, the intervention of the parliament president,
and the transport and communications minister's agreement that the bill be
debated under "emergency procedures", the committee decided on three
sittings on the bill, and possibly a fourth, before it is forwarded to the
House for debate next week.
The committee also decided that the presidents of the federation of civil
aviation unions, the confederation of Greek unions, and of Olympic Airways
be called to speak before the committee, as would a former president of
Olympic as well as the head of the Greek National Tourist Organisation.
An opposition New Democracy proposal to call all former transport ministers
under PASOK governments from 1994 onwards was rejected.
Two ruling party PASOK deputies joined opposition party deputies in calling
for the bill to be processed under "emergency" procedures, rather than
"urgent" procedures, as the government had originally planned.
In reply, Mantelis said that everybody was aware of the need to deal with
OA's problems as quickly as possible and was in touch with the parliament
president to set a date for the debate before Easter.
He clarified that the government was not in talks with anyone on a sale of
Olympic.
Tempers between New Democracy and PASOK deputies flared at one point, with
both sides calling the other various names.
After Kaklamanis restored some semblance of calm, Mantelis said that the
government was determined to have a debate of substance.
Deputies from the Communist Party, Left Coalition and Democratic Social
Movement called for the bill's withdrawal.
Kosovo solution a test for Balkans
Alternate Foreign Minister George Papandreou said today that resolving the
Kosovo question would inevitably be a major test for the potential of
Balkan countries to cooperate peacefully and constructively.
Addressing the final session of a two-day meeting in Athens on the European
Union-led "Process for Stability and Good Neighbourliness in SE Europe" ,
known as the Royaumont Process, Papandreou said the Kosovo crisis had
"shown us the priority of the maintenance of stability, peace and full
respect of human rights".
"The inviolability of borders in accordance with interrnational law and the
UN and OSCE principles are fundamental in this respect, he added.
"Resolving the Kosovo question," he said, "will inevitably be a major test
for the potential of Balkan countries to cooperate peacefully and
constructively."
"We believe that the two parties must find, through dialogue and peaceful
means, a solution to this problem, which endangers the stability of the
whole region," Papandreou added.
Papandreou stressed the importance of the Royaumont initiative "at this
critical time when the Balkan peninsula is faced with yet another crisis in
Kosovo. Our meeting today shows our solid resolve to promote stability and
peace in this volatile region".
The Royaumont Initiative, named after the Paris suburb where the first
session was held in December 1995, groups together the 15 EU member states,
Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, FYROM, Hungary, Romania,
Slovenia, Turkey and Yugoslavia, envisaging a broad "European family" based
on democratic principles, peace, stability and cooperation.
Papandreou said that the Royaumont Initiative, adopted by the EU and
launched by the EU Council of Ministers on December 12, 1995, "constitutes
the main expression of EU policy concerning the futhre of South East
Europe", and its aim was to "prevent new tensions and crises and promote
stability, confidence and dialogue between the states and civil societies
of the region".
The Initiative, he explained, "guarantees the partcipation of all states on
an equal footing, according to the decided format, and the active
involvement of all Balkan countries".
Papandreou said the changes in the region in recent years have "created new
challenges and new opportunities", while the region also faced many
setbacks and problems. "Still, we created new perspectives for the
promotion of our common goals,' he added.
Papandreou noted that the Balkan countries "share the common prospect of
integration into Europe".
"Only yesterday, we made a historical step to further enlargement,
beginning the process with 11 countries," he said, adding: "While this
particular enlargement did not include all the countries in the region, all
these countries are nevertheless oriented towards the goal of integration,
and all have developed a deeper relationship with the EU."
"This relationship for some may be a long-standing and more developed one,
and for others it may be new with much potential for expansion. In either
case, I can assure you that Greece is at your side and willing to support
you towards this common goal of becoming part of United Europe. It is in
our national interest that this integration process continues," Papandreou
said.
"This is why Greece wants to have an active part in all regional initiatives.
Being part of this peninsula, our stability and prosperity is tied in with
the fate of our neighbours. Moreover, we are part of the European Union,
and it is our duty to do our share in promoting stability and peace," he
added.
Papandreou said the Balkan people should be able to deal with problems and
crises of the region. "Balkan people are coming of age. It is a long
process of maturing and learning, which will lead to a stronger role in the
new Europe that we are trying to create," he said.
He said the Balkan countries must take the future of the region in their
hands and "influence the shaping of Europe as a whole".
"European integration cannot be completed without their participation,"
Papandreou said, adding: "We must continue to work together for the
attainment of our common goals. In so doing, we will strengthen the
multicultural profile of the region, which is an important asset for the
development of the people of the Balkan peninsula."
14 consortiums bid for major road projects
Greece has received fourteen expressions of interest from international
consortiums and companies in a tender for a consultant to attract private
capital to fund, build and operate sections of major roads being built
nationwide.
The largest projects include a highway linking the cities of Patras, Athens
and Thessaloniki to the border post of Evzones; the Egnatia highway linking
the country's northeast and northwest; and a road linking Corinth, Tripoli
and Kalamata.
The following companies and consortiums submitted expressions of interest
on Tuesday, the deadline for the tender's first phase:
- KPMG Corporate Finance
- ING BARING (Baring Brothers Limited)
- Bank of Tokyo, Mitsubishi, Charterhouse, Ioniki Finance, Lamda
- Deutsche Morgan Grenfell
- WS Atkins, Coopers and Lybrand, Eurodynamics
- UBS Union Bank of Switzerland
- Price Waterhouse, EFG Eurobank
- Credit Suisse First Boston (Europe) Limited, Alpha Finance
- Bayerische Vereinsbank AG
- Bank of America, National Investment Bank for Industrial Development
- Lazard Consortium
- Societe Generale
- Berliner Bank AG (London Branch)
- Babcock & Brown Limited
Under the terms of the tender, up to six groups will be shortlisted and
asked to submit detailed bids.
The government, which plans to select the tender's winner early in the
second half of the year, hopes to have concessions for the roads signed in
2000.
The winner will support the government in handling the preparation of
tenders and contracts involving concessions and loans.
National Economy Undersecretary Christos Pachtas said the government would
adhere to the timescale as part of its programme to extend the use of
private capital in infrastructure projects.
Greece hosts Israeli jubilee events
Celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the State
of Israel begin in Greece on Monday with a jubilee event at the Old
Parliament building to be addressed by government and political party
leaders and academicians.
The keynote speaker at the event will be Athens Academy former president
Ioannis Pesmazoglou, while addresses will also be delivered by president of
the Central Baord of Jewish Communities in Greece Moses Constantinis, main
opposition New Democracy leader Costas Karamanlis, foreign minister
Theodoros Pangalos, educaiton minister Gerassimos Arsenis, culture minister
Evangelos Venizelos, ND honorary president and former premier Constantine
Mitsotakis, Athens Mayor Dimitris Avramopoulos, and Israeli ambassador in
Athens Ran Curiel.
A variety of cultural exchanges will take place between Greece and Israel
in the context of the jubilee celebrations, including an Israeli Cultural
Week at the Athens Hilton in May, a summer performance by the Israeli
Camerata in the summer, an exchange of visits between Israel's Cameri
Theatre and the National Theatre of Greece, and an exhibition of Israeli
art at the national Art Gallery in Athens in September, similar to a recent
exhibition of Greek artists held at the Tel Aviv Museum.
Two Romanians arrested
Two Romanian nationals were arrested yesterday and charged with breaking
into a number of apartments in the western suburb of Petroupoli
Ioan Gioulein, 24, and Emil Bourlakou, 25, had robbed at least nine
apartments in the area, stealing jewelry and other items worth three
million drachmas.
The police investigation are continuing as it is believed that the two
Romanians have robbed homes in other areas. In their possesion were found
various pieces of jewelery worth about one million drachmas which the
owners recognised and claimed.
WEATHER
Cloudy weather with light occasional rain, mainly on the islands and Crete,
Thessaly, the Peloponnese is forecast for today. Winds mild to moderate and
strong in the Aegean Sea. Athens will be partly cloudy with long spells of
sunshine and temperatures between 6-18C. Clouds in Thessaloniki with
temperatures from 4-16C.
FOREIGN EXCHANGE
Tuesday's closing rates (buying): U.S. dollar 317.242
British pound 532.248 Japanese Yen(100) 238.149
French franc 51.157 German mark 171.418
Italian lira (100) 17.390 Irish Punt 431.024
Belgian franc 8.308 Finnish mark 56.578
Dutch guilder 152.054 Danish kr. 44.973
Austrian sch. 24.360 Spanish peseta 2.020
Swedish kr. 39.757 Norwegian kr. 41.654
Swiss franc 208.127 Port. Escudo 1.674
AUS dollar 210.215 Can. dollar 222.367
Cyprus pound 589.050
(M.P.)
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