Athens News Agency: News in English (PM), 98-05-12

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

NEWS IN ENGLISH

Athens, Greece, 12/05/1998 (ANA)

MAIN HEADLINES

• WEU concern over Kosovo
• Turkish claims of PKK support resurface
• Opposition leader confers with U.S. envoy
• Greek official appointed to Cypriot post
• Bank robbery in Crete
• Two get jail for smuggling immigrants
• Drachma firm against major currencies
• Trade delegation to visit Uzbekistan
• Avramopoulos says he'll run for Athens mayor again
• Greek, Cypriot and Turkish leftists condemn status quo
• Christodoulos 'gets down to work'
• CAA defends Greek air safety record
• Weather
• Foreign exchange

NEWS IN DETAIL

In the declaration issued at the end of the WEU's two-day meeting of foreign and defence ministers from 28 countries, the organisation expresses its "strong concern about the increasing violence and growing polarisation" in the troubled Yugoslav province of Kosovo. It condemned "the excessive use of force" by Yugoslav and Serb security forces against separatists in the province but also "all terrorist acts".

Turkish claims of PKK support resurface

Turkish Defence Minister Ismet Sezgin reiterated in Rhodes today Ankara's accusations that Greece was supporting the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), a claim strongly rejected by Athens. Sezgin was speaking to a Greek TV station on the sidelines of the two-day Western European Union (WEU) ministerial summit on the island of Rhodes. He was asked during the TV interview to comment on statements in Ankara yesterday by the Turkish military's second-in-command, General Cevik Bir, who accused Greece of supporting the PKK.

Opposition leader confers with U.S. envoy

Main opposition New Democracy party leader Costas Karamanlis had talks today with US Ambassador in Athens Nicholas Burns focusing on Greek-Turkish relations, developments in the Cyprus problem and bilateral relations. According to informed sources, the US is gradually coming to terms with the fact that the Turkish side is responsible for the lack of progress on the Cyprus problem. Also discussed during the one-hour meeting was the visit to Greece next month of US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and Karamanlis' forthcoming trip to the US most likely in the autumn.

Greek official appointed to Cypriot post

The former commander of the Greek army's 11th Kavala Division, Leonidas Economopoulos, has been appointed deputy commander of the Cypriot National Guard, it was announced today. In the most recent military shake-up, Economopoulos was discharged with the rank of lieutenant-general but his re- enlistment was subsequently announced by Chief of the General Army Staff, Lieutenant-General Manoussos Paragioudakis. Economopoulos rejoined the army with his previous rank and was appointed to his new post in Cyprus.

Bank robbery in Crete

Two masked robbers brandishing a Kalashnikov assault rifle and a revolver this morning made off with about 1 million drachmas from a branch of the Agricultural Bank in Heraklion, Crete after threatening employees and customers. The robbers were only able to seize the money already at the counter because of the bank's time-lock system on the main safe. They escaped in a van waiting outside the bank, driven by an accomplice. The van was later found abandoned.

Two get jail for smuggling immigrants

Two men received sentences of 4 years and 10 months each from a Xanthi court today on charges of smuggling 22 illegal immigrants from Bangladesh into Greece. Amet Amet, 20, of Grevena and Mohamed Sekim, 25, a Bangladeshi national residing in Athens, were arrested when the truck they were driving was stopped for a traffic violation. Police found 22 immigrants in the truck. They had paid the two men a total of 860,000 drachmas to be transported from Ferres, Evros to Thessaloniki.

Drachma firm against major currencies

The drachma rose against major foreign currencies in domestic markets yesterday, reflecting confidence in the economy by institutional investors abroad. The phenomenon, which has lasted for weeks, signals the fact that investors see healthy prospects for the country's entry into the European Union's economic and monetary union, the analysts said. At yesterday's central bank daily fix, the drachma was at 308.85 to the US dollar; 342.72 to the Ecu; and 174.04 to the mark.

Trade delegation to visit Uzbekistan

The Hellenic Foreign Trade Board (OPE) is arranging a visit by a Greek trade delegation to Uzbekistan at the end of June led by its president, Yiannis Tzen. Working with OPE in organising the trip is Uzbekistan's general consulate in Athens, overseen by the country's prime minister, OPE said in a statement yesterday.

Avramopoulos says he'll run for Athens mayor again

Athens Mayor Dimitris Avramopoulos yesterday announced his long-awaited re- election bid for the Athens mayor's post in the upcoming October municipal elections. "For four full years I served at this post with stability and reliability, having you (Athens' citizens) as the only source of courage and Athens' best interests as my guide," Mr. Avramopoulos, a former career diplomat, said in his widely televised address.

Greek, Cypriot and Turkish leftists condemn status quo

Six left-wing parties from Greece, Cyprus and Turkey condemned the present status quo on the island republic, stressing that the current situation is not and cannot be a solution to the protracted Cyprus problem. "The continuation of the impasse in the Cyprus problem, the absence of communication between the two communities and the lack of dialogue and progress in intercommunal talks contribute to the consolidation of the (present) status quo, which is not and cannot be a solution to the Cyprus problem," the parties said in a common statement, issued after a meeting in Istanbul on May 8-9.

Christodoulos 'gets down to work'

New Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens and All Greece yesterday chaired his first meeting of the Holy Synod, the 12-member ruling body of the Orthodox Church of Greece. Opening the meeting, Christodoulos said there may have been disagreements and differences of opinion prior to the election, following the death of Archbishop Serapheim, "but now these are in the past and we shall go forward united". "The talk is over, it is now time for work, " the archbishop said.

CAA defends Greek air safety record

Civil Aviation Authority Director Dionysis Kalofonos yesterday stressed that Greece's airspace and international airports are ranked among the safest in the world. He was speaking in the wake of reports appearing in several foreign publications containing pilots' allegations that airspace entry and exit problems exist in Greece.

Mr. Kalofonos attributed the reports to various circles attempting to attack Greek tourism, adding that over the past two years, and at the same time of the year, such rumours are disseminated.

WEATHER

FOREIGN EXCHANGE

(M.P.)

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