Athens News Agency: News in English (PM), 98-06-26

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

NEWS IN ENGLISH

Athens, Greece, 26/06/1998 (ANA)

MAIN HEADLINES

• Greece not alone in Turkey fund veto - FM
• Foreign women released from enforced prostitution
• French national drowns
• Nicosia 'wall' will fall, says Greek President
• Turkish warplanes try to identify US plane in Athens FIR
• SE countries discuss Balkan peacekeeping force
• Conference of Israelis, Palestinians in Rhodes
• Venizelos cites British handover of antiquities to Ankara
• Joint Greek-Bulgarian archaeological excavation
• Weather
• Foreign Exchange

NEWS IN DETAIL

Greece is not alone in its insistence on vetoing the release of European Union funds earmarked for Turkey, since democracy, values and principles are important for many countries, Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos said today, according to an ANA despatch from Nicosia. Pangalos was speaking to reporters in Cyprus, where he is accompanying President Kostis Stephanopoulos on an official four-day visit. He was replying to press questions concerning the exerting of pressure on Greece to lift its veto on EU funds to Turkey.

Foreign women released from enforced prostitution

Police in Thessaloniki have pressed charges against three persons for detaining eight foreign women against their will and forcing them to engage in prostitution. The young women from Ukraine, Romania and Bulgaria were discovered in a house in Melissochori, near the northern Greek port city. Their passports had been taken from them by George Strongylis, 37, a resident of Nikea, Attica and Constantine Lazaridis, of Thessaloniki, a nightclub owner. The police said the women were forbidden to leave the house except to go to Lazaridis' nightclub and work as prostitutes.

French national drowns

A 75-year-old French citizen drowned yesterday as he was swimming in the sea off Hersonissos in Heraklion, Crete, police said. They identitied the man as Andrea Asstier. The local port authorities are investigating the incident.

Nicosia 'wall' will fall, says Greek President

President Costis Stephanopoulos expressed hope that Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus, will soon be reunited, as well as the island as a whole. He described as a "shame" for the world civilisation the wall which divides Nicosia, the world's last divived capital. The Greek president, was presented with the capital's golden key by Nicosia Mayor Lellos Demetriades during a welcoming ceremony at the entrance of Nicosia as he began a four- day state visit, the first ever by a Greek head of state to the island republic.

Turkish warplanes try to identify US plane in Athens FIR

Two Turkish F-16 warplanes yesterday attempted to identify a US Air Force KC-135 aircraft, despite the fact that the American military plane had followed all necessary procedures by submitting flight plans to both the Greek and Cypriot authorities. In addition, the US aircraft had received special permission to fly in the Athens Flight Information Region (FIR) at an altitude of 35,000 feet. The incident took place southeast of Siteia, Crete and west of Rhodes. According to initial reports, the Turkish aircraft proceeded to identify the US aircraft from behind at a great distance.

SE countries discuss Balkan peacekeeping force

Military experts from seven SE European countries meeting in Athens to discuss procedural matters related a proposed multinational force to prevent conflict in the Balkans are reported to have agreed on a committee to decide the force's peacekeeping missions, sources said yesterday. The committee is to be made up of diplomats and military experts. The decision to set up the force was taken at a meeting of the defence undersecretaries of eight countries of southeast Europe and the United States in Tirana last month.

Conference of Israelis, Palestinians on Rhodes

Participants from Israel and Palestine will meet in Rhodes between July 1-5 in an effort to consolidate a climate of confidence between the two peoples and to advance peace procedures in the Middle East. The Greek government undertook the initiative for the meeting. According to a foreign ministry announcement, the gathering will enable participants - politicians, government officials, academics and other personalities - to exchange views on all aspects of the peace initiative and, in general, relations between Israelis and Palestinians. This is the third meeting of its kind hosted in Greece within a year.

Venizelos cites British handover of antiquities to Ankara

Culture Minister Evangelos Venizelos yesterday said that the British government on May 26 handed over to Turkey five antiquities, citing a report by the "Turkish Daily News". He said the antiquities were found by an amateur diver on a 1894 Dutch shipwreck under the Irish Sea, and were claimed by both Turkey and the Netherlands. According to the Ankara-based newspaper, the artifacts hailed from Asia Minor and were allegedly exported from Turkey illegally by the Dutch ambassador to Istanbul at the end of the previous century.

Joint Greek-Bulgarian archaeological excavation

Greek and Bulgarian archaeologists are working together at a Promahonas, Serres archaeological site, officials in eastern Macedonia announced yesterday. The site is split in half by the Greek-Bulgarian border. The settlement, dated as far back as 5,000 BC, consists of wooden residences and public structures as well as pottery fragments is expected to reveal a wealth of information on the relations of Aegean civilisation and the inhabitants of the inner Balkans, an announcement added.

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