Athens News Agency: News in English (PM), 98-07-17

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

NEWS IN ENGLISH

Athens, Greece, 17/07/1998 (ANA)

MAIN HEADLINES

• President marks 'black anniversary' for Cyprus
• Prince Charles due in November
• Greek-descent foreign MPs to meet
• Spurned suitor gets revenge
• Water supply restored to Thessaloniki
• IOC chief confers with culture minister
• Flynn, Simitis discuss job training programmes
• Gov't to issue low-cost bonds for small investors
• Kranidiotis details Greece's initiatives on Mideast problem
• Pangalos talks with Albania's leadership next week
• Measures against police corruption discussed
• Medical students volunteer programme
• Weather
• Foreign exchange

NEWS IN DETAIL

President Kostis Stephanopoulos today reaffirmed Greece's support for Cyprus in efforts to find a just, viable and feasible solution to the problems which continue to cause great hardship for the Cypriot people and undermine international legality. In a message on the 24th "black anniversary" since the Turkish invasion and subsequent occupation of one- third of Cyprus, Stephanopoulos said the Turkish occupation forces must at long last leave so that all Cypriots, irrespective of ethnic origin or religion, could "march together down the road of conciliation and creation" within the framework of a bizonal, bicommunal federation.

Prince Charles due in November

Britain's Prince Charles will visit Greece on November 22-24, coinciding with the opening of the Britain and Greece Festival in Athens. The Festival, organised by the British Embassy in Athens with the support of the British Council, will run from November 21 to December 5.

Greek-descent foreign MPs to meet

Parliamentarians of Greek origin from around the world converge in Athens next week for talks with Greek government officials and political figures and the second conference of the World Hellenic Interparliamentary Union. The 41 parliamentarians from 16 countries, will meet with President of the Republic Costis Stephanopoulos, Parliament president Apostolos Kaklamanis, opposition party leaders and Cabinet members. They will also be briefed by foreign minister Theodoros Pangalos and alternate foreign minister George Papandreou on Greek national issues.

Spurned suitor gets revenge

A 57-year-old man tossed two hand-grenades into a couple's home today because they refused to allow him to marry their 35-year-old daughter. Police said they arrested Vassilis Zachopoulos after the dawn attack, in which Evgenia and Efthymios Lytras, 52 and 29 respectively, the mother and brother of 35-year-old Theodora, were seriously injured.

Water supply restored to Thessaloniki

Water supply to the northern Greek capital of Thessaloniki began returning to normal today as technicians repaired major damage to a central waterpipe that left Thessaloniki residents dry for nearly two days. The burst central distribution pipeline was repaired late last night, restoring the flow to central tanks, but it would take at least another day for water levels to reach normal, the Water Board told the ANA.

IOC chief confers with culture minister

Visiting International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Juan Antonio Samaranch met today with culture minister Evangelos Venizelos, who is also chairman of the inter-ministerial committee for the 2004 Olympics. The talks dealt with a general review of preparations so far for the Athens 2004 Games in view of the first meeting -- in Athens on September 2-4 -- of the IOC coordinating committee which supervises preparations for the Games. Samaranch arrived in Athens yesterday for the opening ceremony of the International Olympic Academy's annual session on Pnyx Hill. The meeting, which runs through July 30, brings together a record 202 delegates from 97 countries.

Flynn, Simitis discuss job training programmes

Prime Minister Costas Simitis met last night with visiting European Commissioner Padraig Flynn and discussed ways to improve Greece's absoption rate of EU structural funds regarding job training programmes. Mr. Flynn, who is on an visit to Greece, also discussed with Mr. Simitis issues related to the rest of the structural funds' absorption rates, which he called satisfactory. According to reports, a selection procedure began to choose which programmes will be given a priority status, while those considered ineffective will be cut.

Gov't to issue low-cost bonds for small investors

The state will begin issuing low-cost, tax-free bonds in September in order to entice small investors into the debt market, Finance Undersecretary Nikos Christodoulakis said yesterday. The new bonds, priced at 50,000-100, 000 drachmas, will be tax-free if buyers retain them until maturity. The bonds, which have a duration of three, five and 10 years, are not negotiable on the secondary market, Mr. Christodoulakis said.

Kranidiotis details Greece's initiatives on Mideast problem

Greece fully supports peace and stability in the Middle East, and undertakes initiatives with a view to rekindling the peace process, while it also contributes decisively to the formulation of European policy in the region and believes that Europe must undertake a more active role in the Mideast problem, Foreign Undersecretary Yiannos Kranidiotis said in an exclusive interview with ANA. "Greece has every interest in the promotion of peace and stability in the region of the eastern Mediterranean. It seeks, therefore, to assist in the rekindling of the Middle East process, which has been deadlocked for the last year-and-a-half. Kranidiotis, who represented Athens at a recent conference of prominent Israeli and Palestinian personalities and journalists, said it was decided on Rhodes that the conferences for dialogue should continue on a permanent basis.

Pangalos talks with Albania's leadership next week

Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos will discuss the entire spectrum of bilateral relations as well as issues concerning the situation in the Balkans - especially Kosovo - when he meets the Albanian leadership in Tirana on July 20-21, the foreign ministry announced yesterday. Mr. Pangalos, who will be accompanied by a business delegation, will meet Albanian President Rexhep Mejdani, PM Fatos Nano, FM Paskal Milo, Tirana's public order minister, the parliament president, and the president of the Albanian parliament's constit utional revision committee. The agenda of discussions will also include cross-border and economic cooperation as well as a bilateral educational agreement, to be signed during Education Minister Gerasimos Arsenis' forthcoming visit to Tirana.

Measures against police corruption discussed

Prime Minister Costas Simitis yesterday met with Public Order Minister George Romeos to focus on measures against corruption in the police force. After the meeting, Mr. Romeos stated that the government will introduce a bill in Parliament in August for the creation of an internal affairs division, which will be overseen by a prosecutor. He added that he personally approved 2,300 residence permits for foreigners out of a total of 70,000 applications in Attica and 400,000 around the country over the past five months, as was prescibed by law.

Medical students volunteer programme

The Society of Greek Medical Students (EFIE) will organise a volunteer programme to staff medical clinics on various Greek islands during the summer. The programme is financed by the New Generetion general secretariat and includes 95 medical students from seven medical schools in Greece as well as other countries. Room and board costs will be met be local governments on the islands. Greek students will volunteer their services in Istanbul, Ankara and Anatolia hospitals, while their Turkish counterparts will volunteer on the islands of Lesvos, Hios and Kos.

WEATHER

FOREIGN EXCHANGE

(M.P.)

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