Athens News Agency: News in English (PM), 98-08-18
NEWS IN ENGLISH
Athens, Greece, 18/08/1998 (ANA)
MAIN HEADLINES
- Greece takes part in NATO exercise in Albania
- Premier sees 3.5% growth rate, increased investments
- Simitis ends vacation today, meetings scheduled for next week
- Bulgarian arrested over illegal immigrants
- Communist party lashes out at Archbishop Christodoulos
- Kranidiotis on Athens' Cyprus issue priorities
- Athens condemns deadly N. Ireland bombing
- Contract signed for 4 Super Puma helicopters
- Two Turks arrested after flag-raising incident on Kalymnos
- Man lost at sea after disappearing from island ferry
- Census to be taken of Greek, foreign seamen in merchant fleet
- Weather
- Foreign exchange
NEWS IN DETAIL
Greece takes part in NATO exercise in Albania
Greece is taking part with C-130 airplane, two F-16 jetfioghters, two
helicopters and a company of parachutists in a NATO exercise that began
Monday in Albania, which borders the troubled Serbian province of Kosovo,
an ANA dispatch from Tirana said.
Greece has also sent a medical unit to the exercise, which is providing
services to the residents of remote villages in Albania in the vicinity of
the manoeuvre, the dispatch added.
The exercise, code-named "Cooperative Assembly '98", is a bid by NATO to
show Serbia that the alliance was ready to intervene at any time in the
region, especially in the event of escalation of the tension in Kosovo.
Opening the exercise, NATO commander-in-chief for Southern Europe, Admiral
T. Joseph Lopez, said the alliance was prepared to intervene in the region
at a moment's notice upon receiving a go-ahead by the alliance member
states' leaders, according to the ANA report.
He said the exercise, as all Partnership for Peace exercises, aimed at
regional stability and was not directed against any party or side in Kosovo
or Belgrade.
About 1,700 troops, including hundreds of parachutists and commandos, from
14 NATO and Partnership for Peace members are taking part in the exercise
in western Albania, as well as some 70 fighter planes.
The exercise was recently scaled down from what was originally planned as
the US substantially reduced its contingent after the August 7 bombings of
the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania -- in which at least 257 people were
killed -- citing the risk of terrorist attacks against American targets in
Albania, the ANA dispatch said.
The exercise will include search and rescue, close air support, medical
evacuation, and air-drop procedures as well as infantry peace support
operations skills.
Premier sees 3.5% growth rate, increased investments
Prime Minister Costas Simitis said yesterday that the economy would show a
3.5 rate of GDP growth for the second consecutive year and that investments
were rising, a clear sign of economic progress.
Mr. Simitis was speaking in a message to mark next month's annual
international trade fair in the northern port city of Thessaloniki.
The progess was seen in major inflows of foreign capital; a spectacular
increase in public and private investments; a drop in the fiscal deficit;
declining interest rates; job creation; and the rapid pace of restructuring
in public enterprises and state banks.
The economy also displayed monetary, institutional and political stability,
he said.
However, the prime minister cautioned against complacency.
"We must intensify our efforts in all sectors of the economy, because the
sacrifices of the Greek public these past four years have borne fruit and
must not be wasted."
Mr. Simitis reiterated that entry into European Economic and Monetary Union
(EMU) by Jan. 1, 2001 remained the government's target.
Finally, he said Thessaloniki could become a hub in the Balkans, linking
the region's emerging economies.
"It's up to us, if that is what we all want P and it doesn't depend solely
on the government P to turn Thessaloniki into the financial capital of the
Balkan hinterland," the prime minister said.
Simitis ends vacation today, meetings scheduled for next week
Prime Minister Costas Simitis is expected back from his vacation this
evening, as a meeting with his closest associates is scheduled for
Wednesday.
Mr. Simitis will meet with associates on Wednesday although his full
schedule essentially begins next Monday with Cabinet meetings on various
issues, such as the announcement of next yearYs economic measures during
the opening of the International Thes saloniki Fair on Sept. 4. Other
topics include the S-300 missiles issue prior to Cypriot President Glafcos
Clerides' arrival in Athens on Aug. 27 for talks.
In addition, sources close to the prime minister apparently place added
importance on next weekend's meeting in Thessaloniki between Mr. Simitis
and Austrian Chancellor Viktor Klima, who will be visiting Greece between
Aug. 21-23.
Bulgarian arrested over illegal immigrants
A Bulgarian woman was arrested by police in a rural area of Doirani, Kilkis
in northern Greece after admitting that she intended to pick up six illegal
immigrant compatriots.
Ianka Georgieva, 36, was driving the car of her husband at the time of her
arrest.
She admitted to police that she was to pick up the six Bulgarians who had
illegally entered Greece from the neighbouring Federal Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia (FYROM).
Georgieva said that she was to drive the six to an unspecified destination
in Greece for payment.
Communist party lashes out at Archbishop Christodoulos
The Communist Party of Greece (KKE) today launched a stinging attack on
Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens and All Greece, accusing him of
"preaching violence and hatred among peoples".
KKE spokesman Orestes Kolozov said "it is clear that the head of the Greek
Church is trying to play some political role and is attempting to provide
political shelter for the most nationalistic and extreme segments of Greek
society".
Kolozov also attacked the government for "tolerating" Christodoulos "who
expresses the most reactionary notions of grandeur".
He called on the government to stop providing "cover" for the archbishop
and to take steps towards separating the Church and the State.
Kranidiotis on Athens' Cyprus issue priorities
Deputy Foreign Minister Yiannos Kranidiotis said yesterday that Athens'
main concern with regard to the Cyprus issue was not the current debate
over deployment of the Russian-made S-300 anti-aircraft missiles but the
island republic's continuing occupation by Turkey and its refusal to comply
with UN resolutions.
In an press interview published by the Nicosia-based daily "Fileleftheros",
the Greek official underlines that efforts to politicise and internationalise
the Cyprus problem were to the benefit of the Greek Cypriot side, while the
island's further militarisation was to the benefit of Turkey and the
Turkish Cypriots.
He added, however, that what was more important to the Greek Cypriot side
was to set a "hierarchy of initiatives" and to reorganise priorities.
He further cited the promotion of Cyprus' EU accession process and
preparations for negotiations as well as a resumption of talks on the basis
of UN resolutions for a solution of the dispute and a reduction in the
island's armaments.
Asked about Greece-Cyprus joint defence doctrine commitments, Mr.
Kranidiotis said these were certainly in force. Consequently, he added,
Cyprus has the right to choose any weapons systems it wished.
He further underlined that the decision to install the S-300 missiles on
Cyprus was not an aim in itself, but served the island's defence needs. The
necessity for the weapons' installation could only be re-examined, he
stressed, if things changed for th e better and conditions making their
installation necessary were improved.
"(Cyrpiot) President (Glafcos) Clerides has submitted his proposals for a
reduction in armaments on Cyprus, which Greece fully backs", Mr. Kranidiotis
said, adding that, "foreign countries honestly concerned about easing
tensions on Cyprus should turn their attention to the Turkish side, which
not only breaks the law by strengthening its military presence on Cyprus
but also complains about neighbouring countries'".
Concluding, he emphasised the close cooperation between Greece and Cyprus,
saying that Prime Minster Costas Simitis has placed the Cyprus problem on
the top of Athens' list of foreign policy priorities.
Athens condemns deadly N. Ireland bombing
Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos yesterday expressed his sorrow over the
bomb attack in Northern Ireland to his British and Irish counterparts,
Robin Cook and David Andrews, respectively.
Mr. Pangalos expressed a hope that the deadly and "illogical attack" will
not slow down the ongoing peace process.
Contract signed for 4 Super Puma helicopters
A contract for the purchase of four search and rescue helicopters was
signed in Athens yesterday between the merchant marine ministry and the
French-German consortium "Eurocopter".
The four all-weather "Super Puma" helicopters will cost approximately 18
billion drachmas, according to the government.
Two Turks arrested after flag-raising incident on Kalymnos
Six Turkish nationals were initially arrested early yesterday morning after
two of the six hoisted the Turkish flag on a power pole in Kalymnos' port,
just prior to racing towards the Asia Minor coast in a luxury motorboat.
A Kos public prosecutor later charged two of the six Turks -- seaman Gunay
Zeybeker and the owner of the yacht, Gengiz Menteseoglu -- with disturbing
the peace and offending national sentiment.
Both men were then released without restrictions pending trial on March 21
next year.
The yacht later departed Kos, where it was led by coastguard authorities
after being forcibly stopped, and was reportedly headed for Turkey.
In their defence, the two Turkish nationals claimed they had not intended
to provoke, but rather to express their "feelings of friendship."
The merchant marine ministry identified the other passengers on the yacht
as Seket Gaykan, the vessel's skipper; Gonca Menteseoglu, as well as Attila
and Leyla Kayihan.
According to coastguard reports, the Turkish nationals were spotted at
about 1 a.m. by local residents raising the Turkish flag in the Dodecanese
island's main port, as one of the men in the group videotaped a local
celebration.
Kalymnos residents reportedly chased the suspects through the port, where
the Turkish-flagged yacht "Eda" was waiting with its engines on. Five of
the Turkish nationals managed to board the yacht as it departed, chased by
a Kalymnos-based patrol boat, w hich detained the vessel before it was able
to exit Greek territorial waters.
The yacht had arrived in Kalymnos from Patmos on Saturday afternoon.
Man lost at sea after disappearing from island ferry
A search and rescue operation has been launched to locate a 28-year-old
ferry passenger who fell overboard between the islands of Naxos and
Donoussa today.
A Piraeus harbour authority spokesman told the ANA that Panayotis
Sitokonstantinos, a passenger on the Super Naias car/passenger ferry, fell
into the sea, under circimstances that have not been clarified, as the
ferry was sailing between the two islands.
Coast guard patrol boats and an Airforce helicopter were immediately
despatched to scour the area for traces of the man.
Census to be taken of Greek, foreign seamen in merchant fleet
A census will be taken of all Greek and foreign seamen employed aboard the
Greek-owned merchant fleet, it was announced today.
By decision of national economy minister Yannos Papantoniou and merchant
marine minister Stavros Soumakis, the census will take place on September
20 and concerns all Greek and foreign seamen employed on Greek shops of 100
grt or over, and on foreign-flag ships registered with the NAT seamen's
pension fund.
It will be the 11th census among seamen since 1978.
WEATHER
Sunny weather is forecast throughout the country tomorrow with some cloud
expected in central and northern Greece. Possibility of storms in
mountainous regions of mainland Greece. Winds will be northerly, light to
strong. Temperatures in Athens will range between 24-32C, while in
Thessaloniki from 21-30C.
FOREIGN EXCHANGE
Monday's rates (buying) U.S. dollar 301.270
British pound 485.564 Japanese yen (100) 206.306
French franc 50.021 German mark 167.628
Italian lira (100) 17.005 Irish Punt 420.608
Belgian franc 8.126 Finnish mark 55.169
Dutch guilder 148.736 Danish kr. 44.035
Austrian sch. 23.809 Spanish peseta 1.977
Swedish kr. 36.843 Norwegian kr. 39.273
Swiss franc 200.642 Port. Escudo 1.639
Aus. dollar 178.312 Can. dollar 198.182
Cyprus pound 570.400
(C.S.)
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