Athens News Agency: News in English (PM), 98-08-24
NEWS IN ENGLISH
Athens, Greece, 24/08/1998 (ANA)
MAIN HEADLINES
- Security forces on alert against terrorist attacks
- Greek role in S-300 issue purely 'advisory'
- Hope for defusion of Kosovo crisis
- Premier to have talks with Bulgarian counterpart
- Two arrested for transporting illegal immigrants
- 28 dead in weekend road toll
- Ionian Bank bids to be unsealed today
- Weather
- Foreign exchange
NEWS IN DETAIL
Security forces on alert against terrorist attacks
The government today confirmed a report in today's edition of the Athens
daily "Ta Nea" according to which Greece's security forces have heightened
security at potential American targets in the country. Government spokesman
Dimitris Reppas described as "top alert" the measures taken to prevent any
attacks by Moslem terrorists in reprisal for the US missile attacks on
targets in Sudan and Afghanistan. Asked whether the security forces had
already deported two people with Moroccan passports, as claimed in the
newspaper report, Reppas replied that "the activities of the competent
authorities should not be publicised if they are to be effective".
Greek role in S-300 issue purely 'advisory'
Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos today described as "advisory" Greece's
role in Nicosia's plans to install Russian-made S-300 anti-aircraft
missiles on the Mediterranean island. He said the issue was one which
concerned solely the Republic of Cyprus and Greece's "advisory" role was
limited to intervening only if and when Athens was asked to do so. Noting
that Turkey had become involved in the S-300 issue "with threats and
irrational demands", Pangalos said that as far as Greece was concerned the
issue was never a substantial one in the overall Cyprus problem. Pangalos
was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of talks with his Seychelles
counterpart Jeremy Bonnelame.
Hope for defusion of Kosovo crisis
Greek Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos was "cautiously optimistic" today
that the latest developments in Kosovo could lead to a defusion of the
crisis in the strife-torn Yugoslav province. Speaking to reporters,
Pangalos said the acceptance of the international community's two proposals
on scaling down tension marked some progress. "Let's hope that on the basis
of the acceptance of these two proposals there will be a third decisive
step, for the holding of some meeting between representatives of residents
of Kosovo with the Yugoslav leadership," Pangalos said.
Premier to have talks with Bulgarian counterpart
Prime Minister Costas Simitis will have talks with his Bulgarian counterpart
Ivan Kostov on Wednesday during his one-day unofficial visit to Greece,
government spokesman Dimitris Reppas said today, announcing the premier's
work schedule for the next few days. On Thursday, Simitis will examine the
Cyprus problem at a high-level meeting with Cyprus President Glafcos
Clerides and a Cyprus government delegation. Also participating will be a
Greek foreign ministry delegation.
Two arrested for transporting illegal immigrants
Police in Komotini, northern Greece, said today they had arrested two men
attempting to transport six illegal immigrants from the Greek-Turkish
border to Athens. Mousa Endris, 45, an Israeli citizen, and Pavlos
Fitsialos, 52, both residents of Athens, were caught trying to bring four
Syrian and two Iraqi nationals from the border region of Evros in two cars
rented from a local agency. The six illegal immigrants will be brought
before a public prosecutor in Rodopi.
28 dead in weekend road toll
The public order ministry said Monday that 28 people were killed and 315
injured in a total 236 traffic accidents throughout the country between
Friday afternoon and early today. It said most of the accidents occurred on
the rural road networks.
Ionian Bank bids to be revealed today
Sealed bids for the purchase of a 51 per cent stake of state-controlled
Ionian Bank are scheduled to be opened today, with the two main bidders
expected to be Alpha Credit Bank and the Latsis group. With the possibility
of a third, probably foreign bidder, the two Greece-based banking
institutions have not released any details regarding the amount they are
willing to pay for Ionian's control.
WEATHER
Mostly sunny weather today with scattered cloud in the northeast towards
evening. Winds northerly, light to moderate, turning stronger in the north
Aegean in the evening. Temperatures in Athens will range between 20C and
36C; and in Thessaloniki between 20C and 33C.
FOREIGN EXCHANGE
Weekend rates (buying) U.S. dollar 300.090
British pound 490.782 Japanese yen (100) 208.518
French franc 49.880 German mark 167.182
Italian lira (100) 16.955 Irish Punt 419.616
Belgian franc 8.110 Finnish mark 55.016
Dutch guilder 148.294 Danish kr. 43.916
Austrian sch. 23.773 Spanish peseta 1.971
Swedish kr. 36.825 Norwegian kr. 39.011
Swiss franc 200.042 Port. Escudo 1.633
Aus. dollar 175.113 Can. dollar 195.821
Cyprus pound 569.408
(M.P.)
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