Athens News Agency: News in English (PM), 99-02-18
NEWS IN ENGLISH
Athens, Greece, 18/02/1999 (ANA)
MAIN HEADLINES
- Three ministers resign over Ocalan affair
- Ocalan should have listened to Greece - Pangalos
- Inquiry into Ocalan's movements
- Opposition calls for PM to step down
- Greek, Slovak ministers meet
- Weightlifter Dimas in US for treatment
- Three arrested in drug haul
- Greek equities recover
- Weather
- Foreign exchange
NEWS IN DETAIL
Three ministers resign over Ocalan affair
Prime minister Costas Simitis today asked for the resignations of three of
his key ministers in the wake of an uproar over the capture of rebel
Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan. Government spokesman Dimitris Reppas said
foreign minister Theodoros Pangalos, public order minister Philippos
Petsalnikos and interior minister Alecos Papadopoulos had tendered their
resignations, which were accepted by the premier. Informed sources told ANA
that Simitis was planning to announce a cabinet reshuffle within the
day.
Ocalan should have listened to Greece - Pangalos
Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos said in an interview today that if
rebel Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan had listened to the Greek government,
he would have been safe today. "I insist on believing that if he had
followed our advice, most probably he would have been safe and unharmed
today," Pangalos said in an interview with the Athens mass-circulation
afternoon daily "Ta Nea" newspaper published today.
Inquiry into Ocalan's movements
An Athens prosecutor said on Thursday he was calling an urgent preliminary
investigation into how Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan entered the
country. First Instance prosecutor Vassilis Piliotas will conduct the
inquiry. He is expected to question Greek citizens who have admitted to
bringing Ocalan to Greece from Russian on their own initiative and without
informing the Greek government. Political figures are not expected to be
called to testify in the inquiry.
Opposition calls for PM to step down
The main opposition New Democracy party said Prime Minister Costas Simitis
should resign over goverment's handling of the Ocalan affair. "Mr. Simitis
is the main person responsible for the country's disgrace and if anybody
has to resign, it is he," ND leader Costas Karamanlis told a meeting of his
party's MPs on Thursday morning. Karamanlis said his party could not
"impose elections" but that it could ensure that ruling party PASOK would
lose the next elections. Earlier, New Democracy MP Dora Bakoyianni said the
prime minister had to stop hiding and "get up and call elections now".
Greek, Slovak ministers meet
Defence Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos had talks on Thursday with Slovakian
Foreign Minister Eduard Kukan on the prospects of Slovakia joining NATO and
the European Union and bilateral issues. Sources said the two sides noted
an identity of views on all issues. The two ministers discussed possibilities
of the two countries cooperating to help resolve the crisis in the strife-
torn Yugoslav province of Kosovo and prospects for further strengthening
bilateral defence cooperation.
Weightlifter Dimas in US for treatment
Greece's two-time Olympic gold medalist weightlifter Pyrrhos Dimas will be
going to the US for treatment of an injury suffered during the world
championships in Finland in November, it was announced today. Dimas leaves
Saturday for New York, where he will be examined by orthopedic surgeon
David Alcek, who specialises in shoulder injuries. The decision was taken
after Dimas complained that his right shoulder still bothered him three
months after the injury.
Three arrested in drug haul
Three Bulgarians were remanded in custody in Komotini, northern Greece on
Thursday after being charged with attempting to sell 6.5 kilos of hashish
to undercover narcotics agents for 2 million drachmas. The three were
identified as Arso Alentarov, 23, Ivo Ivanov, 32 and Stenov Vosnakov, 32.
They were arrested when they met with two narcotics agents at Xiropotamo,
Drama. During questioning by the police, the three Bulgarians said they had
entered Greece illegally at a point near Nevrokopi.
Greek equities recover
News of a cabinet reshuffle hit stock prices on the Athens Stock Exchange
although the market managed to end sharply off the day's lows helped by
bargain-hunting activity. The general index ended 2.08 percent off to 3,
359.22 points, after losing as much as 7.0 percent early in the day
following the Prime Minister's decision for a cabinet reshuffle. Dealers
said domestic institutional investors were buyers while private investors
were sellers. Turnover was a record 174.1 billion drachmas and volume 37,
122,879 shares.
WEATHER
Overcast weather and sporadic showers will prevail in most parts of Greece
today with snowfall in the mountainous regions. A drop in temperatures
expexcted tomorrow. Winds variable, moderate to strong. Partly cloudy in
Athens with temperatures between 7-12C. Same in the morning in Thessaloniki
with temperatures from 3-7C.
FOREIGN EXCHANGE
Thursday's rates (buying) U.S. dollar 283.682
Pound sterling 463.720 Japanese yen (100) 239.469
French franc 48.680 German mark 163.268
Italian lira (100) 16.492 Irish Punt 405.459
Belgian franc 7.916 Luxembourg franc 7.916
Finnish mark 53.707 Dutch guilder 144.903
Danish kr. 42.954 Austrian sch. 23.206
Spanish peseta 1.920 Swedish kr. 35.898
Norwegian kr. 36.766 Swiss franc 199.893
Port. Escudo 1.593 Aus. dollar 179.542
Can. dollar 189.373 Cyprus pound 548.576
euro 319.325
(M.P.)
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