Athens News Agency: News in English, 00-12-03

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

CONTENTS

[01] Soccer - Greek National Division

[02] People-Special Needs-National Day

[03] Kostunica-Mount Athos-Visit

[04] Garbage collectors back on strike

[05] Bulgarian president - Balkans - ANA exclusive

[06] German national - 26 illegal immigrants - arrests

[01] Soccer - Greek National Division

Panionios Athens-AEK Athens 2-0, Olympiakos Piraeus-Kalamata 5-2, Iraklis Thessaloniki-Panathinaikos Athens 0-1, Xanthi-PAOK Thessaloniki 0-2, Ethnikos Asteras Athens-OFI Irakleio 1-0, PAS Ioannina-Panachaiki Patras 1-1 and Aris Thessaloniki-Ionikos Piraeus 0-0. Athinaikos Athens and Paniliakos Pirgos will play on Monday.

Standings after nine games played: Olympiakos Piraeus 23 points, Panathinaikos Athens 19, Iraklis Thessaloniki 17, Ethnikos Asteras Athens 17, AEK Athens 16, Xanthi 15, Ionikos Piraeus 15, Aris Thessaloniki 14 and PAOK Thessaloniki 13.

[02] People-Special Needs-National Day

Prime Minister Costas Simitis addressed a message on Sunday, on the occasion of National Day for People with Special Needs, saying "we should contribute to a society of equal opportunities and possibilities and avert phenomena of exclusion and discriminations."

Simitis further warned in his message that "despite considerable steps taken in the direction of equal participation for people with special needs in every manifestation of social and economic life, with the rapid development of technology which provides them with similar possibilities through continuously changing social and economic conditions, phenomena and situations are appearing which lead to exclusion."

In a similar message, Environment, Town Planning and Public Works Minister Costas Laliotis said "the problem of people with special needs has been raised in our country in past years. It is a foregone conclusion that the participation of this big percentage of the country's population in productive and social life should be realised" and referred to Eurostat data according to which citizens faced with cases of invalidism in the country account for 9.3 percent of the total population.

Main opposition New Democracy party leader Costas Karamanlis said "a real modern state is ackowledged, regarding its social mission, when it shows its sensitivity and solidarity on a daily basis and in practice. When it takes care of and protects the weaker groups of its citizens. Today's People with Special Needs Day gives all of us the opportunity to consider our responsibilities and make our self-criticism."

A relevant announcement by the Coalition of the Left and Progress said "for the Coalition, the abolition of every form of discriminations and inequalities between citizens constitutes a fundamental principle of its policy. Particularly in the sensitive sector of people with special needs where, in society and primarily the state, ignorance, prejudices and very often hypocritical and insensitive handling prevail, resulting in the walls of social exclusion being raised even higher."

[03] Kostunica-Mount Athos-Visit

Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica arrived at the semi-autonomous monastic community of Mount Athos, northern Greece, on Sunday on a two-day pilgrimage and said, referring to Greek-Serb relations, "the two peoples will remain united until Doomsday."

Kostunica is accompanied on his visit by Yugoslav Prime Minister Zoran Zijic and a delegation of ministers.

In a brief statement, he said he is pleased to be visiting Mount Athos, terming it the "cradle of the Orthodox faith", while monks welcomed him with the honours of a head of state.

Kostunica and the members of his entourage were due to attend a vigil at the monastery of Hilandariou in the evening, where about 25 monks of Serb origin live. On Monday, he will meet Minister of Macedonia and Thrace George Paschalidis in Thessaloniki, despite the fact he has termed his visit "strictly personal."

Replying to an address from a monk, who said "the steamroller of globalisation is sweeping away all traditions and ideals", Kostunica agreed and said this steamroller acted in a violent way in Kosovo.

Kostunica, who is distinguished for strong adherence to the Orthodox Christian faith, had expressed his desire to visit Mount Athos and the monastery of Hilandariou before the Yugoslav elections. In fact, according to certain circles, he had vowed to make such a pilgrimage in the event he won the presidential elections in his country.

He may also be visiting other monasteries on mounth Athos as well and, returning from Thessaloniki on Monday, he might visit the women's monastery in the town of Ormylio in the Halkidiki prefecture.

Provided the initial programme is observed in Thessaloniki, he will visit the Aghios Dimitrios Cathedral and lay a wreath at the allied military cemetery of Zejdelik.

Kostunica's scheduled official visit to Athens in December is still pending, while the exact date of his visit has not yet been set.

[04] Garbage collectors back on strike

Municipal sanitation workers (trash collectors, dump workers, street sweepers etc) are to resume their strike at the beginning of next week, according to a Sunday announcement by their union POP-OTA.

Claiming that the government had failed to live up to the agreements made during its last meeting with the union, POP-OTA announced that its members would "continue strike action from Monday, December 4."

[05] Bulgarian president - Balkans - ANA exclusive

SOFIA (ANA - M. Borisov) - In an exclusive statement to the ANA on Sunday, Bulgarian President Petar Stoyanov said that he attached great importance to his upcoming visit to Greece since it would give the two sides the opportunity to discuss the dramatic political changes in Yugoslavia.

He let it be understood that this issue would dominate his talks in Athens with President of the Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos and Prime Minister Costas Simitis.

Stoyanov is due to arrive in Athens on Monday for a two-day official visit that ends on Tuesday.

"I attach great importance to my visit to Greece, and not only because it is a friendly and neighbouring country. This is my first official visit to a country in our region following the changes in Belgrade. This new situation not only encourages but demands contacts and dialogue between the stable democracies of southeastern Europe for the future of the region in general," he said.

He added that there was much to discuss during his meetings in Greece, saying that this was "an significant time for both developments in the Balkans and for the future of the European Union (EU) and NATO.

He concluded by saying that frequent contact and constant, meaningful political dialogue between Bulgaria and Greece helped considerably.

[06] German national - 26 illegal immigrants - arrests

A 31-year-old German national arrested while transporting 26 illegal aliens from Greece to Italy is to appear before the public prosecutor on Sunday to hear the charges against him.

According to a Merchant Marine ministry press release, Jorn Jakobs was caught at midday on Saturday in Patra as he was boarding the passenger ferry "Blue Star II" bound for Ancona in Italy.

A search of the camper and trailer he was driving revealed 26 Iraqi Kurds, 22 of which were hidden in a secret compartment in the trailer and covered by cardboard boxes, while three more and one underage boy were hidden in a compartment above the driver's cabin.

None of the illegal immigrants, whom Jakobs had picked up in Rio, Patra earlier on Saturday, had any travel documents.

The German and the 26 Kurds are all being detained at the Patra Central Port Authority.

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