Athens News Agency: News in English, 01-03-04

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

CONTENTS

[01] Tanker-Explosion-One Fatality

[02] Afghanistan-Statues-Foreign Ministry

[01] Tanker-Explosion-One Fatality

An oxygen bottle exploded on the tanker "Marianna", belonging to the Vardinoyiannis group, on Sunday, killing a technician and slightly injuring another three workers, while the vessel was located at the Motor Oil company's anchorage at Aghioi Theodoroi.

The dead man was identified as Spyros Petrakakos, 54. The injured workers - Antonis Meraklis, 43, Nikos Panagou, 35 and Christos Demirakos, 31 - were taken to the Corinth hospital for treatment.

According to the Merchant Marine Ministry, the exposion was caused by an oxygen bottle the workers were using for work on the "Marianna", which had been provided with a certificate confirming that it had no dangerous fumes in its hold.

[02] Afghanistan-Statues-Foreign Ministry

The Greek government on Sunday expressed great concern over the continuing destruction of Buddhist-era statues and monuments located in Afghanistan and called on the Taleban government to reconsider its relevant decision, a Greek foreign ministry spokesman said on Sunday.

Spokesman Panos Beglitis also said that due to the fact that many of the aforesaid statues and monuments bear characteristics of the Hellenistic period, said the government "steadfastly bent on the principles and values of culture, is considering the possibility of buying and transporting these statues to Greece."

Beglitis said Athens, together with its European Union partners and the other members of the international community, is watching latest developments in Afghanistan with great concern, following the decision taken by the Talebans' spiritual leader Mulah Omar to have all statues and monuments dating back from the Buddhist period located in Afghanistan to be destroyed.

He said that given that they are priceless relics of the common cultural heritage of mankind and not of Afghanistan alone, the Taleban government is called on to reconsider its decision because "a possible carrying out of the threat to destroy these relics will also irreparably harm the very interests of the Afghan people."

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