Athens News Agency: News in English, 02-01-27

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

CONTENTS

[01] Continually improving competitiveness the key of the new economy,

[02] Rogge on security for Olympic Games

[03] Latest poll shows 'mixed results' for political leaders

[04] Greek FM: EU against Montenegro secession

[05] Greek minister calls on shipowners' support for Parthenon Marbles'

[06] Monday weather - Sunny

[07] PM's article cites importance of 2004 Games for Greece

[08] ND leader focuses on Cyprus' EU accession, Turkish claims

[01] Continually improving competitiveness the key of the new economy, premier says

The economy should increasingly be based on the improvement of competitiveness of the Greek businesses, Prime Minister Costas Simitis said on Saturday, during the inauguration of operations of a steel mill in Volos, central Greece.

Speaking at the inauguration of the Athens Stock Exchange (ASE) Viochalco Group SOVEL plant, Simitis stressed that in the new economic environment businesses are called to plan and build their own independent course, to undertake the dangers and make their choices in full knowledge of all conditions and data.

"This is the new reality, in which the undertaking and expanding of business action, has a fully new content. A content adjusted to the conditions of international competition and of the developed economies to which the Greek economy is part of anymore," Simitis said.

He stressed that this new environment allows the Greek economy to use better than ever the significant funds that the government secured from the European Union, funds which allow for the completion of the modernization effort, with special emphasis place in the country's non-urban areas.

Political leaders of both major Greek parties, banking and business leaders were present at the inauguration.

Sovel, a steel mill and steel products company, was created by Sidenor and Viochalco. The initial investment was that of 150 million euros in a plant with a capacity to produce 600,000 tons of steel semis per year, a rolling mill with a capacity of 530,000 tons per year, a pipe mill of 135,000 tons per year and a unit producing construction steel rods (130,000 tons per year),

The plant employs 500 people and it is ISO 9002 certified.

[02] Rogge on security for Olympic Games

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Jacques Rogge has called on Greek citizens to ?express their view for the future through their culture?, as he states in an interview to be published in the upcoming edition of ?Athens04?, the official magazine of the Athens 2004 organising committee (ATHOC).

Rogge adds that the seminal question is what do the Greek people expect from the 2004 Games.

The Belgian IOC chief also points to security as the IOCs No. 1 priority during the Games, noting that ?we will continue with the same persistence to cooperate with responsible authorities in order to guarantee the greatest possible security both in the near future and in the long term.?

As far as next months winter Games in Salt Lake City are concerned, he said the IOC requested additional security and more funding in certain areas.

Finally, Rogge admitted that no one can guarantee 100 percent security during the holding of the Olympic Games.

His interview was reprinted on the website ?flash.gr?.

[03] Latest poll shows 'mixed results' for political leaders

The latest in a long line of recent opinion polls was published by an Athens daily on Sunday in an attempt to gauge political party leaders and parties popularity.

According to a poll featured in the Sunday edition of ?Eleftherotypia?, Prime Minister Costas Simitis was picked by 33.7 percent of respondents in the category of ?most ideal political leader?. Some 28.7 percent of respondents picked ?no one? in the same category, while main opposition New Democracy (ND) leader Costas Karamanlis was picked by 23.6 percent of respondents.

Conversely, Karamanlis is ahead of Simitis by two percentage points in the category of ?most capable person as the next prime minister?. The ND leader polled 22.4 percent to Simitis 20.5, whereas Athens Mayor Dimitris Avramopoulos garnered 17.5 percent and Foreign Minister George Papandreou 11.1 percent.

As far as the grading of political figures on a scale of one to 10, Papandreou earned a 6.7, ahead of Karamanlis 6.4, Avramopoulos 6.3 and Simitis 6.2.

Another interesting result is an overwhelming response by respondents in favour of coalition governments (64.7 percent).

Finally, 70.3 percent of respondents said they will cast their vote on the basis of personal interests; 14.4 on the basis of ideological principles and 14.7 percent for the ?countrys good?.

The opinion poll was conducted by the firm ?Focus? with a phone sample of 1,201 respondents aged between 16 to 75 years old.

[04] Greek FM: EU against Montenegro secession

Greeces foreign minister reiterated on Sunday that the European Union continues to oppose a possible secession by Montenegro from the Federal Yugoslav Republic.

In comments just prior to attending a trilateral meeting in the northern port city of Thessaloniki between diplomats from Austria, Italy and Greece to examine the situation in southeast Europe, Greek FM George Papandreou said such a development will intensify instability in the region.

?Its not certain that we will have a referendum (in Montenegro). The international community is extremely wary over such a development. The European Unions view, as well as that of the international community, is that new secessions and new states in the region create instability and should be avoided,? he said, adding:

?Greece and the other European Union countries advice the peoples of the region that it is better to work towards a common European vocation -- because we will all be under one roof, while the issue of borders has, in the end, very little importance instead of searching to create new structures, which create more tension??

Ambassadors of the three countries Austria, Italy and Greece -- serving in several Balkan countries will attend the meeting.

[05] Greek minister calls on shipowners' support for Parthenon Marbles' return

LONDON (ANA) - Greece's merchant marine minister on Saturday called on Greek shipowners and shipping industry executives to aid Athens' long-standing crusade for the return of the Parthenon Marbles from the British Museum to the Greek capital.

Minister George Anomeritis said shipowners and others in the sector should work toward the return of the unique Classical-era friezes and sculptures, reiterating that the east Mediterranean country would not ask for the repatriation of any other antiquities now displayed outside Greece.

Finally, he reiterated the Greek culture ministry's offer over a long-term cooperation agreement with London's British Museum.

[06] Monday weather - Sunny

Mostly sunny weather is forecast for Monday throughout Greece. Early morning fog may surface in some areas. North to northwesterly winds, moderate to strong on the seas. Temperatures between 1C to 17C in the north, 5C to 21C in the rest of the mainland and 9C to 18C on the islands.

Sunny in Athens, 8C to 20C. The same for Thessaloniki, 4C to 17C.

[07] PM's article cites importance of 2004 Games for Greece

Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis emphasises the huge significance that the 2004 Games in Athens entail for the entire nation, in an upcoming article set for publication in the ?Athens.04? periodical, the 2004 organising committees (ATHOC) official magazine.

?The Olympic Games have already begun. For our country, the Olympiad is not a matter of a few weeks in the future, during which several competitions will take place. Greece is already at the centre of the international spotlight,? Simitis writes.

The Greek premier adds that the country is already reaping the benefits of the 2004 Games, citing its heightened international prestige, better infrastructure and economic gains.

Reiterating that the 2004 Games are a ?national issue?, he notes that they also constitute a significant opportunity to promote Greece as well as to showcase the need for a policy of peace, friendship and cooperation on an international basis.

Besides the greatest sports event on earth, Simitis said the Olympics are a great opportunity to accelerate development in the east Mediterranean country of around 11 million, citing some 130,000 new jobs as well as a direct impact on GDP every year until 2004, especially in the tourism, construction and industrial sectors.

[08] ND leader focuses on Cyprus' EU accession, Turkish claims

Cyprus' accession to the European Union, Greece's foreign policy and the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, dominated main opposition New Democracy (ND) leader Costas Karamanlis' address at a rally in Drama, NE Greece, on Saturday.

"The upcoming period is especially critical for our national issues," Karamanlis said, adding "the upcoming accession of Cyprus to the European Union forces the Turkish side to change tactics. It (Turkish side) is coming for negotiations on the Cyprus issue, but at the same time it attempts to promote unilateral claims in the Aegean".

"Once again I am stressing clearly, very clearly, that no Turkish effort can stop the accession of the Republic of Cyprus. Turkey is not in a position to acquire a 'veto' on the decisions of the European Union with its intransigence ...," Karamanlis said.

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