Athens News Agency: News in English, 02-05-26

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

CONTENTS

[01] Athens 2004, national issues & local elections at the focus of PM's

[02] President urges Greeks to remember their history

[03] Main opposition leader says Turkey stepping up threats

[04] IOC welcomes progress towards Athens Olympics

[05] Battle of Crete anniversary celebrated

[06] Pensions bill to parl't by end-June, regardless of consensus

[07] Finmin sees inflation at 3.0 pct by end-2002

[08] Weather Forecast: Mostly fair on Monday

[01] Athens 2004, national issues & local elections at the focus of PM's speech

The positive effects of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games in the economy and the social life of the country was the focus of Prime Minister Costas Simitis' speech in Karpenisi, Western Central Greece, on Sunday.

Simitis who began a two-day tour of Central Greece on Saturday, arrived in Karpenisi after his visit to the nearby village of Korischades, where the first national assembly of Greece's mountain resistance government took place some 58 years ago, during Greece's occupation by the Nazi forces.

In Karpenisi, Simitis inaugurated the town's new modern athletic center and was named an honorary citizen of the municipality.

During his address to local residents, he reassured that Greece would succeed in its effort to organize a perfect Olympiad and criticized all those that a few months ago said that the organizing of the Games would be given to another country due to Greece's inability to organize them.

''Now, no-matter how ill willed or pessimistic a person may be, he can not doubt the progress of the preparations which are apparent,'' Simitis said.

He added that the organizing of the Games would generate 130.000 jobs and would contribute 1.4 per cent to the country's GDP in 2004 alone, noting that the positive effects of organizing the Games was already being marked in the GDP.

The premier also stressed that 95 per cent of Athens 2004 related projects were already underway, while state tenders for the remaining 5 per cent were underway.

[02] President urges Greeks to remember their history

President of the Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos on Sunday warned again neglecting history as he unveiled a memorial to the genocide of Pontian Greeks in Asia Minor early in the last century.

''Greeks must not neglect history, we have not neglected it, but perhaps we are inadequately taught,'' Stephanopoulos told the unveiling ceremony in Alexandria, Imathia.

[03] Main opposition leader says Turkey stepping up threats

The main oppostion New Democracy (ND) party said that Turkey had increased threats against Greece due to a nascent political crisis in the neighbouring country, and due to the fact that Cyprus was within sight of entry into the European Union.

''The prospect of Cyprus' entry into the EU and a political crisis smouldering in Turkey has provoked extremist circles in Ankara into hurling threats and creating tension,'' ND leader Costas Karamanlis said on the island of Kalymnos on Saturday.

Karamanlis also said he wanted to see a viable solution to the Cyprus issue, in line with UN and EU decisions, so that the whole of the island republic could join the 15-nation bloc, benefitting both Greek and Turkish Cypriots.

Greeks were united on national issues, he added.

[04] IOC welcomes progress towards Athens Olympics

The vice president of the Internatinal Olympic Committee, Denis Oswald, on Sunday welcomed a presentation by national organisers of the Athens 2004 games on preparations for the event.

''It was very good, and detailed,'' Oswald told reporters.

The presentation was made by the head of the Athens 2004 organising committee, Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki, at an IOC meeting held in Malaysia.

Daskalaki told the committee that work for the Olympics had moved from the design to the implementation stage. Five construction projects were ahead of schedule, and the Olympic village was on target.

Oswald said that the problem of hospitality during the games was near resolution.

[05] Battle of Crete anniversary celebrated

The 61st anniversary of the Battle of Crete in the Second World War was celebrated in Chania, Crete, on Sunday.

Finance Minister Nikos Christodoulakis, who represented the government at the ceremony, said that the message of the Battle of Crete remained the same, after so many years.

''We can also win battles today, for prosperity, employement and progress,'' Christodoulakis said.

Also on Sunday, National Defence Minister Yiannos Papantoniou addressed an event in Athens to mark the same occasion.

[06] Pensions bill to parl't by end-June, regardless of consensus

Finance Minister Nikos Christodoulakis said on Sunday that a bill to reform the country's ailing social insurance system would be sent to parliament by the end of June, regardless of whether it had the support of employers and workers.

''The social insurance bill will in any case be submitted to parliament by the end of June, even if the social partners do not sign the National Social Insurance Agreement,'' Christodoulakis told NET television in an interview.

At the same time, the minister appeared confident of attaining consensus.

''They (workers and employers groups) were very positive about all aspects of financing for the new social insurance system,'' a news release from NET quoted Christodoulakis as saying.

He added that he was willing to release data from a report on methods of funding that the government had commissioned from a UK consultancy, and which the Association of Greek Industry had requested for study.

[07] Finmin sees inflation at 3.0 pct by end-2002

Finance Minister Nikos Christodoulakis said on Sunday that he saw inflation falling to 3.0 percent by the end of 2002.

''Throughout Europe, there has been some upward pressure on inflation since the beginning of the year, due to adverse weather, a rise in fuel prices and other reasons,'' Christodoulakis told reporters in Crete.

''However, a noticeable deceleration in inflation has begun and I am sure that at the end of the year it will show an approximate 3.0 percent, on average,'' the minister said.

[08] Weather Forecast: Mostly fair on Monday

Mostly fair weather throughout the country on Monday with local cloud during the morning hours in the north and northeast. Winds westerly moderate. In the north, temperatures will range from 13C to 24C; in the west 14C to 27C; and in the rest of the country from 16C to 25C. Mostly sunny in Athens, with temperatures between 15C and 26C. Cloudy early in the day, but fast improvement in the afternoon in Thessaloniki, with temperatures from 15C to 24C.

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