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Thursday, 18 April 2024
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The Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in English, 00-02-18The Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Hellenic Radio (ERA) <ert.ntua.gr/>CONTENTS[01] HOPES FOR AN END TO THE OIL CRISISA slight drop in the international oil prices is giving rise to hopes for an end to the oil crisis. Oil fell 67 cents yesterday, an encouraging development due primarily to the likelihood of Venezuela and Saudi Arabia gradually increasing their oil production. Additionally, the Saudi Arabian Oil Minister has said the ideal price should be set between US$20-25 per barrel.Irak, on the other hand, warned it would drastically cut oil exports unless a breakthrough is achieved with regard to the implementation of the UN programme "Food for Oil". Meanwhile, Federal Reserve Fund chief Allan Grispan has now appeared distressed over the impact of the oil hikes on the international economy, and has left open the possibility of an increase in US interest rates to avoid inflationary pressures resulting from an excessive increase in demand. [02] POLITICAL PARTY LEADERS EMBARK ON ELECTION CAMPAIGNAs the pre-election campaign has now officially begun, Prime Minister Kostas Simitis visited the port city of Piraeus yesterday, and was briefed by local officials on the progress of major projects underway in the region.The leader of the liberal main opposition New Democracy Party, Kostas Karamanlis, visited the quake-striken area of Ano Liosia and was briefed on the situation prevailing after last September's devastating earthquake. Communist Party leader Aleka Papariga visited the Organisation for Combatting Drug Abuse yesterday and discussed the problems being faced in this sector The Coalition of the Left leader, Nikos Konstantopoulos is today starting a three-day tour of Epiros and Xylokastro Democratic Social Movement leader Dimitris Tsovolas, who is on an official visit to Belgrade, said yesterday he was in favour of boosting cooperation between Greece and Yugoslavia. \During his stay in the Yugoslav capital, the Greek official delivered a speech at the fourth congress of the Socialist party of Serbia and had contacts with political and government officials. He denounced the economic sanctions on the country and asked for the immediate lifting of the embargo. [03] EU GIVES THE GREEN LIGHT TO ITS ASSOCIATION WITH THE FYROMIn Strassburg yesterday, the plenum of the European Parliament approved an agreement for the association of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) with the EU, by adopting a recommendation tabled by Austrian socialist eurodeputy Hans Svobonda.Greece's PASOK eurodeputy Yiannis Soudalakis described the agreement as the second positive step for that region of the Balkans after the Stability Pact.@@ Another Eurodeputy, Christos Zacharakis, for the opposition ND party, said that the EU should ask the government in Skopje to show constructive political will in order to contribute to a successful outcome of the UN-led New York talks between Athens and Skopje on the final official title to be given to the FYROM. [04] PATRIARCH VARTHOLOMEOS WELCOMES EU-FYROM ASSOCIATIONSpeaking on EU approval of association with the FYROM, Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos, of Constantinople, said the Church was always an advocate of peaceful coexistence between Greece and the FYROM, and any step toward this direction was happily welcome.The Patriarch was speaking during a visit to the Fanari-based Ecumenical Patriarchate by Athens mayor Dimitris Avramopoulos, deputy mayor Maria Damanaki and a delegation of businessmen, who are in Constantinople to attend an International Tourist and Travel Show in the Eastern Mediterranean. The Athens mayor thanked Patriarch Vartholomeos for his support to Greek initiatives. Cyprus government protests over airspace violations The government of the Cyprus Republic has lodged a protest with the United Nations over a number of violations by Turkish jet fighters of its national airspace and FIR, on which took place on January 6, 17, 18, and 26. A protest letter to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan by Sotos Zakchaios, Cyprus' Permanent Representative at the UN, was circulated as a document of the General Assembly and the Security Council. [05] GREEK FM UNDERLINES FAVOURABLE CLIMATE IN GREECE-TURKEY RELATIONSAddressing a scientific conference in Athens yesterday, Foreign Minister George Papandreou pointed to the favourable climate in relations between Athens and Ankara, saying that nine agreements on the so-called 'low policy' issues, singed recently in Ankara and Athens, will be put into effect soon.Other steps to be taken to further Greek-Turkish rapprochement, according to Papandreou, will include: - utilisation of the Yilmaz-Papoulias memorandum; - provision of know-how to Turkey in relation to its European orientation; - enhancement of cooperation at foreign ministries level; and, - bilateral cooperation at regional level. [06] RHODES-ANTALIA CRUISES SOON TO BE REALITYAs part of a new Greek-Turkish tourism cooperation plan, a number of cruises are to be organised between the Greek island of Rhodes and the southern Turkey coastal town of Antalia, according to Turkish officials quoted by the Anadolu news agency.The same sources said tourism official from both countries are preparing to embark on the plan after an agreement on free movement is signed. [07] GREECE PREPARES FOR ITS FIRST EURO STATE BONDThe Greek state is to issue a new bond in euro in the next few days, designed to become a reference bond in international markets.The amount of the issue will reach 2 billion euro, while the new bond is envisaged to integrate in January 2001 with the drachma 10-year bond, which is to hit the market in spring this year. In the meantime, on the Athens Stock Exchange, the general share price index fell 1.98 per cent yesterday, closing the day at 5,222 points. [08] OLYMPIC AIRWAYS RETHINKING OVER FLIGHT CUTA joint committee comprising Olympic Airways (OA) employees and the company's staff responsible for commercial relations has been set up to examine the financial data concerning OA's flights between Athens and Melbourne.The national air carrier's management had recently stirred Melbourne's Greek-Australian community after it announced it was cutting the schedule at the end of March. In the light of new developments, no decision will be made on suspending the itinerary prior to the end of the committee's work by the end of this week. The Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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