From: tzarros@ccs.carleton.ca (Theodore Zarros) Subject: News (in ENGLISH)- Wed, 7 Dec 1994 (Greek Press Office BBS, Ottawa). Athens News Agency Bulletin, December 7, 1994 --------------------------------------------- * Papoulias tells CSCE of Greek respect for Balkan borders, dialogue and co-operation * Papoulias cautiously optimistic on course of national issues * Premier arrives in Germany * Tsohatzopoulos in Romania * Mass media policy conference begins in Prague * ND executive prepares for Sunday's national conference * Lyssarides: joint Greek-Cyprus defence policy well received by Cypriots * Gov't set to drop charges against former premier Mitsotakis, * PASOK official says * ELA claims responsibility for tax office bomb * Sotirellis named new Justice Ministry Secretary-General * Italian actor Volonte dies suddenly in Florina * Finance Ministry data reveals Greek wage earner declares 2.7 million drachmas * Modern statistics service crucial for policy, Papantoniou says * Papantoniou: banks to follow National's lead in lower interest rates Papoulias tells CSCE of Greek respect for Balkan borders, dialogue and co-operation ----------------------------------------------------------------- Budapest, 07/12/1994 (ANA/D. Dimitrakoudis): Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias told the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE) Budapest summit yesterday that Greece's policy in the Balkans pivoted on respect for territorial integrity and democracy and that Athens would always support dialogue and negotiations as a means to solving problems. "Greek policy in the Balkans is based on respect for the territorial integrity of neighbours, non-intervention in their domestic affairs, support and promotion of the democratisation process in these countries and in this framework Greece always supports a solution to whatever problems through dialogue and negotiations," he told the plenary session of the 53-nation organisation. Mr. Papoulias outlined Greek policy towards Albania, saying Greece supported the country's efforts to overcome its economic woes, develop its economy rapidly and strengthen its democratic institutions. "For this reason, Athens contributed decisively towards the payment of the European Union's first macroeconomic aid instalment. However, good relations do not constitute a one-way street but necessitate absolute respect for human rights by the Albanian government, as well as its compliance with the representations of the (CSCE) High Commissioner for Ethnic Minorities," Mr. Papoulias said. He said Greece expected the Albanian government to react positively and remove obstacles hindering the development of Greek-Albanian relations. Mr. Papoulias hailed the CSCE's mission in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), saying it contributed to close co-operation with the UN force in preventing the conflict in former Yugoslavia from spreading. "Greece considers the attainment of an immediate and general cease-fire in all Bosnia-Herzegovina, including Bihac, necessary and urgent. And it is essential that all sides respond positively to the contact group's proposals and co-operate sincerely with it," Mr. Papoulias said. Mr. Papoulias said Greece strongly believed the CSCE had succeeded in its mission, in co-operation with other organisations and was a particularly effective agency in preventing conflicts and handling crises, adding that, not having exhausted all its potential, it could become even more effective. "Prospects for a more dynamic intervention by the CSCE in the peace mission sector appear to be strengthened. Moreover, with the principle of unanimity, all opportunities to improve the CSCE's contribution to preserving peace should be utilised," Mr. Papoulias added. The CSCE, he said, was a pioneer in the sector of human rights, initiating tougher rules than those of international organisations. No new commitments were required at present but it was very important that there should be control in the implementation of commitments with transparency, sincerity and independent of political expediencies. Mr. Papoulias underlined the important role played by the High Commissioner for Ethnic Minorities, one of the most effective in preventing crises, and that of the Democratic Institutions and Human Rights Bureau. He said Greece offered backing in both cases. "Greece unreservedly supports the wish of certain Mediterranean countries, which are not CSCE members, to have closer co-operation with it," he added. Mr. Papoulias expressed certainty that the Budapest summit would give another impetus to Europe in seeking its new identity, a Europe, he said, "which is called on to face the challenge of peace, a challenge to which Greece was ready to actively respond ". Papoulias cautiously optimistic on course of national issues ------------------------------------------------------------ Budapest, 07/12/1994 (ANA/D. Dimitrakoudis): Speaking to Greek reporters in Budapest yesterday, Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias expressed "reserved optimism" over the course of national issues. Avoiding any reference to a specific date, Mr. Papoulias said he certainly believed the release of the five jailed ethnic Greeks in Albania was not far off. He invoked the positive climate conveyed to him by those who had met Albanian President Sali Berisha in Budapest. The date, he said, might be in the Christmas holidays. Mr. Papoulias denied reports he had held talks with Mr. Berisha, saying they had merely greeted each other. The Athens daily Ta Nea yesterday reported Mr. Berisha in Budapest as saying he planned to free the five in response to Greece's move last month to end objections to a first instalment of a European Union macroeconomic loan of 35 million ECU to Albania. "We are willing to respond to the Greek government's gesture," Mr. Berisha told the paper during a break in the CSCE summit in Budapest. Asked when the five ethnic Greeks would be released, he answered, "Very soon." Referring to the issue of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Mr. Papoulias said both the European Union German Presidency and UN mediator Cyrus Vance were convinced that FYROM President Kiro Gligorov should give a reply and could delay no longer. Mr. Papoulias said Greece had no reason to change its position on relations with Turkey, adding that the view was backed by two important factors. The first of these was the impending death sentence for eight Kurdish deputies in Turkey which would affect the EU summit in Essen, where the issue would probably be raised by the Swedes, Finns or Danes and the German Presidency itself since such a conviction would cause a stir in Germany. The second is revelations by Turkish former Chief of Staff Dogan Gures that Turkey had provided weapons for Bosnian Moslems behind the international community's back "which constitutes a grave violation of all rules." Premier arrives in Germany -------------------------- Essen, 07/12/1994 (ANA/S. Liarellis): Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou arrived in Duesseldorf yesterday to attend the European Union summit on Friday and Saturday. He is accompanied by his wife Dimitra, Health Minister Dimitris Kremastinos and Under-Secretary to the Prime Minister's Office Telemahos Hytiris. A discussion on customs union between the EU and Turkey, if ultimately held, will be of special interest since the German Presidency is of the opinion the issue should be closed by the end of the year. The EU troika (the foreign ministers of Germany, France and Greece) will meet on Friday. Mr. Papandreou will attend a meeting of European Socialist group leaders today and tomorrow for talks on socialist positions in light of the summit. Tsohatzopoulos in Romania ------------------------- Athens, 07/12/1994 (ANA): Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) party Central Committee Secretary Akis Tsohatzopoulos yesterday arrived in Bucharest at the head of a party delegation on a three-day official visit to Romania. Mr. Tsohatzopoulos will meet with Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Vacaroiu today and President Ion Iliescu tomorrow. Mass media policy conference begins in Prague --------------------------------------------- Athens, 07/12/1994 (ANA): The 4th European Ministerial Conference on mass media policy, entitled "Mass Media in a democratic society", begins today in Prague. Press and Mass Media Minister Evangelos Venizelos will represent Greece at the conference, which will be attended by 33 members of the Council of Europe, as well as states interested in becoming members and international organisations. ND executive prepares for Sunday's national conference ------------------------------------------------------ Athens, 07/12/1994 (ANA): The main opposition New Democracy party's Executive Committee conferred yesterday on organisational matters and preparations for the party's national conference, due to begin Sunday. The main speakers at the conference are expected to be party leader Miltiades Evert, deputy leader Ioannis Varvitsiotis, centring on the constitutional revision to be proposed by New Democracy, former premier Constantine Mitsotakis, and parliamentary party secretary Athanassios Kanellopoulos, who will speak on ethical and political modernisation. Lyssarides: joint Greek-Cyprus defence policy well received by Cypriots -------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 07/12/1994 (ANA): The dogma of unified defence between Greece and Cyprus has strengthened the morale of Greek Cypriots at a time when efforts are being made to sensitise international public opinion on the Cyprus issue, Cypriot EDEK Socialist Party leader Vassos Lyssaridis told a gathering celebrating the 80th anniversary of the Union of Crete with Greece in Thessaloniki yesterday. He discounted the possibility that developments in other Greek national issues will influence the Greek government's stand on Cyprus, adding that Greece ought to differentiate its policy regarding national matters, to make its positions better understood. Gov't set to drop charges against former premier Mitsotakis, PASOK official says ----------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 07/12/1994 (ANA): The government is preparing to waive criminal charges against former prime minister Constantine Mitsotakis and two of his former ministers, parliamentary party secretary of the ruling Panhellenic Socialist Movement Dimitris Beis said yesterday. "Special legislation will be initiated after the holidays. The initiative will be tabled by the government," Mr. Beis told a private radio station. "The majority of the socialist deputies are of the opinion that an end must be given to all these pending issues. There are more serious facing the country," he added. Mr. Mitsotakis, prime minister from 1990 to 1993, is scheduled to stand trial before a special supreme court in January. Parliament voted to indict him in June for morally instigating a scheme to have the phones of his political foes tapped between 198 8 and 1991. The former prime minister has also been indicted for allegedly receiving more than 20 million dollars in kick-backs to expedite the sale of the country's biggest cement company, AGET-Heracles, to the Italian Calcestruzzi conglomerate. Mr. Beis' statement sparked strong criticism from several socialist deputies, saying any move by the government to drop the charges would deal a severe blow to the credibility of the ruling party. "Deputies who support such an initiative do not respect themselves and Parliament as an institution," former PASOK minister Eleftherios Veryvakis said. Senior New Democracy party members, including Dora Bakoyianni, former culture minister and daughter of the indicted former premier, reacted sharply to the likelihood of the charges being dropped, insisting that the affair had to be brought before the court. ELA claims responsibility for tax office bomb --------------------------------------------- Athens, 07/12/1994 (ANA): The People's Revolutionary Struggle (ELA) claimed responsibility for an explosion at a tax office in Patission Street at 10 PM last night. The explosion caused extensive material damage but no casualties, as the police had blocked traffic circulation in the area well before the incident, following an anonymous telephone call warning of the explosion. ELA's previous bomb strike was against a police car in the suburb of Perissos in September, in which a police officer was killed and several others were wounded. Sotirellis named new Justice Ministry Secretary-General ------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 07/12/1994 (ANA): Constitutional Law Assistant Professor George Sotirellis of Athens University has been appointed Justice Ministry Secretary-General by a joint decision of Premier Andreas Papandreou and Justice Minister George Kouvelakis. Professor Sotirellis was born in Thasos in 1960. He joined the Athens University Law School in 1988, and in December of that year became head of the Parliament's research department. Italian actor Volonte dies suddenly in Florina ---------------------------------------------- Athens, 07/12/1994 (ANA): The Italian actor Gian Maria Volonte was found dead in his hotel room in the northern Greek city of Florina yesterday, of a heart attack. He was 61. Volonte had arrived in Florina Monday night to take part in filming of Greek director Theodoros Angelopoulos' new film, "The Gaze of Ulysses". His sudden death came as a shock: he dined in the town on Monday night without any sign of illness and was due to tour Florina yesterday with Mr. Angelopoulos to look for suitable locations. Volonte had suffered from cancer for a number of years and had undergone surgery. His wife, Angelica Ippolyto, and his daughter will arrive today in Florina to take his body back to Italy where he will be buried. Born in Milan in 1933, Volonte's early career was dominated by stage and television before he broke into film in 1960. In the 1970s, he had major roles in Elio Petri's films "The Working Class Goes to Heaven" and "An Investigation of a Citizen above Suspicion" which won the 1970 Oscar for best foreign film. More international prominence followed with bad guy roles in Sergio Leone's spaghetti westerns with Clint Eastwood, "A Fistful of Dollars" and "For a few dollars more". More films followed, among them Elio Petri's "Todo Modo", in which he starred as the Italian Christian Democrat chief, Aldo Moro, and Francesco Rosi's mafia movie "Lucky Luciano" in 1973. Francesco Rosi enticed Volonte back to the cinema for "Christ stopped at Eboli" (1982), the actor's first film after a long absence due to ill health, and in 1986, for his screen version of Gabriel Garcia Marquez's book, "Chronicle of a Death Foretold". Upon hearing of Volonte's unexpected death, Culture Minister Thanos Mikroutsikos said: "Gian Maria Volonte's sudden death in our country, while taking part in a new film by Theodoros Angelopoulos, fills me with immense sorrow. Not only was he a miraculous actor but also a fighter, a complete person and an artist. "An honest democrat, he was also present at all his country's recent social struggles. Volonte loved Greece and supported its struggle against the colonels. "Greece mourns because Volonte died here and his death was premature, but feels honoured because he offered another creative role in a Greek film." Finance Ministry data reveals Greek wage earner declares 2.7 million drachmas ----------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 07/12/1994 (ANA): The Greek wage slave earned a tax-declared average of 2.7 million drachmas in 1993, the Finance Ministry revealed yesterday. The ministry revealed figures culled from personal income declared to the Taxation Department for the last financial year. Some 3,238,438 people submitted declarations and declared a total income of 7.48 billion drachmas, an average of 2,313,429. Total personal income tax paid was 376.6 billion drachmas. Wage earners and pensioners contributed the bulk of personal income tax revenue (60.3 per cent), declaring average incomes of 2.7 and 2.2 million drachmas respectively, while self-employed professionals declared an average income of 3.9 million drachmas, compared to 2.5 million in 1992. Traders, industrialists and manufacturers declared an average income of 1.9 million drachmas. Modern statistics service crucial for policy, Papantoniou says ------------------------------------------------------------ Athens, 07/12/1994 (ANA): National Economy Minister Yiannos Papantoniou said yesterday the government was determined to modernise the National Statistics Service of Greece (ESYE), being fully aware that it was impossible to implement its policy without authoritative and timely information. Inaugurating an international conference on "ESYE towards the year 2000" organised by ESYE and Eurostat, Mr. Papantoniou said Community resources had been lost in the past because suitable statistical data on Greece was not available. Outlining the government's efforts in the sector, Mr. Papantoniou said ESYE staff had already been reinforced, adding that in the future the service would be supported even further. "The government's intention is for ESYE to have its own independent building, which is an old but un-accomplished dream, while ESYE will acquire suitable equipment with a special programme valued at 3.5 billion drachmas," Mr. Papantoniou said. Mr. Papantoniou said conclusions drawn from the conference, due to run until December 9, would guide the government in upgrading ESYE. In a written address, Parliament President Apostolos Kaklamanis underlined ESYE's priceless contribution as "a valuable partner in the process for taking political decisions". Addresses were also made by party representatives from New Democracy, Coalition of the Left and Progress and the Communist Party of Greece, as well as by professor Manolis Drettakis. Papantoniou: banks to follow National's lead in lower interest rates ----------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 07/12/1994 (ANA): National Economy Minister Yiannos Papantoniou yesterday forecast a more general reduction in bank interest rates in the near future, following Monday's decision by the National Bank of Greece to slightly decrease its interest rates. In a statement on the sidelines of an international conference on the National Statistics Service (ESYE), Mr. Papantoniou said whatever developments eventuated would be the result of competition between banks. Main opposition New Democracy party deputy Mr. Galenianos, representing his party at the conference, said inflation would not fall to seven per cent in 1995, as the government believed, and as a result its planned incomes policy would be unattainable. He said the 1995 budget would not be adhered to, adding that state title interest rates should fall by about six percentage points.