Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 96-11-11

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From: The Greek Press & Information Office, Ottawa Canada <grnewsca@sympatico.ca>

ATHENS NEWS AGENCY BULLETIN (No. 1037), November 11, 1996

Greek Press & Information Office
Ottawa, Canada
E-Mail Address: grnewsca@sympatico.ca

CONTENTS

[01] ASE open for business as usual today as clean-up operation begins

[02] Pangalos: NATO must establish procedures for disputes between members

[03] Bertolucci in Thessaloniki for the International Film Festival

[04] Venizelos adamant that Thessaloniki will continue to host the international film festival

[05] Crucial decisions on ND party congress to be taken this week

[06] Euro-Mediterranean Group accepts Kaklamanis proposal for expanded Mediterranean parliaments meeting

[07] Central European body to intensify contacts with Greece

[08] Leros police arrest 55 Iraqi illegal immigrants

[09] Ministry cars targeted by terrorist group

[10] Two crew members flee coast-guard inspection

[11] Avramopoulos proposal offers compromise to local Gov't funding dispute

[12] Environment organizations coordinate efforts

[13] Vartholomeos moved by his Adelaide welcome

[01] ASE open for business as usual today as clean-up operation begins

Athens, 11/11/1996 (ANA)

Meetings had been held over the weekend between the Union of Stock Exchange Members (SMEXA) with the national economy ministry after the situation that arose Friday when Delta Brokerage S.A. was unable to cover cash obligations to the Titles Depository.

Proceedings have been initiated against Delta representatives after an urgent preliminary investigation.

Mr. Fotiadis stressed that the Athens Stock Exchange would be open for business as usual on Monday and called for a strict inspection of all brokerage companies.

He added that Delta had not been the only company guilty of failing to meet its obligations and which had had to be bailed out.

In future, he said, any company that broke the rules would be forced to discontinue transactions and would be fined 50 million drachmas.

According to reports on Saturday, the Titles Depository has agreed to guarantee transactions and will cover Delta's debt, estimated at almost three billion drachmas.

Meanwhile, it was also reported that the brokers have no objection to having part of the debt covered by the joint-surety fund (1.2 billion drachmas), on the condition that transactions be covered by a legislative amendment prohibiting cash being transferred to brokerage firms owing titles.

Meanwhile, main opposition New Democracy party leader Miltiades Evert yesterday called for a judicial inquiry into the situation at the ASE, since its credibility was at risk.

As long as the ASE's indicator remained low and investors had no confidence in its proper functioning, the ASE would not be able to take its proper place in contributing to the country's growth, he said.

[02] Pangalos: NATO must establish procedures for disputes between members

Athens, 11/11/1996 (ANA)

Mr. Pangalos was speaking in Patras yesterday in response to a question regarding a letter he sent recently to NATO Secretary-General Javier Solana.

Now that the alliance was expanding and changing direction, he explained, Greece should demand such a procedure.

He drew attention to the fact that past governments (under Constantine Karamanlis, George Rallis and Andreas Papandreou) had maintained that it was not possible for NATO to concern itself with the problems of the world and to be indifferent to its own m ember states' problems.

Mr. Pangalos also accused main opposition New Democracy party leader Miltiades Evert of "igno-rance and bad faith" in statements he had made on the issue both before and after last September's elections.

Meanwhile, with regard to a possible initiative by the United States on the Cyprus issue, the minister said he felt this was unlikely before January, given that the composition of the new administration in Washington had not yet been finalized.

However, he drew attention to campaign promises made by US President Bill Clinton on the issue, characterizing the problem as an international one, as well as the implementation of United Nations resolutions.

Mr. Pangalos is to visit the United States in late January or early February, accompanied by Alternate Foreign Minister George Papandreou, responsible for expatriate Greek affairs.

[03] Bertolucci in Thessaloniki for the International Film Festival

Athens, 11/11/1996 (ANA)

Mr. Bertolucci, who is a guest of honor at the 37th Thessaloniki International Film Festival, which will screen a retrospective of his films, spoke of his long experience in the film world.

Mr. Bertolucci spoke of almost all his films, but selected the film "1900" which he said is something like a study of the civilizations of the earth.

Referring to Greek film producers, he said he only knows Theodoros Angelopoulos and Costas Ferris, by chance, when in 1984 his friend Melina Mercouri "abducted" him and brought him to the festival where he saw his film "Rembetiko."

[04] Venizelos adamant that Thessaloniki will continue to host the international film festival

Athens, 11/11/1996 (ANA)

The Thessaloniki Film Festival will remain in Thessaloniki, he said, and its Greek department will remain a competition. The festival's awards will be given to new film directors, while established film directors will also participate in the festival with their films.

Mr. Venizelos also announced his ministry's will to both maintain and extend the festival's regional events to Macedonia and Thrace (the festival's film showing are continuing in Florina and Kilkis for a second year, while Kastoria has also been include d in the 'network' this year).

[05] Crucial decisions on ND party congress to be taken this week

Athens, 11/11/1996 (ANA)

In an interview with the "Kyriakatiki Eleftherotypia" newspaper, Mr. Varvitsiotis said that ND leader Miltiades Evert and his main contender George Souflias have a different conception of increasing the number of delegates to the conference and explained that criteria for widening the electoral base will be objective and fair.

"My responsibility is grave and I believe that all will consider the crucial nature of the situation and will accept my proposal," he said.

Meanwhile, statements by party cadres disputing decisions taken by the Political Council and the party's charter have met with reaction by Mr. Evert.

The Political Council will hold a special session at noon tomorrow. An announcement issued by the party said "the situation created by the attitude of certain deputies who question, either directly or indirectly and in fact publicly, both the recent decision taken by the Political Council on holding the congress and clauses contained in the party's charter will be examined during this meeting."

The announcement said the Political Council meeting was considered necessary because the attitude of these deputies "deals a blow at the unity and effectiveness of ND as a main opposition party at a time when problems faced by the Greek people have take n on explosive dimensions".

In recent days ND Deputies Petros Tatoulis and Dora Bakoyianni have directly or indirectly requested that Mr. Evert should be replaced as party leader.

In another development, Mr. Souflias stressed the view that there are no dissenters in ND, shortly before returning to Athens yesterday afternoon after visiting the Pieria prefecture, replying to an interview ND Deputy Yiannis Kefaloyiannis gave to Kyriakatiki Eleftherotypia newspaper.

"There are no dissenters. There are deputies who express their views. We should not speak of expulsions. Everyone has the right to express his view with the sole difference being that views can be expressed with arguments, without adjectival terms and i n a simple way which can help the party," Mr. Souflias said.

Replying to questions put to him by journalists at Macedonia airport on the interview given by Ms Bakoyianni, Mr. Souflias said he had not read newspapers and would not comment on statements by ND cadres.

Asked to comment on Mr. Evert, he said he did not want to repeat the same things on whether or not he should resign.

On the question of whether ND should go to the congress with Mr. Evert as its leader, Mr. Souflias said "what is necessary is that the congress should be fair and representative."

[06] Euro-Mediterranean Group accepts Kaklamanis proposal for expanded Mediterranean parliaments meeting

Athens, 11/11/1996 (ANA)

Apart from the five members of the Euro-Mediterranean group, invitations will be extended to Parliament Speakers of the remaining 12 countries around the Mediterranean, the European Parliament, an observer from the European Commission and the President of the Maghreb (association of nations on the north African coast).

The theme of the Athens meeting will be the balance between the European Union's North and South, the contribution of European Parliaments to the construction of the European edifice, as well as Mediterranean co-operation in promoting peace, stability, democratic institutions and human rights.

In his address to the Palermo meeting, Mr. Kaklamanis emphasized the need for renewed interest in the region following the radical changes in eastern Europe, the review of the European Union charter, as well as the expansion of the EU within the frame work of the Intergovernmental Conference.

The idea of Mediterranean co-operation began at the EU summit on Corfu in 1994 and was further developed with the signing of the Barcelona Declaration in November 1995.

[07] Central European body to intensify contacts with Greece

Vienna, 11/11/1996 (ANA/D. Dimitrakoudis)

Mr. Vranitzky was speaking at the end of the KEP's two-day summit in Graz, Austria, attended by 13 prime ministers and foreign ministers of member-states. KEP is a co-operation forum between the 16 countries of central and eastern Europe.

The KEP also wants closer ties with the OSCE, the Council of Europe, the Black Sea Co-operation Council and individual countries such as Russia and Turkey. Mr. Vranitzky said that in the framework of the new European security architecture, the KEP must contribute to security and stability in the region of central and eastern Europe.

He said the KEP constitutes a "platform" for European integration between the European Union and the countries still lacking an association agreement with it. Out of the KEP's 16 member-states, only Austria and Italy are members of the EU, while out of the remaining 14, seven have an association agreement and the other seven do not.

[08] Leros police arrest 55 Iraqi illegal immigrants

Athens, 11/11/1996 (ANA)

They told coast-guard officers that they had each paid the two Turks $2,500, with the exception of children under the age of six, to transport them from Izmir to Farmakonisi.

The illegal immigrants were handed over to the Leros police department from where they will be sent to appear before the public prosecutor on Kos.

[09] Ministry cars targeted by terrorist group

Athens, 11/11/1996 (ANA)

An unidentified caller telephoned the Skai radio and TV network afterwards, claiming responsibility for the blasts on behalf of the "Struggle against Authority" terrorist organization.

Police said the explosive devices were gas canisters which caused damage to both cars and to a privately-owned car parked nearby.

[10] Two crew members flee coast-guard inspection

Athens, 11/11/1996 (ANA)

The 9.5 meter "Antares", which according to initial reports belongs to Andrei Tortsilov, a ship's master from Rostov, was spotted by the coast-guard vessel early on Saturday morning near the Peace and Friendship Stadium not far from Piraeus central harbor.

Considering the yacht to be suspicious, the coast-guard vessel ordered the yacht to follow it into Piraeus harbor for an inspection.

As the yacht approached the jetty of the harbor, its two crew members jumped off onto a moored vessel, climbed onto the jetty and ran off.

Coast-guard officers who later searched the vessel found 2,230 cartons of cigarettes on board.

The Antares has been impounded and the Piraeus Coast-guard Authority is conducting an investigation.

[11] Avramopoulos proposal offers compromise to local Gov't funding dispute

Athens, 11/11/1996 (ANA)

Mr. Avramopoulos, president of the central union of communities and municipalities (KEDKE), suggested that local government organizations contribute 10 billion drachmas to the national effort for economic convergence, in lieu of the 25 per cent cut pro posed by Interior Minister Alekos Papadopoulos to the 50 per cent of income from vehicle circulation fees usually paid to municipalities and communities.

Interior Under-secretary Lambros Papadimas, representing the government at the meeting, agreed in principle with the proposal, which he is to refer to the responsible ministries for discussion over the next few days.

In a resolution passed at the end of the meeting, KEDKE gave the interior ministry until Wednesday to respond to its demands or it will begin protest action beginning with the closure of the country's local government offices.

If there has been no commitment on the part of the government by Tuesday afternoon's meeting of Attica's local government organizations, the latter will close all their offices for three days.

Mr. Avramopoulos emphasized the magnitude of the problem, which he said was not one of simple accounting, but was a political and moral issue since it could lead to further funding cuts.

Mayors supported by the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) walked out of the KEDKE conference, accusing Mr. Avramopoulos of "plotting" and trying to turn local government into a vehicle for the government to increase taxes on the people.

Main opposition New Democracy party representative Prokopis Pavlopoulos said it was the fundamental political responsibility of the prime minister and the national economy and finance minister to accept KEDKE's demands and to meet with its representatives at once to discuss those demands in a positive spirit.

It was also the government's duty, he added, to avoid any attempt to put the onus on local government to shoulder the heavy tax burden it had imposed.

[12] Environment organizations coordinate efforts

Athens, 11/11/1996 (ANA)

The committee will create working groups in accordance with issues arising at times and will coordinate their activities.

This development is in contrast to the conference's target, which was the creation of local and regional environmental organizations in accordance with the charter's clauses.

The proposal was supported by a few but insistent delegates who stressed the need for better organization to enable ecological groups to be in a position to be heard and exert pressures. However, the overwhelming majority of delegates expressed the view that it would be better for them to be linked to each other in the form of a loose network.

[13] Vartholomeos moved by his Adelaide welcome

Melbourne, 11/11/1996 (ANA/S. Hatzimanolis)

The Ecumenical Patriarch will complete his visit to Adelaide tomorrow, his second stop in his tour of Australia, and will leave for Canberra where he will meet Australian Prime Minister John Howard and Governor General Sir William Dean.

Meanwhile, Archbishop of Australia Stylianos said that he and the Patriarch are not in the least concerned by rallies organized by expatriates in Melbourne and Sydney calling for "an end to division."

"We are living in a time and a country of absolute freedom. They (the protesters) are free to act and express themselves as they wish. The rally is being held by a few who will never become the measure of the Church's life. It is a wretched marginal group," he said.

On their part, the bodies organizing the rally in Melbourne said they expect up to 70,000 people "who will shout yes to reconciliation and no to division."

End of English language section.

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