Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 97-03-20
From: The Greek Press & Information Office, Ottawa Canada <grnewsca@sympatico.ca>
ATHENS NEWS AGENCY BULLETIN (No 1143), March 20, 1997
Greek Press & Information Office
Ottawa, Canada
E-Mail Address: grnewsca@sympatico.ca
CONTENTS
[01] Pangalos lightning visit to Skopje, Belgrade
[02] Talks with Milosevic, Milutinovic
[03] Gligorov cites common views of Athens, Skopje on regional goals
[04] Athens statements
[05] Opposition
[06] Kranidiotis ends two-day mission to southern Albania
[07] Education, cultural co-operation renewed
[08] Internal ND maneuvers continue prior to crucial congress
[09] Mitsotakis favors Souflias
[10] Meeting on IGC at foreign ministry
[11] Gov't welcomes German concerns about Pangalos' health
[12] Ukrainian parliamentary delegation in Thessaloniki
[13] Teachers protest... again
[14] Secretary General resigns
[15] Gov't making efforts to boost competitiveness in shipping
[16] V. Papandreou reiterates Gov't intent to privatize ailing state
enterprises
[17] OAED reports slight increase in registered unemployment figure
[18] OTE adopts new pager system
[19] EU official says absorption rates satisfactory
[20] Another shipyard death
[21] Gas explosion kills one man in Rentis produce market
[22] Clarification to our readers
[01] Pangalos lightning visit to Skopje, Belgrade
Skopje, 20/03/1997 (ANA - M. Vihou)
Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos yesterday paid a short
official visit to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
(FYROM), where he held four hours of talks with FYROM's top
political leadership before departing for high-level talks in
Belgrade.
The foreign minister's trip to Skopje and Belgrade was part of
Athens' initiative to promote peace, stability and development
in the region, in light of the recent political crisis in
Albania.
Mr. Pangalos' visit was the first ever to FYROM by a Greek
minister, since the landlocked state declared its independence
in 1991. Greece objects to the use of the name "Macedonia" by
the neighboring country, an issue which is the subject of
ongoing UN -mediated negotiations between the two nations.
In Skopje, Mr. Pangalos met FYROM President Kiro Gligorov, Prime
Minister Branco Crvenkovski, Foreign Minister Ljubomir Frckovski
and the ministers of defense and the interior. Mr. Pangalos told
a press conference afterwards that "the situation in the region
made it necessary for the Greek government to have direct
consultations" with FYROM.
The two governments are cooperating for peace and stability in
the region, he said, adding that such types of meetings would
continue during the coming weeks between the foreign ministers
of the two countries and possibly the defense ministers.
During the talks, the two sides exchanged views on Europe's
enlargement in the Balkans, while Mr. Pangalos briefed the FYROM
leadership on a proposal being worked on by Athens providing for
economic assistance from the European Union and international
economic organizations to the Balkans, without which, he noted,
it would be difficult to make the transition to a market economy.
This proposal, Mr. Pangalos went on, will be discussed in
Thessaloniki on June 9 at the meeting of Balkan foreign
ministers, in order to put the final touches to it for
presentation to the international community, the EU, the United
States and international economic organizations.
Asked by the ANA if there was a danger of the Albanian crisis
spreading to the areas of Kosovo and FYROM, Mr. Pangalos replied
that there was an immediate danger of a broader crisis.
"A simpler phenomenon is the mass immigration (of Albanians) to
neighboring countries, without, of course, ruling out even worse
developments. Which is why we must be ready for the worst, while
working for the best," Mr. Pangalos said. On the issue of
FYROM's name, Mr. Pangalos said both countries aimed at finding
a solution.
"Both countries are determined to look to the future. We express
the majority of our respective peoples and we shall overcome the
voices which want to lead us backwards," Mr. Pangalos said.
Earlier, in Athens, government spokesman Dimitris Reppas linked
the visits by Mr. Pangalos to Skopje and Belgrade to
developments in Albania, referring in particular to the Albanian
minority in Kosovo and Tetovo.
Mr. Pangalos' visit, he said, is a Greek initiative and
"constitutes Greece's contribution to efforts to avert
destabilization in the Balkans".
Replying to questions, Mr. Reppas said Mr. Pangalos would not be
discussing the FYROM issue with President Gligorov.
"In any case, the (Greece-FYROM) intermediate agreement does not
provide for discussion in this manner and at this level on the
issue of (FYROM's) name," Mr. Reppas said, noting that there was
no movement on the name issue and that FYROM must display good
will.
If the name issue is raised by Skopje, Mr. Reppas added, "Mr.
Pangalos will reply on the basis of Greece's known positions".
[02] Talks with Milosevic, Milutinovic
Belgrade, (ANA - M. Mouratidis)
The Greek foreign minister later flew to Belgrade for talks with
Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic and Foreign Minister Milan
Milutinovic, which ended late in the afternoon and focused on
the Albanian crisis as well as on ways of dealing with the
crisis.
Mr. Pangalos stated afterwards that there was agreement on three
points: To seek promotion of security and political stability
through the restoration of democratic procedures in Albania;
that there should be strict policing of borders to avert
side-effects from the crisis -- such as smuggling, arms and
drugs running -- and that there should be co-operation between
the two countries' ministries of defense and public order.
He also reported it was agreed there should be frequent contacts
among Greece, Yugoslavia and FYROM, with a view to formulating a
common position at the meeting of Balkan foreign ministers in
Thessaloniki on June 9, and the need to promote an international
initiative that will help the former communist countries of
eastern Europe in their transition to social cohesion, democracy
and political freedoms. Mr. Pangalos added the spilling over of
the Albanian crisis into the Serbian province of Kosovo and
other areas of Yugoslavia should be averted at any cost.
Regarding his stopover in Skopje, Mr. Pangalos described his
reception as "enthusiastic", and added that the talks focused on
the protection of Greek exports and the sizable Greek private
investment in FYROM, co-operation in the fields of river water
management and crime, as well as the issue of the name for the
former Yugoslav republic.
"The issue of the name is being discussed at the UN, and we
could not substitute for the UN and its procedures. But the
intention to promote the search for a commonly acceptable
solution was strongly expressed at all levels, by the foreign
minister, the prime minister, and by President Gligorov
himself," he said before leaving Belgrade, adding that he would
be briefing the EU on the results of his trip to both capitals.
In a related development, an official announcement issued by Mr.
Milosevic's office said the further development of bilateral
relations and co-operation between the two countries, as well as
current international relations in the region were the main
issues discussed during the meeting.
The announcement stated the two expressed great interest in
furthering bilateral relations and particularly economic
co-operation between Yugoslav and Greek companies.
Speaking on the Albanian crisis, they estimated that both Greece
and Yugoslavia are truly interested in the defusion of tension
in the country.
An announcement from Mr. Milutinovic's office said that the two
foreign ministers positively appraised the results of efforts
being undertaken for resumption of multilateral co-operation and
the economic union of the region's countries.
Speaking on the Albanian issue, the ministers said the crisis is
an internal affair of Albania and must be overcome as soon as
possible through political means and dialogue.
[03] Gligorov cites common views of Athens, Skopje on regional goals
Athens, 20/03/1997 (ANA)
An announcement issued by FYROM President Kiro Gligorov's office
said that "'Macedonia' and Greece have converging views and
common interest for the preservation of peace and stability in
the region," following yesterday's visit by Foreign Minister
Theodoros Pangalos.
The statement also stresses the common desire of both countries
for full development of bilateral relations in all areas.
Mr. Gligorov, the announcement adds, believes that the first
visit by a Greek minister to FYROM is a real turning point for
the future friendly and close relations and the overall
co-operation between the two nations.
[04] Athens statements
Athens, 20/03/1997 (ANA)
Upon arrival at Athens airport, Mr. Pangalos expressed
satisfaction with the "very good climate" in which the
discussions took place in both capitals, and said contacts would
continue in future.
Regarding the issue of the name for FYROM, he said both the
Greek delegation and the hosts in Skopje "avoided naming the
country we were visiting."
Concerning the Albanian crisis, he reported that both Serbia and
FYROM consider the presence of a force that will contribute to
the restoration of order as "desirable", and that following the
discussions, he had formed the view that contrary to what was
widely believed, the insurgency had a discouraging effect on the
nationalist circles both inside and outside these countries.
Mr. Pangalos said that FYROM President Kiro Gligorov extended an
invitation to Prime Minister Costas Simitis to visit his country.
[05] Opposition
Athens, 20/03/1997 (ANA)
The main opposition New Democracy party demanded "substantiated
and convincing explanations" concerning Mr. Pangalos' visit to
FYROM.
"The moment that crucial negotiations are in progress on the
issue of (FYROM's) name at the United Nations, the meeting with
Mr. Gligorov not only upgrades the side of Skopje but at the
same time pre-empts developments which remain unknown to the
Greek people and the political world of the country," the ND
statement read.
[06] Kranidiotis ends two-day mission to southern Albania
Gjirokaster, 20/03/1997 (ANA - S. Sideris)
Foreign Under-secretary Yiannos Kranidiotis ended a two-day
visit to southern Albania, where he met with representatives of
the ethnic Greek minority, local authorities and representatives
of citizen's committees in Gjirokaster.
A scheduled meeting between Mr. Kranidiotis and new Albanian
Prime Minister Bashkim Fino here was canceled due to the latter
's inability to travel to the city.
Meanwhile, Athens yesterday rejected claims by Tirana that it
had not been informed of the Greek under-secretary's visit to
southern Albania, saying that Albanian premier was personally
informed of the visit.
A demarche lodged by the Albanian foreign ministry with the
Greek embassy in Tirana focused on meetings between the
under-secretary and insurgents' representatives in southern
Albania.
The demarche notes that the rebel representatives have no
institutional competency for such meetings and that Mr.
Kranidiotis' visit should not have taken on such a nature.
"The Albanian government had been informed about my visit to
southern Albania, in fact I notified Mr. Fino personally," Mr.
Kranidiotis said, on his return from Gjirokaster to Ioannina,
northern Greece. "Mr. Fino told us we were welcome and
consequently we followed all the formal procedures. In any case,
we went to Albania to bolster what had already been begun by the
national unity government so that the country can proceed to
democratization and unity," Mr. Kranidiotis said.
"It was a visit that helped in giving a fuller picture of the
situation in the south, which we will pass on to the (Greek)
government, to the European Union and to the Albanian
government," he said.
"Any effort must be based on peaceful procedures, following
political agreements which express the widest possible consensus
of political forces in Albania," he said. "Greece's aim is for
Albania to return to normality," Mr. Kranidiotis said,
expressing the hope that Albanian President Sali Berisha's
refusal to give in to the rebels' ultimatum to step down would
not lead to an exacerbation of the situation. In Athens,
government spokesman Dimitris Reppas also underlined that the
Albanian government had been informed of Mr. Kranidiotis' visit.
"(The visit) was necessary for calm and the restoration of
normality which, together with humanitarian aid, is contributing
to the efforts being made by Greece for the restoration of calm
in the region," Mr. Reppas said.
The spokesman added that the Albanian demarche would not affect
the course of Greek-Albanian relations.
Mr. Reppas said the Greek government had responded to the
Albanian demarche underlining that Tirana had been aware of the
visit, which constituted the continuation of initiatives aimed
at ushering in a new period for relations between the two Balkan
neighbors.
He stressed that the cancellation of Mr. Kranidiotis' meeting
with Mr. Fino was in no way connected to the Albanian demarche.
On his part, National Defense Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos
attributed the Albanian government's demarche to a
"misunderstanding," adding that Mr. Kranidiotis has personally
briefed the Albanian prime minister of his visit.
At the same time, Mr. Tsohatzopoulos reiterated Greece's
preparedness to send humanitarian aid in any part of Albania.
"Greece's solidarity is for the entire Albanian people," he
added.
Asked to comment on reports that Italy is planning to send armed
forces to Albania, Mr. Tsohatzopoulos described as
"inconceivable," that there could be "a unilateral initiative
from an EU member-state to intervene in Albania, an independent
and equal member of the United Nations, without the approval of
the Albanian people and of international organizations."
Regarding the possibility of a Greek participation in a
multinational force to Albania, the minister said there was no
such decision, adding that Greece participated in a European
Union committee, currently in Albania, to consider proposals for
the Union's institutional intervention regarding the dispatch of
a police force to Albania.
He added that Greece was closely watching developments in
Albania and was observing with extreme care the terms of
international law and international rules.
"Greece will not take any initiative which will ignore the legal
conditions under which help can be given to Albania," Mr.
Tsohatzopoulos said.
Mr. Tsohatzopoulos said that it became clear in the meeting that
the entire Greek people and the Greek political parties were
interested in "substantially supporting and cooperating with the
entire Albanian people in this difficult time."
Forecasting that developments in Albania will influence the
entire Balkan region, Mr. Tsohatzopoulos reiterated that the
people's rebellion in Albania was the result of the country's
inability to adjust to a free market economy and said Greece
should convince the international organizations to help the
Albanian people.
Focusing on assistance to Albania, the meeting participants
agreed that Greece should provide the greatest humanitarian aid
possible and convince international organizations of the need to
substantially intervene.
Mr. Tsohatzopoulos reiterated that Greece supported a political
solution to Albania's problems and hoped that "our assistance to
the neighboring country will become more effective through our
existing co-operation with the Albanian government."
National Defense Undersecretary Dimitris Apostolakis also
attended the briefing.
President of the committee, Karolos Papoulias, said the meeting
was "fruitful," and "productive."
"The members of the Committee have been informed on the
ministry's intentions as to how we can help the Hellenism of
Albania and the suffering people of the neighboring country," he
added.
[07] Education, cultural co-operation renewed
Belgrade, 20/01/1997 20/03/1997 (ANA - M. Mouratidis)
An plan for educational and cultural co-operation between Greece
and Yugoslavia, within the framework of a 1959 educational
agreement in force until the year 2000, was initialed yesterday.
Under the plan, there will be co-operation between universities
in the two countries, student exchange programs and the
participation in cultural events.
The Greek and Serbian languages will be taught in the two
countries' universities, while history and geography will be
presented in an impartial manner in school textbooks.
[08] Internal ND maneuvers continue prior to crucial congress
Athens, 20/03/1997 (ANA)
The main opposition New Democracy party's three-day congress
will start tomorrow morning, while the staffs of the four
leadership contenders are jockeying for the support of the 3,607
delegates who will gather in Athens to elect the party's new
leader.
Speaking to students affiliated to ND's student group DAP at the
Athens University's law faculty yesterday, George Souflias
appeared certain of victory, adding that on the day after his
victory "victors and vanquished must work together with passion,
courage and valor to ensure that ND turns over a new page and
becomes a democratic party which will be open to society."
Mr. Souflias appeared confident that he can defeat ruling PASOK
party leader Costas Simitis in general elections because, as he
said, Mr. Simitis "is a profound socialist who is unaware of the
essence of problems and lacks the possibility of being
convincing on necessary reforms."
On his part, ND leader Miltiades Evert met former Parliament
president Athanassios Tsaldaris, who declined to reveal who he
will support, but who did not conceal his displeasure over a
statement by former minister Stephanos Manos.
Mr. Manos said earlier in the week that there is a danger of a
split in the party in the event Mr. Evert or Costas Karamanlis
are elected to lead ND.
He also replied by saying "I do not accept lessons in unity from
anyone and primarily from those who hide during crucial moments
for the party and those who want to control the party from the
backstage."
Mr. Evert will hold meetings with delegates at his office today,
while Mr. Karamanlis, who toured Iraklio yesterday, has called a
meeting for all the delegates at a downtown Athens hotel this
evening.
The fourth contender for the party's leadership is ND deputy
Vyron Polydoras.
[09] Mitsotakis favors Souflias
Athens, 20/03/1997 (ANA)
Less than 48 hours before the crucial leadership contest, former
prime minister Constantine Mitsotakis expressed support for
former minister Souflias, as "the only one who can secure unity
and (good) prospects in the party".
"If New Democracy does not elect Mr. Souflias, it will commit
suicide, as no one else can win the next election," he said.
Mr. Mitsotakis criticized Mr. Evert for withdrawing his
resignation tendered after losing the last election, and said
"he failed and abandoned the policy of ND without proposing a
new one, at a time when PASOK has adopted ours".
He said that the other contender, Mr. Karamanlis, a nephew of
the former president of the republic, is unprepared and
inexperienced for the task, although "he has a future".
[10] Meeting on IGC at foreign ministry
Athens, 20/03/1997 (ANA)
A meeting on the question of flexibility in the
Intergovernmental Conference of the European Union was held at
the foreign ministry yesterday.
Guest speaker was Paul Lever, director for European Union and
Economic Affairs at the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
The meeting, organized by the Greek Center for European Studies
(EKEM), centered on flexible ways to complete the first, second
and third phases of the Maastricht Treaty.
Most speakers at the meeting stressed that flexibility, while
unavoidable, should not apply to the single market, but to
sectors such as technology and the environment.
[11] Gov't welcomes German concerns about Pangalos' health
Athens, 20/03/1997 (ANA)
"Mr. Pangalos is in good health as proven by his two visits
today to Skopje and Belgrade," government spokesman Dimitris
Reppas said yesterday, responding to a German foreign ministry
statement.
The statement from Bonn on Tuesday was responding to comments
made by Mr. Pangalos on Monday concerning Germany's foreign
policy.
"The Germans are crazy about the Croats. They love the
Slovenians. They love them because these people collaborated
with them in the Second World War. They also love the Turks, for
similar reasons. It is evident that from the perspective of an
atavistic perception of history, when memories come back, that
they don't love the Greeks," Mr. Pangalos had said.
German foreign ministry official Martin Erdmann replied
yesterday saying:
"We hope that (Pangalos) is well (in health) and we wish him to
continue successfully handling the representation of Greece's
interests in the sector of foreign policy."
Mr. Reppas expressed the government's full support for Mr.
Pangalos, saying the minister was correctly handling the
country's foreign policy issues and effectively promoting Greek
interests.
Replying to questions on relations between Athens and Bonn, Mr.
Reppas said Greece and Germany were working together in the
European Union and it was the common desire of both countries
for there to be good co-operation.
"Our relations cannot be ensnared in such types of reactions,"
he added.
[12] Ukrainian parliamentary delegation in Thessaloniki
Athens, 20/03/1997 (ANA)
A six-member Ukrainian parliamentary delegation, currently on a
visit to Greece, yesterday visited Macedonia-Thrace Minister
Philippos Petsalnikos.
During the meeting, Mr. Petsalnikos stressed that there is a
broad field for economic co-operation between the two countries.
The minister also stressed the role Greece can play as an EU
member in the economic development of Balkan and Black Sea
countries. He added that the Interbalkan Black Sea Business
Center and the Commerce and Black Sea Development Bank, both
based in Thessaloniki, are a stable base for facilitating
development and co-operation.
"Of course, the recent economic and political events which have
occurred in Albania, and the negative economic situation in
Bulgaria, for which the Greek government took important
initiatives, create additional difficulties, but these
commitments do not in any measures mean the deceleration of
co-operation," the minister said.
The head of the Ukrainian delegation, Gennadi Vasiliyev, spoke
of his country's fast rates of organization and development, and
estimated they will have positive results. He added that the
investment climate is improving and that an increase in foreign
investments is expected.
[13] Teachers protest... again
Athens, 20/03/1997 (ANA)
Secondary school teachers yesterday marched through the city
center to the education ministry to protest ministry guidelines
on how schools can make up for lessons lost over the recent
eight-week strike and last week's court ruling that the labor
action was "abusive and illegal".
The strike ended over the weekend, with teachers returning to
classrooms on Monday.
Yesterday's three-hour work stoppage centered on opposition to
plans to extend the school day and put back dates for entrance
examinations. The teachers have made alternative proposals which
involve reducing the amount of material to be examined,
canceling university entrance and leaving school examinations
and for no lessons to be held - as proposed by the ministry - on
weekends or national holidays.
Education Under-secretary Ioannis Anthopoulos received a
delegation of teachers, who handed him a list of their demands.
On Tuesday night, he said that the teachers' proposals were
being considered but within the framework of measures already
announced by Education Minister Gerassimos Arsenis.
The only point on which the ministry and teachers agree is the
date for the beginning of general examinations, June 25.
Protest rallies were also held by local teacher unions in
Thessaloniki.
[14] Secretary General resigns
Athens, 20/03/1997 (ANA)
Development Minister Vasso Papandreou yesterday accepted the
resignation of Secretary-General of the Greek National Tourism
Organization (EOT) Vassilis Kourtessis.
Mr. Kourtessis said he was tendering his resignation for
"personal reasons".
[15] Gov't making efforts to boost competitiveness in shipping
Athens, 20/03/1997 (ANA)
The government is aware of the unemployment problem facing the
seamen sector and the problem of competitiveness facing Greek
vessels, Merchant Marine Minister Stavros Soumakis told a press
conference yesterday.
Mr. Soumakis was speaking on the occasion of the prime
minister's meeting with Greek shipowners' representatives
earlier this week.
According to Mr. Soumakis who attended the meeting, Prime
Minister Costas Simitis proposed trilateral talks aiming to
solve the problems.
The premier proposed dialogue between the Greek Shipowners
Union, the Panhellenic Seamen Federation and the merchant marine
ministry aiming to find solutions to the problems of
competitiveness and unemployment.
Regarding an accident, Saturday, in the shipbuilding yards at
Perama in which one died and seven were injured, Mr. Soumakis
said a meeting of competent ministries will take place next week
to discuss re-engineering of the shipyards.
The minister further announced that electronic reservations
systems on coastal shipping will go into effect on April 1.
[16] V. Papandreou reiterates Gov't intent to privatize ailing state
enterprises
Athens, 20/03/1997 (ANA)
Development Minister Vasso Papandreou yesterday referred to the
planned privatization of a series of loss-making state
enterprises, and the partial privatization of the Public
Petroleum Corp. (DEP).
"The state cannot play the role of businessman. This logic was
tried and failed, with consequences both as regards unemployment
and for viable concerns, which faced unfair competition from
state-backed enterprises," she said in Iraklio, Crete.
She also referred to a planned aggressive policy by DEP, with
the establishment of subsidiaries that will co-operate with
private concerns to create electrical power units, both in
Greece and other Balkan countries.
[17] OAED reports slight increase in registered unemployment figure
Athens, 20/03/1997 (ANA)
Registered unemployment figures appear to be conflicting,
according to reports provided by the monthly labor force
bulletin and the Organization for the Employment of Human
Resources (OAED).
In February 1997, unemployed individuals registered with OAED
totaled 226,273 compared to 221,192 in February 1996. In the
past year there were 5,081 more unemployed. However, the rate of
increase appears to be slowing down between February 1995 and
February 1996 when unemployment increased by 0.91 per cent,
while between February 1996 and the corresponding month this
year the increase was 0.24 per cent.
OAED stated that in February 1997, 13,221 people were dismissed
from their work and 30,994 were hi red, bringing to 2,218,492
individuals employed - compared to 2,207,619 last year. In
OAED's view, this trend means that structural measures taken
against unemployment are beginning to bear fruit.
The labor ministry's leadership had predicted stabilization in
the number of unemployed and a slight decrease at the end of
1997.
[18] OTE adopts new pager system
Athens, 20/03/1997 (ANA)
The Hellenic Telecommunications Organization's (OTE) board of
directors has approved the reorganization of the pager system to
the "HERMES" system, which has possibilities of Europe-wide
coverage, a greater capacity for subscribers and more upgraded
services.
The board also approved minutes from the evaluation committee
concerning offers submitted by candidate partners for the
provision of a mobile telephone service, and decided to form a
committee to negotiate terms of an agreement with the Telenor
company.
[19] EU official says absorption rates satisfactory
Athens, 20/03/1997 (ANA)
The director of the European Union's Cohesion Fund, Jean
Francois Vestrynge, said here yesterday that there was no
problem with the absorption by Greece of allocations from the
fund, although there had been hitches due to delays.
Cohesion Fund disbursements to Greece totaled 440 million ECU in
1996 and 128 million ECU in the first few months of 1997, Mr.
Vestrynge told a press conference at the offices of the European
Commission in Athens.
The delays, he said, have been caused by the failure to prepare
studies, such as in the case of the Evinos River project, or for
reasons pertaining to archaeological concerns, as in the case of
the Spata airport.
Some delays though were due to the bureaucratic inflexibility of
state services, he said.
In general, Mr. Vestrynge expressed satisfaction over the
progress of infrastructure programs to date.
[20] Another shipyard death
Athens, 20/03/1997 (ANA)
A shipyard engineer was killed yesterday morning when part of a
crane broke off and struck Stathis Halazonitis, 64, on the head.
Halazonitis was an engineer on the tugboat "Kronos", which
belongs to Skaramanga Shipyards.
The Elefsina port authority is carrying out an investigation.
The accident follows another tragic incident last weekend in
which a dockyard worker was killed and several others injured in
an explosion while working on a ship docked in Perama.
A statement issued later by the main opposition New Democracy
party described Mr. Soumakis as "an irresponsible observer of
tragedies occurring in the shipping world," accusing him of
"passing responsibility (of the accident) to the coast guard."
[21] Gas explosion kills one man in Rentis produce market
Athens, 20/03/1997 (ANA)
Authorities found the body of an unidentified man in the ruins
of a shop destroyed by a powerful explosion. The explosion was
caused by a gas leak in the Rentis produce market last night.
The gas, called "barnak", is used to mature bananas.
Five injured people taken to Nikaia hospital were identified as
Georgios Astrinos, Dimitris Barbouris, E. Anemodouras, Marinos
Karatzas and Nikos Christakeas, the owner of the shop.
Police believe that one more person might be lying in the shop's
ruins and are conducting a search with the help of sniffer dogs.
[22] Clarification to our readers
Athens, 20/03/1997 (ANA)
The ANA incorrectly reported this week in the "Bulletin" that a
group of 40 expatriate Greek journalists were in Athens at the
invitation of the press ministry. The delegation is actually
being hosted by the Athens Journalists Union (ESHEA).
End of English language section.
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