Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 98-06-13

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

CONTENTS

[01] First day of teacher appointment exams held amid clashes around Greece

[02] Greek leadership readies for next week's Cardiff summit

[03] Paris statement on Cyprus

[04] Russia's Sergueiev reiterates that S-300s will be delivered to Cyprus

[05] Premier arrives in London for talks with Blair

[06] Pangalos speaks on BBC programme

[07] FYROM FM in Athens

[08] Greek, Albanian defence ministers to meet

[09] Bosnian Serb President Plavsic in Greece next week

[10] Kaklamanis lauds abolition of Article 19

[11] Parliament committee to focus on drugs, diseases and illegals flowing from Turkey

[12] Greek Parliamentary group meets with US officials

[13] Karamanlis calls Simitis gov't the 'citizen's enemy'

[14] FPA event remembers George Polk

[15] State-run Balkan broadcasters meet in Halkidiki

[16] Annual Helexpo assembly hears bourse listing prospects

[17] Prince Charles to visit later in the year

[18] Economic News

[19] Republic of Peru Square in Zografou

[20] Home News

[21] Government not entirely pleased with UN report

[22] Canadian MP opposes sale of CANDU nuclear reactors to Turkey

[23] House President meets Italian counterpart

[24] European Socialist delegation to visit Cyprus

[01] First day of teacher appointment exams held amid clashes around Greece

Athens, 13/6/1998 (ANA)

Police said a "group of about 80 anarchists" blocked downtown Patission street in Athens with a car and garbage truck and threw firebombs before police managed to turn them away. Police said no incidents occurred with about 500 other protesters.

Minor clashes also took place in the northern Greek town of Kozani, while tension mounted in Thessaloniki and the port city of Patra, where strong police contingents cordoned off examination centres to allow candidates through. In Irakleio, protesters h eckled candidates and threw eggs and bottles at exam supervisors.

On his part, Education Minister Gerasimos Arsenis later announced that he was "very satisfied at the turnout," adding that it reached 59 per cent, "a record, never before reached at any of the ASEP exams." The entire process was supervised by the Suprem e Council for Personnel Recruitment (ASEP).

According to press reports in the evening, there will not be a repeat examination for those who were not allowed by demonstrators to take the exam, rather they will have to wait until next year's examination period.

Preliminary figures released by the ministry indicate that 80 per cent of registered candidates showed up for the exams in Larisa; 75 per cent in Karditsa; 55 per cent in Patras, Agrinio and Ioannina.

A total of 46,440 unappointed teachers registered for the exams, set to continue through Monday.

Protesting teachers and educators' unions oppose the introduction of examinations by the ministry for appointments in public schools, which replaces a waiting list based on graduation seniority.

Participation rates for the exam in Thessaloniki ranged between 40.1 percent and 83.2 percent, the latter at a centre which had not been picketed by protesters.

Protesters at two of the city's centres dispersed shortly after midday, as part of a deal worked out between a public prosecutor and the protesters to release five people arrested in earlier clashes.

They said, however, they would resume their protests again this morning.

Representatives of the city's unemployed teachers association charged that police had used rubber bullets against the protesters, a charge that was denied by police officials.

In Athens, Labour Minister Miltiades Papaioannou harshly condemned the protests and "the incidents of brute force".

Responding to questions in Parliament by Communist Party of Greece (KKE) deputies, Mr. Papaioannou said nobody had a right to use force to impose their will.

"There is a sacred right to right, but there is also a sacred right to work... The vast majority of teachers want to sit the exams and are being obstructed," he said.

Government spokesman Dimitris Reppas later criticised opposition KKE members for participating in or being present at the protests, citing the presence of MP Orestis Kolozov at Thursday's incidents in central Athens and KKE deputy Stratis Korakas at the

Alimos centre.

He also defended the actions of the police, saying they were simply doing their duty and protecting the rights of those wanting to participate in the competition.

Meanwhile, ASEP official Georgios Beis said the organisation would "do its best" to ensure that those who had not been able, through no fault of their own, to sit the exam were not left out in the cold.

Any court ruling on the issue would also be taken into account, he added.

Opposition: On her part, KKE leader Aleka Papariga expressed her support for what she termed the educators' struggle, during a press conference.

Furthermore, she accused the government of "borrowing pre-dictator-ship, right-wing tactics" in dealing with working people.

The KKE leader also accused the government of disinformation, na-mely, that the communist party is behind unappointed teachers' mobilisations.

Coalition of the Left (Synaspismos) leader Nikos Constantopoulos said the recent events in the education sector remind of other times and practices.

He added that the "violent clashes" created a "major political and ethical problem for the government."

Athens News Agency

[02] Greek leadership readies for next week's Cardiff summit

Athens, 13/6/1998 (ANA)

"We want to shape a Europe which will not only include the monetary or fiscal aspect, but a Europe which we can look at as a whole, with new prospects and closer to the citizens and their problems," Mr. Papandreou said.

Mr. Papandreou said Prime Minister Costas Simitis would propose various ways on how Europe should develop.

He added that the EU's relations with Turkey would be a focus of discussion during the leaders' and foreign ministers' meetings, but said there would be no change or watering down of decisions taken on the issue at the Luxembourg summit. Turk ey's negative reaction to the EU's call for improvement in its human rights record, its stance on the Cyprus issue and Greek-Turkish relations as well as economy before it could be considered for membership of the European Union has not helped its cause, Mr. Papandreou said.

He reiterated that Athens was not prepared to lift its veto on funds to Ankara without Turkey making specific moves in turn.

In response to a call from European Commission President Jacques Santer for more powers for the EU's executive branch, Mr. Papandreou said Athens believes that there are other more pressing issues and that this issue is not ripe for discussion and shoul d be postponed to after the Amsterdam treaty is ratified by all 15 national parliaments and brought into effect on Jan. 1, 1999.

Gov't spokesman: On his part, government spokesman Dimitris Reppas said Turkey must accept decisions taken at the Luxembourg summit as well as to utilise the opportunity to approach the European Union.

Mr. Reppas was replying to a question on whether anything was changing in Greek foreign policy. He said nothing was changing towards Turkey.

Athens News Agency

[03] Paris statement on Cyprus

PARIS, 13/6/1998 (AFP/ANA)

"Negotiations with Cyprus started on March 31," Ms Colonna said, before "reminding that accession should be to the benefit of the whole of the island".

Turkish Cypriot leadership refuses accession talks, carried out by the internationally recognised government of Cyprus and has turned down a proposal by Cyprus President Glafcos Clerides for Turkish Cypriot participation in the official Cypriot delegati on at accession talks. Mr. Clerides' proposal was termed "generous" by the EU.

The Turkish Cypriot side and Ankara insist on the recognition of the illegal regime in the occupied territories.

"The French delegation will remind that the course of negotiations and the manner in which they serve the aim of a united island, should be examined," Ms Colonna said.

"We think that the issue of continuing or suspending these negotiations should be examined (in Cardiff)," she concluded.

Agenda: The upcoming Cardiff summit is expected to focus on the major issue of "Agenda 2000" regarding future enlargement, developments in the Balkans P particularly in Kosovo P Germany's demand for a reduction in its contributions to the Community budget.

Sources say that the British presidency will raise with Greece the issue of facilitating the financing of Turkey through a lifting of Athens' veto to the activation of the relevant protocol with Ankara, and will also try to include Turkey's inclusion in a list of prospective members.

Athens News Agency

[04] Russia's Sergueiev reiterates that S-300s will be delivered to Cyprus

BRUSSELS, 13/6/1998 (ANA - P. Pantelis)

The Russian minister provided the assurances to his Greek counterpart Akis Tsohatzopoulos here yesterday on the sidelines of a NATO meeting with former Soviet Union as well as central and eastern European countries.

Mr. Tsohatzopoulos said Mr. Sergueiev told him Moscow will not, under any circumstances, give in to pressure regarding the non-delivery of the S-300 missiles.

He also said his Russian counterpart made it clear that Moscow will fulfill the terms of the agreement and deliver the missiles to Cyprus.

The two men also discussed developments in the Cyrpus question and efforts towards a negotiated settlement.

The Greek defence minister also met with his Bulgarian counterpart Georgy Ananiev and discussed issues related to Balkan security, while they agreed to meet in Thessaloniki to further promote Balkan regional security.

In his meeting with Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) Defence Minister Lazar Kitanovski, Mr. Tsohatzopoulos raised the issue of a multi- national force's base in Skopje.

Finally, Mr. Tsohatzopoulos met with his Albanian counterart Luan Hajdaraga and discussed bilateral relations and the Kosovo crisis as well as the resulting need for an immediate and in-depth cooperation between the two countries.

Athens News Agency

[05] Premier arrives in London for talks with Blair

LONDON, 13/6/1998 (ANA - L. Tsirigotakis)

The talks, scheduled to begin at 9 a.m., will focus on the agenda of next week's Cardiff summit, with particular emphasis on EU enlargement and funds. It is likely that Mr. Simitis will also refer to issues linking specific Greek positions.

Afterwards, the two premiers, accompanied by their spouses, will attend the annual military parade in honour of the British monarch's birthday.

Athens News Agency

[06] Pangalos speaks on BBC programme

LONDON, 13/6/1998 (ANA)

In an interview with BBC Radio and in the framework of the programme "New Europe", he said: "I think that the European Union is protecting Greece in the sense that Europe imposes and necessitates the kind of dialogue which Greece has selected. Namely, r approchement which allows no ground for a show of military power and relations of one country imposing itself on another," he said.

Mr. Pangalos further referred to Greek-Turkish relations, the Cyprus issue and Greek foreign policy. The programme will be broadcast at noon today by the BBC's Greek service programme.

NATO Secretary General Javier Solana and former British foreign secretary Douglas Hurd will also participate in the programme.

In an extract of his interview broadcast yesterday and replying to a question on whether Greece feels protected against Turkey because it is a member of the EU, Mr. Pangalos said: "There is no protection in the sense of a military alliance. The EU is not NATO, and even NATO has a very doubtful approach on problems existing between its members," he noted.

Athens News Agency

[07] FYROM FM in Athens

SKOPJE, 13/6/1998 (ANA - M. Vihou)

Mr. Hatzinski's talks in Athens will focus on political and economic relations between the two neighbouring countries and the current situation in the Balkans, the radio said.

The FYROM FM will also meet with Greek business people.

Athens News Agency

[08] Greek, Albanian defence ministers to meet

Athens, 13/6/1998 (ANA)

High on the agenda of the talks between Akis Tsohatzopoulos and his new Albanian counterpart Luan Hajdaraga will also be the issue of establishing a Balkan rapid deployment force.

Greece has undertaken to help reorganise the Albanian armed forces, and following an agreement with Tirana, a Greek military contingent still remains in the neighbouring country.

Athens News Agency

[09] Bosnian Serb President Plavsic in Greece next week

Athens, 13/6/1998 (ANA)

Ms Plavsic is also expected to meet with new Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Christodoulos.

The Bosnian Serb leader was invited to Greece by the non-governmental organisation "Greek Solidarity Caravan", set up by European Parliament MPs Alekos Alavanos, Paraskevas Avgerinos and Panayiotis Lambrias. The organisation aims at undertaking humani tarian missions to areas of crisis and has been very active in sending economic assistance to orphans of the war in Bosnia.

Athens Nes Agency

[10] Kaklamanis lauds abolition of Article 19

STOCKHOLM, 13/6/1998 (ANA - N. Servetas)

Mr. Kaklamanis, speaking on the sidelines of a Council of Europe assembly of national parliament presidents, said he had informed CoE parliamentary assembly president Leni Fischer of the development.

Mr. Kaklamanis also criticised the "contradictory" stance of the CoE, saying it placed conditions on the admission of new members but not applying those same conditions to existing members.

"It is contradictory if (the Council's parliamentary assembly) sets conditions - as it should - of respect for human rights, democratic practices, respect for the rules of international law for new members but takes no measure in countries which are alr eady members and do not respect these," he said.

Parliament on Thursday approved a proposal to abolish Article 19 of the Constitution's naturalisation code, which stipulated that non-ethnic Greeks could lose their Greek citizenship in the event they leave the country permanently.

Athens News Agency

[11] Parliament committee to focus on drugs, diseases and illegals flowing from Turkey

Athens, 13/6/1998 (ANA)

The committee will focus on issues such as drug smuggling, creation of an anti-drug "shield" in Thrace, the use of illegal immigrants as a factor of destabilisation, psychological warfare against the Greek armed forces and the spreading of animal diseas es from Turkey.

Athens News Agency

[12] Greek Parliamentary group meets with US officials

WASHINGTON, 13/6/1998 (ANA - T. Ellis)

Ruling PASOK deputies Lefteris Veryvakis and Stelios Papathemelis as well as main opposition New Democracy (ND) deputy Vassilis Magginas met here with US Sen. Paul Sarbanes, US Assistant Secretary of State Marc Grossman and US State Department special c oordinator for Cyprus Thomas Miller, among others.

Mr. Veryvakis stressed to US officials that the balance of power on the Aegean must not change in favour of Ankara.

Athens News Agency

[13] Karamanlis calls Simitis gov't the 'citizen's enemy'

Athens, 13/6/1998 (ANA)

"One and only examination cannot guarantee all meritocratic elements for the appointment of teachers," he added in reference to the gradual phasing out of the system of appointments based on seniority in graduation, which has sparked widespread protests and violent clashes with police in the last few days.

He referred to scenes reminiscent of a society of the jungle, and said his party was proud for "keeping Greece free when the world was being divided, and for taking the country into Europe".

"Our opponents are the representatives of the old and bankrupt ideas of statism, and of the parasitic and state-fed interests," he charged.

Athens News Agency

[14] FPA event remembers George Polk

Athens, 13/6/1998 (ANA)

"The American media establishment concealed its guilt behind the 'Polk Prize', given as a title of honour to a US journalist every year. The remaining share of guilt belongs to the then governments, in Greece and the United States," he told a Foreign Pr ess Association event in honour of the murdered journalist, held in Athens yesterday.

Polk was assassinated in Thessaloniki under unclarified circumstances.

He noted that at least 30 years elapsed after the murder before a detailed, and yet incomplete report, appeared in a US publication.

Polk's body was found in Thessaloniki's harbour before a planned meeting with the leader of the Communist-led insurgency then fighting government forces.

Grigoris Staktopoulos, a Greek journalist suspected of being a Communist sympathiser, was arrested and convicted of the murder, but was freed many years later on the wave of an outcry against his conviction.

Yesterday's event was attended, among others, by US ambassador Nicholas Burns.

Athens News Agency

[15] State-run Balkan broadcasters meet in Halkidiki

Athens, 13/6/1998 (ANA)

He also mentioned that such networks offer the prospect of further education, while their cooperation can develop into a factor of stability and communication channel between peoples.

Greek Radio and Television organisation (ERT) managing director Panagiotis Panagiotou proposed a series of actions targetting the development of a multi-cultural and equal cooperation of public media in the Balkan countries.

Greek Radio director general Yiannis Tzannetakos proposed the establishment of a system of continuous and daily news flow from other Balkan countries to Greece for use in its foreign language broadcasts (ERA 5).

Finally, the director of Thessaloniki-based Greek Television Channel 3 referred to ongoing special programmes on Balkan issues and Balkan-EU relations.

Athens News Agency

[16] Annual Helexpo assembly hears bourse listing prospects

Athens, 13/6/1998 (ANA)

Representing the company's sole shareholder P the Greek state P which holds the only share, Mr. Alamanos Helexpo profits in 1997 will remain with the organisation as self-financing for its various projects, such as an exhibition centre in Athens.

The organisation's president and managing director Antonis Kourtis read the results of Helexpo's fiscal year from Jan. 1, 1997 until Dec. 31, 1997 to the members of the assembly.

Mr. Kourtis said that the main characteristics of Helexpo's course during the previous year is its satisfactory response to the needs of modernisation, according to law 2414/96.

Athens News Agency

[17] Prince Charles to visit later in the year

LONDON, 13/6/1998 (ANA - L.Tsirigotakis)

He made the announcement while visiting an exhibition titled "Coversation with God" at the Hellenic Centre in London, featuring 25 icon masterpieces from the Byzantine Museum of Greece.

Prince Charles was greeted on arrival by Greek Ambassador in London Vassilis Zafeiropoulos, press attache Nikos Papadakis, cultural attache Vana Solomonidi, and the chairman of the London-based Greek Shipping Cooperation Committee Ioannis Hadjipateras.

His visit will coincide with a "Britain and Greece" Festival being organised by the British Embassy in Athens, with the support of the British Council, from November 21 to December 5. The Festival aims to highlight the partnership which already exists b etween the two countires as well as to strengthen the image of Britain as a modern and innovative country playing a leading role in the European Union, British Ambassador in Athens Sir Michael Llewellyn Smith said recently.

The Festival will include a wide-ranging programme of cultural and commercial events, including concerts by the Orchestra of the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields conducted by Sir Neville Marriner, the "12 for 2000" Design Exhibition, a British Film W eek, performances by the Yolande Snaith Contemporary Dance troupe, and a commercial exhibition titled "Partners in Trade" focusing on Travel and Tourism, Information Technology, Design and the Olympics.

Prince Charles also accepted last year an invitation from visiting Athens Mayor Dimitris Avramopoulos to take part in an international forum this year in Athens on preservation of the city's historical character being organised by the Municipality of Athens.

Prince Charles has an avid interest in the architecture and town-planning of historical cities.

Athens News Agency

[18] Economic News

Athens, 13/6/1998 (ANA)

FTSE International and the Athens Stock Exchange will host a two-day conference in Athens on Greece's new financial markets.

The June 17-18 conference, which is organised by Delos Communications, will look at Greek economic growth and the role of financial markets, the impact of European economic and monetary union, financial prospects, and new markets and their development i n the Balkans and eastern Europe.

As a united Europe makes its debut on the international financial scene, events in Greece have become part of key changes in the European Union, eastern Europe and world markets.

The conference will evaluate new prospects in the Greek economy overall and Greek financial markets in particular, a spokesman for Delos Communications, told the Athens News Agency yesterday.

FTSE International and the Athens Stock Exchange devised and launched a new real-time index for the bourse in September 1997 aimed at attracting more international investors into the Greek market.

Running parallel to the bourse's existing general share index, the FTSE/ASE 20 index comprises 20 key stocks, which are mostly banking and industrial blue chips.

The index is designed to support the planned introduction of derivatives trading.

Among topics to be debated at the conference are services, products and trends to emerge from the final phase of economic and monetary union, and the 2004 Olympics in Athens.

Speakers at the conference to be held at the Grande Bretagne Hotel include:

• New Athens bourse chairman, Spyros Kouniakis
• Bank of Greece governor Lucas Papademos
• Financial Times European Editor Wolfgang Munchau
• National Economy Undersecretary Nikos Christodoulakis
• Capital Markets Commission Chairman Sotiris Thomadakis
• FTSE International Managing Director Mark Makepeace
• Merrill Lynch International Managing Director of Investment Banking and Capital Markets Paul Raphael
• European Investment Bank Vice-Chairman Panayotis Gennimatas
• Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation Managing Director George Chrisolouris
• Intracom Group Chairman Socrates Kokkalis
• Aget Heracles General Cement Managing Director Massimo Guidici
• Bucharest Stock Exchange Vice-Chairman Pana Viorel
• Egyptian capital markets authority Add El Hamid Ibrahim
• Association of Institutional Investors Chairman Alexios Pilavios.

Greek stocks again slump in edgy trade: Greek equities ended sharply lower yesterday extending their decline for the third consecutive session on the Athens Stock Exchange.

Traders said the market was nervous because of renewed turmoil in Asian markets and a resulting flight-to-quality shift in international markets with investors seeking safety in bond markets.

In addition, a worsening labour dispute between the government and teachers hit sentiment adversely.

The general index ended 2.31 percent down at 2,428.24 points, to show a 5.25 percent loss in the week. Sector indices ended lower. Banks dropped 3.48 percent, Insurance fell 1.18 percent, Investment was 2.65 percent off, Leasing dropped 2.71 percent,

Industrials eased 0.42 percent, Construction was 3.40 percent down, Miscellaneous fell 3.02 percent and Holding dropped 2.68 percent.

The parallel market index for small cap companies fell 3.26 percent.

Trading was light to moderate with turnover at 46.9 billion drachmas.

Broadly, decliners led advancers by 193 to 46 with another 13 issues unchanged.

Intracom, Intrasoft, Metka, Mesohorities, Delta Inform, Etma, Chipita and Athens Bank scored the biggest percentage gains.

Pouliades, Sysware, ETBA Leasing, Teletypos, Boutaris, Loulis, Altke, Barba Stathis, Ergas and Eskimo suffered the heaviest losses.

National Bank of Greece ended at 39,945 drachmas, Ergobank at 26,000, Alpha Credit Bank at 28,000, Delta Dairy at 4,070, Titan Cement at 21,100 and Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation at 8,145.

Greek stocks spend week in the doldrums: The Greek stock market came under heavy pressure this week with equities ending sharply lower in falling turnover.

Fears over renewed turbulence in Asian markets, which led to a massive flight of capital into quality investments, hit sentiment on the Athens bourse with investors switching to bonds in western markets.

Traders said that foreign buyers preferred to liquidate part of their sizeable gains in the Greek market but the profit-taking was was not a reflection of their attitude to the domestic economy.

The general index ended 5.25 percent lower than the previous week, or 64.11 percent higher than the beginning of the year.

Turnover totalled 191.05 billion drachmas to post a daily average of 47.8 billion in the week, down from 60.7 billion drachmas the previous week.

Bankruptcies, bouncing cheques fall in January-May: Bankruptcies and bouncing cheques fell in the first five months of 1998 in Greece, the Union of Greek Banks said yesterday. Bouncing cheques worth 141 billion drachmas were 202,108 in number, marking a 9.0 percent drop in number and 10 percent drop in val ue compared with the corresponding period last year. Bankruptcy applications filed by Greek businesses totalled 932 in the first five months of 1998, with bankruptcies declared at 391, showing a 52 percent and 42 percent drop respectively from last year's figures.

Tourism to Greek island of Cephalonia seen rising - hoteliers: Foreign tourism to Cephalonia, the largest of the seven Ionian Islands, and to nearby Ithaca, has marked a major increase so far this year, Spyros Galiatsatos, president of the Union of Cephalonia and Ithaca Hoteliers, said yesterday.

Topping the list are British holidaymakers, accounting for 89 percent of foreign tourist arrivals against 85.5 percent last year. Dutch and Finnish tourists reappeared after several years of absence, Mr. Galiatsatos told the Athens News Agency.

Foreign tourist arrivals on the two islands totalled 15,403 in May, marking a 19.35 percent increase over 12,905 in the same month in 1997.

A total of 90 charter flights, all of them filled to capacity, arrived on the two islands in May.

Tourism is expected to increase further this year, following new package tours introduced by the Hoteliers Union and Strintzis Lines, the Athens bourse listed passenger and car ferry operator.

The tours combine hotel accommodation and ferry transport.

Greek tourism authority releases new promotional films: The Greek National Tourism Organisation (GNTO) has released a series of new films on Greece's heritage and culture, promoting the country as a holiday destination, it said yesterday.

The films, made in 1996 and 1997, are being distributed to GNTO offices abroad, schools, libraries, universities and television stations. The films may be reproduced professionally on VHS video-tapes for interested organisations. The themes of the films include sea tourism, the Peloponnese, Athens-Attica, Mountain paths of Greece, Discover Greece, Epirus, Ancient Greek theatres, Nafplion, Galaxidi, and Alonissos.

Women in shipping host anniversary reception: WISTA Hellas, the Greek national chapter of the Women's International Shipping and Trading Association, yesterday marked the fifth anniversary of its establishment with a reception in Piraeus attended by Merchant Marine Minister Stavros Soumakis and other shipping officials.

WISTA is an umbrella organisation for women involved in shipping and trading related business throughout the world.

A non-profit organisation, it aims to provide opportunities for members to develop professionally, to provide information, exchange knowledge and experiences, and make new contacts.

WISTA was set up in 1974 by a handful of women brokers in the UK involved in liquid and gas when they met to exchange professional views of common interest.

Over the years it expanded to other communities, spreading throughout Europe. Today it has members all over the world.

Membership includes women shipowners, brokers, traders, insurance experts, solicitors, bunker suppliers and brokers, ship's agents, forwarders etc. Negotiations at Ionian drag on: A new deadlock appeared yesterday in negotiations for solving the Ionian Bank impasse in a meeting between Commercial Bank Governor Georgoutsakos, Ionian employee union president Markakis, the Federation of Bank Employee Unions (OTOE) as well as legal and economic advisers of both sides.

The insurance issue is emerging as a stumbling block, and while a formula has been found on safeguarding employment, satisfying both sides, there is no possibility of safeguarding the present insurance status for employees in the event of a change in th e bank's ownership status.

Commercial Bank's administration and employees have not found a way of agreement, despite the fact that on Thursday Employment Minister Miltiades Papaioannou said that the government's political volition is to have the insurance issue safeguarded as wel l after the employment issue.

In this context, the Ionian Bank's unionists are expected to convene today and call on employees to attend a general assembly at the bank's computerisation centre in Piraeus on Monday morning.

According to reports, they will propose a continuation of the strike until a legal written guarantee is offered safeguarding employment and insurance rights. ETEM share purchases: A package of 700,000 shares of the ETEM firm was placed yesterday with foreign institutional investors at a price of 2,800 drachmas per share. The move was made by the Alpha, Telesis and Keroos Ermis companies.

The company will proceed with an increase in its share capital by 2.4 billion drachmas by issuing 974,325 ordinary shares at a price of 2,500 drachmas per share.

Athens News Agency

[19] Republic of Peru Square in Zografou

Athens, 13/6/1998 (ANA)

Athens News Agency

[20] Home News

A delegation from the "Doctors of the World" group left yesterday for the border between Albania and the troubled Yugoslav province of Kosovo. The group is carrying medical and pharmaceutical materials, blankets, tents and tonnes of foodstuffs for refugee s. The Greek branch of the group have recently been active in FYROM, offering medical and humanitarian aid.

A 46-year-old farmer was gored to death by one of his bulls, police in Drama said yesterday. Dimitrios Tsangalidis was found dead in one of his fields and a later post mortem showed that he had received multiple wounds to the chest.

Athens News Agency

[21] Government not entirely pleased with UN report

NICOSIA, 13/6/1998 (ANA/CNA)

"We would have liked to have seen in the report views closer to ours", government spokesman Christos Stylianides said here yesterday, commenting on the report, released Thursday.

Noting that the eight-page report "moves within the traditional framework", he said it is descriptive for the period it reviews, 8 December 1997 to 8 June 1998.

"The report recommends a six-month extension of the mandate of the UN peacekeeping force. We would have liked the report to have reflected positions closer to ours, especially in certain issues, such as the plight of the enclaved and the town of Famagus ta", Mr. Stylianides said.

He also said the government would have preferred to have seen "stronger criticism of the Turkish Cypriot side".

The government, he added, has noted Mr. Annan's position on the lack of cooperation by the Turkish side with UNFICYP and the fact that the report blames the Turkish side on bicommunal issues and the issue of missing persons.

The report said the Turkish representative to the committee of missing persons said he was not prepared to discuss the necessary arrangements leading to the exhumation and return of the remains of Greek and Turkish Cypriots missing, unless the Greek Cyp riot side dealt with the cases of victims of a military coup that preceded the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus.

The report also notes that the Turkish Cypriot authorities prevent Turkish Cypriot participation in bicommunal contacts on the island.

"The government also noted Mr. Annan's position about a reduction of foreign troops and states that it is ready at any time to continue the military dialogue", Mr. Stylianides said.

Talks between the Turkish occupation troops and the National Guard with a view to adopting certain tension reducing measures along the demarcation line have not yielded any results.

"It must be made clear however that, as far as we are concerned, the key to this issue is the protection of built-up areas", the spokesman stressed.

Athens News Agency

[22] Canadian MP opposes sale of CANDU nuclear reactors to Turkey

TORONTO, 13/6/1998 (ANA/CNA)

In his petition MP Demetris Karygiannis stresses that these reactors will be situated in a seismic area in southern Turkey, known for its frequent earthquakes.

"An accident would cause significant radiation leaks, affecting not only Turkey but also neighbouring countries, such as Greece, Cyprus, Israel and Syria", the petition says.

Mr. Karygiannis notes that "Turkey does not respect the human rights of its citizens, represses its minorities and has used force and military aggression against its smaller neighbours".

He added that giving nuclear technology to such a country would enable it to produce nuclear weapons of mass destruction and destabilise the whole region.

Athens News Agency

[23] House President meets Italian counterpart

NICOSIA, 13/6/1998 (ANA/CNA)

Mr. Violante reassured Cypriot House President Spyros Kyprianou that such visits do not take place.

The assurances were given during a meeting the two men had in Stockholm, on the sidelines of the Meeting of the Presidents of European Parliaments.

Mr. Violante also responded in writing, on behalf of the Italian Parliament, to the Ambassador of Cyprus in Rome, stressing that the Italian House has not and does not intend to visit officially the illegal regime in Turkish - occupied Cyprus.

Mr. Kyprianou expressed gratitude for the steady and continuous support of the Italian Parliament for Cyprus.

Athens News Agency

[24] European Socialist delegation to visit Cyprus

NICOSIA, 13/6/1998 (ANA/CNA)

The delegation will also submit a report to the presidency of the European Socialist Party.

The visit was decided yesterday at a Committee meeting, with Cyprus Defence Minister Yiannakis Omirou, who was also assigned the duty to prepare a comprehensive report to the Committee by October, on the republic's course for full membership.

Athens News Agency

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