Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 01-08-06 (fwd)

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

CONTENTS

[01] Defense minister to seek policy shift at ruling party congress

[02] Health minister reveals plans for regional health systems

[03] Patriarch made honorary citizen of Nissyros

[04] Coalition of the Left remembers victims of Hiroshima bombing

[05] Northern cross-border trade, transit center to open October

[06] Mountain seminar on role of the countryside in the EU

[07] Symphony by Kalomiris performed in ancient Ephesus

[08] City dwellers migrate on annual leave, road deaths rise

[09] Greek 'copter plays key role in extinguishing Bulgarian fire

[10] IOC Coordinating Committee president on 2004 Athens Olympiad

[11] Cyprus repeats good will towards UN proximity talks

[01] Defense minister to seek policy shift at ruling party congress

Athens, 06/08/2001 (ANA)

"The congress is a unique opportunity for PASOK to redefine its physiognomy, structure and operation," the party veteran told the Sunday Kathimerini newspaper in an interview.

"Government policy will be laid on the table in a critical mood ... Continuation of the same policy is now a mistake," Tsohatzopoulos said.

He added that he would not be seeking the post of party leader.

A policy shift was feasible as PASOK was actively engaged in dialogue and forming "new majorities" that were stronger than the divisions of the past, he said.

"The point is to reconnect our base in the broad public to the hope and the outlook of socialism, and that is where we will stay This will not be a congress about personalities, a change of prime minister is not being sought," Tsohatzopoulos underlined.

At the same time, he disagreed with the concept of concentrating authority in the hands of one individual.

"This tallies neither with socialism, nor with pluralism, nor with the party's democratic nature ... In the context of collective democratic leadership, beyond the responsibilities of party president and premier, there must also be distinct roles for people that PASOK's grass roots will appoint," he added.

Asked if the question of a new party leader would emerge in the event of an election defeat for PASOK, Tsohatzopoulos said that the last victory at the polls had vindicated the party's leadership; as a result, "tomorrow will be linked to the election result."

Turning to the economy, the minister said be backed a policy of fiscal discipline, social cohesion and environmental protection but that the government had fallen short in the last two areas. At the same time, social policy should not be equated with handouts.

The country's GDP growth rate of 4.0 percent should be higher at 6.0 percent, with the gap due to a heavy reliance on investments from European Union funds rather than other types of investment, mainly in the new economy, he said.

Finally, Tsohatzopoulos backed an economic policy that would allow a redistribution of wealth combined with incentives for business, including lower taxation and a higher tax-exempt bracket to boost domestic demand.

[02] Health minister reveals plans for regional health systems

Athens, 06/08/2001 (ANA)

In addition, the functioning of hospitals with a 35-40 percent capacity will cease and sections will be allocated to other units.

Papadopoulos believes that this shakeup will provide an outlet for the creation of more specialized clinics at a regional level.

[03] Patriarch made honorary citizen of Nissyros

Athens, 06/08/2001 (ANA)

Among dignitaries present at the ceremony on Saturday was Deputy Interior Minister Kostas Keserlis.

The patriarch was visiting the volcanic island to celebrate the 600th birthday of a monastery there.

He told worshippers that young people were at risk, especially from drug abuse.

On Sunday, the patriarch led a service that was attended by all the metropolitan bishops in the Dodecannese islands.

He arrived in Nissyros on Saturday, and was due to return to Istanbul, where he is based, on Monday.

[04] Coalition of the Left remembers victims of Hiroshima bombing

Athens, 06/08/2001 (ANA)

In a statement to mark the anniversary, the Coalition called on the Greek government to take a clear stand against the US antimissile defense program, saying that the ruling PASOK party had once actively backed nuclear disarmament.

The party also asked the government to contribute to the creation of a joint foreign policy on security within the European Union, freed from NATO and the concept of nuclear deterrence.

[05] Northern cross-border trade, transit center to open October

Athens, 06/08/2001 (ANA)

The center near the Promahonas border post, Serres, will include space to store and to exhibit products initially of the country's exporting companies, many of which are based in the north.

The products will then be sold wholesale to traders in southeast European countries.

The owner of the center is Promahon SA, which is mainly owned by private sector companies with the state holding a small minority.

The national economy ministry allocated 1.8 billion drachmas from the European Union Interreg II program for construction of the center.

The Promahonas border post currently handles 97 percent of imports and exports by rail.

The completed project will include banks, customs and tax offices, restaurants, wholesale outlets, transport company offices and exhibition space.

[06] Mountain seminar on role of the countryside in the EU

Athens, 06/08/2001 (ANA)

Among speakers from home and abroad at the event, which was held under the aegis of the European Parliament, was National Defense Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos, who underlined the importance of economic and social development coupled with environmental protection and quality of life, especially for the regions.

Another speaker, Agriculture Minister George Anomeritis, told the conference that interest was shifting mainly towards growth for mountain areas.

[07] Symphony by Kalomiris performed in ancient Ephesus

IZMIR, 06/08/2001 (ANA / A. Ampatzis)

Performing Kalomiris' Levendia Symphony on Friday evening were the Thessaloniki Symphony Orchestra and the Bilked Symphony Orchestra from Ankara, conducted by Byron Fidetzis of Greece.

Beginning with the Greek and Turkish national anthems, the concert was attended by Turkey's education minister.

Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit sent the organizers of the concert, which also included works by other composers, a message of congratulation.

[08] City dwellers migrate on annual leave, road deaths rise

Athens, 06/08/2001 (ANA)

Usually congested streets were empty with holidaymakers flocking onto motorways in a dash for the beach; and extra ferries to the Aegean islands were laid on from the ports of Piraeus and Rafina to meet heavy demand.

However, more people on the road meant more accidents with police reporting 18 deaths between Friday, when the exodus began, and Sunday morning, when the last holidaymakers departed.

Injured were 188 people in 138 accidents nationwide, police said.

[09] Greek 'copter plays key role in extinguishing Bulgarian fire

SOFIA, 06/08/2001 (ANA / B. Borisov)

Showing footage of the seven-day fire that was extinguished late on Friday, reporters said the helicopter requested by Bulgarian authorities from the Greek fire brigade had dropped about 15 tones of water during each of its numerous flight-missions since Thursday.

Hundreds of local fire fighters, soldiers and volunteers who had joined forces on land had been unable to put out the blaze over five days before the helicopter's arrival, state TV said.

[10] IOC Coordinating Committee president on 2004 Athens Olympiad

Athens, 06/08/2001 (ANA)

"We wanted to use all possible time for a meeting and discussion to review the situation. We are doing this here in Edmonton as well. We discussed infrastructure and sports programs.

The meeting confirmed the impression I had until today. Hard work and a good management of time will be necessary. I believe that we will have very good games and that everything will be ready on time," Oswald said after the two-hour meeting.

On his part, Kapralos said: "It was a constructive meeting. We had the opportunity to primarily discuss the sports programs and Mr. Oswald was briefed on the course of the Games. He is aware of the progress achieved by Athens and his capacity as president of the sports federations guarantees close cooperation in the sports sector of the Olympic Games, which constitutes the heart of the event."

[11] Cyprus repeats good will towards UN proximity talks

Cyprus Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides said on Saturday that the government "has all the good will to participate in UN-led proximity talks on the Cyprus problem and, as always, be flexible and constructive."

But he noted that the Greek Cypriot side would never accept a solution "outside the parameters set out by UN resolutions, the Council of Europe Convention on Human Rights and the acquis communautaire".

Addressing an anti-occupation event at Dherynia near the ceasefire line that was organized by the Municipal Council of Famagusta (Ammochostos), a town occupied by Turkish troops, Kasoulides said: "The international community, and especially the European Union, has made it clear that Denktash's unacceptable demands for recognition of his self-styled regime will not be met".

The town of Famagusta fell into the hands of the advancing Turkish army in mid-August 1974, during the second phase of the Turkish invasion launched on July 20.

It has remained uninhabited since then and its return to UN administration has often been discussed in attempts to find a peaceful settlement of the Cyprus question.

The UN Security Council holds Turkey responsible for the maintenance of the current status quo in the town and considers any attempts to settle Famagusta by people other than its inhabitants "inadmissible".

Kasoulides also said that "following a nine-month absence from the UN sponsored talks, Denktash has now received orders from Ankara to return to the negotiations".

The UN aims at bringing the Greek and Turkish Cypriot sides back to negotiations, which Denktash abandoned last year after five rounds of UN-led proximity talks.

Denktash, backed by Ankara, declared the talks dead and demanded recognition of his self-styled regime in the Turkish-occupied part of Cyprus before he returns to the dialogue.

In conclusion, Kasoulides noted that a new "prospect of true peace, stability and security should be created, based on inter-national law so that all Cypriots may enjoy the benefits of Cyprus' future accession to the EU".

Cyprus has been divided since Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37 percent of its territory in 1974, forcibly uprooting some 200,000 Greek Cypriots. Thousands of Greek Cypriots were killed and hundreds were taken prisoner of war or have been missing since then.

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