Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 01-08-16

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

CONTENTS

[01] Dormition of the Virgin celebrated across Greece

[02] Foreign ministry official comments on FYROM ceasefire

[03] Greece prepares for NATO mission in FYROM

[04] 450 new border guard positions announced

[05] Syros Metropolitan Dorotheos dies of illness

[06] Greek stocks rebound spectacularly on ASE

[07] Forest fires under control, fire department says

[08] Cyprus attains 82% of EU-wide per capita GDP

[01] Dormition of the Virgin celebrated across Greece

Athens. 16/08/2001 (ANA)

On his part, President of the Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos celebrated the Feast of the Dormition on the eastern Aegean island of Lesvos, satisfying, as he said, a long-held wish to spend the Aug. 15 religious holiday on the island.

In northern Greece, thousands of worshippers, mostly descendants of expatriate Greeks from Pontus region of the southeastern Black Sea coast, congregated on the foothills of Mount Vermio at the Panaghia Soumela monastery.

Macedonia-Thrace Minister George Paschalidis re-presented the government, while Culture Minister Evangelos Venizelos, Athens Mayor and KEP party leader Dimitris Avramopoulos as well as several members of parliament were also in attendance.

On Tinos, Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens and All of Greece officiated at the grandiose service at the Evangelistria Cathedral.

During a sermon, the Archbishop addressed the power of human faith coupled with a belief in God, and respect for the nation, along with the concept that strength that can be derived from these convictions. "In this ambiguous century, man continues to still believe," he said before a congregation of thousands, adding that no force ... "can ever overthrow our faith because it has been kneaded in our lives".

Representing the government, Merchant Marine Minister Christos Papoutsis referred to the country’s desire for friendly and productive relationships with neighboring countries, such as Turkey and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM).

On his part, main opposition New Democracy leader Costas Karamanlis characterized the Feast of the Dormition, also known as the Feast of the Assumption, as a symbolic day that allows Orthodox worshippers to absorb the faith needed in order to create a society of solidarity.

Stephanopoulos: On Lesvos, the Greek president attended mass at the Panaghia Cathedral in the Agiasos Township, where he also met with the family of world champion sprinter Costas Kenteris, who won a gold medal in the 200m at the World Athletics Championships in Edmonton last week. Kenteris hails from the island.

Meanwhile, during a brief speech, Stephanopoulos also commented on a controversial decision last month by a village council in the Loutra community calling for the eviction of all Albanian workers in the area – an apparent reaction to the beating of a handful of local residents outside a nightclub by up to a dozen Albanian nationals.

Stephanopoulos defended the decision, saying it was “not racist but directed against people who did not respect (locals’) hospitality and behaved in an inappropriate manner."

[02] Foreign ministry official comments on FYROM ceasefire

BELGRADE. 16/08/2001 (ANA-M. Mouratidis)

An advisor to Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou, Rondos hailed the agreement as an act of "historic importance" but reiterated warnings by Yugoslavia's ambassador to Skopje that the conflict might again spread to the Presevo Valley unless drastic measures were taken - or even to Montenegro and Greece.

As a member of NATO, Rondos clarified, Greece was prepared to handle all eventualities and was concerned at the prospect of the conflict spreading but not alarmed.

NATO experts were due in FYROM on Tuesday, according to news agency reports, to try to shore up a NATO-brokered ceasefire between government forces and ethnic Albanian rebels that has been largely ignored by the combatants.

Leaders of four main Slav parties and ethnic Albanian parties signed a deal on Monday that hoped to end six months of conflict by improving the rights of the one-third ethnic Albanian minority.

But clashes between guerrillas and the army continued around Tetovo, even as the peace plan was being signed in the capital Skopje.

[03] Greece prepares for NATO mission in FYROM

Athens. 16/08/2001 (ANA)

A ministry announcement on Tuesday said that Defense Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos was in constant communication with Armed Forces General Staff chief Gen. Manoussos Paragioudakis for the latest update of events in FYROM.

Ministry sources say Greece will press for NATO to first obtain a clear political pledge from all sides in FYROM that they will uphold the peace agreement before committing troops to the area.

In its Tuesday's announcement, however, the ministry said a company of 400 Greek volunteer troops was on standby to take part in any NATO mission in FYROM if required.

According to Reuters, Ambassadors from the 19 NATO member-states met in Brussels on Wednesday to discuss sending 3,500 troops or a smaller advance force to FYROM, while a NATO source said the governments were expected to decide quickly on a proposal to send an advance team of some 400 troops.

The envoys will consult their governments, and if none objects by 1500 GMT, the proposal would be approved and the advance team could travel to FYROM this week, the source said.

The NATO troops are to move in and collect weapons laid down by Albanian rebels. A long-term peacekeeping role for NATO was not on the agenda.

[04] 450 new border guard positions announced

Athens. 16/08/2001 (ANA)

As opposed to previous staffing needs, the new border guards – both men and women – will be dispatched to non-border prefectures – Halkidiki (162 men and 18 women); Pieria (90 men and 10 women); Larissa (108 and 12), as well as Karditsa (45 and five).

The border guard corps was established as a quasi-police force overseen by the public order ministry and specially trained to intercept illegal immigrants as well as drug and weapons smugglers along Greece’s northern land borders.

[05] Syros Metropolitan Dorotheos dies of illness

Athens. 16/08/2001 (ANA)

The funeral for Metropolitan Dorotheos will be held on Thursday afternoon at the Transformation of the Savior Church in the island's capital Ermoupolis with Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Christodoulos officiating.

Dorotheos was born on Mykonos in 1913 and became a deacon in 1934 and a monk in 1940. He attended the Athens Law School for two years and was a preacher for the Syros diocese between 1940 and 1965 and abbot for the Tourliani monastery on Mykonos from 1943 to 1965.

He was noted for his resistance to Axis forces during World War II, when he helped smuggle many Greek and allied troops to the Middle East.

He was appointed Metropolitan of Syros in 1965, while he was a close friend of many well-known Greek politicians, including PASOK founder and prime minister Andreas Papandreou and New Democracy honorary president Constantine Mitsotakis.

[06] Greek stocks rebound spectacularly on ASE

Athens. 16/08/2001 (ANA)

Telecoms shares, spearheaded by Hellenic Telecommunications Organization (up 4.40 percent), led the rebound following a very positive report by Morgan Stanley over the stock's and the wider market's prospects.

Traders said the fact that only 10 stocks suffered losses and that the general index managed to end at its day's highs were proof of the rebound's strength.

The general index ended 3.04 percent higher at 2,690.46 points, with turnover a moderate 118.621 million euros, or 40.42 billion drachmas.

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavy traded stocks ended at 1,497.09 points, up 2.46 percent, the FTSE/ASE 40 index jumped 3.47 percent to 306.18 points, and the Small Cap index ended at 892.38 points, up 4.07 percent.

Bond prices slip in moderate trade: Bond prices in the domestic secondary market on Tuesday finished lower in moderate trade. The Greek benchmark 10-year bond showed a yield of 5.33 percent, and the yield spread over German bunds was 50 basis points. Turnover through the central bank's electronic system totaled 695 million euros. Sell orders accounted for over half of turnover.

[07] Forest fires under control, fire department says

Athens. 16/08/2001 (ANA)

The fire had started at about 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday evening and had been put out by 25 fire fighters using five fire engines and a 10-man force on foot.

Also under control, according to the announcement, was a forest fire that broke out on Tuesday afternoon near Anthemi, Imathia.

[08] Cyprus attains 82% of EU-wide per capita GDP

NICOSIA. 16/08/2001 (CNA/ANA)

Eurostat said there was a renewed surge in growth in the candidate countries in 2000, and economic growth went up by five per cent at constant prices in 2000 in all 13 countries except Turkey, where the increase was 7.2 per cent.

Cyprus, which applied for EU membership in July 1990, has provisionally closed 23 out of a total of 29 chapters in its accession negotiations with Brussels. It is expected to conclude its membership talks by the end of 2002.

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