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Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 03-07-05Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>July,5 2003CONTENTS
[01] PM Simitis reshuffles cabinet after changes in ruling PASOK partyAthens 5/07/2003 (ANA)Coming on the heels of major changes in the ruling PASOK party, the press and information minister on Friday announced the composition of the new government scheme.The reshuffle left most ministers and deputy ministers intact, with the only changes in ministerial portfolios being the placement of George Floridis, previously deputy minister of national economy and finace, at the helm of the public order ministry replacing Michalis Chrysochoidis, who was on Thursday elected to the post of Secretary of the PASOK central committee; the placement of Haris Kastanidis as minister of Macedonia-Thrace, replacing George Paschalidis, who takes over the helm of the Merchant Marine Ministry, replacing George Anomeritis; and the placement of Alexandros Akrivakis as Minister of State, in place of the recently-resigned Stefanos Manikas. Other changes were the placement of Nikos Farmakis as deputy minister of national economy and finance replacing Floridis; the placement of Theodoros Kotsonis as deputy minister of national defence, replacing Lou-kas Apostolidis; the placement of Nikos Bistis as deputy minister of the interior, public order and decentralisation, replacing Stavros Benos; the placement of Kimon Koulouris as deputy minister of development, replacing Christos Theodorou; the placement of George Thomas as deputy minister of education and religious affairs, replacing Eleni Kourkoula; and the placement of Vassilis Kontoyannopoulos as deputy minister of health and welfare, replacing Dimitris Thanos. The 49-member government, including the premier, comprises 19 mnisters, one alternate minister, and 28 deputy ministers. The new Cabinet is as follows: (changes are denoted by an asterisk *) Minister of National Economy and Finance: Nikos Christodoulakis Deputy Ministers: Christos Pachtas Apostolos Fotiadis Nikos Farmakis* Minister of Foreign Affairs: George Papandreou Alternate Minister: Tassos Yannitsis Deputy Ministers: Andreas Loverdos Yannis Magriotis Minister of National Defence: Yannos Papantoniou Deputy Ministers: Theodoros Kotsonis* Lazaros Lotidis Mininster of Internal Affairs, Public Administration and Decentralisation: Costas Skandalidis Deputy Ministers: Lambros Papadimas Nikos Bistis* Minister of Development: Akis Tsohatzopoulos Deputy Ministers: Kimon Koulouris* Alecos Kalafatis Dimitris Georgakopoulos Minister of the Environment, Town Planning and Public Works: Vasso Papandreou Deputy Ministers: Rodoula Zissi Yannis Tsaklidis Minister of Education and Religious Affaris: Petros Efthymiou Deputy Ministers: Nikos Gesoulis George Thomas* Minister of Labour: Dimitris Reppas Deputy Ministers: Rovertos Spyropoulos Lefteris Tziolas Minister of Health and Welfare: Kostas Stefanis Deputy Ministers: Ektor Nasiokas Elpida Tsouri Vassilis Kontoyannopoulos* Minister of Agriculture: George Drys Deputy Ministers: Evangelos Argyris Fotis Hatzimihalis Minister of Justice: Filippos Petsalnikos Minister of Culture: Evangelos Venizelos Deputy Ministers: George Lianis Athanasios Alevras Minister of Transport and Communications: Christos Verelis Deputy Minister: Manolis Stratakis Minister of Public Order: George Floridis* Deputy Minister: Pantelis Tsertikidis Minister of Merchant Marine: George Paschalidis* Minister of Press and Mass Media: Christos Protopapas Deputy Minister: Telemachos Hytiris Minister of Macedonia-Thrace: Haris Kastanidis* Minister of the Aegean: Nikos Sifounakis Minister of State: Alexandros Akrivakis* In announcing the reshuffle, one that mostly involved new faces at the deputy ministers’ level, government spokesman Christos Protopapas said the changes were made based on the criterion of “better effectiveness on the part of the government so that problems are solved faster.” Protopapas also said the new Cabinet will be called upon to immediately promote the government’s work. A swear-in ceremony is set for Monday morning, with a Cabinet meeting to follow. Prime Minister Costas Simitis is expected to make statements after the meeting as well. G. Papandreou on gov't reshuffle Foreign Minister George Papandreou on Friday commented on the same-day government reshuffle, noting that Prime Minister Costas Simitis “has made his choices, and I believe we must all now mobilize to implement a very significant effort ... in all sectors.” He also said the government has much more work ahead of it. The FM spoke from the northwestern town of Grevena, on the sidelines of a one-seminar regarding regional development, sponsored in part by the Andreas Papandreou Institute. 'Much ado about nothing', main opposition says of cabinet reshuffle The cabinet reshuffle announced by the ruling PASOK government was dismissed by main opposition New Democracy on Friday as ''much ado about nothing''. In a statement issued in writing, ND spokesman Theodoros Roussopoulos said the changes made by Prime Minister Costas Simitis had not lived up to the public's expectations of a drastic shake-up and renewal, which had been cultivated for the much-advertised reshuffle in the past two months. Responding to the statement, government spokesman Christos Protopapas said his party 'understood ND's confusion, which will continually increase as PASOK's prospects of victory become more and more obvious.'' The view that the reshuffle had belied expectations was also expressed by several main opposition MPs, with ND parliamentary spokesman Prokopis Pavlopoulos calling it a ''recycling of failed faces'' and others estimating it had brought PASOK one step closer to electoral defeat. ND MP for Athens Aikaterini Papakosta said that she expected ''the same make-up, the same people and the same attitudes to lead to the same failure,'' while ND state deputy Aris Spiliotopoulos said the prime minister lacked daring and that his move was equivalent to ''changing a spare tyre on an old banger''. Most ruling PASOK MPs refused to comment or confined themselves to saying that the new cabinet would be judged by its results, among them ousted former party secretary and MP for Piraeus Costas Laliotis and Agriculture Minister George Drys. Athens MP Christos Papoutsis told reporters that it had been his own decision not to participate in the party's Executive Bureau and that the reshuffle had been the prime minister's choice. PASOK MP for Messinia Ioannis Yiannakopoulos broke ranks, however, to say that the reshuffle was ''not commensurate'' to the changes within the party. ND leader charges that government only cares about holding on to power Main opposition New Democracy (ND) leader Costas Kara-manlis, responding to the government reshuffle on Friday, said that ''just 24 hours were needed for the prime minister to show the Greek people, yet again, that he is unable to bring the new that he invokes.'' ''For more than two years, the prime minister has been accusing his ministers of being tired, and now, these past few days, he attempted to make a government reshuffle which he finally did not manage to achieve,'' Karamanlis said. The ND leader said the prime minister and his associates were ''playing a game of party political expediencies'' at the expense of the people. ''The country does not have the luxury of a nine-month pre-election period,'' the ND leader said in response to statements by the prime minister who had said that the forthcoming period is a prelectoral one. Karamanlis said that Simitis, ''has in the most official way, put the country in the cumulus of a prolonged prelection period. ''The past events clearly show that games are being played at the expense of the country and that those who govern care only about power,'' Karamanlis said. Reactions to PASOK reshuffle by left-wing parties Commenting on the cabinet reshuffle announced by the ruling PASOK government on Friday, Communist Party of Greece General Secretary Aleka Papariga said that left-wing voters that had supported PASOK and hoped that it could 'turn a new progressive leaf' might now realise that this hope was futile. ''What they must now do is align themselves with the people in the struggle over the major problems, turning their back on PASOK and, of course, (main opposition) New Democracy,'' she said. Democratic Social Movement (DHKKI) leader Dimitris Tsovolas was similarly scathing, dismissing the much-vaunted reshuffle as a 'farce' since the new cabinet was almost indistinguishable from the old apart from the addition of Nikos Bistis. ''It seems his absence from Simitis' governments over the past seven years prevented progress in implemented the charter for real convergence,'' Tsovolas quipped. He said that both the reshuffle and the changes to PASOK's Executive Bureau had extinguished even the last faint hope of grass-roots PASOK supporters, who did not want to believe that their party's leadership had for years aimed to convert the movement into a conservative, anti-working class movement. He called on Greek voters to rally and fight against the neoliberal policies of New Democracy and the so-called modernist PASOK group in order to ''lay the foundations for true political and social change.'' [02] Communist parties persecuted in new EU states, KKE leader claimsAthens 5/07/2003 (ANA)Several of the countries that joined the European Union in the last wave of enlargement actively discouraged the formation and action of communist or socialist parties, in violation of fundamental rights and freedoms, Communist Party of Greece General Secretary Aleka Papariga claimed on Friday during a seminar organised by her party on this issue.The seminar focused on action in these countries against communist/labour parties, socialist ideas and symbols and trade unionists, which were either forbidden outright or else beset by major legal obstacles to their operation. Papariga stressed, meanwhile, that centre-left and centre-right parties in the countries of ''free and democratic'' Europe seemed to show little concern over this situation. She said the seminar organised on Friday by KKE with other communist and labour parties in the new EU member-states aimed to highlight the problem and to call on all parties and progressive forces in Europe to take a stand on the issue. ''We cannot ratify enlargement when there are political restrictions in these countries against any party, specifically in this case against Communist parties,'' she said. [03] Parliament president and AHEPA delegation discuss Greek-U.S.relationsAthens 5/07/2003 (ANA)Parliament President Apostolos Kaklamanis and a six-member delegation of AHEPA reportedly discussed the improvement of Greek-U.S. relations, as well as the possibility of the U.S. embassy in Athens to contribute in this direction in talks held on Friday.According to an announcement by Parliament, Kaklamanis said the Greek people have friendly feelings for the American people, while ''negative feelings are frequently caused by the policy of American governments such as in the case of the dictatorship and the Turkish invasion and occupation of northern Cyprus, which is continuing with American weapons, despite the relevant ban by Congress.'' The Parliament president said the cancellation of two AHEPA conferences in Greece was a mistake, adding that the country was a victim of terrorism and of those exploiting it in the United States to blackmail it and harm its tourism. AHEPA President James Dimitriou referred to the Greek American organisation's reaction to negative propaganda, as well as to the sending of thousands of AHEPANs to Athens for the 2004 Olympic Games. [04] ND leader slams gov't delay in compensating farmers for lost cropsAthens 5/07/2003 (ANA)Main opposition New Democracy leader Costas Karamanlis on Friday said the government ought to immediately assess damages and pay compensation to farmers whose crops were destroyed by bad weather earlier in the year.Karamanlis was speaking during a tour of Pella prefecture, where he visited the areas worst hit by the freak heavy rains over the winter months, from December to February. The main opposition leader said that farmers would be unable to recover unless they received at least 50 per cent of the estimated compensation due in advance and also the money owed to them for hail damage the previous year. He accused the government of being solely responsible for the drastic fall in farming incomes in recent years, the loss of export markets for Greek products, and the "complete inability" of the farmers' insurance fund ELGA to carry out its work. "Yesterday, we heard (Prime Minister Costas) Simitis criticise his party and his government for the problems that have accumu-lated with their responsibility. One wonders: Wasn't Simitis prime minister for the past eight years? Hasn't PASOK been in power for the past 20 years?" Karamanlis said. [05] Exploinvest Ltd sells holding in Danish shipping companyAthens 5/07/2003 (ANA)Following a decision by the board of Sanyo Hellas Symmetohiki AEBE, the subsidiary company Exploinvest Ltd sold 2,907,330 shares, through the Copenhagen Stock Exchange, corresponding to the 15.97 percent holding in the Danish shipping company Dampskibsselskabet TORM for about 32.5 million euros.According to a relevant announcement, with this specific amount the parent company will make an immediate decrease in its loans, while a part will be directed at scheduled investments and, primarily, in investing in real estate in Kifisias avenue. [06] Greek weekly economic reviewAthens 5/07/2003 (ANA)The general index in the Athens Stock Exchange has stabilised around the 1,950-point level after its strong rebound in the last few weeks, a development not expected to bring any relief to the majority of investors who have suffered heavy losses in the last three-and-a-half years.The stock market did not react to an announced on Friday government reshuffle as the government's economic team remained largely the same. In other headline news this week: the country's ordinary budget deficit jumped 89 percent in the first five months of 2003 to 4.046 billion euros, sharply exceeding an annual target for a budget deficit of 485 million euros, while the state budget deficit totalled 6.747 billion euros, from an annual target of 5.303 billion euros, an increase of 74.5 percent. The government implement a measure calling for the obligatory submission of periodic value added tax reports by companies through the Internet, in a move aimed to better fight tax-evasion and reduce bureaucracy. The Hellenic Company of Bank and Capital Market Law held its first official meeting this week. The new scientific group began its operations in June and aims to support research in the country's banking and capital markets' legislation. More than 21,000 investors called a new toll-free telephone service line introduced by the Athens Stock Exchange in the first six months of 2003. Most investors called to ask information about share closing prices, indexes and trading volume (30.26 percent), followed by inquiries about listed companies (22.65 percent). The Greek government this week unveiled its new development draft law offering special tax status with reduced tax factors and no tax inspections for large foreign investments in the next 10 years. Economy and Finance Minister Nikos Christodoulakis said the new law was offering foreign investors tax stability for 10 years. The Greek minister said the new law raised subsidies for job creation and offered counter-incentives for companies seeking to relocate to neighbouring Balkan states. "We say yes to the Balkans, but no to migration," Mr Christodoulakis stressed. [07] Greek stocks end week 2.37 percent higherAthens 5/07/2003 (ANA)Greek stocks ended lower the last trading session of a volatile week in the Athens Stock Exchange, as losses in telecommunications shares overshadowed initial gains in bank stocks.The general index fell 0.28 percent to end at 1,946.70 points, for a net gain of 2.37 percent in the week. Turnover was a moderate 116.9 million euros. The IT Solution, Telecommunications and Holding sector suffered the heaviest percentage losses of the day (2.18 percent, 1.58 percent and 0.64 percent, respectively), while the Publication and Retail sectors scored the biggest gains (1.39 percent and 0.69 percent, respectively). The parallel market index for smaller capitalisation stocks rose 0.70 percent. The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavy traded stocks fell 0.62 percent, the FTSE/ASE MID 40 index rose 0.32 percent and the FTSE/ASE SmallCap 80 index eased 0.10 percent. Broadly, advancers led decliners by 159 to 151 with another 52 issues unchanged. The most heavily traded stocks in value were Hellenic Telecom-munications Organisation, Football Pools Organisation, Public Power Corporation, Informatics and Sex Form. Derivatives Market Close: Turnover at 62.65 mln euros Friday Equity Index Futures: Bond Market Close: Sellers outstrip buyers on Friday Greek Benchmark 10-Year Bond FOREIGN EXCHANGE Closing rates of July 4 2003 Parities in euro Banknotes For. Exchange Buying Selling US Dollar 1,155 1,129 [08] More defence witnesses testify in N17 trialAthens 5/07/2003 (ANA)The trial of 19 suspected members of the terrorist group ''November 17'' continued before the Three-Member Criminal Appeals Court on Friday with the testimony of more defence witnesses.Friday's session began with a former workmate of the defendant Dionysis Georgiadis in the witness box, who described him as conscientious and well-intentioned. Georgiadis' defence lawyer then submitted press articles to the court reporting that anti-terrorist squad officers had been present when Georgiadis was first questioned by an examining magistrate. The court, however, rejected arguments that he had been intimidated into making statements, refusing to believe that the examining magistrate would have allowed officers with automatic weapons in the room during the interrogation. French teacher Marie-Helene Baris told the court she had met Alexandros Giotopoulos, the alleged leader of the terror band, through his partner Maithe Peynaud in 1985. She said she had found Giotopoulos a ''warm and humane person whom she could trust'' and that she had developed a friendship with him over 18 years in which he had been pleasant and good-humoured, being neither severe nor aggressive. The witness said that she knew Giotopoulos as Mihalis Economou and that he had presented himself as a translator. She also noted that she worked with Peynaud in the same job earning the same salary and had never felt there was any disparity between the couple's spending habits and its income. The court next heard university professor Thymios Kavouriaris, who met Giotopoulos in Paris and knew him by his real name, when they were both involved in various student organisations that opposed the 1967-1974 junta in Greece. The witness said he did not think it likely that Giotopoulos, who had been against violence as a young student, would head an organisation that murdered specific targets in 1975. He also argued that Giotopoulos' denial of the charges was inconsistent with the profile of a terrorist leader. Should Giotopoulos be found guilty, Kavouriaris said, the chances were that he would die in prison - but as the leader of a "dead great story''. If he were released, on the other hand, it would be with ''the stigma of one who had not covered his comrades ideologically and politically''. Journalist Chantal Lasbats, who met the accused under the name Mihalis Economou, said her discussions with Giotopoulos had never led her to think that he might be involved in violent or illegal activities. The court also heard several witnesses testifying on behalf of Yiannis Serifis, who said that his political beliefs were not compatible with personal violence. One of these witnesses was removed from the court for disruptive behaviour, during which he claimed to have personal experience that the authorities regularly manufactured evidence. [09] U.S. ambassador to Athens gives reception for July 4 national holidayAthens 5/07/2003 (ANA)U.S. Ambassador to Athens Thomas Miller gave a reception at his residence on Friday to celebrate the 227th anniversary of his country's Declaration of Independence.The reception was attended by Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Christodoulos, Defence Minister Yiannos Papantoniou, Education Minister Petros Efthymiou, other politicians and members of the diplomatic corps. Referring to developments in the ruling PASOK party and the government, Miller termed them ''intergovernmental'' issues. Replying to questions by the press, the U.S. ambassador said that allegations that the U.S. had whatever involvement in procedures leading to the election of Mihalis Chrysohoidis as PASOK secretary (in the place of Costas Laliotis) were ridiculous. [10] Cyprus and EUROPOL join forces in fighting organised crimeNICOSIA 5/07/2003 (CNA/ANA)Cyprus and European Police (EUROPOL) signed here on Friday a cooperation agreement according to which Cyprus Police and EUROPOL can undertake joint operations to combat international organised crime.The agreement signed by Cypriot Minister of Justice and Public Order Doros Theodorou and EUROPOL Office Director Jurgen Storbeck, provides for the prevention and combating of international organised crime and especially terrorism, trade in human beigns, illegal immigration, drug trafficking and other serious forms of international crime. Speaking at the signing ceremony, Theodorou expressed Cyprus' willingness ''to contribute to all efforts and processes towards preventing and combating all forms of international criminality''. Storbeck praised the Cypriot Police's efficiency and underlined Cyprus' importance as an EU outer border to ''another continent where we have really major problems of drugs trafficking, illegal immigration, and trafficking of human beings and a lot of other forms of international crime''. ''So for us in the EU, for us in the EUROPOL is of utmost importance to rely on the efficiency of the Cyprus Police, to cooperate with the Cyprus Police and the judicial Authorities'', Storbeck noted. He added that this agreement enables the Cypriot Police to get all the information it needs for its investigations and its operations swiftly, support, technology, as well as access to EUROPOL's databases, as well as support from EUROPOL experts if necessary. ''So we will have common investigation, international investigations which have never happened before in history. We will have common investigations because this is your response to international organised crime'', he noted. Theodorou said ''this agreement will reinforce the already excellent cooperation and friendly relations between Cyprus and EUROPOL, with which we look forward to enhance our professional relations and experience for the benefit of the common fight against organised crime''. ''The Republic of Cyprus is well aware of the fact that the accession of Cyprus to the EU requires hard work, cooperation and devotion and is willing to contribute to all efforts and processes towards preventing and combating all forms of international criminality'', Theodorou noted. Replying to questions, Storbeck praised Cyprus Police's efficiency, noting that Cyprus fulfill EU's high standards regarding the legal framework. He said that he has been following the development of the Cyprus Police in the last 15 years, noting that he is impressed with the speed with which the Cyprus Police has developed both in technology and in training. Replying to a question whether EUROPOL would assist in efforts combating illegal immigration entering the southern government-controlled areas of Cyprus through the northern Turkish-occupied part, Storbeck said ''as long as illegal immigration is passing this line, we would like to support with our different means the Cyprus Police''. ''No EUROPOL officer is allowed to arrest a person here, or to search houses or to stand at the line between the north and the south here in Cyprus'', he added. [11] Cyprus' trade deficit with EU reaches 2.2 billion eurosBRUSSELS 5/07/2003 (CNA/ANA)The trade balance in Cyprus' dealings with EU countries showed a deficit of 2.2 billion euros in 2002, according to figures released on Fridday by Eurostat, on the occasion of the informal meeting of EU and acceding countries Trade Ministers, in the context of the Euro-Mediterranean cooperation and the Third Euro-Mediterranean Conference, along with the trade ministers of Mediterranean countries.The figures showed that the value of Cyprus' imports from EU countries reached 2.9 billion euros, while Cypriot exports to the EU reached 700 million euros. The EU is Cyprus' main trade partner, as 56.1% of imports and exports for the year 2001 were with members of the bloc. [12] Cyprus joins European Economic AreaNICOSIA 5/07/2003 (CNA/ANA)Cyprus has initialled an agreement to accede to the European Economic Area (EEA), following the successful conclusion of negotiations on the EEA enlargement, which began in January this year.The accession agreement refers to the distribution of financial assistance by the countries of EFTA (European Free Trade Association) to states entitled to such aid (Spain, Portugal, Greece and the ten acceding states). Cyprus is entitled to get 0.21 per cent of the 120 million euro per year for the five-year period from May 2004 to April 2009 or 252.000 euros annually. The agreement includes a joint declaration relating to the Protocol annexed to Cyprus' Accession Treaty to the EU which refers to the suspension of the acquis communautaire in the areas of the Republic occupied by Turkish troops where the government is prevented from exercising its jurisdiction. The Secretariat of the EU Council will finalise the draft of the agreement to accede to the EEA and invite ten acceding countries to sign it formally. The ten states, including Cyprus, will then be called to ratify the accession agreement in order to put it into effect on May 2004. The European Commission, EU member states, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein as well the ten acceding countries participated in the negotiations. [13] Italian Embassy announces projects to promote rapprochementNICOSIA 5/07/2003 (CNA/ANA)The Italian Embassy in Nicosia and the delegation of the European Commission to Cyprus are implementing a four-step initiative to promote bicommunal activities on the island between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots.Italian Ambassador to Cyprus Gherardo la Francesca announced the joint projects on Thursday, on the occasion of the inauguration of the Italian Presidency of the European Union, saying the initiatives include a theatrical laboratory, a seminar on sport medicine, a friendship football cup to raise money to fund research on endemic diseases in Cyprus, and an art restoration workshop. The theatrical laboratory will include a two-week workshop, ending with a performance in Greek and Turkish of Luigi Pirandello's comedy ''The Fable of the Changed Son''. The laboratory began on June 27 and ends on July 10, while the performance will be given on July 11 at the Ledra Palace in the buffer zone. The seminar on sport medicine will be held on July 8, with the support of a selected team of Italian doctors, specialised in sport medicine, and is addressed to athletic trainers, medical doctors, physical education teachers, physiotherapists and athletes from both communities on the island. In the friendship cup, a team of Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots will play against a team of personnel from embassies and international organisations. The football match will be held on July 9 at UNFICYP headquarters. The art restoration workshop will be run in September for five Greek Cypriots and five Turkish Cypriots, who can expect to improve their skills in the use of new restoration technologies, crucial for the preservation of Cypriot historical and artistic heritage. Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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