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Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 03-07-31Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>July,31 2003CONTENTS
[01] Labor minister inaugurates National Employment Committee's action plan sessionAthens 31/7/03 (ANA)Labor Minister Dimitris Reppas inaugurated a session of the National Employment Committee on Wednesday, focusing on the preparation of the new National Action Plan for Employment (NAPE), saying consensus produces steadfast and long-term results.The NAPE will be submitted to the European Union on October 1 and will have a three-year duration (2003-2006), while its targets will be evaluated and assessed every year. Reppas spoke of positive developments on the employment front since unemployment has decreased by 2.2 percentage points from 2000 until today, adding that the employment policy will proceed by considering the need for businesses' flexibility and working people's feeling of security. The main concepts of the new NAPE introduce part-time work in the public sector, the decrease in contributions and the tax burden of new hiring of low wage earners and the creation of a services network of a social character. General Confederation of Workers of Greece (GSEE) President Christos Polyzogopoulos said ''we shall participate in the committee with special interest.'' He called for the specific assessment of employment policies applied to date and proposed the 35-hour work week for discussion, while demanding an increase in unemployment benefits to 80 percent of daily wages (according to the law unemployment benefits should reach 66 percent of daily wages, while in reality they reach 52. Polyzogopoulos also raised the issue of flexibility in the labor market in relation to the quality and security of labor, also on the occasion of Wednesday's tragic labor accidents. He also rejected the subsidization of hirings at the expense of social security's finances, saying ''we shall not go ahead with the logic of decreasing insurance funds' revenues.'' [02] PM receives Attica supraprefect, discuss prefectures' financesAthens 31/7/03 (ANA)The chairman of the Prefectures Association and Attika Supra-Prefect Fofi Gennimata on Wednesday said that in a meeting over prefecture finances Prime Minister Costas Simitis had shown understanding and pledged his personal attention to monitor a number of the issues.''We achieved an increase of our central independent resources for 2003, a total of 433.1 million euro, while the prime minister pledged the continuation of development resources into 2003'', Gennimata said. The Attika local governor was nevertheless contradicted by Drama, Kavala, Xanthi (northern Greece) Supra-Prefect Constantinos Tsatsis, who had also attended the meeting. ''We found understanding, however, we saw no results'', Tsatsis said, adding ''the central resources are for our operating expenses, but not a cent was given for the 2003 development re-sources, and we are forced to wait until 2004 or 2005 for re-sources of an unknown amount and without any legal backing.'' In response, Gennimata said that the ''prime minister instructed the deputy interior minister who was present at the meeting to proceed with the introduction of the amount for 2003, while official guidance is to be issued shortly'' Athens, Thessaloniki mayors 'unhappy' with results of talks on municipal funding : Both Athens and Thessaloniki mayors, Dora Bakoyianni and Vassilis Papageorgopoulos said they were not happy with the results of a meeting between Prime Minister Costas Simitis and local government representatives held on Wednesday over municipal finances. Bakoyianni said that law 1828, which regulates municipal finances and stipulates that 20 percent of state resources should go to local government, had not been implemented. ''There is a deviation between local government in Greece and the European standards'', the Athens mayor stressed. On his part, Papageorgopoulos warned that municipalities would very seriously consider the possibility of a shut-down or other types of protest action. In post-meeting statements, the chairman of Central Association of Municipalities and Communities of Greece (KEDKE) Paris Koukoulopoulos said that the prime minister had pledged to launch a special local government program (EPTA), which would be assigned to ministry departments responsible for financing program such as the Citizens Service Centers, Municipal Police and Help at Home. He also said that local administration would receive 310 million euro more than last year, and that municipality debts would be settled. Finally, Koukoulopoulos said the premier was upset over delays in the clarification of local government finance issues. Municipalities union to hold emergency meeting on finances in August : The Central Union of Municipalities and Communities of Greece (KEDKE) on Wednesday decided to call an emergency meeting during the last week of August, to discuss local authority finances. KEDKE arrived at the decision immediately after a meeting with Prime Minister Costas Simitis, feeling the premier had failed to give satisfactory answers to its demands. It said that local government's stance on local authority finance issues will be decided at the August meeting. [03] FM chairs National Security Council on Foreign Policy meetingAthens 31/7/03 (ANA)Foreign Minister George Papandreou on Wednesday met with the members of the newly formed National Security Council on Foreign Policy, which focused mainly on procedural issues of its function.Papandreou stressed that he was always a supporter of the wider possible consent and dialogue on foreign policy and expressed his joy for the realization of such a significant mandate of the Constitution, expressing his belief that this process will yield long term and very substantial results. He reiterated that the government remains responsible for the foreign policy of the country, but expressed his hope for cooperation, aid and criticism from the political parties as well, for the best possible function and formulation of the foreign policy. Ruling PASOK, main opposition New Democracy and the Coalition of the Movements and Ecology (Synaspismos) are participating, while the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) has not sent representatives. [04] Interior minister receives FM, discusses election lawAthens 31/7/03 (ANA)Interior Minister Costas Skandalidis on Wednesday received Foreign Minister George Papandreou and discussed issues concerning the future of Greece's political system.Papandreou, following the meeting, stressed that Skandalidis' proposals for the future of the political system of the country and its relations with the citizens were very positive. On his part, Skandalidis, in response to questions, said that the objections, voiced concerning the government's proposals on the election law, were respected, adding that the government will take the composition of views to the end of the line. The government will ‘‘neither go back nor forward. It will do what is good for the country,'' Skandalidis said. He called the changes of the election law and the administrative restructuring significant for the better contact of the administration with the citizen, which in turn, he added, is a significant precondition for the regional and economic development. [05] ND leader accuses ruling PASOK of reneging on pre-election promisesAthens 31/7/03 (ANA)Main opposition New Democracy (ND) leader Costas Karamanlis on Wednesday accused ruling PASOK party of making pre-election promises, stressing ''they may think that they can fool people, they are the same persons that promise everything and do very little''.''They are the persons that have been governing for the past 20 years and promise those things they were promising before the elections. For us this game must end here,'' Karamanlis said, in a speech he made in the Municipality of Alimos, southern Athens suburb. Karamanlis committed that his party will implement, in a kind of contract with the citizens, everything that was said before the elections, stressing ''our dreams for a better life can not wait any more. The big everyday problems of the citizens of the Athens metro area can not be left unattended anymore. Life in Athens can not take another downgrading''. [06] DM announces changes in military hierarchy legislationAthens 31/7/03 (ANA)Defense Minister Yiannos Papantoniou on Wednesday announced changes in legislation concerning the military hierarchy and movement in the armed forces' hierarchy, aiming to promote in full the ''force of the human resources of the Armed Forces''.''The system of promotions and development that is in force in the Greek Armed Forces has great inflexibility concerning seniority and promotions, which hinders the leadership on several levels from proceeding with austere merit based choices which will facilitate the full evaluation of human resources,'' Papantoniou said. He added that the legislation will contain safety valves to secure merit based choices. ''It is a pity for us to be committed excessively concerning issues of meritocracy and not to fully utilize the human resources we have,'' he underlined, and noted that he called on the leader-ship of the Armed Forces to submit proposals for the legislation changes. Papantoniou also stressed that ''the military leadership expressed its great satisfaction for the directions provided for the development and professional security of officers''. [07] Education minister attends ceremony at new University of Western MacedoniaAthens 31/7/03 (ANA)Education Minister Petros Efthymiou on Wednesday attended a ceremony for the installation of the Administration Board of Trustees at the new University of Western Macedonia in Kozani, northern Greece.Speaking at the ceremony, Efthimiou said the new University along with the Western Macedonia Educational Institution (TEI) would be a bipolar contribution to development in the entire region. The ceremony was also attended by Justice Minister Philippos Petsalnikos, deputy defense minister Lazaros Lotidis, deputy labor minister Lefteris Tziolas, regional deputies and local government leadership. [08] Parliament recess session passes controversial articles of part-time work billAthens 31/7/03 (ANA)The parliamentary recess session early Wednesday approved three controversial Articles of an interior ministry bill on ''part-time employment and services of a social character'' in a surprise roll-call vote held after a motion tabled at midnight by main opposition New Democracy party.Articles 3, 4 and 5 of the bill were approved with 52 votes for and 48 against by the 100 MPs comprising the first of three summer recess sessions. The bill was voted against by the opposition parties ND, Communist Party of Greece (KKE) and Coalition of the Left and Progress (SYN), and by independent MP Vassilis Kedikoglou, claiming that the bull had a purely ''pre-electoral'' character and did not solve the country's unemployment problem. Objections over the specific Articles claim that adequate clarifications are lacking on the ''social character'' activities fore-seen in the bill, and that the criteria are not designated for the selection of the private-law legal entities with which the part-time work contracts in the public sector will be signed. [09] Finmin says striking fuel truckers' demands are unwarrantedAthens 31/7/03 (ANA)Finance Minister Nikos Christodoulakis said on Wednesday that demands by striking petrol truck drivers over rates charged to suppliers were unwarranted.''This demand has no rational basis whatsoever,'' Christodoulakis told reporters. Rates had risen twice this year, and the rises had been implemented, he said. The indefinite struck by the fuel truck owners has brought disruption around the country with gas stations running out of supplies. The minister also urged strikers to take the social impact of the strike into account. ''No-one has the right to upset the holiday period and leave Greek families uncertain of their movements, unable to go on holiday,'' he added. Thessaloniki first victim of fuel tanker trucks strike: The first victim of a surprise strike commenced midnight Mon-day by owners of private liquid fuel tanker trucks appears to be the northern Greek capital of Thessaloniki, as by Wednesday most of the city's gas stations had run out of petrol, and a ferry due to sail for the island of Lesvos remained in port with 1,600 passengers aboard due to lack of fuel for the trip. The "Aiolos Kenteris" car/passenger speed ferry, belonging to the Lesvos Shipping Company (NEL), which was scheduled to set sail Wednesday morning for Limnos-Lesvos-Chios, was still in port at noon and, according to NEL official Efstratios Saliakelis, the company has sought the intervention of the local prosecutor for the ship's refueling. At the same time, according to gas station owners' president Dimos Vassiliadis, at least half of Thessaloniki's gas stations had run out of petrol by Wednesday, while it was anticipated that the remaining petrol stations will have depleted their fuel stock by noon Thursday. "Unfortunately, the tanker truck owners decided to launch their strike on the day that fuel supplies are delivered to most gas stations, and without warning at that, resulting in most gas stations having already been left with empty fuel tanks before the strike even began," Vassiliadis told ANA. The tanker truck owners have said they are determined to continue the strike indefinitely if their demands for implementation of an agreement reached earlier in the month to raise fuel transportation fees was not implemented by the petrol companies. At the same time, Thessaloniki tanker truck owners have taken up posts at the entrances of the loading docks of the petrol companies to prevent tanker trucks owned by the companies themselves to enter or leave the premises. Fuel truck strike threatens to ground tens of flights at Iraklion airport : Tens of flights due to take off on Thursday from the international airport at Iraklion, Crete, may be cancelled if gas shortage problems caused by a fuel truck strike are not solved by midnight on Wednesday. The Iraklion prefecture authorities are holding a series of successive emergency meetings to ensure that the ''Nikos Kazantzakis'' airport is not left totally without fuel, including contacts with the defense ministry and the commander of a local air force base for possible replenishment of the airport's fuel tanks with military supplies. Meanwhile, Iraklion residents are queuing outside a small number of gas stations that still have some gas reserves, while the majority of retailers at the Cretan capital are completely out of petrol. Sources said that hospitals were also expected to face problems in the event the surprise strike that commenced midnight Mon-day continues. [10] Workers of Athens-quoted cement makers blockade Turkish importAthens 31/7/03 (ANA)Workers of cement manufacturers Aget Heracles SA and Titan Cement Company SA, both quoted on the Athens bourse, blocked a consignment of Turkish cement on board the Turkish freighter ''Captan Turcun Akbas'', destined for a small northern cement works, in the northern port of Kavala on Wednesday, preventing it from being unloaded, while results of a quality check of the cement are being expected.Kavala dockers said importation of the white cement was legitimate, and the blockade was illegal by cement workers, who prevented unloading of the consignment of 2,850 tons from the Turkish vessel that was carrying it. They further said they suffered a serious financial loss as a result of the cement not being unloaded. Other consignments from Turkey, including marble and farm products, were unloaded in Kavala each week, but no protests had occurred by workers in those sectors, the dockers added. Quality controls are currently being conducted on a sample of the cement at a state laboratory. According to sources, the vessel is likely to set sail for the port of Halkida for unloading. [11] Steep prices top list of complaints to consumer watchdogAthens 31/7/03 (ANA)The majority of complaints from the public received by the INKA consumer watchdog group were allegations of profitee-ring.INKA said in a statement on Wednesday that steep and unwarranted price rises were reported across the board, including fruit and vegetables, a sector from which the government is already trying to eradicate profiteering. Unwarranted price hikes had been noted in holiday resorts in catering outlets and fuel. Elsewhere sharp hikes had been seen in foodstuffs, household goods and personal care items, along with insurance services and automobile servicing. Slimming institutes and time-sharing firms continued to be a repeated source of complaints, INKA said. [12] Greek-German energy contractor starts business in September31/7/03 (ANA)REpower Diekat SA, which is jointly owned by REpower Systems AG of Germany and Diekat, a Greek engineering con-tractor, is to go into business in September building wind parks in Greece.The subsidiary's German owner is quoted on the German bourse. It has branches in countries including Australia, France and Spain. [13] Greek Citibank executive to head Diners Club Europe31/7/03 (ANA)The general director of the Citibank Consumer Group in Greece, Christos Vassiliadis, has been appointed managing director of Diners Club Europe.Citigroup wholly acquired Diners Club Europe after purchasing a majority shareholding from GTP Holding SpA, raising its stake to 100 percent from 11.5 percent. [14] Stocks jump, led by banksAthens 31/7/03 (ANA)The Athens bourse finished higher on Wednesday led by the heavily weighted banking sector in an across the board buying spree that took the market towards resistance at 2,150 points, traders said.The general share index gained 2.43 percent to end at 2,146.77 points. Turnover was 204.8 million euros. The FTSE/ASE-20 index for blue chip and heavily traded stocks ended 2.43 percent up; the FTSE/ASE-40 for medium capitalization paper 3.32 percent higher; and the FTSE/ASE-80 for small cap equities finished with gains of 3.22 percent. Of stocks traded, advances led declines at 306 to 35 with 29 issues remaining unchanged. Bond Market Close: Sellers outstrip buyers on Wednesday Greek Benchmark 10-Year Bond Derivatives Market Close: Turnover at 120.7 mln euros Wednesday Equity Index Futures: Stock Futures: FOREIGN EXCHANGE Closing rates of July 30 2003 Parities in euro Banknotes For. Exchange Buying Selling US Dollar 1,151 1,124 [15] Culture minister visits Olympic Equestrian Centre in MarkopouloAthens 31/7/03 (ANA)Culture Minister Evangelos Venizelos visited the Olympic Equestrian Centre in Markopoulo, east of Athens, on Wednesday and said the project belongs to all Greeks and preparation for the Games is a major operation to achieve the country's true modernization.He was accompanied by Deputy Minister Nasos Alevras and Olympic Games General Secretary Costas Kartalis, while the visit comes a few days before the equestrian test event to take place on August 15-17. Venizelos said it is an original project and one of the best Olympic Equestrian Centers in the world. The Olympic Equestrian Centre includes the main jumping arena, covering an area of 9,625 square meters and having 6,000 permanent seats and an additional 14,000 seats with collapsible stands. The New Athens Race Course includes the main grandstand, covering an area of 30,650 square meters, and has a capacity of 8,000 seats, while horse races will be taking place along a stretch 1,950 meters long and 25 meters wide. Installations at the New Athens Race Course also include a host of supplementary buildings. Main opposition New Democracy party Deputy and head of the party's Olympic Games sector Fani Palli Petralia accused the government of incapability, ineffectiveness and financial excesses. ''Construction of the project was announced in 2001 with money from the state budget, and with a budget amounting to 102,000,000 euros, and on May 25, 2003, the relevant deputy minister Mr. Alevras notified ND officially that it is being constructed with a budget amounting to 181,029,082.91 euros, meaning an excess of at least 77.5 percent,'' Petralia said. ''The project, despite the fact it cost almost double the money, is not being delivered complete, as was anticipated by government planning for July, 2003,'' she added. [16] Two dead, one injured in labor accident in MenidiAthens 31/7/03 (ANA)Two workers died from noxious fumes and a third was seriously injured in a labor accident in Menidi on Wednesday morning, after they were trapped in a sewage manhole.The three men were part of a private crew was carrying out sewage works for Aharnon municipality, when Albanian national Dimitris Tsakalis, 32, entered the blocked manhole and fainted from the fumes. His colleague Vassili Rasa, 42, also an Albanian national, went into the manhole to help Tsakalis and also fainted from the poisonous gases. A third crewmember, Dimitris Kolovos, 45, also collapsed after going in to help his two colleagues. The Fire Brigade, which had in the meantime been alerted, removed the three men from the manhole, but Kolovos and Rasa were already dead, while Tsakalis was rushed to Sismanoglio hospital, where he was listed in critical condition. The local police station was investigating the accident. [17] Earthquake causes panic in Patras, residents spend night outdoorsAthens 31/7/03 (ANA)An earthquake measuring between 4.3 and 4.5 on the Richter scale jolted the western port city of Patras in the early hours of Wednesday, causing panic, and many local residents spent the night outdoors. No damage was immediately reported.According to the Athens Observatory's Geodynamic Institute, a 4.3 Richter earthquake was recorded at 1:44 a.m. at a distance of 100 kilometres south of Athens, with its epicenter in the Corinthian Gulf, 30 kilometres west of Patras, off Derveni community. The Patras University's Seismology Laboratory put the quake at 4.5 Richter, with the epicenter 4 kilometres south of Derveni and an epicenter depth of 10 kilometres. Many residents panicked and spent the night out on the streets as the earthquake gave a sharp jolt and was accompanied by a loud rumble, and followed a smaller trembler last week in the wider region of Akrata. [18] International culture and tourism in Balkans conference to take place in CorfuAthens 31/7/03 (ANA)An international conference on culture and tourism in the Balkans will be held in Corfu between September 19-21. It will be held in the framework of the countries of southeastern Europe's tourism cooperation memorandum signed in Vouliagmeni on[19] May 23 this year at the initiative of Development Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos.Athens 31/7/03 (ANA)The conference will be organized by the Greek Tourist Organization and the Ionian Islands Regional Service with the cooperation of the World Tourism Organization.Its aims will be to create a common cultural identity for the countries of southeastern Europe, promote the region's rich cultural heritage, utilize increased demand for cultural tourism and promote the region in general through common tourist packages. [20] Christodoulos Xiros insists charges against him are falseAthens 31/7/03 (ANA)Suspected ''November 17'' terrorist Christodoulos Xiros denied all the charges against him in his address to the Three-Member Criminal Appeals Court on Wednesday, claiming that the entire indictment was a fabrication concocted by the Anti-Terrorist Squad to support their arrests of Alexandros Giotopoulos and other members of the group.Earlier, the court had refused a request that his confessions before the 4th Examining Magistrate, in which several of the 19 defendants on trial are implicated, be disregarded as the product of psychological pressure. The court said he had failed to prove the use of either physical force or psychological duress in the stages leading up to and during his statement before the magistrate. They also noted that the presence of officers in the room during his meeting with the magistrate was justified as a security measure due to the nature of the case and pointed out that it had not been challenged by another 10 defendants in the case. According to Christodoulos Xiros, however, the only illegal activity he had ever engaged in was stealing cars with his brother Savvas - also on trial in this case - who had told him at the time that they would be used by ''friends involved in anti-establishment activity''. He repeated claims that his confessions had been dictated to him by Anti-Terrorist Squad officers, who had threatened his own life and that of his brother Savvas if he refused to cooperate with phrases like ''you'll get him back in a box'' and ''you realize we are on the 12th floor...you could jump''. He asserted that he had been taken to identify people that were unknown to him and instructed to identify them by codenames such as ''Lambros'' for Alexandros Giotopoulos, ''Vaggelis'' for Pavlos Serifis and ''Nikitas'' for Nikos Papanastasiou. According to the defendant, he had not immediately retracted his confessions because he was afraid for the life of his brother Savvas, who was still undergoing surgery to recover from his injuries. ''I was recruited into N17 on July 16, 2002, by the Anti-Terrorist Squad because they needed a way to support their scenarios of links between terrorist organizations,'' Xiros told the court, claiming that the trial would have taken place even if his brother Savvas had not been caught, with Alexandros Giotopoulos and Yiannis Serifis in the dock. Savvas Xiros’ arrest following a botched bombing attempt in June 2002 kicked-off an unprecedented investigation that led to the arrest of the other suspects -- including two of his brothers -- and to what authorities believe is the lethal and previously elusive terror band’s eradication. Confessions and depositions given by Xiros while in intensive care were instrumental to making these arrests. Among his fellow-defendants, Xiros claimed to be acquainted only with Dionysis Georgiadis, Vassilis Tzortzatos, Angeliki Sotiropoulou, Costas Telios and Nikos Papanastasiou. After his address to the court, Xiros refused to answer questions regarding his confessions, insisting that these were the product of coercion. [21] Athens court convicts British tourists for assaulting shopkeeper in PlakaAthens 31/7/03 (ANA)A British woman was sentenced to three months in prison by an Athens court on Wednesday, while her two sons were each given one-year jail sentences, with a three-year suspension, for assaulting a Greek shopkeeper in the old Athens district of Plaka after midnight on Saturday. The court acquitted her husband and granted her the right to buy off her sentence. All sentences can be appealed.The incident occurred when Andrew Glover, 44, his wife Vera Johnson-Staermus, 45 and their sons Frederick, 19, and Christian, 24, entered the souvenir shop of Dimitris Karamihalos, 49, in Andrianou street eating souvlakia. Karamihalos said they were probably drunk and had dropped pieces of paper and food on the floor. They also wiped them-selves with napkins he had on sale. When he asked them to clear up their mess, they assaulted him and broke one of his legs. He was taken to an Athens hospital and operated on, while the four Britons were arrested soon afterwards by police. All the defendants claimed in court that the shopkeeper was to blame for the incident after he threatened them with a crowbar. [22] US supports de-mining of areas in and around NicosiaNICOSIA 31/7/03 (ANA (CNA/ANA)The US welcomed ''the readiness expressed by both sides'' in Cyprus ''to discuss with the UN Forces in Cyprus the de-mining of areas in and around Nicosia, including within the UN buffer zone''.State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said ''removing the dangers that are posed by existing minefields could make an important contribution toward improving the atmosphere on the island, in particular by improving the safety with which Cypriots may cross the 'Green Line'.'' He noted however that confidence-building measures are not a substitute for a comprehensive settlement. Invited to comment on Cyprus President Tassos Papadopoulos' proposal to Turkish Cypriot leader Raul Denktash for a de-mining process of the entire dividing line, Boucher said ''we welcome the readiness now expressed by both sides on the island to discuss with the UN Forces in Cyprus the de-mining of areas in and around Nicosia, including within the UN buffer zone.'' ''This is the first time that both sides have announced a common desire to address this important issue. We hope these statements will translate quickly into concrete, practical results,'' he added. The State Department official added ''while we hope that genuine confidence-building measures improve the atmosphere on the island for achieving a settlement, we note that they are not a substitute for a comprehensive settlement.'' Invited to say if the US supports that the entire line should be de-mined, including the area he mentioned, Boucher said ''as much demining as occurs we would be supportive of. We understand the proposals at this point are demining in areas in and around Nicosia, including on the Green Line,'' he added. Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37 per cent of its territory. [23] Grains Commission to purchase grain from Turkish CypriotsNICOSIA 31/7/03 (CNA/ANA)The Grains Commission has decided to purchase 1,500 tons of grain, cultivated by Turkish Cypriots in the occupied areas of the island.Announcing here Wednesday the decision after a Cabinet meeting, Government Spokesman Kypros Chrisostomides said the land where the grain was produced is owned by Turkish Cypriots and is situated in the Potamia and Louroutzina areas, which border the UN-controlled buffer zone. In statements earlier this month, Interior Minister Andreas Christou said the effort which Cypriot farmers put into their work is the same whether this work takes place in the Turkish occupied north of the island or in the southern government controlled areas of the Republic. [24] German Minister of Finance to visit CyprusNICOSIA 31/7/03 (CNA/ANA)Hans Eichel, German Minister of Finance, was due to arrive here on Wednesday for a 24-hour visit.Eichel will be received on Thursday morning by President Tassos Papadopoulos and hold talks with his Cypriot counterpart Marcos Kyprianou. The two ministers will give a joint press conference afterwards. According to his program the German Minister will also have meetings with Governor of the Central Bank of Cyprus Christodoulos Christodoulou and the House Standing Committee on Financial and Budgetary Affairs. An official press release said that during his stay in Cyprus the German Minister will discuss different issues of common interest, the bilateral economic relations between Cyprus and the Federal Republic of Germany as well as issues regarding the island's European bid. Eichel leaves on Thursday afternoon. Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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