Antenna: News in English (AM), 97-03-01

Antenna Radio News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: Antenna Radio <http://www.antenna.gr> - email: antenna@compulink.gr

News in English, 01/03/97

TITLES

• Nato's secretary general pins Nato expansion to improvements in Greek- Turkish relations.
• The official art of the Soviet Union gets a showing in Athens.
• And, Greek-Americans stage Aristophanes a-la Broadway, in New York.

NATO

The Greek leader discussed Greek-Turkish relations with the Nato secretary general Friday. Javier Solana says the moratorium extension is one of several steps Greece and Turkey could take to reduce tensions between them.

Nato secretary Javier Solana arrived in Athens for talks with prime minister Kostas Simitis, eagre to contribute to a smoothing out of Greek- Turkish relations.

Nato's priority right now is extending into eastern Europe. But Solana says that before that can go ahead, all must be well on the alliance's southeastern flank - in other words, between Greece and Turkey.

Relations between the two Nato members have been strained by Turkish attempts to question Greek sovereignty in the Aegean.

Solana thinks the best way forward is for both countries to agree to measures that could take the tension and uncertainty out of their relations.

The Nato secretary said in Athens that he sees a 1988 agreement between the Greek and Turkish foreign ministers, on the need to reduce tensions in the Aegean, as a model to go by.

That agreement calls for a moratorium on Greek and Turkish military exercises in the Aegean for two months in the summer. Solana would like to see that extended to four months.

The 1988 agreement also calls for Greece and Turkey to provide Nato with records of flights over the Aegeanm and for Nato observers to be stationed on both sides of the Aegean. Says Solana,

"We'd like to build on the 1988 Papoulias-Gilmaz agreement, and we do the same thing in the summer. I'll do what I can to further agreement between the two countries".

Prime minister Simitis said he agrees there's a need to confront the problems between Greece and Turkey. He also noted that the Papoulias-Gilmaz agreement of 1988 outlines several general principles concerning the need to prevent tensions from escalating.

ND

New Democracy leader Miltiades Evert was the first of the three candidates to arrive in Thessaloniki.

The weekend conference - where proposed changes to the party's charter and programme will be discussed - is being held to prepare for the party congress, that starts March 21st.

And the congress is where the new party leader will be elected.

Evert told his supporters NOT to turn up to greet him when he arrived in Thessaloniki, and they obeyed. He said that as party leader, he doesn't want to come into conflict with any party members.

Evert added that the weekend conference and the congress will promote unity in the party, help it modernise, and give the Greek people new hope.

Kostas Karamanlis received an enthusiastic welcome from his supporters at the airport. Thanking them for their support, he promised to fight for renewal of the party.

Giorgos Souflias arrived in Thessalonik by car, making a stop in his native Larisa, where he was also received enthusiastically.

Souflias told a rally his only goal is to unite the party and help it win the next parliamentary elections.

STOCKS

The market was off 6 per cent shortly before closing. Intervention by state banks helped it rally back to close 5 per cent lower than Thursday's close. Analysts say that without the banks stepping in, the market could have dropped as much as 8 per cent on the day. As it was, the total two-day loss came to around 10 per cent.

And for the second straight day angry investors called for the chairman of the Capital Market Committee, a government appointee, to resign.

They say his advice that investors should watch out sparked the sell offs that started Thursday.

People who put their money into the stock market at the beginning of the year will have made handsome profits. But those who bought stock over the past three days have lost up to 20 per cent of their investments.

Some brokers say they're still confident that the market will rebound from its current slump.

TAXES

If you not only own property in Greece, but earn income from it, then you will also have to file a supplementary form, the E-2.

If you live abroad, but plan to be in Greece this summer, send the tax office a certified letter saying you will file BOTH forms when you arrive in Greece.

Ignoring the tax man just because you live thousands of miles away could be costly: fines of up to 4 thousand US dollars will be imposed on people who don't file the E-2 and the E-9.

TEACHERS

One education ministry official says there is reason to believe that the teachers will reverse their decision to continue their strike into its seventh week.

At the centre of the dispute is pay. The government has made what it calls its final pay offer - the teachers say that's 200 dollars a month too short.

Education minister Gerasimos Arsenis called on the teachers to put their sense of responsibility first, and get back to work, before the school year is lost.

The second grading period of the school year ended Friday, but there were few grades to be handed out: 32 of the 51 school days over the last 3 months have been lost to the strike.

ART

Socialist realism flourished in the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin.

An exhibition of works gives the westerner a good look at an art form the purpose of which was to glorify the Stalinist regime.

Socialist realism became the official art form of the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin. It fell with the Berlin Wall.

Stelios Bouras, a Greek law professor at the University of Kiev collected some 100 socialist realism canvasses over several decades.

Those works recently went on exhibit at the Kifissia Exhibition Centre, in the northern Athenian suburb of Kifissia.

Giving visitors a golden opportunity to take a retrospective peek at the dominant aesthetic behind the iron curtain, a peek denied them throughout the years of the Cold War.

Socialist realism can tell us much about the way Soviet rulers wanted their people to see their society.

According to art historian Manos Stephanides, socialist realism was propaganda, an art form dedicated to deifying workers, farmers, and the Soviet regime, especially Joseph Stalin.

Lenin is also deified by the socialist realists - but he never lived to see the Stalinist art form flourish - it's just as well, says Stephanides, suggesting that Lenin, an adamant opponent of personality cults, and also an opponent of tailoring art to the needs of politics, would have been none to pleased.

PLAY

METROPOLITAN MUSEUM

The Met management says it is proud to be hosting the event, which comprises Byzantine treasures culled from collections and monasteries around the world.

Greek participation is significant: Not only is Greece lending 50 pieces to the exhibition, it's the major financial sponsor. It's said that Greece's Credit Bank alone has funded the exhibition to the tune of 2 million dollars. Greek governemnt representatives will attend the opening.

This unique exhibition isn't be just about showing off Byzantine art, but also about showing how Byzantine civilisation influenced other civilisations, to the east and the west.

PRINCE ALEXANDER

Vuk Drazgovich adds that the solution to Serbia's troubles lies in the restoration of the crown.

Antenna correspondent Panos Polyzoides recently spoke with Serb opposition leaders and Alexander, who would be Serbia's crown prince if the monarchy were brought back.

In London, Vuk Drazgovich recently discussed the political situation in in Serbia with two other Serb opponents of the Milosevich government: Belgrade's mayor elect Soren Jinjich and Vesna Pesitch. The three politicians are the leaders of the anti-Milosevch coalition, Zyerno.

While in London, they also met with Alexander, who would be Serbia's crown prince IF the monarchy were restored.

Drazgovich believes the crown should be brought back:

"Serbia needs today a Serbian Juan Carlos. Why? Because, first of all there's the Serbian tradition".

Alexander firmly believes that democracy must be encouraged in Serbia, especially freedom of the press. He lauds the efforts of all those who have struggled against Milosevich in the name of freedom. He was pleased with the way his talks with the Coalition leaders went.

"I'm proud of the Coalition for their efforts to bring democracy, human rights, to Serbia. They've worked very hard, along with the students. We spoke about this, we spoke about the great strength they have and the need for the west to recognize them and the west to help them, because the Serbian people are going through great hardship, great economic hardship and the future must be bright".

During their exclusive interview with Antenna, Alexander and Drazgovich said they lend each other mutual support.

"I support all 3, their efforts and the students efforts in bringing democracy to Serbia and I think they all should be congratulated for this great effort".

"Crown pince Alexander was born and educatied in the West and we need him back".

What unites many of Milosevich's opponents is a desire for democracy and the prospect of a better tomorrow for their desperate country.

© ANT1 Radio 1997

Antenna Radio News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article