Antenna: News in English (AM), 97-06-19

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

News in English, 19/06/97

TITLES

• Prime minister Simitis calls the EU summit a success for Greece.
• Remembering Andreas Papandreou, a year after his death.
• And, Greece continues to rake in the medals at the Mediterranean Games.

AMSTERDAM

In Holland, EU leaders made amendments to the Maastricht treaty - which lays down the guidelines for closer European integration.

Speaking to the press, prime minister Kostas Simitis pointed to the positive decisions for Greece made at the EU summit.

The EU has now codified Greece's demand that it regard all its members borders with non-EU states, as EU borders. Greece considers that commitment to solidarity important, given its concerns about Turkish aggression in the Aegean. A Dutch proposal that the Western European Union be incorporated into the EU was rejected by Britain, which resists attempts to give the EU a defence framework independent of Nato.

Mr Simitis is also pleased that the Amsterdam document opens the way for special measures to be implemented to lend economic assistance to Greece's Aegean islands.

And the Greek leader likes the declaration that unemployment must be battled at an EU level. The EU undertakes to assist small and medium size businesses in making technological innovations that will create new jobs. The EU will also give tax incentives to employers to hire people.

After briefing Pasok's executive bureau on the summit Wednesday, Simitis told the press in Athens, "the EU is moving firmly ahead, extending its range of activities and fields of intervention, and becoming more integrated. Issues like the need for more democracy in EU institutions, and less bureaucracy were discussed. The need to create jobs is recognised, as is the fact that a stable European currency is vital to economic development".

Simitis said that in Amsterdam there was also general agreement that the council of finance ministers must be upgraded, to better promote economic and monetary union.

The EU leaders were determined in Amsterdam to come away with an agreement that would allow monetary union to move ahead on schedule.

To reach an economic agreement, they were willing to let some political issues remain unresolved until a later date, when no compromise could be reached.

One of the main institutional issues they couldn't agree on, is that of decision-making. The larger states want European council motions to be passed by a majority, rather than unanimously. Smaller states, like Greece, say that would give the bigger states, with more economic clout, too much political control. They want the existing veto to stay, to guarantee their voice will be heard. With no compromise worked out in Amsterdam, the veto stays, for now.

A second major political issue where there was no agreement, was over defence. Britain resisted a Franco-German attempt to incorporate the Western European Union into the EU. Britain opposes attempts to give the EU a defence framework independent of Nato.

Simitis says nonetheless that progress is being made in the area of creating a common foreign and defence policy for the EU.

ECONOMY

Healthy growth rates are also necessary for any nation to compete in the EU.

Greek finance minister Iannos Pa-pan-to-nEEou said after the Amsterdam summit that his nation's economy will grow by 3.5 per cent this year, as forecast by the government.

Pa-pan-to-nEEou notes that the 3.5 figure is HIGHER than the rate predicted by the EU's economic convergence guidelines. He adds that it translates into a higher growth in national income than that achieved by the rest of the EU. The growth figure is especially positive, he explains, because it is based on investments.

For the second straight year, says Pa-pan-to-nEEou, Greece will be covering some of the ground that separates it from Europe's strongest economies.

AMSTERDAM REACTION

New Democracy says only small steps were taken toward European unification.

Party spokesman Aris Spiliotopoulos disagrees with the prime minister's view that the EU has guaranteed the security of Greece's borders.

He also calls on the government to explain exactly how it aims to promote fiscal stability.

Left Coalition leader Nikos Constantopoulos says the necessary turn toward democracy and social concern wasn't made in Amsterdam. He accuses Pasok of having gone to the summit without any firm goals.

And Political Spring leader Antonis Samaras also believes that in Holland, the EU lost the chance to place more policy emphasis on social concern.

Samaras is also discouraged by the failure of the EU to create common foreign policy and defence policy mechanisms. At the summit, he concludes, EU leaders failed to make any serious decisions about the EU's future.

PAPANDREOU

Arriving in Iraklio, the Pasok founder's widow, Dimitra Papandreou, was the centre of attention.

In a statement to the press, she appeared to criticise the way the Pasok leadership is approaching both the anniversary, and the party's rank-and- file supporters.

Dimitra Papandreou said she was moved to be in Iraklio, which her late husband considered his second home. But many observers suggested there was also the motive of political advancement behind her presence.

She called the events organised by the mayor a populist approach to preserving her husband's memory. "Andreas Papandreou drew his strength from the people", she said, "and he needs the open demonstration of the people's love. SUCH events honour his memory", she added, appearing to suggest that the events organised by the Pasok leadership for this week, exclude the people, and do NOT honour her husband's memory.

The events in Iraklio included the official naming of a boulevard after Andreas Papandroeu, an exhibition of photos and newspapers pertaining to his life, and public speakers.

Dimitra Papandreou's thinly-veiled suggestion the Pasok leadership is cutting the people off from the party and the vision of its founder, is seen by many as a clear indication of her political ambitions.

Which she didn't deny.

When a reporter asked her if there's any truth to the rumours that she intends to enter politics, but not with Pasok, she simply replied, "Can we honour Andreas Papandreou's memory today, and leave all that talk alone?"

In contrast to Mrs Papandreou's highly-visible presence in Iraklio, Pasok's presence was low-key. It sent a low-ranking official, MP Nasos Alevras, it's communications secretary, to represent it.

None of Andreas Papandreou's children, all of whom he had before he met Dimitra, were in Iraklio.

ALBANIA

The abduction is yet another example of the lawlessness that prevails in Albania just days before national elections.

On Monday, Albanian Argron DalEEpees and his Greek business partner Andreas RandoyiAnnis were on the road with a coal shipment between Tebeleni and PremetEE, when the kidnappers and the businessmen's bodyguards exchanged shots. DalEEpees escaped.

DalEEpees escaped, but Randoyiannis is being held to ransom. DalEEpees reported the incident to the Greek consulate in Argyrokastro Wednesday.

Initially, the kidnappers demanded nearly 80 thousand dollars for the release of their captive. Following negoatiations, DalEEpee says they've agreed to accept a quarter of that.

It is believed that Ran-do-yiAnis is being held in the Pre-me-tEE area.

The violence and lawlessness reigning over Albania in the run-up to the June 29th elections has domestic and interational observers concerned.

Members of the Greek minority organisation "Omonia" say the most important thing now is for calm to prevail, so the national elections can be held.

Vassilis Ia-trOU is an ethnic-Greek who's running forparliament on the ticket of the Human Rights Party, which has many ethnic-Greek supporters.

He fears the police and secret services, controlled by members of president Sali Berisha's unpopular government are trying to stop the elections.

"We believe the elections will be held, though", adds Ia-trOU, "because the people want them to be". He says Greek-Albanians are ready to go to the polls, and notes with satisfaction that Greece favours the elections.

In an attempt to help allay the hardship at the root of so many of Albania's problems, Greece sent another shipment of food this week. The latest shipment went to PremetEE, courtesy of the Greek foreign ministry and the Repatriates Foundation, under the escort of Romanian peacekeepers.

CYPRUS

State department spokesman Nicholas Burns explains that the US is very concerned by reports that Turkish warships are sailing around ports in Turkish- occupied northern Cyprus.

The US intends to ask Turkey for explainations. "We don't know why the Turks are conducting the manoeuvres", says Burns.

The American spokesman said the US is also upset about violations of Cypriot airspace by Turkish jets two weeks ago.

GLIGOROV

Kiro Gli-gor-ov told US president Bill Clinton in Washington, that he likes the way the Greek government is handling things.

Gli-gor-ov said, "I explained our views of prime minister Kostas Simitis's government to president Clinton. We feel especially positive about Greece's orientation to the Balkans".

Simitis believes that Greece, as the only Balkan state with both Nato and European Union membership, has a leading role to play in promoting democracy and economic development in the region.

AMNESTY

The report findings were revealed to the press by Kostis Pa-pa-io-Annou, president of Amnesty's Greek section.

Turkey and China lead everyone in human rights abuses. Amnesty lists a number of abuses from executions without trial, to disappearances, to torture, to arrests without charge.

Pa-pa-io-Annou said of Turkey, "There was a systematic use of torture ending in the death of 25 people". Another 23 people "disappeared" while being detained by police. The death toll reached in the hundreds during Turkish army's operations against the Kurds in Eastern Turkey.

Most of those killed were civilians.

MEDITERRANEAN GAMES

On Tuesday Wednesday, Greek athletes added three gold, six silver, and three bronze medals to their country's total. That puts Greece in fourth place overall, with 14 gold, 15 silver, and 8 bronze medals.

Greek athletes continued to haul in the medals Tuesday. Olga Vas-dEki finished first in the triple jump, with a leap of 14.13 metres.

Weight-lifter Kachi Kakiashvilli added a second gold, lifting 212.5 kilos in 99-kilo snatch category.

Kakiashvilli also won a silver, lifting 167.5 kilos in the jerk.

Olympic medalist Niki Bakogianni picked up a silver in the high jump, clearing the bar at 1.93 metres.

Giorgos Panagiotopoulos finished second in the 200 metre race, with a time of 20.53 seconds.

And Katerina Koffa won silver in the woman's 200, clocking 22.8 seconds.

Greece's final silver came in swimming. Katia SarkatsAni finishing the individual 200 medley with a time of 2 minutes, 19.43 seconds.

Bronze medals were won by PrOdromos Korkizoglou, who scored Greek-record 7, 932 points in the decathlon; and by weight-lifter Alexandros Panatides, who lifted 162.5 kilos in the jerk, in the 108 kilo and over personal weight category.

On Wednesday, Chrysostomia Iakovou picked up the gold in the women's 10,000 metre race, with a time of 32 minutes, 34.88 seconds. That's a Greek record.

So is the Greek women's 400 relay team silver medal finish of 43.07 seconds.

Greece's third medal of the day came from the arm of Angeliki Tsiolakoudi, who picked up the bronze for throwing the javelin 56.7 metres.

© ANT1 Radio 1997

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