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Antenna: News in English (AM), 97-09-23Antenna Radio News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: Antenna Radio <http://www.antenna.gr> - email: antenna@compulink.grNews in English 23/09/97TITLES
CLINTONUS president Bill Clinton has often said that he puts a premium on resolving Greek Turkish differences. And, addressing the UN general assembly at its opening session Monday, he returned to the theme, placing those differences among the international problems which require immediate attention."People in the world......are between Greece and Turkey.....and Pakistan." The Greek and Turkish foreign ministers are to meet in New York in a few days - a result of US mediation efforts. But many diplomats believe that tension has been so high recently that little will come of that meeting. The more pessimistic doubt that there will even be a restatement of the principles laid out in the recently-signed Greek- Turkish non-aggression pact. US secretary of state Madeleine Albright will also have separate meetings with the Greek and Turkish foreign ministers in New York Wednesday. Vartholomeos pushed environmental issues onto the Orthodox Church's agenda in the late 1980s. He is scheduled to meet with president Bill Clinton when he visits the US next month. This year's congress, being held on a boat in the Black Sea, is looking at the problems the Black Sea is facing. Over 250 experts, activisits, politicians, and religious leaders are at the sea-going congress... getting a first-hand, week-long view of the problems they're discussing. As the congress boat set sail from the Turkish port of Trapezounda, Turkish president Suleiman Demirel sent a message, wishing Vartholomeos success in his environmental efforts. But there were problems. On Friday, a day before the congress started, 30 members of the Turkish nationalist extremist organisation the Grey Wolves, shouted slogans at the delegates, throwing stones and other objects at them as they tried to make their way to their boat, the Elevtherios Venizelos. On Saturday, the wolves were out again, shouting slogans at the boat. The authorities prevented some arriving delegates from boarding the congress boat, arguing that they didn't have visas. That problem was worked out when the Turkish ambassador faxed a list of the delegates' names to the Turkish authorities. And while three Turkish newspapers condemned the violent episode sparked by the grey wolves, one local paper ran the front-page headline: "The Patriarch Pollutes the Black Sea". SIMITISThe Greek prime minister said over the weekend that Turkey will not get a penny of European Union financial aid if it doesn't put an end to its claims on Greek soil in the Aegean.Asking Pasok's Central Committee to endorse his foreign policy, Kostas Simitis also defended the non-aggression pact he signed with Turkey at the recent Nato summit. Kostas Simitis got what he wanted from Pasok's central committee, overwhelming endorsement of his foreign policy. But there were a number of disagreements expressed by party members at the weekend conference. In his speech, the prime minister was low key, focussing on the best way to approach relations with Turkey. Simitis was unequivocal lin stating that Greece will not play Turkey's game of questioning Greek sovereignty in the Aegean. Turkey has often talked over the past year of so-called "grey zones" in the Aegean, referring to dozens of small Greek isles which Ankara wants to anex. But Simitis told the central committee: "There are no grey zones". He warned the Turks that if they don't give up what he called their irrational claims on Greek soil, then they can forget about getting aid money from the European Union. However, the prime minister also defended the non- aggression pact he signed with Turkey at the last Nato summit. That agreement calls on both sides to refrain from acts and words that can worsen bilateral tensions. Simitis's re-endorsement of the pact provoked some negative reaction at the central committee meeting. To those who object to the agreement, brokered by the United States, Simitis argued that quote "isolation and inactivity carry are normally paid for with setbacks on major foreign policy issues". Opposing the accord, Anatastasios Peponis said, "It's not a question of whether or not you should be active, but whether or not your moves get results". Fearing Greece is being manipulated into accepting Turkish demands, Giannis Kapsis said, "Flexibility is one thing, malleability is another". Foreign minister Theodoros Panagalos was caustic in dealing with the opposition. Defending the non- aggression pact, he said those who oppose it are whining, and, by focussing too much on Turkey, failing to understand Greece's wider international role. Education minister Gerasimos Arsenis distanced himself slightly from the government's policy. Agreeing that Greece can't afford to isolate itself in the international diplomatic community, he also said Greece has got to make it clear that Turkey is the reason the two countries can't talk to each other. Arsenis asked that the opinions of those who disagree with the government's policy be included in the document approved by the central committee. POLL - ALKOA year after Kostas Simitis was elected to power, an ALCO poll conducted for Antenna television appears to confirm that the two large parties, Pasok and New Democracy, are laps ahead of the rest.The Antenna/ALKO poll puts New Democracy 3 points ahead of ruling Pasok with voters. The communist party or KKE, the Left Coalition, the Democratic Movement or Diki, and Political Spring are miles behind, garnering a total of around 14 per cent of the voters' support. A large section of the eletorate - 20.6 per cent - is undecided, an ongoing trend. Most of the undecided voters are people who traditionally vote Pasok. According to the poll, of the parties with seats in the current parliament, the communist party and New Democracy have done the best job of keeping their traditional voters loyal. Prime minister Kostas Simitis and New Democracy leader Kostas Karamanlis get high marks from the same number of voters - 24 per cent, and are close when it comes to those who say they have done a fair or a poor job. POLLIn the second part of that poll, voters were asked who they thought would win an election if one were held now. More people said Pasok than New Democracy. Pasok's high marks there may be because many of the undecided voters tend toward the ruling party.40 per cent of those polled by Alco say Pasok would win an election if it were held now; only 23 per cent picked New Democracy. Development minister Vaso Papandreou says that result shows the majority of the Greek people is satisifed with the government's performance. She added though that Pasok has got to do more, though, and speed up the pace at which it is working. MP Stephanos Manos of New Democracy says the poll shows HIS party has got to try harder to make ground on the government, which he says has really accomplished nothing. In the poll, voters were also asked what they consider the government's biggest failings. 25 per cent said its economic policies have been a failure. 23 per cent are unhappy with its social policies. Kostas Panagopoulos says those figures may be a result of unpopular belt- tightening measures. New Democracy also has its Achilles heels. 29 per cent of those asked consider in-fighting a major weakness. 17 per cent say the legacy of the New Democracy government from 1990 to 1993 is a great hindrance to the party's popularity. Commenting on the poll results, New Democracy spokesman Aris Spiliotopoulos said Pasok benefitted from a wave of emotion that followed Athens' success in winning the 2004 Olympic bid. The truth is, he added, New Democracy is really far ahead. SIMITIS - DASKALAKITwo-and-a-half weeks after the International Olympic Committee gave Athens the nod to host the 2004 summer Olympics, the prime minister met with the head of the Athens Bid Committee.Kostas Simitis and Yianna Angelopoulou-Daskalaki focussed on what role Daskalaki will play now that the capital has got the games, and they need to be organised. Simitis discussed the financial aspects of the Games when he met with Bank of Greece director Lukas Papadimos last week. Continuing his round of contacts related to the Olympics, the prime minister will meet with Athens mayor Dimitris Avramopoulos on Wednesday. MOSCHONISSIAFor the first time in 75 years, the Church of the Archangels in Turkey on the Aegean, opened its doors to the Greek orthodox faithful, and a mass was held.Residents of the island of Lesvos and the province of Thrace made the journey to participate in the service in the Church in Moschonissia, the first since the Turks slaughtered thousands of Greeks in 1922, destroying Greek communities and driving thousands out of Asia Minor. The Church of the Archangels was once the metropolitan cathedral of Moschonissia. Today it stands as a monument to Hellenism, and the hardships it has endured. EXHIBITION1,170 paintings of Alexander the Great are on exhibition at a warehouse near the port of Thessaloniki.Architect, painter, and writer Evthymios VarlAmis worked 15 years at getting the exhibition at Apothiki Deka together. He says his aim was to get as close as possible to that period in Greek history, when Alexander spread the gift of Hellenism throughout the known world. The "Alexander 2000" exhibition will go to Europe, Asia, Australia, and the US after it leaves Greece. SOCCERIn first division soccer over the weekend, Ionikos, Iraklis, and Panathinaikos all stretched their records out to three and oh.Ionikos sends Veria down to its second defeat of the season. Iraklis also hands Ethnikos its second loss of the season. And Panachaiki is oh and three after its home loss to Pao. Xanthi has a win and a draw after its 1-1 tie with Paok. Proodevtiki and Ofi both have a win, a draw and a loss after their match, as does Panionios. Elsewhere, Apollon has an easy time at home, and Kavala hangs on against Athinaikos. BASKETBALLIn pro-basketball, Olympiakos is two games away from repeating as the nation's cup holder.Olympiakos moved into the semifinals of the tournament with a victory over Sporting. Aek also advanced, with a narrow escape against Apollon Patra. The other two semifinalists are Panathinaikos and Aris, who breezed through their quarterfinal match-ups. The tournament final four is slated for January 31st and February 1st. DIMITSANAWater-driven machines played a major role in the industrial revolution, helping man radically transform production techniques in the 19th century.Machinery has always played a major role in determining the way in which people live. A museum unique to the Balkans in DimitsAna in the Pelponese preserves a part of the history of some of those machines. It houses water- driven machines from times long past. This might be mistaken for a musical instrument. But it's not; It was once used to manufacture gun- powder. Visitors to the exhibition will find a number of items on display: a water- mill, a water-saw, and many other objects that were once a part of daily working life. All the exhibits on display actually work: that gives visitors a chance to familiarise themselves even better with life in the Greek countryside in former times. © ANT1 Radio 1997Antenna Radio News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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