Antenna: News in English (AM), 97-10-16

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

CONTENTS

[01] Albania - Simitis

[02] Turkey - Violations

[03] Ôurkey - Missiles

[04] Stefanopoulos

[05] Latvia

[06] PASOK

[07] Education

[08] Basketball

[09] Barcelona

[10] Alexander the Great

[01] Albania - Simitis

(Updated: 16/10/1997, 11:00)

Kostas Simitis pledged his support to Albania, as it tries to rebuild its economy, police, and armed forces after the turmoil that drove the country to the brink of total anarchy earlier this year.

The Greek prime minister met with Albanian leaders in Tirana Wednesday.

Prime minister Kostas Simitis was warmly welcomed in Tirana, where he arrived with a message of support and friendship for a nation struggling back from months of lawless insurgency and trying to overcome chronic poverty.

"Greece is determined to help its neighbour rebuild its economy, police and army", said Simitis.

The Greek leader is concerned that the problems of Albania will spill over into Greece. During his meeting with newly-elected prime minister Fatos Nano and other officials, Simitis talked about illegal immigration to Greece, and ways of dealing with criminal elements which still operate virtually with impunity in southern Albania, sometimes trying to smuggle drugs and guns into Greece.

What was agreed on was the setting up of a common effort to beef up border patrols.

Simitis is also concerned about the welfare of the Greek minority in Albania. In Tirana, he was pleased to hear that minority schools will be built all over the country.

The Greek leader met with orthodox archbishop of Albania, Anastasios. It was an opportunity for him to hear about the problems of the ethnic-Greeks first hand.

Simitis said after meeting with Nano that they see things the same way when it comes to the most important issues: the situation of the Greek minority, and the flood of illegal immigrants into Greece in search of a better life.

As the strongest economy in the Balkans, Greece is best able to help Albania get on its feet as it enters the new world of free enterprise.

Simitis attended the opening of the National Bank of Greece branch in Tirana. The branch will serve as a channel for Greek investments in Albania.

"Development in the Balkans benefits all the countries in the region", Simitis told reporters after his meeting with Nano. "The development of Albania benefits Greece, and closer cooperation with Greece benefits Albania".

Greece and Albania have already agreed to cooperate in military and police matters, and in the construction and telecommunications industries.

And Greece has promised its neighbour a 73 million dollar loan.

Nano said Albania attaches great importance to partnership with Greece, which will help create the foundations of a European-style democracy in his country.

[02] Turkey - Violations

Turkish jets flew over the airport of Pafos as two Greek planes were landing. Turkish jets were also chased away by Greek fighters as they flew over the sea between Cyprus, Rhodes, and Crete.

Greece and Cyprus ended their exercises Nikiforos and Toxotees with a parade in Larnaca Wednesday. The manoeuvres showed the commitment of both nations to remain allied against the Turkish military threat.

After the parade, also attended by Greek defence minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos, Cypriot president Glavcos Clirides said Hellenism should be proud of its armed forces. He added that this year's Nikiforos was the most impressive ever. Asked to comment on the Turkish incursions, he responded: "They've given us a good chance to see how the joint defence doctrine with Greece works".

Tsochatzopoulos congratulated Cyprus's men in uniform and praised the massive participation of the country's reservists in the parade.

"We should all be satisfied", said Tsochatzopoulos. "Peace", he added, "means a strong defence, which is what we saw today".

As they had done since Sunday, Turkish war planes continued to provoke, flying over the Cypriot air base of Pafos, and again making numerous incursions into the Greek and Cypriot- controlled air space between Cyprus, Rhodes, and Crete.

They even tried to stop four Greek fighters from making their way to the parade, by engaging with them over Pafos. The Greek air force sent 6 F-16s to free the planes, which made it to the parade.

All day, Greek fighters chased the intruders away from Greek and Cypriot airspace.

[03] Turkey - Missiles

US Cyprus envoy Richard Holbrooke was in Turkey this week. He merely listened to Ankara's views.

If he had hoped to hear Turkey talking about finding a solution to the Cyprus problem, then he failed: Ankara has just announced that IT will be conducting exercises soon in northern Cyprus, which it's occupied since 1974.

Nonetheless, as we hear in this report, Turkish officials DO appear intent on defusing the tensions of recent days.

Following its massive air space violations, Turkey is now showing a desire to tone things down. Turkish state minister Soukrou SinA Giourel told reporters Wednesday that his country has no intention of playing war games. "I don't see any dangerous escalation of tension", he said.

The same line was followed by Turkish general Ismael Haki Karadayi. According to the Turkish daily "Sabah", the Turkish chief of staff said that any worries about an eventual conflict between Greece and Turkey over Cyprus problem are unwarranted.

But the menacing face wasn't far away: he also said Turkey doesn't need to fight Greece, because Turkey's obvious military supremacy means what the outcome of a war would be, is clear to everyone.

And Gioure repeated Ankara's demand for a bilateral dialogue to resolve all his country's differences with Greece. Athens rejects that, because it is a ploy by Ankara to get its numerous claims on the Greek Aegean onto a negotiating agenda.

The English-language "Turkish Daily News" reports that in response to Cyprus's decision to deploy Russian anti-aircraft missiles next year, Turkey has decided to co-produce missiles with Israel. The Delila missiles have a range of 500 kilometres.

US Cyprus envoy Richard Holbrooke wants a reinstatement of the military flight moratorium over Cyprus, and a moratorium on flights over the central Aegean.

Athens points out that, as far as the Aegean goes, that would amount to Greece forfeiting its sovereign rights to its own air space. Regarding Cyprus, it points out that it should be remembered that Turkey's military occupation of the northern part of the island is the cause of all the problems there.

Greek defence minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos said while in Cyprus that Greece and Cyprus must have common goals; otherwise, any international attempts to mediate a solution to the Cyprus problem will come at the expense of Hellenism.

He added that the Cyprus problem is not a Greek- Turkish affair, but an issue for all of Europe. The admission of Cyprus into the European Union, he said, will open up new horizons for the resolution of the Cyprus problem.

Talks on Cypriot entry into the EU are beginning next year, over the objections of Turkey.

[04] StefanopoulosCommenting on the Turkish air space violation, the Greek president said Wednesday that Greece faces danger from the east.

The president added that there's no reason for the Greek people to fear the Turks. The faith and patriotism of Greece's troops, and their desire to defend their country, are enough to deal with the danger.

[05] Latvia

[06] PASOK

local and regional elections.

The matter was discussed by the ruling party's Political Secretariat.

Pasok secretary Kostas Skandalides said after the meeting that the party will be looking for election allies all over the country, but is particularly interested in forming fronts in Athens, Piraeus, and Thessaloniki, the three largest cities.

[07] Education

The government is abolishing the current university entrance exams. It is also putting an end to a rule that provides for pupils with low marks to take year- end exams to be promoted to the next class.

Theodoros Exar-chAkos, head of the Pedagogic Insitute, says that will allow the school year to be extended by a month, as exam study periods will be unnecessary.

The changes will be implemented in 1999 and the year 2000.

[08] Basketball

NBA teams have won all 7 of the previous tournaments.

Olympiakos arrived in Paris Wednesday, WITH big

man Dragan Tarlach. There was concern when he injured his elbow in a game Tuesday. But the injury is less serious than thought at first, and the only question is whether or not he'll suit up for his team's opener Thursday.

Losing Tarlach would have been a disaster for the Greek club - centre Panayiotis Fassoulas is already out with an injury.

Coach Dussan Ivkovich said at Athens airport before the team left, that the tournament will be a learning experience for his players. "We can't cause trouble for an NBA team that doesn't play against zones", he reflected. "But we'll play our open court offense, and pressing defence".

The fans lined up to get an autograph from the Chicago Bulls in Paris Wednesday, or maybe just a photo.

Michael Jordan and company worked out lightly - Michael's son Jeffrey was on the court with them.

Outside, adoring kids awaited there heroes.

Despite the heroes' welcome, Chicago coach Phil Jackson isn't so sure the other teams in the tournament, which include Paris-St Germain, Barcelona, Benetton Trevizo, and Argentina's Olympia de Cordoba, will be pushovers.

The Bulls will be without two of their superstars: Dennis Rodman and Scottie Pippen. Jackson says Rodman's absence concerns him, because it leaves his team vulnerable inside.

The Bulls arrived in Paris having lost two of their last three pre-season NBA games, and Jackson says they're not as ready to play as the European and Argentinian teams, who begin training two months earlier than the NBA teams every year.

Jackson also says the NBA's 14 and oh record in the McDonald's tournaments to date, is an added pressure on his team.

The man who built the Bulls into a dynasty is sure

of one thing: the Paris matches will be exciting.

[09] Barcelona

Antenna's Edo Dell'Ara went to Barcelona, host of the 1992 Games, and talked to a number of people, who assessed how the city came out of it.

Narcisa Salvador, who works for the city, says it was smart of Barcelona to build the Olympic Village on city-owned land in one of the swankiest shore- front districts. Three years after the games, the city had sold 5 thousand of the apartments, turning the Games to profit.

Louis Fois of the newspaper La Vanguardia says the Games were great for tourism too. Not just in 1992, but ever since. The Olympics put the city on the tourist map, and all the installations and infrastructure built for the Games made the city more attractive to visitors.

Ever since the Games, tourism has been booming. There were 4.3 million visitors to the city in 1992. In 1997, the target is 7 million.

All of which sounds very promising for Athens.

[10] Alexander the Great

It's an age old question, referring not only to Alexander's spirit, but also fueled by mythology and the fact that his tomb has never been found.

In honour of the legendary warrior, excerpts from Antenna's succesful TV documentary series entitled

"Is Alexander the Great alive ?", were shown at the

Piraeus Municipal Theatre Tuesday evening.

Antenna's documentaries on Alexander the Great are an artistic journey back through the life of the legendary Greek warrior, who, by the age of thirty had conquered all of Asia minor and reached India.

Much mystery surrounds Alexander's death at the age of thirty-three. The two mains theories are that he died of a fever and that he was poisoned by his enemies. Until his remains are found, we will never know the truth.

Legend has it that in Alexander's search for immortality, he brought water back from Asia, water that gave all who drank it immortality.

Tired from his journey, Alexander gave his sister the water for safe- keeping. Not knowing what it was, she innocently drank it.

Upon waking, and discovering what his sister had done Alexander began to tear his hair out. His sister, now immortal, became a mermaid, filling the seas with her tears of regret. She now combs the seas asking sailors the same question over and over...Is Alexander alive?

Those who answer yes are granted calm seas and wished a safe journey by the mermaid. Those who answer no, are avenged with a tempest, and the angry mermaid sinks their ships without mercy.

Nikos Sofianos, director of the Antenna series says, "The question of whether or not Alexander is alive, is in part answered by this informative seven hour documentary".

He adds, "This is an unending story. I believe the documentaries on Alexander won't stop here. There is such a tremendous amount to learn about his life".

He hopes the documentaries will also be shown outside Greece.

Last Updated: Thursday, 16-Oct-97 11:37:59

(c) ANT1 Radio 1997

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