Antenna: News in English (PM), 97-10-31

Antenna News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

Last Updated: Friday, 31-Oct-97 13:50:34

CONTENTS

[01] Patriarch

[02] Turkey

[03] Grossman

[04] Stock Market

[05] Snowstorm

[06] Medical

[07] Russian frigate

[08] Kallas

[01] Patriarch

Vartholomeos attended a breakfast in his honour at Cardinal Low's residence.

Welcoming ecumenical orthodox patriarch Vartholomeos, cardinal Bernard Low talked of the importance of the Orthodox and Catholic faiths.

"Our Holy Father Pope John Paul II set the task before us to be conscious of the need for the Church always to breathe with two lungs, the lung of the East and the lung of the West. There is a common patrimony that the Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church both rejoice in. It's a patrimony of holiness, it's a patrimony of conciliar teaching. And so the extent to which we are conscious - both of us - that we need to breathe with two lungs, to that extent, we're gonna be much healthier in our life as church in the world".

Responding, the patriarch spoke of the need for Christian churches to go back to their roots in unity.

"As we stand before the 3rd Millennium, we ought to recognise the force of Christianity to repent and return to its undisputed beginnings. If we do not do so, will not a curse await us when the Lord returns to his earth? We thank you for your attention and your love. Our personal love overshadows this event without darkness, but yet the general problem has not yet been cast out of our midst. That would consist of a full and realised unity. For this we would dissolve to tears. So be it".

Vartholomeos, with his message of love and unity, has been received enthusiastically in Massachusetts. Not only by the orthodox faithful.

Senator Ted Kennedy, the state governor, and the mayor of Boston paid tribute to the patriarch, welcoming him with the same enthusiasm that Greek- Americans have.

[02] Turkey

But at a meeting earlier with the leader of political spring, Akis Tsochatzopoulos said that in the sort term Turkey will change its tactic of using strongarm tactics to get its way.

Tsochatzopoulos says that despite its recent provocations of Greece, and in view of next week's meeting between the Greek and Turkish prime ministers, Ankara will act in a more civilised way, in order to advance its aims of joining the European Union.

Defence minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos was asked to comment on Turkey's apparent Dr Jekyll-Mr Hyde approach to Greece in recent days.

Early in the week, the chairman of the Turkish joint chiefs of staff wrote an odd letter to Nato, asking it to intervene to stop what he called an emerging Greek-Russian alliance against Turkey.

Last week, Turkey was again provocative. After one of its warships harassed a Greek naval vessel in the Aegean, it made up a non-existent incident, saying that the Greek ship had tried to stop a Turkish sub from surfacing.

But at a reception marking the anniversary of the founding of Turkey, Turkish ambassador to Athens wore a different face. Shaking hands with chairman of the Greek joint chiefs of staff, he said the Greek prime minister should visit Ankara.

After meeting with Political Spring leader Antonis Samaras Thursday, Tsochatzopoulos explained

Turkey's contradictory approach to Greece.

"With things like the Nato letter and the sea incident", he said, "Turkey is trying to create the impression that Greece is causing problems, so that Turkey isn't left alone in the role of regional trouble-maker".

Tsochatzopoulos added that Turkey's ploy is understood, and won't last for long. Despite its destabilising behaviour, he explained, Ankara understands that in the medium-term, it must behave like a European state if it wants to move closer to Europe.

During his meeting with Samaras, Tsochatzopoulos briefed the Spring leader on recent developments over Cyprus and in Greek-Turkish relations.

The defence minister said Greece is moving ahead with its new defence policy, determined to make its armed forces even better able to defend the country and regional security.

Peace, security, and regional cooperation, he added, are predicated on a strong defence.

To help bolster the armed forces, the government is setting up what's known as the National Fund, which will allow Greeks everywhere to contribute to meeting the costs of the nation's armaments programmes.

[03] Grossman

Grossman says the US is concerned about the situation in the Aegean, and about Cyprus.

The European Union is having nothing to do with Turkey's attempt to get it to ditch its plan to start EU accession talks with Cyprus next year.

European Commissioner Hans van den Broek, in Turkey for talks on Cyprus, Greek-Turkish relations, and Turkey's human rights record, is telling Ankara not to try to place obstacles in the way of Cyprus joining the EU.

Van den Broek says Turkey has prospects for eventually joining the EU. But it isn't ready yet economically or politically.

Van den Broek advises Turkey to change its Cyprus policy, and put an end to its threats of war against Greece over the Aegean.

[04] Stock Market

The Athens stock exchange rode a roller coaster Thursday, as it continued to feel the shock waves emanating from the upheaval in Asian markets.

Heavy selling by foreign investors on the Athens exchange and their conversion of drachma into foreign currency, forced the Bank of Greece to intervene once again to boost the Greek currency with a one billion US dollar injection.

Interbank interest rates soared to 22 per cent at one point, before falling back.

And when the Athens market closed, it had registered a drop of 3.37 per cent on the day.

The slide started at opening, and by noon, the exchange had lost 7.6 per cent.

But as the threat to the drachma began to recede, share prices began to recover.

Small investors chairman Dimitris Karagļunis said the exchange had been the victim of foreign profit- takers, who sold large quantities of their shares through local brokerages.

One stock broker said the situation should return to normal on Thursday: as many state bonds mature, there will be an influx of drachma onto the market.

Finance minsiter Yiannos Papantoniou says the government will continue to do whatever is necessary to protect the drachma.

[05] Snowstorm

Snow chains were necessary as snow-ploughs busily cleared roads to the north-central villages of Chania and Zagora. In some areas the snow was 15 centimeters deep, as temperatures dipped to minus 2 centigrade.

In the North, snowfall was so heavy, nine mountain villages in Kastoria were cut off and travelling in the regions of Grevena, Arta, Kozani and Ioannina required the use of snow chains, with snowfall reaching 20 centimeters high in some areas.

Long lines of cars were waiting to board ferry boats forbidden to leave ports due to strong winds.

Impatient passengers waited at most ports in western and northern Greece for the winds to drop.

Central Greece was hit by steady rainfall and fog causing low visibility.

Weather conditions are expected to improve by Friday.

[06] Medical

The intervention can prolong their life by five years.

Kekis spoke at the third conference of the Surgery Society of Northern Greece in Thessaloniki.

One thousand 5 hundred people in Greece develop colon cancer every year, with the disease spreading to the liver in a little over half of the cases.

But, doctors say thanks to recent advances in surgery and pharmaceuticals, patients with metastatised cancer can now live longer.

There's also good news for those suffering from skin cancer. Doctors say melanomas resulting from sun exposure can now be removed in the operating room.

The conference runs through Saturday.

[07] Russian frigate

It is the first visit by a Russian naval vessel since the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

Vice admiral Alexandr Ofsar was warmly greeted

by Aegean naval commander Admiral Nikolaos Totos and Piraeus mayor Stelios Logothetis.

The frigate, "Pitlivi" docked in Piraeus Wednesday, after a stop in Pylos, where captain and crew members attended a celebration commemorating the 170th anniversary of the Battle of Navarino between the Greeks and the Turks. The festivities marked Greece's liberation from Turkish occupation.

[08] Kallas

The play, "Maria Kallas-Master class" is based on a year in the life of the opera legend, as a teacher of music at the Juliard school in New York in 1971.

The production is being staged at the Katia Dandoulaki theatre in Athens.

Terence McNaley, who wrote "Maria Kallas - Master Class", says Maria Kallas's heart was always in her work. Even though he only met the diva briefly while in New York it doesn't matter, he says, because her art is in her music. "You didn't need to see her to get to know her" he adds.

McNaley is in Athens to help with the staging of the production. The play is being directed by Michalis Kakoyiannis, and Katia Dandoulaki has the lead role.

The internationally-acclaimed Kakoyiannis was a close friend of Kallas, and directing the play is a dream come true for him. "Seeing the union of her and Katia on the stage is magic for me", he explains.

The challenge for Dandoulaki is twofold: interpreting the Kallas legend; and living up to the successful performances of the role by Fay Dunaway and Fanny Ardan.

The play was translated by Marios Ploritis, and the set and costumes were designed by Damianos Zarifis.

(c) ANT1 Radio 1997

Antenna News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article