Antenna: News in English (AM), 98-01-13

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

Last Updated: Tuesday, 13-Jan-98 11:08:48

CONTENTS

[01] Stock exchange

[02] Turkey-Pangalos

[03] Simitis

[04] Yiannopoulos

[05] Soccer

[06] Basketball

[01] Stock exchange

There was renewed pressure on the drachma from speculators, but the government defended it by raising interest rates, and said it remains committed to protecting the Greek currency.

The uncertainty and tumbles in the Far East have investors in Greece jittery, and many foreign investors moving into safer markets sparked Monday's selling spree.

It was a bad start to the week, following last week's repeated assaults on the Greek drachma.

The government has used high interest rates to ward off speculators and keep the drachma from falling.

One-month inter-bank lending rates hovered between 25 and 27 per cent, as the stock market in Athens slid all day, closing 5 per cent down.

Finance minister Iannos Papantoniou says the speculators are being held in check by high interest rates, and rules out a devaluation of the drachma.

Some analysts are saying there could be more losses on the Athens exchange because of Wall Street's instability.

One broker said interest rates will stay at their current levels for a long time. He estimates that there will be choppy waters until the end of May, and things will be tough for the Athens exchange.

Most analysts are advising people to stay calm, and not rush to sell their shares in a panic. They add that there are good investment opportunites out there, but those looking for investments should be careful about where they place their money.

Small investors' spokesman Dimitris Karagkounis agrees. He urges people to be careful during what he calls difficult times.

New Democracy's leading member met to discuss the economy Monday. less than sanguine, party leader Kostas Karamanlis believes that another currency crisis is on the way.

[02] Turkey-Pangalos

Turkey has announced three weeks of exercises in different parts of the Aegean from the 2nd to the 25th of January.

Greece has been bothered by some of the areas Turkey has said it will hold manoeuvres in, either because they infringe upon Greek airspace, or cut off traffic in the Aegean.

Turkish officials continued a vitriolic attack against the Greek foreign minister over the weekend.

An Israeli orgainsation has come to the defence of Theodoros Pangalos, after the Turkish foreign ministry called him a fascist.

The Turkish foreign ministry issued a statement calling Greek foreign minister Theodoros Pangalos quote "a descendant of fascism and racism, who is dragging his coutry into adventures", unquote.

It was the latest volley in a war of words started

by Ankara last Friday. When Turkey claimed that Greece had failed to help the Jews during World War II, Pangalos responded that the contrary was true; indeed, thousands of Greeks had lost their lives in the struggle against fascism and for democracy.

Pangalos also said Turkey, which had spent the War on the sidelines, has no right to lecture anyone in ethics.

In its latest diatribe, Turkey accuses Pangalos of being quote "like those who delivered Jews to the Nazis".

Nissm Mais, president of the Central Israelite Council was indignant at the charges against Pangalos and Greece. "The Greek people performed great acts of heroism throughout the war", he said. "Acts which are engraved in gold all over the world. The International Yad Vashem Foundation in Jerusalam has honoured the Greek church and the Greeks for their disinterested efforts to save Jews and provide them shelter between 1941 and 1944, at risk to themselves.

Errikos Levis, the Greek army's chief doctor, tells Antenna, "A large number of Jews from Athens, Volos, Thessaloniki, Iannina, and other Greek cities were saved thanks to the sacrifices of their Greek friends....Even in my case, my father, mother, brother, sister, and their children. They were all saved with the help of their Athenian friends.

Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas also responded to the Turkish affront: "With wretched insults and unjustified provocations", he remarked, "Ankara is only making its position worse. The sooner it understands that, the better".

New Democracy spokesman Aris Spiliotopoulos said that his party disagrees with Pangalos's foreign policy, but, that in the face of Turkey's provocations, lies, and defamations, Greeks stand united like a fist.

[03] Simitis

Stressing the need for solidarity Simitis met with parliament president Apostolos Kaklamanis, Agriculture minister Stefanos Tzoumakas, labour minister Miltiades Papaioannou, deputy labour minister Christos Protďpapas and Pasok executive bureau member Stefanos Manékas.

He discussed with each of them the importance of agreeing politically and avoiding public discord and in-fighting.

The prime minister is intent on seeing that there are no Pasok dissenters during the upcoming tax bill vote in parliament.

[04] Yiannopoulos

In a manifesto published in a Sunday newspaper, Yiannopoulos says public in- fighting creates a bad image for the government.

The justice minister names education minister Gerasimos Arsenis, who has often made no secret of his opposition to government policies, as one of the guilty ones.

Yiannopoulos told Antenna, "Party unity is being jeopardised by some of our members who, sometimes in goodwill, sometimes by mistake, and sometimes intentionally create problems, creating the

impression there is internal conflict. But things aren't like that".

Calling his manifesto a cry of agony, Yiannopoulos doesn't think there's any organised centre of internal opposition in Pasok.

He attacks three MPs recently expelled from the party's parliamentary group for voting against parts of the 1998 budget.

Yiannopoulos calls their negative vote on some appropriations rude, a vulgar contribution to internal discord.

Enough is enough, he adds. It's time to put an end to the public criticism before its too late.

[05] Soccer

And Olympiakos takes advantage to pull to wihin a point of the front-runner, crushing visiting Veria 4-1. Ivan Ivich paces the victors with two first- half goals.

Olympiakos now has 14 wins, 2 losses, and a draw. Aek has 14 wins, 1 loss and 2 draws.

Number three Panathinaikos loses the opportunity to take over first place, managing only a tie against Paniliakos.

Paok is three points, or a win, behind Pao in the standings, followed by Ionikos and Irakles.

In other matches, Kalamata and Panachaiki are winners at home, and Ethnikos comes up with the road triumph with a goal in the 51st minute.

[06] Basketball

Olympiakos goes into the contest unbeaten on its home floor, but is without the services of big men Dragan Tarlach and Panayiotis Fassoulas.

That gives Aek centre Victor Alexander plenty of room to move around, and he does, hitting for 28 points. A nice catch, but not big enough, as Olympiakos wins it 73-66.

Second-place Panathinaikos is a game behind the front-runners after ripping up Apollon.

Paok is 10 and 5, like Aek, after upending Irakles.

In other games, Panionios has no trouble at home. Neither do Peristeri and Papagou. And Larisa outlasts Daphne.

(c) ANT1 Radio 1998

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