Antenna: News in English (AM), 98-01-21

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

Last Updated: Wednesday, 21-Jan-98 11:56:44

CONTENTS

[01] China-U.N

[02] Tsochatzopoulos

[03] PASOK

[04] Karamanlis

[05] Strike

[06] Maziotis

[07] Mediterranean Anemia-Awards

[08] Sports

[01] China-U.N

Premier Lee Peng met with Greek interior minister Alekos Papadopoulos in Beijing.

The Chinese leader also expressed his support for a just and viable solution to the Cyprus problem.

During Papadopoulos's visit, Greece and China signed economic and public administration cooperation agreements.

Papadopoulos said that as a superpower China is an importan partner for Greece.

"The economic miracle under way in China is unique", he added. "The country has been transformed in less than a decade. And China's economic success means that it's second goal, to create a multipolar world that will secure the peaceful solution of differences around the globe will succeed".

[02] Tsochatzopoulos

Akis Tsochatzopoulos spoke during a stop at the eastern Aegean island of Samos.

Tsochatzopoulos visited military units in Samos and Ikaria, both close to Turkey.

In Samos, the defence minister watched Greek military exercises, while the Turks were conducting exercises of their own in the area.

The defence minister said Ankara should stop

its provocative behaviour toward Greece. It is constantly training its troops for an invasion of the Greek islands of Samos and Chios. That's unacceptable, added Tsochatzopoulos.

US secretary of state Madeleine Albright says she's concerned over military exercises in the Aegean. It's not the first time the Americans have expressed their belief that it would be better if no manoeuvres were held by Greece and Turkey.

[03] PASOK

While the executive bureau decision was unanimous in favour of Damanaki, not everyone in Pasok thinks she's the right choice.

Former Athens mayor and Pasok MP Dimitris Bays says the Damanaki selection is in violation of Pasok's charter. He's hinted he may run too.

Pasok also announced Monday that it is backing KalamariA mayor Thrasivoulos Lazarides for mayor of Thessaloniki.

Lazarides said he wants to feel out the political situation in Greece's second city before he decides whether he wants to run on the Pasok ticket.

There were some reactions one day after the prime minister announced that Pasok is backing former

Left Coalition leader Maria Damanaki for mayor of Athens, Christos Fotiou for mayor of Piraeus and Thrasivoulos Lazarides for the city of Thessaloniki. He wants to see if city officials and the party's will help ensure that the race doesn't have a party character.

Piraeus mayor Stelios Logothetis reacted to Pasok's decision to back Christos Fotiou in his city. Logothetis accuses Pasok of being indifferent to the city's needs.

[04] Karamanlis

Kostas Karamanlis met with his party's MPs Monday.

"The government can't and doesn't want to cut the umbilical cord that join it to the powers that profit from decay", he said.

Chiding Simitis for his timidity and indecision, Kramanlis called all New Democracy members to pay special attention to the party's social image, and to convince voters that it will form an honest and effective government.

Agreeing with Karamanlis's views, former party leader Miltiades Evert added that some parts of the government's tax bill are unconstitutional.

He thinks his party should look at ways of persuading Pasok MPs to vote against it.

Evert says that during the parliamentary debate, New Democracy needs to convince the people it is standing by them.

[05] Strike

The controversial clause pertains to work regulations in public utility and other public companies.

The government wants to make a number of work-

related regulations subject to control by legislation, instead of through collective bargaining between the unions and the government.

What the unions stand to lose input over are things like the length of the working day and who fills management positions.

Trade unionists fear that the governemnt bill would be the start of moves to eventually abolishing collective bargaining even over pay.

Tuesday's meeting between finance minister Iannos Papantonioui and union leaders brought no results, so the workers' at the companies affected by the clause are going on a one-day strike Thursday. Bank employees will also be out on Thursday.

Papantoniou says the government has made a change to its bill, and if the union's can't work out a compromise with it in six months, it will automatically become law.

[06] Maziotis

But the 27-year-old self-proclaimed anarchist is at the centre of public attention for another reason: in a spectacular raid of his home last week, police found guns and explosives. He has been charged in a civilian court with illegal possession of firearms, and with manufacturing and planting a bomb.

Police were led to Maziotis by a fingerprint they found on a device that didn't explode at the development ministry on December 6th.

Tuesday, the man suspected of being the leader of the Anarchist Urban Guerrillas, who claimed credit for the 6 December attempt, refused to

answer journalists' questions.

Maziotis insists that many people used to meet at his home, and that the incriminating material found there did not belong to him.

During his court martial hearing, he appeared to distance himself from his abode, citing his family home in another part of Athens as his permanent residence.

At the request of his lawyer, Maziotis's court martial was postponed until February 17th.

[07] Mediterranean Anemia-Awards

Federation chairman Ilias Sofianos expressed his confidence that those awarded will continue to encourage people to give blood to help victims of Mediterranean Anemia.

Artwork was sold at the event, the proceeds going to the Federation.

[08] Sports

Other than the three gold, the Greek team came away with a silver and two bronze medals.

The high point of the Greek performance was a new world record in the 50 metres freestyle, set by Constantinos Faykas.

(c) ANT1 Radio 1998

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