Antenna: News in English (AM), 98-07-29

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

Last Updated: Wednesday, 29-Jul-98 10:07:03

CONTENTS

[01] Rubin-Pangalos

[02] Political leaders tax statements

[03] Major devestation over fires

[04] 430 million dollars to reform Athenian Transport Company

[05] Sports

[01] Rubin-Pangalos

US State Department spokesman James Rubin said that America didn't need any outside advice on how to participate in the workings of democracy.

Monday night, US State Department James Rubin referred to Greek foreign minister Theodoros Pangalos's strong comments on US policy towards the Cyprus issue. Rubin said that there are very close ties between the peoples and the governments of the US and Greece. He added that it is hard for the comments of one individual to harm this relationship.

"We believe that this behaviour and these comments are so unbecoming of the foreign minister of a Nato ally", the spokesman said. "When friends and allies disagree over something, they should exchange their worries in private and not proceed to this kind of insults and criticism, in public", Rubin added.

Rubin also said that Americans don't need any outside advice on how to participate in the workings of their democracy.

Greek foreign minister Theodoros Pangalos strongly criticised the US policy towards the Cyprus problem this week-end, during his tour in Thrace. He said that Greeks, Muslims and Christians should be united in giving out one message to the US : leave us alone. "We have had enough of your help and your friendship. Let the Turkish and the Greek peoples in the region alone. Stop working for our benefit. We've seen what you've done for our benefit, and thank you very much, but that's enough", Pangalos said.

Rubin was also responding to a comment by Pangalos that the failure of president Bill Clinton to keep promises before his two presidential election campaigns was prompting Greek-Americans to consider giving money to the Greek armed forces Fund rather than to American presidential campaigns.

On Tuesday, government spokesman Dimitris Reppas supported Theodoros Pangalos by saying that although Pangalos might be hot-headed sometimes he never allowed his personal feelings to intefere with his work as Minister of Foreign Affairs.

New Democracy honorary president Constantinos Mitsotakis met with Cypriot ambassador to Athens Christodoulos Pasardis early Tuesday. Mitsotakis recommended calm. "We are passing through a difficult period of time which I still believe, will be succesfully dealt with. Greek foreign policy needs self-restraint and responsibility. It also needs unity and a common line to follow. One thought we should never forget is that Greece's aim is to enter the Economic and Monetary Union", Mitsotakis told reporters.

Asked by reporters to talk about the Russian S- 300 anti-aircraft missiles, the Cypriot ambassador said that until now there was no serious or convincing reason for the missiles not to come to Cyprus.

Cyprus plans to deploy the Russian missiles this autumn to defend itself against Turkish provocation.

[02] Political leaders tax statements

Prime minister Kostas Simitis and New Democracy leader Kostas Karamanlis are among the wealthiest MPs.

Prime minister Kostas Simitis declared a salary of about 150 thousand dollars a year, while New Democracy leader Kostas Karamanlis declared an annual income of just under 275 thousand dollars.

Communist party leader Aleka Papariga donates most of her money to the party. Her annual income is about 8.5 thousand dollars, while her personal donations reach about 72 thousand dollars.

Left Coalition leader Nikos Konstantopoulos declared 86 thousand dollars a year and Democratic Movement leader Dimitris Tsovolas 91 thousand dollars annually.

New Democracy honorary president Konstantinos Mitsotakis declared about 122 thousand dollars per annum and New Democracy former leader Miltiades Evert earned about 83 thousand dollars last year.

[03] Major devestation over fires

A beautiful forest in the region of Perahora in the Peloponese was reduced to ash after a three-day fire. Two houses were burnt and the rooves of hundreds of other houses in the area were damaged.

The region's residents experienced moments of panic when they were forced to abandon their houses Monday seeing the fire approaching.Thanks to firefighters by Tuesday the fire was under control.

And in the region of Koropi in Attica the strong prevailing winds caused a fire to devastate thousands of acres, and threatened homes Monday evening. One house was burnt. About 2 kilometers away another fire destroyed two houses and hundreds of acres of farmland.

Flare ups of fire continue in Evia, where fires have destroyed dozens of acres of bushland.

[04] 430 million dollars to reform Athenian Transport Company

Mandelis and the minister of finance, Yiannis Papantoniou held a press conference to disclose the new plans. The government will be giving 430 million dollars to fully regenerate the fleet of the Athenian Transport Company.

Mandelis said that most of the government money will go to purchasing new buses, and another 70 million dollars will be used to buy buses that run on natural gaz.

The minister of transport said that the regeneration of the transport company would include the purchase of 750 buses, 192 trolley-buses, 120 trains and 100 'green' buses running with natural gaz which will decrease pollution.

[05] Sports

The games were held in memory of Greek Balkan Track-and-field championship winner Grigoris Lambrakis.

Greek athletes performed extremely well. In the men's 400 meters race, Kostas Kenderis was third, beating the panhellenic record with 45.60 seconds.

In the women's long jump, Olympic medallist Niki Xanthou scored the second best results in Greece in 1998 with 6.83 meters. Christina Athanassiou took second position with 6.60 meters and Voula Tsiamita came third with 6.56 meters.

In the men's long jump, Kostas Koukodimos won first position with 8 meters. In the men's high jump, Dimitris Kokotis finished first with 2.26 meters.

In the women's one thousand 5 hundred meters race, Karolina Skourdi finished first with 4.13 minutes.

Antenna president Minos Kyriakou also attended the games. He said, "This was a great achievement, because it was organised in 40 days. Antenna helped by promoting the games on TV, although we didn't have the right to broadcast them. But this doesn't matter. The only important thing is that the Greek track-and-field is on the up and up. I believe that the Tsiklitiria track-and-field games, which Panellinios organised this year has greatly helped the promotion of the track-and-field sports".

Vassilis Sevastis, president of SEGAS, the Greek Athletics Federation, said that he believed that the choice of venue for the meet was very succesful as proven by the spectators' attendance.

He considered that these games should become an annual event as the grounds had been already laid to continue the events in the coming years.

(c) ANT1 Radio 1998

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