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Antenna: News in English (PM), 98-10-07

Antenna News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

Last Updated: Wednesday, 07-Oct-98 21:42:36


CONTENTS

  • [01] Kossovo
  • [02] Papantoniou-CNN
  • [03] UN general assembly
  • [04] Simitis

  • [01] Kossovo

    The Greek defence minister says there can be no military solution in Kosovo. Akis Tsochatzopoulos discussed Kosovo with Russian counterpart Igor Sergeyev in Athens Wednesday.

    Greece fears that escalation of the conflict would cause it to spill over into other countries.

    Russia is even more adamant in its opposition to Nato air strikes against the Serbs, who've been battling ethnic-Albanian separatists in Kosovo for the past six months.

    Nato is already preparing for possible air strikes. And US officials have said on numerous occasions that time is running out for the Serbs to stop fighting the independence minded Kosovars in the Serbian province of Kosovo.

    Air strikes could be a matter of days away.

    But Greek defence minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos said after meeting with his Russian opposite number Wednesday that Greece continues to believe that all political and diplomatic efforts should be exhausted before Nato intervenes militarily.

    Nato, he added, should act only to back up any political solution that results from negotiations.

    Greece fears that any escalation of the violence could result in the conflict spilling over into other Balkan countries and destabilise the entire region.

    Russian defence minister Igor Sergevev agrees.

    After meeting with Tsochatzopoulos, he said Nato strikes on Serbian targets would be akin to an act of war that could lead to more bloodshed.

    Nato is already building up forces in southern Italy for possible strikes.

    And Nato's European commander, general Wesley Clark has submitted a written request to the commander of

    Greece's to say as soon as possible whether or not Greece will take part in any Nato air strikes.

    Athens hasn't answered yet. But the indications are that it won't take part. Prime minister Kostas Simitis says "It would be a fight that wouldn't contribute to peace, stability, and secuity in the region.

    And defence minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos says Greece is asking the alliance to take into account that Greece's situation is special, since it is a Balkan country.

    Nato is also considering deploying land forces in Fyrom and Albania. Observers believe that Greece would contribute to that effort.

    For now, Greece is hoping that no military action is taken.

    Tsochatzopoulos says there's a Greek saying that every war ends in peace. But, he asks, is it worth having a war in the first place?

    [02] Papantoniou-CNN

    Greece's finance minister believes that the Athens stock exchange has two more bull years ahead of it, even though it's already made gains of forty per cent so far this year.

    Talking on CNN's World Business Today, Iannos Papantoniou said Greece has not been seriously hit by the global crisis; and he had some advice about how the IMF could be a more effective guarantor of international economic stability.

    A day before he was due to address the International Monetary Fund, Greek finance minister Iannos Papantoniou told CNN's Todd Benjamin on World Business Today that the IMF needs to be

    strengthened as a decision-making organisation.

    Papantoniou said action needs to be taken to stop the global economic slide, but the action that's needed isn't being taken.

    It's not the IMF's leadership, he explained. Rather, it's a question of giving it's interim committee more political representation and direction.

    Papantoniou cited the Asia crisis as an example of how not to handle things.

    "In Asia", he said, "the problem wasn't lax fiscal and monetary policies, it was the private sector and the financial system. So restrictive financial policies - the IMF prescription - were the wrong medicine. To be more effective, the IMF needs to make a different kind of intervention".

    Papantoniou was optimistic about the prospects for the Greek economy.

    By all accounts, the Athens stock exchange is a good investment. Benjamin noted that, with its 1998 gains of forty per cent, it's the world's best performer so far this year.

    But what about the economy as a whole? Papantoniou is optimistic.

    The government's forecasting growth of 3.7 per cent for this year; and the Greek minister says that figure won't have to be revised downward in light of the global slump.

    There are two reasons for that. First, he explains, as a member of the European Union, Greece has not been seriously affected by the crisis. Even now, notes Papantoniou, the IMF is predicting strong growth throughout Europe over the next two years. The second reason why Papantoniou believes Greece will continue to perform well is its decision last March to join the European exchange rate mechanism. The Athens stock market's big gains provide a strong momentum for growth, and Papantoniou believes the Greek economy will continue to soldier on for the next two years.

    Asked by Benjamin if Greece will be able to meet the 2.5 annual inflation rate target for European monetary union by the end of 1999, Papantoniou replied that with inflation currently running at five per cent, It'll be a tough challenge.

    But the government has some inflation-busting weapons.

    Papantoniou said Greece will continue to follow a tight incomes policy and restrictive budgetary and monetary polices. The government also hopes that the breathing space provided by its lean budgets will enable it to cut indirect taxes to push inflaton down.

    Already in the past few weeks tax cuts have led to lower prices at the gas pump and for heating fuel. And the government has come to an agreement with some 250 producers of consumer items to reduce prices over the next six months.

    Papantoniou says that joining Europe's single currency is a major national objective, and the government will use all the means at its disposal to achieve its goal.

    [03] UN general assembly

    As the UN general assembly prepares to vote, Greece has made a final bid for one of the two nonpermanent seats available on the UN security council this year.

    In New York, deputy Greek foreign minister Iannos Kranidiotis said Greece deserves a crack at the security council.

    Greece is up against Canada and Holland for the two seats on the Western Europe and North America regional group. Voting is Thursday.

    Kranidiotis says Greece's strategic position, the fact that it's only been on the council once

    before, and its record of providing material assistance to the UN make it a good candidate for one of the ten nonpermanent seats.

    The nonpermanent seat is for two years.

    [04] Simitis

    The opposition parties say this Sunday's local election will be a test of how voters feel about the government.

    Not so, responds the prime minister. Kostas Simitis told Pasok's MPs that the weekend elections will be about local government, nothing more, nothing less.

    "The government's record will be judged in the parliamentary elections at the end of our term in the year 2000", said Simitis.

    Later in the day the premier attended a meeting of the National Land Registry Service.

    Calling the Registry one of the most significant government departments, Simitis said over the last 170 years governments have been unable to set up a proper registry due to people coming in with multiple claims for the same piece of land.

    "The deeds we've been shown for the Attica region add up to plots three times the size of the area", he explained. "No one knows exactly what belongs to whom."

    The prime minsiter says setting up a proper land registry is a priority for his government.

    (c) ANT1 Radio 1998


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