Antenna: News in English (PM), 98-11-23

Antenna News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

Last Updated: Monday, 23-Nov-98 21:55:20

CONTENTS

[01] Prince Charles in Athens

[02] Storms hit Greece

[03] Simitis-Tudjman meeting

[01] Prince Charles in Athens

Prince Charles was escorted around the Acropolis by culture minister Evangelos Venizelos. The visit to the most famous ancient Greek monument by the successor to the British throne was charged with significance for Greeks.

Venizelos expressed Greece's desire to see the Elgin Marbles returned to their rightful place on the Acropolis.

The Greek culture minister would not say if the prince reacted in words. "It's not my place to convey any messages", explained Venizelos. "I told him his visit to the Acropolis constitutes a first symbolic step toward the Marbles being returned. When a foreigner sees the grandeur of the Acroplis and they way its been dismembered", continued Venizelos, "then he can only be moved".

Earlier in the day, Prince Charles met with Greek president Kostis Stephanopoulos; and he was awarded the medal of Athens by the city's mayor.

Making the presentation, mayor Dimitris Avramopoulos referred to the Elgin Marbles in the same vein that Venizelos would later.

"You will open the road to the return of the Elgin Marbles to Athens", Avramopoulos told him.

The mayor accompanied the prince as he officially opened the new premises of the British Council in the Greek capital. The council promotes cultural, scientific, and education cooperation between Greece and Britain. So it was fitting that the prince unveiled the founding plaque during the Britain and Greece Festival, sponsored annually by the Council.

Charles also visited the Athens cultural centre, to take in an exhibition of architectural sketches.

From Athens, the prince was to go to Crete to visit archeological sites, before leaving Greece Tuesday.

Arriving in the Greek capital Sunday, he attended a concert at the Athens Symphony Hall.

[02] Storms hit Greece

Around the country, roads like this one, Nenonos Street in the Athens suburb of Ilioupoli, became rivers as a furious rainstorm exploded before dawn Monday.

Cars were swept along like toys by the floodwaters.

Homes, shops, and offices were flooded.

Winds were so strong that an airplane sitting on the tarmac at Athens international airport was actually moved.

In Argos, the rain was so heavy it not only resulted in flooding, it also caused a gas station roof to collapse.

And there were landslides on main roads outside the city.

In nearby Navplion, the sky lit up at four am - a fierce electric storm added its power to the menacing rain.

In Athens, a lightning bolt struck an apartment building - a fire broke out in one of the apartments where a TV set was turned on.

In Athens, Argos, and Navplion, as in many other parts of Greece, people emerged with the first light of day to assess the damages.

In Thessaloniki, gale force winds uprooted large trees, hurling them wrecklessly about. In some cases, cars were crushed when trees landed on them.

Residents say they've never seen anything like it.

In the mountainous parts of northern Greece there was more snowfall. In many areas roads were closed.

Trucks trying to get through northern Greece were stranded, creating long lines of vehicles on several roads.

For the island of Cephanlonia, there was more to deal with than just the bad weather. The island was hit by a 4.7 earthquake Monday. After it was all over, residents took in exasperating scenes of destruction: buildings flooded and cracked - the strong winds even caused considerable damage to a church.

[03] Simitis-Tudjman meeting

Croatian president Franjo Tudjman met with Greek leaders in Athens Monday.

Greek prime minister Kostas Simitis said after meeting with the Croatian president that their joint objective is to create the kind of relationship that will allow them to cooperate in confronting the problems of the region.

Simitis and Franjo Tudjman discussed the problems that have hampered the regions this decade: Bosnia and Kosovo. They also talked about Greece's problems with Turkey in the Aegean and the Cyprus issue. And they agreed that all problems should be resolved on the basis of a respect for international law and treaties that have been signed.

While honoring agreements is important, for Simitis, it's also vital that the European Union and Nato should both expand eastward. Regional stability can only be maintained, he explained, if all the nations of Europe are members of the EU.

Simitis said he will accordingly support Croatian efforts to join both the EU and Nato.

Both Simitis and president Franjo Tudjman agreed that while political relations between their countries are good, economic ties could be much better.

And strengthening the bonds of economic cooperation was one of the things they discussed.

Both attach importance to the building of an Adriatic coastal highway, and have agreed to work together in building one. Simitis and Tudjman feel that the road, which would run through Croatia and stretch from Greece to Austria, would further integrate the Balkans with western Europe.

Tudjman expressed satisfaction over further instances of cooperation between his country and Greece; like the signing of agreements to cooperate in battling drug trafficking and other forms of crime; and an agreement to foster tourism between the two countries.

Tudjman's three-day visit to Greece has an additional significance. Greece took a less hostile view of Serbia during the Bosnia war than other western states and Croatia.

But the Croat leader's visit to Athens shows that despite the divisive issues that plague the Balkans, there is a desire to move forward and a recognition that that can only be done in unison.

(c) ANT1 Radio 1998

Antenna News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article