Athens News Agency: News in English (AM), 98-03-11

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr>

NEWS IN ENGLISH

Athens, Greece, 11/03/1998 (ANA)

MAIN HEADLINES

• Greece calls on Ankara to take 'historic' decisions on Cyprus
• US official 'rather pessimistic' on Cyprus
• Mitsotakis renews criticism on ND's course
• Constantopoulos slightly injured in car accident
• Papoutsis outlines targets of US visit
• Gov't announces tax breaks for lower income groups
• Exploitation of bears the subject of Thessaloniki conference
• Russian crime syndicate suspect arrested
• Measures announced for gypsies
• V.Papandreou responds to criticism on Florina DEH project
• Greek stocks end flat after profit-making blocks rally
• New Greek shipping company set up
• Taiwan to send trade mission to Greece
• Greece offers development incentives to commerce
• Macedonia-Thrace Bank joins EU finance intermediaries' network
• Weather
• Foreign exchange

NEWS IN DETAIL

Greece yesterday expressed hope that Turkey would take the "historic" decisions necessary for peace and stability in the region by making a positive contribution to efforts for a solution of the Cyprus problem.

"Turkey has an important role to play and responsibility for the successful outcome of efforts to resolve the Cyprus problem, the settlement of which will bring Turkey even closer to Europe and surely open up new horizons for Greek-Turkish relations," Mr. Simitis said after 90 minutes of talks here with Cyprus President Glafcos Clerides.

Talks between the Greek and Cypriot delegations, headed by Mr. Simitis and Mr. Clerides, focused on developments in the Cyprus problem and negotiations for Cyprus' accession to the EU due to begin on March 31.

Mr. Simitis reiterated that Nicosia and Athens steadily supported the proposal of UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and were ready to provide all assistance to his special advisor on Cyprus, Diego Cordovez for the resumption of intercommunal talks aimed at finding a just and viable solution to the problem in accordance wi th UN decisions.

The premier added that the governments of Greece and Cyprus welcomed international interest in a settlement of the problem and asked the United States and the European Union to support Mr. Annan's efforts.

He also welcomed Nicosia's decision to include Turkish Cypriots in the negotiating team for talks with the EU.

Asked about the formula for the participation of Turkish Cypriots in the accession negotiations, President Clerides said the Cyprus government would formulate a "generous" proposal, ensuring that "there will be no repercussions on the issue of the legitimacy of the Cyprus government and the recognition of the Turkish Cypriot pseudo-state". Replying to the same question, Mr. Simitis said that the form and objectives of the Turkish Cypriot participation "must mortgage neither the European nor the political future of Cyprus".

Both Mr. Simitis and Mr. Clerides clarified that yesterday's talks had not touched on defence issues, such as Nicosia's plans to install defensive Russian-made S-300 anti-aircraft missiles on Cyprus.

The premier said such issues would be discussed during Cyprus Defence Minister Yiannakis Omirou's visit to Greece in the next few days.

Replying to reporters' questions about Greece's veto of European Union funding to Turkey, Mr. Simitis said Athens had repeatedly stated its lifting of the veto was dependent on "certain moves" being made by Ankara.

Greece is willing to contribute to Turkey's European orientation, the premier said, but positive steps by Ankara are required.

President Clerides held talks earlier with President of the Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos.

US official 'rather pessimistic' on Cyprus

The US State Department special coordinator on Cyprus, Thomas Miller, who arrived in Athens yesterday from Nicosia, had an hour-long meeting with Cyprus President Glafcos Clerides.

In brief statements to the press, the US official appeared rather pessimistic, saying there was a considerable gap between the positions of the Greek and Turkish Cypriot sides. In Nicosia, he held talks Monday and yesterday with Mr. Clerides and Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash.

Mr. Miller reiterated that the US would do what it could to bridge these differences and noted that he did not promise success but honest effort.

"The goal remains a solution of the Cyprus problem on the basis of a bi- zonal, bi-communal federation," he said.

Mr. Miller added that after completing a tour of several European capitals that takes him to Ankara this morning, he will return to the US to brief US presidential envoy Richard Holbrooke who, he said, "has no specific plans and does not make visits whe n he is not sure of the success of his efforts."

Mitsotakis renews criticism on ND's course

Former New Democracy prime minister Constantine Mitsotakis yesterday renewed his stand-off with ND leader Costas Karamanlis, in the aftermath of Monday's heated debate in the ND Parliamentary group session. "Let those who without reason or logic push the party to the brink of disaster and give away the next election assume their responsibilities. I will grant them neither an alibi nor extenuating circumstances," he said.

Constantopoulos slightly injured in car accident

Coalition of the Left and Progress (Synaspismos) leader Nikos Constantopoulos was slightly injured yesterday when his car went out of control and hit the protective railings on the 145th kilometre of the Athens-Patra highway.

The accident was recorded at 4:10 p.m., and attributed to the slick road surface. Mr. Constantopoulos was taken to a nearby medical centre and was later transferred to Egion hospital for preventative reasons. No one else in the vehicle was injured.

Papoutsis outlines targets of US visit

Speaking at a press conference here yesterday, EU Commissioner Christos Papoutsis referred to the targets and purposes of his official visit to New York, New Jersey, Washington and San Francisco.

Mr. Papoutsis said the contacts he has already had and will have in the next few days with senior US officials primarily concern the energy sector. Among others, he will meet US Energy Secretary Federico Pena.

"In the enterprises sector...we are trying to forge bonds of cooperation between the European Union and the US, but at the same time to obtain certain concepts, certain initiatives which have already been developed in the United States," he said.

Mr. Papoutsis added that policy favouring small and average-sized enterprises is a policy ranking high on the EU's agenda because it is combined with the top priority issue of employment.

He said that pressures being exerted on Greece in the framework of the "contradiction" between the tough monetary and fiscal policy and the demands of working people are less intense than those appearing in other EU member-states.

Mr. Papoutsis also referred to cooperation between the EU and the US in the sectors of informatics and telecommunications and Europe's participation in major US exhibitions and meetings.

Gov't announces tax breaks for lower income groups

National Economy Minister Yiannos Papantoniou last night announced in Parliament more favourable tax breaks for the lower income groups, as well as cheaper heating oil for the last period of the year.

However, Mr. Papantoniou set as a precondition for the above measures that revenue from taxes will have a similar increase - 30 per cent - recorded in the first two months of the current year.

The minister was speaking in Parliament last night during the second day of discussion of the government's development law.

Mr. Papantoniou stressed that even though an 11 per cent increase was forecast at an annual rate in January and February, the increase recorded reached 19 per cent over the expected figure of 1.26 trillion drachmas, to 1.35 trillion drachmas, earning the state 90 billion drachmas more.

The minister said this meant that the state deficit would be lower by 90 billion drachmas.

Exploitation of bears the subject of Thessaloniki conference

The Florina-based Arktouros programme and the Bulgarian Wilderness Fund will organise a three-day conference on the exploitation of bears for profit, scheduled to begin on Thursday in Thessaloniki.

Representatives of environmental organisations from Greece, Bulgaria, Albania, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) and Yugoslavia will focus on the issue.

Russina crime syndicate suspect arrested

Police have arrested a suspected Russian organised crime member, wanted in his country for a series of murders.

Thirty-two-year-old Vladimir Seliverstov initially gave a false identity to authorities, producing a fake driving licence under the name of "Boris Kardesian". He was also found in possession of Greek citizenship papers, while under questioning, he claim ed that he was also about to acquire a Greek identity card for US$20,000.

Authorities said the suspect belongs to the "Kurganskaya" criminal syndicate.

Measures announced for gypsies

Health and Welfare Undersecretary Theodoros Kotsonis yesterday met with interior ministry and public works ministry officials to discuss measures to upgrade the quality of life of gypsies.

Mr. Kotsonis said that measures include solutions for their housing problem, educational opportunities and employment.

According to the undersecretary, a study is underway to provide ways for the housing all homeless gypsies throughout Greece.

Housing parks will be created in Evosmos and Menemeni districts near Thessaloniki, as well as in Thebes, Sofades, Messolongi, Messinia, Karditsa, Rhodes and Volos.

A transfer student card programme, which is already in place with more than 1,900 cards issued, will be expanded to facilitate educational opportunities for gypsy children, when they move from one region to another.

V.Papandreou responds to criticism on Florina DEH project

Development Minister Vasso Papandreou said yesterday that no talk of scandals or pressure by business interests will prevent the government from going ahead with construction of a Public Power Corp. (DEH) lignite power plant unit near Florina.

She was speaking to members of Parliament's Production and Trade Committee.

Ms Papandreou, who had been summoned before the committee to provide clarifications together with another eight DEH cadres on the proposed project, raised questions on the expediency of further discussion, while she also denounced a press group which st arted, as she claimed, talk about "scandals".

She said the government will not remain inert due to certain business interests which are trying to prevent contruction of the project.

Referring to the issue's background, she said that the agreement, concluded by a New Democracy government in 1992, the project would cost 207 billion drachmas, without the other works, while with the government's contract the project will amount to 179 billion drachmas.

Greek stocks end flat after profit-taking blocks rally

Greek equities ended mixed to lower as early profit-taking partly halted a rally of prices on the Athens Stock Exchange.

The general index ended 0.10 percent down at 1,517.54 points despite a 5.11 percent jump in the construction sector.

Other sector indices were mixed. Banks fell 0.88 percent, Insurance eased 0.52 percent, Leasing dropped 0.05 percent, Investment fell 0.30 percent, Industrials were 0.03 percent off, Miscellaneous rose 0.22 percent and Holding increased 0.95 percent.

The parallel market index for small cap companies jumped 2.87 percent reflecting an appetite by investors for second-tier issues with greater growth potential.

Trading was moderate with turnover at 17.1 billion drachmas.

Broadly, advancers led decliners by 121 to 87 with another 32 issues unchanged.

Alte, Sfakianakis, Technodomi, Viokarpet and Gnomon scored the biggest percentage gains at the day's 8.0 percent upper volatility limit, while Nematemboriki, Etma, Sato (preferred), Persinidis and Bank of Athens (preferred) suffered the heaviest losses.

National Bank of Greece ended at 22,610 drachmas, Ergobank at 15,730, Alpha Credit Bank at 16,900, Delta Dairy at 2,950, Titan Cement at 14,750, Intracom at 15,600 and Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation at 6, 420.

New Greek shipping company set up

A new Greek cruise shipping company was formed yesterday after a merger between Olympic Short Cruises, a Royal Olympic Cruises company owned by the Potamianos and Kioseoglou families, with Hydraiki Shipping Company, owned by shipowner Dimitris Drakopoulos .

The new company Olympic Hydraiki will operate four small-sized vessels - M/V Hermes, John P., M/V Giorgis and T/S Olympia of 800, 880, 720 and 1,800 gross tonnage respectively.

The three first ships will operate daily cruises in the Saronic Gulf and the fourth will operate as a cruise conference centre.

Taiwan to send trade mission to Greece

Taiwan's Council for External Trade and Development (CETPA) is sending a trade mission to Greece on March 18 to boost economic ties between the two countries.

The delegation sent by CETPA, a non-profit organisation, represents 31 Taiwanese companies from a wide range of sectors. The group will stay until March 22.

An exhibition of their products will be held on March 10 at the Athens Hilton.

The Taiwanese finance ministry has predicted a 6.46 percent economic growth rate for 1998, at nearly the same level as last year's 6.72 percent rise.

Trade between Greece and Taiwan fell by 4.2 percent in 1997 to 187 million dollars from 195.1 million in 1996, according to CETPA statistics.

Greek imports from Taiwan dropped by 39.3 percent to 17 million dollars last year from 28 million in 1996, while Greek exports to Taiwan rose by 1.7 percent to 170 million dollars from 167.1 million in 1996.

Greece offers development incentives to commerce

Greece for the first time has included commerce in legislation that offers incentives for development.

Representatives of the sector, however, say the incentives do not go far enough. Among projects so far eligible for financing are the acquisition and installation of software and warehouse construction.

The National Federation of Greece Commerce has sent a letter to National Economy Minister Yiannos Papantoniou asking for more projects to be included in the development bill, which is currently being debated in parliament.

Among the projects the federation wants included are the construction, extension and modernisation of commercial premises, studies on the introduction of new products, expansion of a firm's network and protection of the environment.

Macedonia-Thrace Bank joins EU finance intermediaries' network

Macedonia-Thrace Bank has signed a framework agreement with the European Commission to join the finance intermediaries' network for the Joint European Ventures Initiative (JEV).

JEV is set up to support cross-border investments in small to medium-sized enterprises within the European Union, with up to 50,000 Ecu.

A total of 80 to 100 million Ecu will be allocated between 1998 and 2000, of which 20 million Ecu will become available for 1998.

The bank is already managing the Phare-Jop Tacis programme supporting small to medium joint ventures in eastern European countries.

WEATHER

FOREIGN EXCHANGE

(C.E.)

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