Athens News Agency: News in English (PM), 98-03-22
NEWS IN ENGLISH
Athens, Greece, 22/03/1998 (ANA)
MAIN HEADLINES
- Greece to release new convergence plan within a month
- Foreign Minister meets US counterpart
- Albanian defence minister to visit Greece March 28
- Illegal immigrants rounded up on Samos
- Workers at Olympic Airways to stage 3-hour strike Tuesday
- Balkan multinational force proposal gaining ground
- Thierry Roussel confident of court win vs Onassis Foundation
- Athens to hosts EU conference on eastern Mediterranean policy
- Greek-American lobby working to abolish visas for Greek citizens
- More police on the beat to fight crime wave
- Greeks drink, smoke and live longer-except behind the wheel: stats
- Better absorption of EU funds in '97
- Plan for further privatisation of OTE announced
- Weather
- Foreign Exchange
NEWS IN DETAIL
Greece to release new convergence plan within a month
Greece's National Economy and Finance Minister Yiannos Papantoniou said
late on Saturday that he was satisfied with the reception and welcome the
drachma had received since being included in the European exchange rate
mechanism (ERM) a week ago.
Papantoniou was speaking to his European counterparts during their meeting
in York on Saturday.
In comments to the press, both Papantoniou and Bank of Greece Governor
Lucas Papademos said that their European Union counterparts had congratulated
Greece not only for its decision to forge ahead dynamically towards the
final phase of economic and monetary union but also for the "exceptional"
handling of the manner of including the drachma in the ERM.
Papantoniou told reporters that Greece planned to reveal its plans on the
convergence program for the Greek economy within the next month. The Greek
government's goal, he said, remained adoption of the euro on January 1,
2001.
The eastern orientation of the EU's expansion and the introduction of the
euro were two important decisions which would result in the need for new
financing, to enable the achievement of economic and social cohesion in the
European Union, Papantoniou said.
Financing towards less-developed regions had to increase to allow these
regions to achieve high growth rates, he added.
Foreign Minister meets US counterpart
The promotion of a solution of the Cyprus problem could start from a phased
de-escalation of the arms race on the island, beginning with the most
advanced weapons, said Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos after a meeting
with the US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright in Washington.
"There must be steps to reduce and reverse the escalation of the arms race,
beginning with the most advanced weapons, which are the aircraft. If there
are no aircraft, there will be no anti-aircraft missiles. We can then
reduce tanks and artillery, and be led gradually to a better climate," he
told reporters after yesterday's hour-long meeting with Ms. Albright.
The meeting, which kicked off Mr. Pangalos's 10-day visit to the US,
included discussion of Greek-Turkish relations and the crisis in Kosovo, on
which the two countries agreed to maintain coordination of moves in the
framework of international initiatives.
"Regarding Kosovo, I think there is coincidence of views between the EU and
the US on the need to maintain Yugoslavia's territorial integrity, but also
to reach a political solution safeguarding the freedoms and the human
rights of Kosovans," he said.
"Due to the mistrust that has been created, there is also need for an
intenational presence in the negotiations. Mr. Gonzales, who is the
mediator of both the OSCE and the EU, could, in either of his capacities
meet this need," Mr. Pangalos added.
Asked if there had been any developments regarding the US-sponsored
sanctions against Yugoslavia, he said these were endorsed by the EU,
including Greece, a week ago.
Mr. Pangalos said US Defense Secretary William Cohen would be coming to
Greece in April, and hopefully Ms Albright in the summer.
"We agreed to exchange visits of particular ministers to improve, as much
as possible, the degree of economic exchanges and our cooperation, more
generally, through political action," he said.
The Greek Foreign minister later met with President Clinton's national
security advisor Samuel Berger at the White House.
Albanian defence minister to visit Greece Mar 28
Albanian Defence Minister Sabit Brokaj is scheduled to visit the northwestern
city of Ioannina on March 28 for talks with his Greek counterpart Akis
Tsohatzopoulos, the Athens News Agency reported from Tirana on Sunday.
The talks will focus on the creation of a Balkan peace force, which Greece
and Bulgaria are promoting.
Illegal immigrants rounded up on Samos
Greek port authorities rounded up 15 illegal Iraqi immigrants on the island
of Samos on Sunday, and two crew from a Turkish fishing boat are being
questioned in connection with their arrival.
The Iraqis - 11 men, three women and a child - told port officials that
another six or seven of their group were still at large.
Bad weather has severely hampered the search by authorities for the
remaining men, women and children.
Port officials are questioning two Turkish crew members from a fishing
vessel seen about 500 metres from the Gatos headland where the Iraqis were
found.
Workers at Olympic Airways to stage 3-hour strike Tuesday
Workers at Olympic Airways will hold a three-hour work stoppage on Tuesday
to protest recently-announced government plans to revitalise the ailing
national carrier.
The decision was taken at Sunday's general assembly of representatives of
the Federation of Civil Aviation Bodies, which examined the proposals
handed to them yesterday by Olympic's management.
The proposals include a freeze on wages, a 45-hour working week, abolition
of bonuses, cutbacks in the number of cabin crew and a range of cuts or
mergers of flight routes.
Workers' representatives and OA management will meet on Tuesday to examine
alternate proposals put forward by the workers.
Balkan multinational force proposal gaining ground
A proposal for a multinational rapid deployment force in the Balkans, mede
by National Defence Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos, appears to be gaining
ground after recent talks in Sofia on the issue, said government spokesman
Dimitris Reppas yesterday.
The Foreign ministers of Greece, Turkey, Romania, the Former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia and Bulgaria, at a meeting in Sofia on March 10,
signed a declaration condemning the ethnic violence in Kosovo and calling
for peaceful dialogue.
Mr. Reppas emphasised that any multinational force would need to have the
agreement of all the countries in the region.
Thierry Roussel confident of court win vs Onassis Foundation
Thierry Roussel said in Athens on Sunday that he was confident he would win
a court battle on April 3 against the Onassis Foundation over his daughter
Athina Onassis Roussel, sole heir to the Onassis shipping fortune.
"I'm optimistic about the outcome of the trial because I do have evidence,
but also because I'm telling the truth," Roussel told reporters.
Roussel and his children, including Athina, arrived in Athens on Saturday
for a snap two-day visit.
The mother of 14-year-old Athina was the late Christina Onassis, daughter
of late shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis.
According to sources, Roussel has launched a legal counter-offensive
against the Onassis Foundation, members of whom have questioned his ability
to raise Athina.
On Sunday afternoon Athina visited the Acropolis for the first time,
closely guarded by her father's personal security.
"(Due to her age) the time has come for Athina to understand certain
situations and become aware of some issues. It is now time for her to get
to know her roots in greater detail. She herself will decide what she wants
to do when she is 18 years old," Roussel said.
He claimed he had arranged the Athens trip "so that little Athina can
forget what she and her family have recently been through due to people in
the Onassis Foundation."
Roussel and his children visited the site of Aristotle Onassis' home, which
has since been demolished, in the coastal resort of Glyfada. They were
dinner guests on Saturday of the late magnate's sister, Kallirroi
Patronikola.
The Roussel family is due to leave Athens tonight.
Athens to hosts EU conference on eastern Mediterranean policy
A roundtable conference on "EU policy in the Eastern Mediterranean - Is the
Barcelona Process working?" will be held in Athens April 2-3, it was
announced yesterday.
The controversial issue of the European Union's economic and strategic role
in the Eastern Mediterranean basin as a major player in its development and
political stability will be debated at the conference, a spokesman for the
organisers told the ANA.
Organised jointly by the Lambrakis Research Foundation, the Hellenic
Foundation for Europe and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP) and the Philip Morris
Institute under the auspices of Greece's Foreign Ministry, the conference
will be held at the Athens Concert Hall.
Greek-American lobby working to abolish visas for Greek citizens
United Hellenic American Congress national chairman Andrew Athens yesterday
announced that he was working alond with Greek-American leader Andrew
Manatos to get members of the US House of Representatives to reverse a
recent House subcommittee decision retaining visitor-visa requirements for
Greek nationals.
According to existing regulations, if more than 2 per cent of people
applying for a visa to the US are turned down, then the visa system must
continue in that country. The announcement noted that at present, 2.81 per
cent of applicants from Greece are rejected, while Mr. Athens and Mr.
Manatos' amendment would raise the cut-off level to 3 per cent, thus ending
the requirement for Greek citizens travelling to the United States.
More police on the beat to fight crime wave
Boosting of police patrols in order to combat a recent increase in crime in
Athens, has already born encouraging results, said government spokesman
Dimitris Reppas.
Public Order Minister George Romeos has told an all-party parliamentary
committee that 400 patrols went out on Wednesday night, 2,000 people were
questioned and 40 arrests were made.
Mr. Romeos said earlier this week that street patrols would be stepped up
to include officers normally assigned on desk duties.
Mr. Reppas said that the patrols would be further intensified as of Monday
when 1,000 new officers join the force after completing training.
Greeks drink, smoke and live longer-except behind the wheel: stats
Greeks drink a lot, smoke even more and somehow manage to live longer than
other Europeans, according to this year's Eurostat report.
Greek men have an anerage life span of 75 years while Greek women stay
ahead by living well into their 80th year, on the average. Greek women have
an average birth rate of 1.31 children, with the European average being
1.44.
In terms of smoking, Greeks are well ahead and likely to stay there. Greeks
average 3,012 cigarettes per person per year, while the next nation in line
is Spain with a rate of 2,119 cigarettes per person.
In alcohol consumption, Greeks are on the bottom of the list with only 10.8
lt per person, a position it also has on the subject of suicides.
Finally the Eurostat report says that in Greece traffic accidents claim the
lives of 43 people out of 100,000 every year.
Better absorption of EU funds in '97
The European Union has announced that Greece absorbed EU funds from the
Delors II structural aid package at a satisfactory rate in 1997.
The announcement stated that Greece had absorbed 8.782 billion Ecu by the
end of 1997, while another 6.985 billion Ecu or 44 per cent of the total
remains to be absorbed. The EU member-state average stands at 41 per
cent.
Plan for further privatisation of OTE announced
The management of the Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation (OTE) has
announced plans to further privatise the state-run utility by up to 15 per
cent by the end of the year.
Other plans include expansion of investment in the Balkans, increased
digitalisation of the network from 48 to 70 per cent within 1998 and
gradually reducing rates by 2000.
OTE managing director G. Chrysolouris said investments abroad would be
directed toward Bulgaria and Romania only, where telecom utilities were on
the road to partial privatisation. Consolidation of such ventures would be
sought through cooperation with Greek entrepreneurs who are already active
in these countries, he said.
Weather
Overcast skies, sleet, snow and northerly or northwesterly winds are
forecast for most of the country for Sunday, except southern regions which
will have milder weather with sunny breaks. Athens and Thessaloniki will be
overcast with sunny intervals. Temperatures in the capital will range
between 5 and 10 degrees centigrade, and in the second city from 1 to 8
degrees.
Foreign Exchange
Friday's closing rates (buying) are as follows: U.S. dollar 321.676
British pound 535.323 Japanese Yen(100) 247.583
French franc 52.350 German mark 175.485
Italian lira (100) 17.807 Irish Punt 440.646
Belgian franc 8.507 Finnish mark 57.840
Dutch guilder 155.684 Danish kr. 46.035
Austrian sch. 24.947 Spanish peseta 2.069
Swedish kr. 40.178 Norwegian kr. 42.184
Swiss franc 215.110 Port. Escudo 1.720
AUS dollar 212.784 Can. dollar 226.573
Cyprus pound 601.648
(C.S.)
|
