Athens News Agency: News in English (PM), 98-03-24

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

NEWS IN ENGLISH

Athens, Greece, 24/03/1998 (ANA)

MAIN HEADLINES

• Kosovo: Kaklamanis urges efforts, Bulatovic blames foreign powers
• OA workers meet with management to discuss revitalisation plan
• Romeos allays fears about recent rise in crime
• Illegal immigrants arrested on Samos
• Pangalos calls on US to pressure Turkey to go to The Hague
• Kranidiotis-Cordovez discuss Cyprus issue in Athens
• Titmayer lauds Greek progress towards meeting Maastricht criteria
• Greek equities come under pressure from profit takers
• Greece, Moldova sign trade cooperation pact
• Greek, US tax authorities extend cooperation pact
• Songwriter Akis Panou sentenced to life
• Weather
• Foreign exchange

NEWS IN DETAIL

Parliament president Apostolos Kaklamanis today stressed the need for intensification of efforts for a speedy solution of the Kosovo crisis and pointed out Greece's ability of contributing to better understanding between the two sides involved.

Speaking to reporters after talks with visiting Yugoslav defence minister Pavle Bulatovic, Kaklamanis said "steps should be made as soon as possible to seek a political solution and for a message of commencement of dialogue to be sent outwards".

Stressing that the Kosovo problem was an "internal affair of Yugoslavia", Kakalamanis said that the rights of the Albanians and minorities of Kosovo needed to be consolidated, "but in no instance should a solution provide for the creation of a separate state entity".

Such an eventuality, he added, would not concern only Yugoslavia, because it would comprise a "bad precedent for all countries in the Balkans, where national and religious minorities abound".

Kaklanis also referred to the fear of a repetition of the Bosnia events in other areas of the Balkans, and wished better days for the Yugoslav people so that, in a calm environment, they could prepare the course that would lead them to the European structures.

Bulatovic briefed Kakalamanis on the situation in the Kosovo, and attributed blame to "foreign powers" which he said were encouraging the Albanian-speaking community to seek the establishment of an independent Kosovo state.

"My country considers the situation in the Kosovo an internal problem and is willing to provide not only the Albanian community but all the minorities living in Yugoslavia with all the guarantees for civil rights and freedoms, in accordance with the international treaties and the country's Constitution," Bulatovic said.

He said the development of the situation hinged on whether the representatives of the Albanian community would enter into talks with the Bulgarian government and on the pressure in that direction exercised by the international community.

Bulatovic also renewed an invitation to Kaklamanis to formally visit Belgrade from the president of the Yugoslav parliament.

Bulatovic was in Thessaloniki later this morning, accompanied by his Greek counterpart, Akis Tsohatzopoulos, on the last leg of his official three-day visit to Greece.

After a tour of the 3rd Army Corps headquarters, Bulatovic said his visit there "underscores the very close friendly relations between the Greek and Serb peoples as well as between the armed forces of the two countries".

"It is a friendship which was forged in the past in very difficult conditions when our ancestors showed admirable heroism in the struggles for freedom...," he said.

Tsohatzopoulos said the visit confirmed "in the most emphatic way the relations between the two countries and their desire for cooperation, so that peace and stability in the Balkans may find fresh impetus".

Bulatovic was scheduled to visit the Childandarion monastery on Mt. Athos but instead, due to bad weather prevailing in the area, visited the royal Macedonian tombs at the Vergina archaeological site.

After returning to Thessaloniki later today for an official lunch at the 3rd Army Corps headquarters, Bulatovic will visit the exhibition of treasures of Mt. Athos at the Byzantine Museum before flying back to Belgrade from the Macedonia international airport this evening.

OA workers meet with management to discuss revitalisation plan

About 1,000 workers of Olympic Airways (OA) congregated outside the company's administrative offices near the centre of Athens today as union representatives met with management to discuss a five-year government plan to revitalise the ailing national carrier.

The impromptu workers' rally disrupted traffic on Syngrou Avenue, the main road linking Athens and Piraeus.

At the same time, a three-hour work stoppage by OA workers this morning to protest the plan did not affect flights, since skeleton staff were able to cope.

Under the government plan, OA must find ways to save 50 billion drachmas a year for five years or face closure.

According to sources, OA workers accept a three-year wage freeze at 1997 levels and the re-allocation of personnel, particularly the transfer of 1, 000 supervisors to posts with a higher workload.

However they do not accept the abolition of collective labour agreements.

Romeos allays fears about recent rise in crime

The recent rise in crime in Greece was not as widespread as it was presented to be, nor as alarming, Public Order Minister George Romeos said today in an exclusive interview with the ANA, adding that it was a temporary phenomenon.

Romeos, in Australia to attend the Greek-Australian "Antipodes" festival, attributed the rise chiefly to the ongoing process of legalisation of foreign immigrants in Greece.

He said that in the context of the process, which enables illegal aliens who arrived in Greece by end-1997 to apply for temporary residence and work permits, "thre was a tolerance towards all illegal immigrants in Greece".

Unfortuantely, he added, "this tolerance was exploited" by some of those aliens, as statistics pointed to the rise in crime being chiefly due to foreigners, particularly Albanians.

Romeos said stepped-up measures were introduced last week, including major mobilisation of the police, and the situation was under control. "We have re-commenced the process of deporting all those (aliens) who do not have a permanent residence, who don't have work, back to their own countries," the minister said.

Expressing optimism over the success of the measures, Romeos pointed out that even with the recent spate of crimes, Greece continued to have the lowest crime rate in Europe.

Illegal immigrants arrested on Samos

Greek Coast Guard patrols have rounded up 41 Iraqi illegal immigrants of Kurdish origin over the past 48 hours on the island of Samos, police said.

They said a group of 12 men, two women and two children -- who were arrested early this morning, told the police during questioning that scores of other Iraqis were gathered on the Turkish coast opposite Samos waiting to be clandestinely ferried over by Turkish smugglers.

The 16, and another 25 Iraqi Kurds arrested early Sunday, have all requested political asylum.

Pangalos calls on US to pressure Turkey to go to The Hague

Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos yesterday impressed upon US officials the need for pressure to be exercised on Ankara so it will consent to referral of any differences in the Aegean to an international adjudicating body, such as the International Court at The Hague.

"I explained to them that Greek-Turkish relations have come to be stagnant because Turkey does not accept the framework within which serious progress may be made. This is a legal, institutional framework, with application of international law and with referral to international adjudicating bodies," he said after a meeting lasting 90 minutes at the Greek embassy.

"If this is not accepted by Turkey, there will be no progress because the other prospects which Turkey wishes to create, with its supposed initiatives and letters, are prospects based on the balance of power, which will not solve problems but, on the contrary, will accentuate them," he added.

"I made it clear to them that it would be a mistake for one to think that Greek-Turkish problems are the main or the only problem to Turkey's European prospects. That Greece has a serious interest in Turkey's approach to Europe as near and as fast as possible, but that there are preconditions that must be fulfilled, posed jointly by the members of the EU, and which Turkey must accept as all other candidate-countries have done," he said. Regarding the Cyprus issue, the Greek minister said it was an issue between Cypriots and Ankara, as Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash did not have the power to decide, and pressure should be brought on Ankara for the Turkish Cypriots to come to the negotiating table.

The meeting was attended by US Undersecretary of State Thomas Pickering, US Assistant Secretary of State Marc Grossman, the US State Department's coordinator for Cyprus, Thomas Miller, and Myriam Shapiro of the National Security Council.

Mr. Pangalos said the US officials had asked for details on the position presented to US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright regarding what would be required to suspend a plan to install Russian-made S-300 missiles on Cyprus.

He said he had made clear that he was not merely asking for a moratorium of flights over Cyprus, which could be overturned at any time, but an agreement committing Turkey, guaranteed by the UN, the US or NATO, and safeguarding the defence of Cyprus.

Summing up, Mr. Pangalos said he had found understanding on the part of US officials on the basic points of Greek-Turkish differences and the Cyprus problem.

US State Department spokesman James Foley said that in Friday's meeting between Ms Albright and Mr. Pangalos, she had told her counterpart that "the US is resolved to help in the search for solutions in Greek-Turkish differences and the Cyprus problem".

He added the Secretary of State planned to visit Greece in the summer and hoped to contribute in the context of such efforts.

Kranidiotis-Cordovez discuss Cyprus issue in Athenes

Foreign Undersecretary Yiannos Kranidiotis yesterday told visiting UN special adviser on Cyprus Diego Cordovez that in the event that the Turkish side's negative stance continued, regarding a settlement of the Cyprus problem, the issue should be brought up before the UN Security Council.

Following their one-hour long meeting, Mr. Kranidiotis reiterated Athens support of the UN Secretary General's initiative and that of Mr. Cordovez's mission aimed at the resumption of the intercommunal dialogue for a just and viable settlement of the Cyprus problem. Mr. Kranidiotis said "we are at a crucial turning point due to the Turkish side's intransigence and the terms which it sets in order for it to proceed to the negotiating table."

He said these terms could not be accepted and that it was the obligation of the Turkish side to attend the dialogue without terms and preconditions, as imposed by the United Nations through its resolutions, and by the international community.

"If the Turkish side's negative stand continues, the issue should be brought before the UN Security Council which in turn must undertake its responsibilities, so that the effort for dialogue may be strengthened," he said.

He said such dialogue could operate in parallel to the accession negotiations which start on March 31. Mr. Cordovez briefed Mr. Kranidiotis on the intensive consultations which he had in Cyprus with President Glafcos Clerides and Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash.

Expressing the hope that negotiations would proceed for a settlement of the problem, Mr. Cordovez noted that "where there is a difficult situation dangers are created, but opportunities are also presented."

Mr. Cordovez said that UN Secretary General Kofi Annan was deeply concerned over the situation in Cyprus.

Titmayer lauds Greek progress towards meeting Maastricht criteria

In an interview with state-run network, Bundesbank President Hans Titmayer expressed the view that Greece has undoubtedly made substantive progress in achieving criteria set by the Maastricht Treaty.

Mr. Titmayer expressed optimism that this progress will continue and said that Greece has oriented its policy in the right direction now, adding that the country's accession to Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) will be judged in two years from now. He further said that the central banks of European Union member-states will support the drachma if its parity nears exceeding the anticipated limits of plus or minus 15 per cent. Mr. Titmayer reiterated that a necessary precondition for the accession of a cou ntry to EMU is the exchange stability of a currency in the exchange rate mechanism, as well as the achievement of the known convergence criteria. He considers the public debt criterion as being the most difficult.

Greek equities come under pressure from profit takers

Greek equities came under pressure from profit takers on Tuesday, ending a six-day rally on the Athens Stock Exchange.

Traders said the fall in prices was a normal correction for the market which saw the general index surge 26.89 percent in the previous six sessions.

The index ended 1.43 percent lower at 1,922.86 points, and trading remained heavy with turnover at 67.5 billion drachmas.

Dealers expected share prices to resume their upward trend after Wednesday's public holiday, when the market is closed.

Sector indices were mixed. Banks fell 0.24 percent, Insurance rose 0.76 percent, Investment dropped 2.21 percent, Leasing eased 1.80 percent, Industrials fell 2.07 percent, Construction was 0.50 percent up, Miscellaneous dropped 2.88 percent and Holding was 1.75 percent off.

The parallel market index ended 1.49 percent higher while the FTSE/ASE index dropped 1.24 percent to 1,134.98 points.

Broadly, advancers led decliners by 126 to 118 with another 20 issues unchanged.

Agrinio Metalplastic, Korfil, Etma and Mesohoritis scored the biggest percentage gains at the daily 8.0 percent limit up, while Hadzioannou, Ideal, Demetriadis and Klaoudatos suffered the heaviest losses.

National Bank of Greece ended at 34,900 drachmas, Ergobank at 20,300, Alpha Credit Bank at 23,470, Delta Dairy at 3,530, Titan Cement at 20,645, Intracom at 17,600 and Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation at 7, 800.

Greece, Moldova sign trade cooperation pact

Greek and Moldovan officials yesterday signed a cooperation agreement aimed at improving economic, trade and technological ties between the two countries.

The agreement was signed by Greek National Economy Undersecretary Alekos Baltas and his Moldovan counterpart, Dumitru Bragis.

It calls for swifter procedures to promote cooperation in industry, trade, services and modern technology.

The pact also envisages the mutual promotion and protection of investments, measures to avoid double taxation, and the introduction of TACIS programmes in Moldova.

The two sides also discussed a credit facility totalling 10 million US dollars to Moldova that has yet to be accomplished due to problems in Moldova's banking system.

Moldova and Greece are members of the Black Sea Cooperation Agreement and the Black Sea Bank.

According to government figures, 33 Greek businesses are active in Moldova in trade, industry, tourism, transport, insurance, banking services and information technology.

Greek, US tax authorities extend cooperation pact

Greek and US tax authorities extended by one year a technical cooperation agreement first signed in 1996. Finance Undersecretary George Drys said yesterday that extension of the pact with IRS, the US tax authority, would help in the government's drive to combat tax evasion, cut costs and improve services for taxpayers.

Songwriter Akis Panou sentenced to life

A Kavala court yesterday convicted a popular Greek songwriter Akis Panou on a murder count, sentencing him to life in prison.

He was also convicted of illegal arms possession.

Five members of the seven-member court also did not find any extenuating circumstances for Panou, who admitted to killing his daugther's married boyfriend last summer, claiming it was a crime of "honour" and committed in the heat of the moment.

He has the right to apeal the verdict.

WEATHER

FOREIGN EXCHANGE

U.S. dollar 318.521 British pound 533.379 Japanese Yen(100) 243.963 French franc 51.943 German mark 174.091 Italian lira (100) 17.672 Irish Punt 437.036 Belgian franc 8.437 Finnish mark 57.403 Dutch guilder 154.410 Danish kr. 45.656 Austrian sch. 24.740 Spanish peseta 2.052 Swedish kr. 40.168 Norwegian kr. 42.122 Swiss franc 213.414 Port. Escudo 1.700 AUS dollar 212.883 Can. dollar 223.855 Cyprus pound 596.192

(S.S.)

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