Athens News Agency: News in English (AM), 98-03-29
NEWS IN ENGLISH
Athens, Greece, 29/03/1998 (ANA)
MAIN HEADLINES
- Central natural gas pipeline inaugurated
- Turkish embassy car torched, group claims responsibility
- Primary school teachers call strike
- High capital inflows reported
- Crete students protest reforms
- Playwright Mimis Traiforos dies at 86
- Wallet saves policeman shot by Romanian burglars
- Weather
- Foreign Exchange
NEWS IN DETAIL
Central natural gas pipeline inaugurated
Russia's ambassador to Greece on Saturday inaugurated a 166-km central
pipeline which will carry natural gas from Russia to Greece.
"The natural gas which has reached Kavala will soon reach as far as Thrace,
" Valentina Matvienko said during the ceremony.
The pipeline runs from the Karperi region in Serres to the village of
Hakero in Kavala.
"This project is another indication of the good cooperation between Greece
and Russia," Matvienko said. "It is an example of good cooperation which
Greek and Russian construction companies will have as well as the excellent
level of friendship and cooperation between the peoples of Greece and
Russia", she added.
Representatives of construction companies present at the ceremony said that
as of April 16 Russian natural gas would be available for industrial use
with domestic use becoming available shortly afterwards.
Matvienko said Russia was "very interested" in seeing the completion of the
Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline, in which Bulgaria, Russia and Greece
were involved and which had "not only economic but political significance",
she said.
"This project will contribute to the further development of Greece as well
as many other regions in Europe," Matvienko said, adding that Moscow's
interest in the completion of the project was more significant in the light
of the Turkish unilateral decision to restrict access through the
Straits.
The natural gas to be imported to Greece from Russia is expected to cover
approximately 15 per cent of the country's energy needs. To be built at an
estimated cost of 600 billion drachmas, financed 40 per cent by the
European Union, the natural gas conveyance network will extend for over 1,
000 kilometres.
Prime Minister Costas Simitis earlier this year called the project ''the
greatest energy project to be carried out in Greece since the country's
electrification''.
Turkish embassy car torched, group claims responsibility
A car belonging to the Turkish embassy's defense attache was set alight
overnight, authorities said.
The car, parked at the corner of Tritonos and Parthenonos streets in the
residential area of Paleo Faliro, was set alight by unidentified persons at
about 1 a.m. on Sunday morning.
The fire caused at least a million drachmas damage to the vehicle, as well
as to a neighbouring car.
The fire department is looking into the exact circumstances of the
fire.
Police said later a group calling itself "Conscientious Arsonists" claimed
responsibility for the torching of the Turkish Embassy car used by its
military attache.
Eyewitnesses said the arsonists were two relatively young men, who had
their faces covered by scarves and left the scene on foot.
Police said a front window of the car had been smashed and burning rags
soaked in petrol were thrown into it.
Primary school teachers call strike
Primary school teachers have called a nationwide 24-hour strike for Friday
to protest recent Education Ministry decisions to abolish a decades-long
waiting list for appointment to public schools and replace it with a
competition.
The teachers will hold rallies in Athens and Thessaloniki on the day of the
strike, and their unions will meet again later in April to discuss further
protest activity, to be stepped up in May when the competition is planned
to take place.
High capital inflows reported
Foreign capital inflows into Greek financial markets have totalled 3.5
billion US dollars since the drachma's devaluation and entry into the
European exchange rate mechanism on March 14, National Economy and Finance
Minister Yiannos Papantoniou said.
He added that in the last two weeks the Athens Stock Exchange jumped 30
percent and the drachma appreceiated by 3.0 percent against most foreign
currencies, reflecting renewed foreign confidence in the Greek currency.
Crete students protest reforms
Students and administration at Crete's Polytechnic University clashed on
Saturday night at a Hania hotel when students barred entry to those wanting
to register under a new university entrance scheme.
Students closed off access to the hotel where registration was taking place
for four hours. They eventually lifted their blockade after talks with
university authorities.
The new university courses are part of changes to the Greek education
system introduced recently by the ministry. They can be studied by
graduates of at least high school level over a period of between four to
six years. Those aged under 25 pay no fees; those over the age of 25 pay a
nominal fee.
The Crete university was one of the first to declare participation in the
programme.
Playwright Mimis Traiforos dies at 86
Eminent writer, stage director, lyric-writer and poet Mimis Traiforos died
early Saturday after a long illness at the age of 86.
In 1940, Traiforos wrote the lyrics for the stirring "Children, children of
Greece" which became a symbol of the Greeks' national struggle against the
fascist Italian attempt to invade the country from Albania.
The song was immortalised by popular singer Sophia Vembo, herself a symbol
of Greek resistance.
In the period 1941-42, Traiforos and Vembo entertained the remnants of the
Greek army in exile in Egypt.
Traiforos, who one week ago was admitted to the Evangelismos Hospitalin
Athens, wrote over 50 revues and other works, many of which considerably
influenced modern Greek theatre.
He also worked with many of Greece's most famous composers, including Manos
Hadjidakis.
Traiforos will be buried at the Athens First Cemetery on Tuesday.
Wallet saves policeman shot by Romanian burglars
A wallet may have saved the life of a policeman who was shot at by a
suspected burglar early Saturday in Petralona, Athens.
Police apprehended two Romanians, identified as Lonel Milea and Ivan
Nikolae, in the early hours of the morning to question them about a series
of burglaries.
At some point, Nikolae managed to run away and was chased by Sergeant
Christos Petropoulos who eventually cornered him in a dead-end street.
In an effort to escape, the Romanian fired a shot but the bullet hit the
officer's wallet.
With the assistance of a colleague, Nikolae was arrested and the revolver
confiscated.
WEATHER
Local cloud is forecast on Monday for eastern and southern Greece, with
sunny weather expected in the rest of the country. Scattered clouds for
Athens with temperatures between 3-13 C. The same for Thessaloniki, with
temperatures between 1-11 C.
FOREIGN EXCHANGE
Friday's closing rates (buying): U.S. dollar 314.434
British pound 530.561 Japanese Yen(100) 243.219
French franc 51.552 German mark 172.737
Italian lira (100) 17.516 Irish Punt 434.000
Belgian franc 8.373 Finnish mark 56.941
Dutch guilder 153.284 Danish kr. 45.235
Austrian sch. 24.542 Spanish peseta 2.035
Swedish kr. 39.986 Norwegian kr. 41.870
Swiss franc 211.415 Port. Escudo 1.686
AUS dollar 212.149 Can. dollar 222.208
Cyprus pound 590.736
(L.G.)
|
