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The Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in English, 99-07-29
From: The Hellenic Radio (ERA) <ert.ntua.gr/>
CONTENTS
[01] GREEK-TURKISH DIALOGUE MOVES TO ATHENS
[02] CABINET MEETS TO DISCUSS TIGHTER IMMIGRATION POLICY
[03] SINGLE DEFENCE DOCTRINE TO BE RECONFIRMED
[04] UN ENVOY IN CYPRUS RESIGNS
[05] GREECE CONDEMNS CEMETERY DESECRATION
[06] HUMANITARIAN AID INITIATIVE MEETING IN VIENNA
[07] PIRAEUS BANK COMPLAINS ABOUT TENDER PROCEDURES
[01] GREEK-TURKISH DIALOGUE MOVES TO ATHENS
The second phase of the Greek-Turkish dialogue which began in Ankara on
Monday at the level of foreign ministry experts moves to Athens today.
The meeting will focus on the issues concerning illegal immigration,
crime and terrorism. The Greek foreign minister, Giorgos Papandreou,
will have a meeting with his Turkish counterpart, Ismail Cem, in
Sarajevo tomorrow to assess the results of the initial contacts. The
meeting will take place on the sidelines of the international
conference for reconstruction and stability in the Balkans. In
statements he made yesterday on the island of Corfu, Mr Papandreou said
the dialogue was a long and tortuous procedure, but added that the
climate at the talks was constructive and positive. The Turkish prime
minister, Bulent Ecevit, yesterday described the opening of the
Greek-Turkish dialogue as a pleasant development and spoke about
positive messages coming from Greece.
[02] CABINET MEETS TO DISCUSS TIGHTER IMMIGRATION POLICY
At its meeting yesterday, the cabinet decided that economic immigrants
should be given a second chance to obtain a green card, through the
local administration organisations. Speaking after the cabinet
session, the government spokesman, Dimitris Reppas, said the government
was drawing up a draft bill on immigration which would provide for
stricter entry controls at state borders, a register of all foreign
nationals in Greece and the setting-up of employment agencies in
neighbouring countries, through bilateral agreements. The entry of
immigrants will be seasonal and temporary, while the possibility of
immigrants acquiring Greek citizenship after working in this country
for many years has not been ruled out. Mr Reppas noted that the crime
rate and the immigration problem were interrelated but were not
synonymous. He also said the prime minister had called on cabinet
members not to raise expectations for appointments or pay rises, and he
criticised the spate of amendments to draft bills. Mr Simitis made it
clear that the government did not indulge in a policy of appointments
and no mass hiring of personnel in the public sector should be
expected. Meanwhile, the New Democracy party leader, Kostas Karamanlis,
has proposed the establishment of a special body to guard the border
areas which would act in conjunction with the army. He also
recommended a restructuring of the country's police force, tighter
control over immigrant entry to Greece, greater transparency in the
issuing of green cards and the reintroduction of the rural police or
gendarmerie.
[03] SINGLE DEFENCE DOCTRINE TO BE RECONFIRMED
The Greek ambassador in Nicosia, Kyriakos Rodousakis, has said the
single defence doctrine between Greece and Cyprus does not need
amendment or restructuring in any way. He announced that the Greek
national defence minister, Akis Tsohatzopoulos, would be going to
Cyprus in September to reconfirm the strategic cooperation between the
two sides with his Cypriot counterpart.
[04] UN ENVOY IN CYPRUS RESIGNS
The UN special envoy in Cyprus, the New Zealander Ann Hercus, has
resigned for personal reasons. The political advisor to the UN
peacekeeping force in Cyprus, Peter Schmidt, delivered a letter from
the UN secretary general, Kofi Annan, to the Cypriot president, Glafkos
Kliridis, yesterday informing him that Ms Hercus' resignation had been
accepted and thanking her for her services.
[05] GREECE CONDEMNS CEMETERY DESECRATION
The Greek foreign ministry spokesman, Panagiotis Beglitis, yesterday
expressed his abhorrence at the recent desecration of graves in the
Greek community cemetery at Tatavla in Constantinople. He said the
Turkish authorities should take effective measures.
[06] HUMANITARIAN AID INITIATIVE MEETING IN VIENNA
A delegation from the Greek foreign ministry took part in yesterday's
meeting in Vienna to discuss the coordination of activities in the
joint humanitarian initiative undertaken by Greece, Russia, Austria and
Switzerland in Yugoslavia, code-named Focus. Through this initiative,
1,100 tons of humanitarian aid comprising foodstuffs, tents, medicines
and building materials worth a total of 3.13 million euro have been
sent to the victims of the war in Yugoslavia since the start of the
Nato bombing in March.
[07] PIRAEUS BANK COMPLAINS ABOUT TENDER PROCEDURES
The Piraeus Bank has lodged a complaint with the Council of State
against the finance minister and the board of the Athens Stock
Exchange, claiming that the decision by the board of the Stock Exchange
not to accept its improved tender for the purchase of 67% of the
Ergobank was illegal.
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