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The Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in English, 99-08-13
From: The Hellenic Radio (ERA) <ert.ntua.gr/>
CONTENTS
[01] SWEATHER COOLING IN GREECE
[02] ASSUMPTION OF THE VIRGIN MARY IN TINOS AND PAROS
[03] TURKISH VIOLATIONS OF GREEK AIR SPACE
[04] LIMITS TO CYPRUS' GOODWILL IN CYPRUS TALKS
[05] GREEK DEFENCE MINISTER'S VISITS ABROAD
[06] GREEK INVESTMENTS IN KOSOVO SAFE
[07] PRIME MINISTER MADE HONORARY CITIZEN OF SIPHNOS
[08] ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE UP 2.3% YESTERDAY
[09] NEGOTIATIONS FOR EUROFIGHTER JETS
[10] ALBANIAN PRIME MINISTER VISITS PRISTINA
[11] TENSION MOUNTING IN THE CAUCASUS
[12] GOVERNMENT RESHUFFLE IN YUGOSLAVIA
[13] TURKISH SECURITY FORCES ARREST SUSPECT
[01] SWEATHER COOLING IN GREECE
The heatwave plaguing Greece in the past few days is now abating and
the weather is gradually cooling. Temperatures reached 42 degrees
centigrade in many parts of the country yesterday, but the weather
bureau forecast a top temperature of 38 degrees today. The weekend is
expected to be a little cooler, with some local showers in northern
regions.
[02] ASSUMPTION OF THE VIRGIN MARY IN TINOS AND PAROS
Thousands of people are expected to visit the Cyclades islands of Tinos
and Paros for the August 15 religious celebration of the Assumption of
the Virgin Mary. President of the Republic Konstantinos Stefanopoulos
will travel to Paros to attend the service at the church of Panaghia
Ekatontapyliani, built by Byzantine Emperor Constantine the Great 17
centuries ago on the ruins of an ancient pagan temple. The service will
be officiated by Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens and all Greece.
[03] TURKISH VIOLATIONS OF GREEK AIR SPACE
There has been a new incident of violation of Greek airspace by Turkish
jets, with a total of 14 jets entering Greek skies in the central and
northern Aegean. In all cases they were intercepted by Greek fighter
jets and there were also five simulated dog fights.
[04] LIMITS TO CYPRUS' GOODWILL IN CYPRUS TALKS
Cypriot foreign minister Ioannis Kassoulidis said yesterday the
governments of Cyprus and Greece were ready for UN secretary general
Kofi Annan's new initiative on the Cyprus issue. But he also set the
limits of Cyprus' willingness to show goodwill at the talks, saying
Cyprus would not cooperate if any attempt was made to upgrade the
self-styled Turkish Cypriot state.
[05] GREEK DEFENCE MINISTER'S VISITS ABROAD
Greek defence minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos is to pay visits to several
countries in the fall in the framework of military diplomacy. His trips
will start with a visit to the Ukraine in late August and end on 26
September when he is scheduled to return from the USA. In the meantime
he will visit Bulgaria, Israel, Palestine, Toronto, Canada, Boston and
San Francisco in the USA. In Boston he will have talks with his
American counterpart William Cohen.
The talks are considered important since they will focus on
Greek-Turkish relations, the new structure of Nato and American
president Bill Clinton's scheduled visit to Athens on 22 November, but
they will also touch upon Greek- American bilateral relations in the
sector of armaments.
[06] GREEK INVESTMENTS IN KOSOVO SAFE
National economy undersecretary Rodoula Zisi has told Greek state radio
that Greek investments in Kosovo are not at risk and that business
activities in the region will not be suspended. Mrs Zisi said that
Greece had informed the ambassadors of Yugoslavia and France about the
serious problem facing a Greek business after a Yugoslav state-owned
company refused to comply with its contractual obligations.
[07] PRIME MINISTER MADE HONORARY CITIZEN OF SIPHNOS
Prime minister Kostas Simitis was declared honorary citizen of the
Cyclades island of Siphnos last night, and was given the golden key by
the island's mayor Yannis Gerontis. A special event organised for the
purpose at Platys Gialos was attended by hundreds of local people and
holidaymakers. Mr Simitis is spending his short vacation on Siphnos
this year as he does almost every year.
35-HOUR WEEK FOR BANK EMPLOYEES A SUCCESS
Labour undersecretary Christos Protopapas expressed satisfaction with
the pilot implementation of the 35-hour working week in banks and the
extension of banking hours, following several visits he made yesterday
to bank branches. The programme has been implemented for the past 10
days and the initial feedback is that certain credit institution
branches received more clients.
[08] ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE UP 2.3% YESTERDAY
On the Athens Stock Exchange, the general share price index rose 2.3
percent yesterday, setting a new record at 4,696.91. Trading reached
239 billion drachmas. In the parities, the fixing price for the US
dollar was 307.57 drachmas, the German mark 167.67 drachmas and the
euro 326.95 drachmas.
[09] NEGOTIATIONS FOR EUROFIGHTER JETS
Negotiations for the purchase of Eurofighter jet planes for the Greek
air force will begin next Monday, to determine the number of planes to
be purchased by Greece as well as the extent of participation by the
Greek defence industry in their production. The estimated cost for 90
planes is about two trillion drachmas.
[10] ALBANIAN PRIME MINISTER VISITS PRISTINA
Albanian prime minister Pandeli Maiko is going on a two-day private
visit to Pristina today, a government spokesman said in Tirana. He is
to meet there with the political leader of the Kosovo Liberation Army,
Hassim Thaci, and moderate ethnic Albanian leader Ibrahim Rugova, but
also with the commander of the international peace keeping force in
Kosovo, British general Sir Michael Jackson, and representatives of the
UN mission in Kosovo.
The Albanian government spokesman said however the visit would be
mainly a private one, since Mr Maiko is going to Kosovo to ask for the
hand in marriage for his younger brother of a young lawyer from
Pristina.
[11] TENSION MOUNTING IN THE CAUCASUS
Tension in the Caucasus is escalating, after Moscow announced yesterday
that it will launch a large-scale military campaign against Muslim
rebels in Dagestan.
[12] GOVERNMENT RESHUFFLE IN YUGOSLAVIA
Yugoslavia's prime minister Momir Bulatovic dismissed 7 ministers
yesterday and appointed 12 others, of whom five belong to the extreme
right wing Serbian Radical Party.
[13] TURKISH SECURITY FORCES ARREST SUSPECT
The Turkish security forces yesterday arrested a Kurdish rebel near the
Iranian border. Ankara claimed he was planning to assassinate the
president of the court which sentenced Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan
to death.
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