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The Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in English, 99-11-19
From: The Hellenic Radio (ERA) <ert.ntua.gr/>
CONTENTS
[01] AMERICAN PRESIDENT IN ATHENS
[02] GREEK AND TURKISH PRIME MINISTERS MEET IN CONSTANTINOPLE
[03] NEW YORK TALKS TO TOUCH ON SUBSTANCE OF CYPRUS ISSUE
[04] GOVERNOR OF BANK OF GREECE VISITS EGYPT
[05] CIVIL AVIATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN GREECE, ALBANIA AND FYROM
[06] CITY OF RHODES TO BUILD COLOSSUS OUT OF OLD EUROPEAN COINS
[01] AMERICAN PRESIDENT IN ATHENS
American President Bill Clinton in Athens. Security measures will be
strict at the airport, along the route president Clinton's cavalcade is
expected to follow, and in and around the hotel where he is to stay.
Meanwhile reacting to the government's decision to ban protest rallies
outside the American embassy today, the Greek Communist party, the
Democratic Social Movement and the Coalition of the Left Wing and
Progress issued announcements stating that they would safeguard the
peaceful character of the protest rallies.
Acting government spokesman Yannis Nikolaou spoke of petty politics,
while public order minister Michalis Chrysohoidis estimated that no
incidents would take place. At the same time, prominent personalities
of the Greek community in the United States have protested over a
controversial article published in the "Washington Post" on 9th
November, according to which Greek governments were covering up
terrorist activities. Greek Americans described the report as harmful
to American interests, since it disseminated false rumours about Greece
through the press.
[02] GREEK AND TURKISH PRIME MINISTERS MEET IN CONSTANTINOPLE
After a meeting with his Turkish counterpart Bulent Ecevit in
Constantinople, Greek prime minister Kostas Simitis said yesterday that
Greece backed Turkey's European prospects. He added however that the
support was not unconditional.
Mr Simitis said that if Turkey wished to be considered as a candidate
country for admission to the European Union, it should maintain
friendly and peaceful relations with neighbouring countries and show
respect for human rights. Mr Simitis disagreed with the idea of
bilateral talks on all issues, adding however that he supported the
opening of negotiations on the Aegean continental shelf on condition
that the issue would be referred to the international tribunal at The
Hague, if the negotiations did not yield results within a specific
timetable.
According to the official Turkish news agency Anatolia, foreign
leaders, including French president Jacques Chirac, called on the
Turkish prime minster to accept having recourse to the international
court, and the Copenhagen criteria for human rights. Turkish Prime
minister Bulent Ecevit assured his Greek counterpart Kostas Simitis
that Turkey did not have any territorial claims against Greece, adding
however that the Cyprus issue should not influence Greek-Turkish
relations.
Government spokesman Dimitris Reppas told Greek Radio that obviously
Turkey sought to avoid any discussion on the Cyprus dispute, adding
that Ankara should prove in deed that it had no territorial claims
against Greece. He also pointed out that the Cyprus issue would always
be a criterion for Turkey's admission to the EU. For his part,
opposition New Democracy party leader Kostas Karamanlis described the
Turkish prime minister's statements as a mockery and urged the Greek
government to explain to American president Bill Clinton that a neutral
policy did not help.
[03] NEW YORK TALKS TO TOUCH ON SUBSTANCE OF CYPRUS ISSUE
American secretary of state Madeleine Albright and US presidential
envoy for the Cyprus issue Alfred Moses gave assurances to Cypriot
president Glafkos Kliridis that the substance of Cyprus issue would be
discussed at his talks with Turkish Cypriot representative Rauf
Denktash in New York.
[04] GOVERNOR OF BANK OF GREECE VISITS EGYPT
Speaking at a symposium of Greek and Egyptian businessmen in Alexandria
yesterday, governor of the National Bank of Greece Theodoros Karatzas
said the National Bank would set up a business risk insurance company
with assets amounting to 50 million dollars. He also said that the
National Bank and Greek shipping companies would set up a shipping line
between Greece and Egypt.
[05] CIVIL AVIATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN GREECE, ALBANIA AND FYROM
The Greek, Albanian and FYROM transport ministers signed an agreement
yesterday for cooperation in civil aviation. According to the
agreement, Thessaloniki will be the HQ for coordination of air
traffic.
[06] CITY OF RHODES TO BUILD COLOSSUS OUT OF OLD EUROPEAN COINS
The city of Rhodes on the island of Rhodes will participate in a
competition of European cities for building a monument to the new
millennium. The municipality of Rhodes is planning to construct a
replica of the Colossus of Rhodes using European coins to be replaced
when the new euro coins are circulated.
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