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The Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in English, 99-12-20
From: The Hellenic Radio (ERA) <ert.ntua.gr/>
CONTENTS
[01] PAPANDREOU DISCUSSES GREEK-TURKISH RELATIONS
[02] EU CANDIDATE COUNTRIES TO CONCLUDE DISCUSSIONS BY 2002
[03] FOREIGN HEADS OF STATE TO VISIT GREECE
[04] INDEPENDENT DEPUTY WILL NOT BE ELECTION CANDIDATE
[05] PRE-ELECTION FEVER BEGINS IN GREECE
[06] 2000 STATE BUDGET DEBATE CONTINUES IN PARLIAMENT
[07] FOREIGN MINISTER TO MEET WITH OMONIA LEADER
[08] REDUCTION IN COMPULSORY MILITARY SERVICE ANNOUNCED
[01] PAPANDREOU DISCUSSES GREEK-TURKISH RELATIONS
In an interview with yesterday's issue of the Greek newspaper
"Kathimerini tis Kyriakis", Foreign minister George Papandreou stated
that Greece was not prepared to discuss its sovereign rights, adding
that the International Court at the Hague, had become the only way for
Turkey to solve its differences with Greece. Mr. Papandreou also
underlined that following the decisions made at the Helsinki summit,
Turkey would not only have rights, but obligations as well. In an
another interview with the Cypriot newspaper "O Phileleftheros", Mr.
Papandreou stressed that the European Union was now involved in the
efforts for a Cyprus settlement. The Cyprus issue, he said, will be
part of the talks to be held between Turkey and the EU, on the level of
political dialogue and the guidelines for its EU accession. Mr
Papandreou added that had always used the argument that as soon as
Turkey became a candidate country, issues connected with it would
necessarily become European. In the meantime, foreign minister
Papandreou will hold talks in Athens today with his Cypriot
counterpart, Yannakis Kasoulidis, on the outcome of the first round of
the New York proximity talks on Cyprus and the Helsinki EU summit
decisions.
[02] EU CANDIDATE COUNTRIES TO CONCLUDE DISCUSSIONS BY 2002
The first six European Union candidate countries have agreed to make
every effort, in order to conclude relevant discussions at the latest
within the year 2001 -- a development which will enable their accession
on January 1, 2003. The heads of the negotiating teams of Cyprus, the
Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Poland and Slovenia, who met in
Slovenia recently, hailed a commitment made by the European Council of
Helsinki, according to which the EU will be able to accept new members
after the end of the year 2002.
[03] FOREIGN HEADS OF STATE TO VISIT GREECE
The Dutch Prime Minister, Mr. Kok, and the Swedish Prime Minister, Mr.
Person, are expected in Athens in mid-January to discuss the future of
Europe with their Greek counterpart Costas Simitis. Meanwhile, the new
prime minister of Albania, Ilir Meta, is scheduled to visit Athens next
Wednesday, for consultations with Prime Minister Simitis and members of
the government.
[04] INDEPENDENT DEPUTY WILL NOT BE ELECTION CANDIDATE
The independent parliamentary deputy and former senior New Democracy
member, George Souflias, yesterday announced his intention not to run
for a seat in parliament in the upcoming general elections next year.
In his announcement, Mr Souflias strongly criticised the leadership of
the main opposition party, and clarified that he did not plan to retire
from politics completely. He also hinted that in the procedures for
election of a new president of the republic, he would have voted for
the current president, Costis Stephanopoulos. New Democracy leader
Costas Karamanlis expressed his regret that Mr Souflias would not be a
candidate in the general elections, while the honorary president of the
ND party, Constantine Mitsotakis, said that the independent deputy's
decision harmed himself and the party.
[05] PRE-ELECTION FEVER BEGINS IN GREECE
Although the ruling Pasok party and the main opposition New Democracy
party have not yet made their plans clear, the possibility of early
Parliamentary elections is becoming more likely. New Democracy party
leader Kostas Karamanlis who is currently on a tour of the prefecture
of Magnisia called on former party members to join forces in supporting
the party, in view of the upcoming general elections. He also referred
to the problems in the Magnesia area, and presented the measures his
party would take when it came to power. Meanwhile, government spokesman
Dimitris Reppas-in an interview published in yesterday's "Ethnos tis
Kyriakis" newspaper-maintained that Pasok's supremacy would become even
more obvious as election time drew nearer.
[06] 2000 STATE BUDGET DEBATE CONTINUES IN PARLIAMENT
A debate on next year's state budget-the final one with funds still
calculated in drachmas-continued in parliament for the third day
yesterday and will end with a roll call vote on Tuesday night. Last
night, the Transport and Communications Minister Tasos Mantelis
stressed that the public utility companies were ready to form strategic
alliances, in order to set their sights on entering the Athens Stock
Exchange. However, the leader of the Democratic Social Movement,
Dimitris Tsovolas, described the budget as a pre-election one, and
claimed it would cause even greater social injustice and unrest. In
protest against the budget policies of the year 2000, the Union of the
Civil Servants has threatened to stage a three-hour work stoppage
tomorrow, as well as a march to the National Economy ministry. In the
meantime, in an interview with the Greek newspaper "Kyriakatiki
Eleftherotypia," National Economy Minister Yannos Papantoniou forecasts
upward trends for the Athens stockexchange in the next few weeks,
together with a reduction of interest rates next year.
[07] FOREIGN MINISTER TO MEET WITH OMONIA LEADER
Foreign Minister George Papandreou will meet today with the president
of Albania's main Greek minority organisation, Omonia, to discuss a
variety of issues affecting the Greek community in Albania. A key topic
on the agenda will be a new agreement of cooperation between the Greek
minority group and Albania's Human Rights Party, to which most of the
country's ethnic Greeks flocked, after a 1992 law banning
ethnically-based political parties.
[08] REDUCTION IN COMPULSORY MILITARY SERVICE ANNOUNCED
National Defence Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos yesterday announced a
reduction in the length of compulsory military service for conscripts
in the Greek armed forces, without, however, specifying the exact cut.
He also said that the professional divisions in the armed forces would
be expanded.
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