BRIEF GREEK NEWS BULLETIN (09/01/1996)

From: Macedonian Press Agency <mpa@uranus.eng.auth.gr>

Macedonian Press Agency News in English Directory

BRIEF GREEK NEWS BULLETIN BY MACEDONIAN NEWS AGENCY

Thessaloniki, January 9, 1996

NEWS IN ENGLISH

NEWS IN ENGLISH

[01] PRIME MINISTER'S REPLACEMENT MUST INCLUDE HIS INPUT, SAYS SPOKESMAN

The Prime Minister is PASOK's founder and is necessary to express his views to the party officials who will visit him in order to inform him on the political problem that has been created, according to greek government spokesman Tilemachos Hitiris, who reiterated today that Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou should be asked to express his view on the process of his replacement.

Responding to the question on what will happen in case the Prime Minister refuses to resign the greek government spokesman replied that the party's Central Committee will respond to the questions that will arise during its meeting on January 21st.

[02] TALKS FOR NON-CONFIDENCE VOTE CONTINUE TODAY IN PARLIAMENT

The parliamentary-level debate regarding the proposal for a vote of non-confidence in the governing party, continued today for the second day.

Among the ministers who took the podium was also former minister mr. Kostas Simitis, who is thought to be one of those likely to replace the hospitalized premier.

The three-day procedure will end at midnight on Wednesday when the members of parliament will be asked to cast open votes.

In order for the non-confidence vote to pass, it must amass at least 151 ayes. PASOK party members who hold parliamentary seats amount to 170, whereas opposition party members amount to 130.

[03] MINISTER OF NATIONAL ECONOMY SCOLDS OPPOSITION PARTY

The Minister of National Economy, mr. Yiannis Papantoniou, accused the main opposition party of making perilous moves, responding to the opposition's move to propose in parliament a vote of non-confidence.

Addressing the parliament, the minister said that in 1995 the credibility of the greek economic policy was won and considers that the confidence and credibility factors were offered by the ruling government.

[04] CONDITION OF GREEK PRIME MINISTER IS STABLE

The condition of greek Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou, who entered the 51st day of his hospitalization in the Onasion Cardiology Center, remains stable.

According to the medical bulletin issued today, the condition of the Prime Minister is stable. The patient underwent dialysis treatment while his respiratory function is periodically supported by respirator and the kinesiotherapy continues.

[05] HELEXPO TO GRANT FACILITIES TO CONGRESS OF GREEKS ABROAD

Helexpo, Thessaloniki's International Fair, will grant temporary room facilities for the use of Congress of Greeks Abroad and the agreement will be signed tomorrow at noon.

Present at the ceremony will be the Minister of Macedonia-Thrace, mr. Konstantinos Triarides, and the Under-Minister of Foreign Affairs, mr. Grigoris Niotis. Mr. Niotis is the government official assigned to matters pertinent to greeks abroad.

[06] GREEK TROOPS IN BOSNIA CONTRIBUTE TO CONSOLIDATION OF PEACE

The greek force that will be deployed in Bosnia will not contribute only to the consolidation of peace in the region but it will have and a wider significance because later Greece will be able to participate in the initiatives for the economic and the social reorganisation and also in the political consultations concerning the developments in the wider region.

The above were stressed by greek Defense Minister Gerasimos Arsenis from the town of Alexandria, in central north Greece where he attended the ceremony for the departure of 180 greek soldiers who make up the last and largest part of the greek force that will be deployed in Bosnia.

Mr.Arsenis stated that the greek soldiers will face little danger in Bosnia as all the sides in the bosnian war have signed the Dayton peace agreement. He also added that the greek force has received adequate training in order to be able to handle any difficulty. Mr.Arsenis expressed the hope that when the deployment of the NATO peace imlementation force is completed then the dangers will be more limited.

The greek Defense Minister stated that he will visit the greek force in Bosnia while Minister of Macedonia-Thrace mr.Kostas Triaridis said that his Ministry in cooperation with the Ministry of Defense will offer psychological support to the greek soldiers in Bosnia through visits by their families and by government officials.

The greek peace implementation force will be under british command and will be based in the town of Visovo, about 30 kilometers north-west of Sarajevo. The region is controlled by the muslims and is one of the few that has not been hit by the war.

[07] THESSALONIKI CHAMBER OF TRADES BUSINESS DELEGATION TO VISIT FYROM

A business delegation organised by Thessaloniki's Chamber of Trades is expected to visit FYROM in February while yesterday the Chamber's officials had an extraordinary meeting with skopjan businessmen interested in the cooperation with greek businesses especially in the food sector and in consumer goods.

The Chamber's officials met yesterday with representatives of a large super-market chain in FYROM headed by businessman mr.Velia Ramkofski.

Thessaloniki's Chamber of Trades Chairman mr.Themistoklis Nikolaidis stated to MPA that the meeting took place within the framework of the Chamber's exploratory contacts preceding the formal talks and missions. Mr.Nikolaidis stressed that necessary pre-condition before the formal business contacts start will be the reaching of an agreement in the talks between Greece and Skopje that will be held in New York on the issue of the name that will be used by FYROM.