A.N.A. Bulletin, 02/07/96

From: "Greek Press & Information Office, Ottawa Canada" <[email protected]>

Athens News Agency Directory

ATHENS NEWS AGENCY BULLETIN (No 926), July 2, 1996

Greek Press & Information Office

Ottawa, Canada

E-Mail Address: [email protected]

CONTENTS

[1] New PASOK central committee to elect executive bureau, secretary

Outgoing ruling party central committee Secretary Costas Skandalidis announced yesterday that the new central committee decided by the PASOK party congress yesterday would meet this Friday to elect a new secretary and executive bureau. Mr. Skandalidis spoke after meeting with prime minister and new PASOK president Costas Simitis at the Maximos Mansion earlier yesterday.

Mr. Simitis will preside over the new executive bureau at their first meeting next Wednesday at the party's headquarters.

Mr. Skandalidis added that PASOK "has turned a new page" and, in response to a question, denied that there was a possibility of early elections. "PASOK will serve out its four-year term and will win the next elections, which will be held at the end of this four-year term," he said.

[2] Central committee results

George Papandreou, the son of PASOK's late founder Andreas Papandreou, led the field in Sunday night's counting of ballots for a new central committee, closely followed by Environment, Town Planning and Public Works Minister Costas Laliotis and Development Minister Vasso Papandreou.

Mr. Papandreou garnered 2,380 votes, Mr. Laliotis 2,284 and Ms Papandreou 2,202, followed by Mr. Skandalidis, Eurodeputy Paraskevas Avgerinos, Miltiades Papaioannou, Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos, Mihalis Haralambidis, Parliament President Apostolos Kaklamanis, National Defense Minister Gerassimos Arsenis, Labor Minister Evangelos Yiannopoulos, Justice Minister Evangelos Venizelos, Greek EU Commissioner Christos Papoutsis, Transport Minister Haris Kastanidis, Stefanos Manikas, Public Order Minister Costas Geitonas, Aegean Minister Antonis Kotsakas, Agriculture Minister Stefanos Tzoumakas, Labor Under-secretary Lambros Kanellopoulos and former deputy prime minister Ioannis Haralambopoulos.

Not elected to the central committee were former Parliamentary group secretary Dimitris Beis, former ministers Nikos Akritidis, Yiannis Pottakis, George Moraitis, Manolis Beteniotis, Stelios Papathemelis, Ioannis Veryvakis, George Mangakis, as well as Alternate Foreign Minister George Romeos. The latest results for the 150-member body were seen as bolstering Mr. Simitis' presidency win, with observers saying 81 of the new central committee members were aligned to the new president.

There are 33 new members in the central committee.

According to the new party charter, Interior, Decentralization and Public Administration Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos - as a challenger for the post of president getting more than 20 per cent of the vote - automatically becomes a member of the committee.

[3] Simitis pays respects to PASOK's founder

Mr. Simitis observed a minute's silence at the grave of late PASOK founder and premier Andreas Papandreou during a brief visit yesterday, accompanied by George Papandreou.

Also at the Athens First Cemetery were Mr. Geitonas, Ms Vasso Papandreou and National Economy Minister Yiannos Papantoniou.

[4] Business as usual, Reppas says

Government spokesman Dimitris Reppas yesterday ruled out the possibility of a reshuffle in the cabinet, following the election of Prime Minister Costas Simitis to the presidency of ruling party PASOK, or of early elections.

"There is no such issue and the prime minister is not concerned with such an issue," Mr. Reppas told reporters at his daily briefing."

"The members of the government have the right to express their opinions, as they do at all government meetings," he said in response to questions regarding the status of cabinet members critical of Mr. Simitis at the party's weekend congress. "The fact that they will remain in the government is an indication that they enjoy the confidence of the prime minister."

Asked whether early elections were a possibility, Mr. Reppas said he had ruled out this eventuality before. "My statement still stands," he said.

Mr. Reppas stressed that the results of the party congress guaranteed political stability and meant the government would proceed as normal.

The procedures of the PASOK fourth party congress made us proud and showed the democratic pluralism and socialist character of the Movement, he added.

[5] Evert

The government spokesman also commented on statements made by main opposition leader Miltiades Evert on Sunday to the effect that "the events at PASOK's congress are unprecedented" and "discredited political life internationally".

"I am sorry that Mr. Evert could find nothing else to comment on apart from the heated dialogue and objections, which are useful and should be encouraged," Mr. Reppas said.

No other party has held a similar open congress, he added.

[6] Greece opposes Britain's Hannay for post of EU rep for Cyprus

Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos came out forcefully against the prospect of Britain's special representative on Cyprus Sir David Hannay winning the post of the European Union's representative for the divided island yesterday, following talks with visiting UN envoy for Cyprus Han Sung-joo.

"The United Kingdom was indifferent and remains indifferent to the Turkish invasion and occupation of Cyprus and each time there is some sort of initiative within the framework of the European Union, it tries either to ward it off or circumscribe it," he said.

"Greece's closely follows Mr. Hannay's activity, and considers a possible appointment of Mr. Hannay as the EU's representative for Cyprus inconceivable. Greece will not allow it," Mr. Pangalos added.

The foreign minister stressed that the problem of Cyprus was an international issue which had need of the greatest possible involvement of international factors so that it could be put "on the road to resolution".

Mr. Pangalos added that he was aware of the abiding interest of UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali in finding a solution to the problem of the divided island, adding he had discussed with Mr. Han current developments.

Mr. Han said his meeting with Mr. Pangalos was useful but that at the present time there were no new initiatives on the Cyprus issue. He said he was making a series of stops in European capitals with the aim of developing a viable and mutually-acceptable solution for the problem.

[7] Opposition parties react to Simitis victory at PASOK congress

Main opposition New Democracy party leader Miltiades Evert sent a message of congratulations yesterday to Prime Minister Costas Simitis on his election to the PASOK presidency on Sunday, reminding the new ruling party president of the "enormous problems f acing the country," which must be resolved by "a national effort", independent of "political and ideological positions of the two parties".

The ND central electoral committee meets today to consider whether Mr. Simitis will take any new government or party initiatives.

The assessment prevailing in the main opposition party is that Mr. Simitis will attempt to exploit his strong position by declaring early elections, possible in the autumn.

Mr. Evert also chaired a meeting at party headquarters yesterday morning with the participation of several senior party cadres. Following the meeting, George Souflias said "PASOK cadres, having sworn at one another, splitting and coming together again, put the political life of the country on international public display."

"The government cannot get the country out of the great impasses, and that is why the only answer is recourse to the polls," he added.

Former minister Stephanos Manos said he believed Mr. Simitis was "not a difficult rival" for Mr. Evert.

[8] KKE

Communist Party of Greece (KKE) political bureau member Dimitris Gontikas, meanwhile, sharply criticized the ruling party, saying Sunday evening's speeches by PASOK cadres were "the apogee of blackmail, political hypocrisy and demagoguery."

He said he doubted whether the election of Mr. Simitis to the PASOK presidency heralded "a new page" because "there was no change in policy."

"The grassroots of PASOK has no influence on the making of PASOK policy," he added, "because the congress did not discuss the people's problems."

[9] Coalition

In an announcement, the Coalition of the Left and Progress party recognized the democratic manner in which the new PASOK leadership was elected, saying however, that the issue was "the progressive course of the country and the comprehensive change of the political scene."

Coalition leader Nikos Constantopoulos also sent Mr. Simitis his "warmest congratulations" on his election as PASOK's head.

[10] Samaras harshly criticizes Simitis, ND

Political Spring (Pol.An) party leader Antonis Samaras yesterday accused the nation's two major parties and what he referred to as the country's economic establishment, of gagging his party's voice through control of the media, which he said they own.

Addressing a party rally in the Athens suburb of Vyronas, Mr. Samaras accused Prime Minister Costas Simitis of being the new and ordered choice of the mass media as well as the product of prefabricated opinion polls. He also accused the premier of having no relation to the interests of the people and country.

"Liberal socialist Simitis represents social cruelty. Modernizer Simitis was elected to revamp our political life. And 'realist' Simitis represents national compromise. I am apprehensive about his election, because he is the prime minister of dependencies and behind-the-scenes deals. If he desires clear solutions, let him go to he polls," he said.

He also said the main opposition New Democracy party was plagued by divisions, with members "cohabiting but not living together."

The only thing that concerns the two main parties, he claimed, is to establish a "bi-polar party game" on a new basis in order to secure an undisturbed alternation in power.

[11] Business world welcomes Simitis election, says time for a closer look at economy

The Greek business world yesterday welcomed the news that Prime Minister Costas Simitis had been elected president of ruling party PASOK but said that it was now time for the government to focus its efforts on the economy.

"The government must turn its attention to increasing competitiveness and to crack down on the weaknesses in the public sector, in which there has been close to no progress," President of the Federation of Greek Industries (SEB) Iason Stratos told the ANA.

He said industrialists wanted the government to carve out the much-needed economic strategy for the containment and the modernization of the state and to speed up the investment programme for Greek businesses with quicker absorption rates for the some 7 00 billion drachmas of EU funds.

SEB is planning to "carefully study" the prime minister's positions as laid out at the congress.

"Having solved the outstanding problems in PASOK, the government now has no excuse to not take the necessary measures for the economy, particularly in the containment of the public deficit and state spending," president of the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry (EBEA) Yiannis Papathanasiou said. He said the atmosphere in the business world following the election of Mr. Simitis to the post of president of PASOK was "positive", particularly as it meant no changes to the government.

"Given that the terms the prime minister laid down at the PASOK congress have been met," Mr. Papathanasiou said, "speedier economic reforms must now be taken."

EBEA, he added, will soon take the issue up with Mr. Simitis.

"We don't disagree with what is said but with what is not done," he said.

"At this point in time, Mr. Simitis' victory of the PASOK presidency as well as the prime ministership is positive for the commercial world as it averts the dangers of abnormalities and instability of the alternative solution, which commerce and the economy in general would not have been able to tolerate," the president of the National Confederation of Greek Merchants (ESEE) D. Kapsalis said.

He added that the hope of the commercial world was that "this time, the prime minister will, with greater care and understanding, re-examine the problems affecting commerce, particularly now that he has strengthened his position."

[12] Clerides congratulates Simitis

Cyprus President Glafcos Clerides has congratulated Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis, for his election Sunday as President of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK).

In his congratulatory message, President Clerides conveyed the wishes of the government and the Cyprus people for every success in his new duties.

He said he looks forward to continuing the close co-operation between Cyprus and Greece.

[13] Cypriot party leaders welcome Simitis' election

All Cypriot political party leaders have welcomed the election of Mr. Simitis to the PASOK leadership.

Speaking before a National Council meeting yesterday, Yiannakis Matsis, leader of the ruling right-wing Democratic Rally (DISY) party, said he was convinced that "a united PASOK will be able to respond to the challenges of the times and especially that of Turkish expansionism."

Left-wing AKEL party General Secretary Dimitris Christofias expressed the hope that Greece will stand by Cyprus, "bearing in mind the brotherly relations between the two countries as well as the need to secure the unity of the Cyprus Republic."

Welcoming Mr. Simitis' election, socialist EDEK party leader Vassos Lyssarides stressed that "what is most important is that PASOK has come out of the election united."

Former Cyprus president and leader of the Free Democrats Movement (KED) George Vassiliou noted that Mr. Simitis' election will enable him to carry out his duties as prime minister with greater effectiveness and added that this "can only have a positive effect on Cyprus."

[14] 3 detained Greeks investigating conditions in Istanbul prison to be expelled

Three Greek nationals, part of an international team investigating detention conditions in Istanbul's Suhmetzilar prison, and who had been arrested despite having obtained relevant permission, will be expelled and sent back to Greece, the Coalition of the Left party announced yesterday. Their expulsion was obtained after representations were made by the party with the Turkish embassy in Athens, and with the Greek consulate in Istanbul, the announcement stated.

[15] Patriarch inaugurates third series of environmental seminars

The third series of summer seminars on the environment, organized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate in the Phanar and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), was inaugurated yesterday with the symbolic planting of a sapling sent by US President Bill Clinton in the forecourt of the Halki Theological School by Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos. The seminars are being conducted under the co-patronage of Patriarch Vartholomeos and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who is president of the WWF Inter national.

Scheduled to run until July 7, the seminars will be attended by theologians from various religious traditions, environmentalists, scientists and experts in communications and the media from western and eastern Europe, the USA, Canada, Africa and the Middle East. Lectures and workshops will be held at the Holy Trinity Monastery in Heybeliada, Turkey.

Messages will be read on behalf of Prince Philip, US President Bill Clinton, Pope John Paul II, European Commission President Jacques Santer, the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr. George Carey, TURMEPA President Dr. Rahmi Koc and HELMEPA Director-General Demetrios Mitsatsos.

[16] Omonoia presidium convenes in Sarande

The enlarged general presidium of the ethnic Greek organization "Omonoia" convened in Sarande on Sunday for talks on the new role the group's deputies will be called on to play at the new Albanian parliamentary session.

The enlarged presidium included Human Rights Union Party President Vassilis Melios, Albanian parliament deputies Doules and Mitsios, as well as the prefects and mayor of Sarande.

Deputies and other members of the presidium decided that elected representatives should attend the parliamentary session and convey the voice of "Omonoia" and the ethnic Greek minority in the neighboring country.

[17] Greece-based scientific projects earn international recognition

In a noteworthy success for Greece's scientific community, the ninth Mega Science Forum recently approved a proposal by the Greek General Secretariat for Research and Technology (GGET) to name two Greek scientific programs - "Nestor" and " Laertes" - as "Major Works of Science".

According to Greece's representative at the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), this is the first time a Greek scientific project has been awarded the distinction, receiving widespread international support.

Both programs, managed by the physics laboratory at Athens University, concern the operation of a deep-sea laboratory and a netrines telescope on the Oinouses trench off Pylos in the southwest Peloponnese, one of the deepest point in the Mediterranean, 4,200 meters.

The forum's decision provides that "meetings between experts from various countries to investigate technological problems and matters relating to international co-operation for the creation of an undersea inter-scientific laboratory and netrine telescope at the Oinouses trench off Pylos," which will receive international, mainly EU funding.

Coordinating the project is Leonidas Resvanis, who began the experiment three years ago. According to Prof. Resvanis, the project first got off the ground with funding from the GSRT, in co-operation with the Greek Telecommunications Organization (OTE).

The first two stories of the gigantic netrine telescope Nestor are to be sunk in November.

The Laertes project provides Nestor's communications, connecting the undersea laboratory and environmental research on the seabed with the shore. It will monitor and transmit information related to astrophysics, undersea physics, biology and materials s tress, gathered from seismic, oceanographic and astrophysical measurements.

The project will cover an area of 3,000 cubic meters and will be 500 meters high. In this ambitious effort, Prof. Resvanis and the Athens University are collaborating in Greece with the Democritos Research Center, the Athens Observatory and the University of Crete. Contributions to the project from abroad have come mainly from Russian, US, Italian and French scientists.

Nestor is the first telescope of its kind in Europe and will be the largest in the world when all seven towers of its 12-storey structure have been put in place. A similar project has begun in waters off Hawaii, while in a north Canada mine at a depth of 2,000 meters construction of a heavy water tank is underway, which will cover a gigantic netrine telescope.

Netrine astronomy is a new field, with research dating from April 1987, when two small experiments, one in the United States and one in Japan, demonstrated that netrines were emitted during the formation of a gigantic supernova star.

Netrines are particles with no mass or charge, which allow scientists to "see" over very large distances, replacing photons.

[18] 'Mediterranean SOS' ship arrives for campaign against water pollution

A vessel of the environmental organization "Mediterranean SOS" will visit a series of ports in the Saronic, Evoikos, Maliakos, and Pagasitikos gulfs, as part of an information campaign against pollution of closed gulfs by industrial waste, intensive use of pesticides, intensive fish-farming, and in favor of the protection of natural habitats.

Ports to be visited are the island of Poros, Lavrio, Voula, Nea Makri, Aliveri, Oropos, Halkida, Limni, Kammena Vourla, Stylida and Volos.

[19] Greenpeace criticizes DEH plan to build oil-burning power plant

Greenpeace has called a decision by the Public Power Corp. (DEH) to construct a new oil-burning power plant on Crete as being "polluting, expensive and incongruous with all notions of development."

The 150-megawatt power station has been proposed for construction in the Atherinolakkos area of Lasithi prefecture.

Speaking during a press conference in Iraklio, a Greenpeace representative said the prospect of the proposed power station using 200,000 tons of crude oil per year as fuel make DEH's claim of "balanced and viable development" difficult to believe.

Greenpeace is supporting area residents reacting to the power plant's construction, suggesting the use of more environmentally friendly methods for energy production, such as those using solar or wind energy.

The international environmental advocacy organization believes Crete can become a greenhouse for the development of alternative energy-producing technology. It said the large island does not need oil-burning power plants, but can cover its present and future needs from renewable energy sources and measures for conserving energy.

During the press conference, Stelios Psomas, who is responsible for Greenpeace's campaign to promote solar energy on Crete, called on the government to politically and financially support the construction of a solar energy power plant on Crete, and to promote two measures for energy saving on the island.

The first measure consists of promoting the use of one million low-energy consumption light bulbs, which he claimed would immediately reduce peak consumption by 30 megawatts. The second measure involves installation of 25,000 solar water heaters over the next two years, with 700,000 by the year 2000 on the island.

[20] F. M. to release documents on Hellenism's uprooting on Imvros, Tenedos

Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos told reporters yesterday that the ministry's file regarding ethnic Greeks on Imvros and Tenedos is ready.

Foreign ministry records and information are expected to be used for Athens' recourse to international organizations such as the United Nations, the OECD and the Council of Europe (CoE) in order to condemn human rights violations by subsequent Turkish governments on the northeastern islands - which were awarded to Turkey by the 1923 Treaty of Lausanne.

Commenting on political developments in Ankara, Mr. Pangalos said Greece's stance is one of waiting, saying "we are interested in political stability in Turkey," and that the new Turkish government should concern itself more with the problems of the Turkish people.

Mr. Pangalos said he will not be meeting with Tansu Ciller - the newly appointed Turkish foreign minister in the latest coalition government formed for the first time by the Islamist Welfare Party - within the framework of an inter-Balkan co-operation conference which will be held in Sofia over the weekend.

[21] Greek Orthodox Clerical-Laymen's conference began in New York

The 33rd Clerical-Laymen's conference began here yesterday with a message by Patriarch Vartholomeos, read by his representative, Archbishop of Australia Stylianos.

During his speech, Greek Orthodox Archbishop of North and South America Iakovos spoke on the future of the Greek Orthodox Church and the ethnic Greek communities in North and South America, just a few days before he retires on July 29.

Iakovos stressed that for the Greek Orthodox Church to progress, it needs to find new strength from its youth.

[22] Incidence of cancer in Balkans on the rise

Interesting new results on the incidence of all forms of cancer in Greece were announced by researchers at a press conference in Athens yesterday, in view of the first Balkan Oncology conference to be held July 3-7.

Speakers stressed that Balkan countries have great environmental peculiarities, which affect the incidence of some forms of cancer. One of these is the high level of solar radiation, which gives rise to skin cancer, while radiation from the Chernobyl disaster has given rise to many cases of thyroid cancer.

According to the director of the 1st Oncological Pathology clinic of the anti-cancer hospital Metaxa, A. Athanasiou, there are 35,000 new cases of cancer in Greece each year, 19,000 of which affect men and 16,000 women. A significant number of these cases is directly linked to environmental factors. Skin cancer, for example, which is caused by exposure to the sun, accounts for 16.3 per cent of cancers in men and 16.9 per cent of cancers in women.

Referring to lung cancer, Mr. Athanasiou said it was now proved that this form of illness was directly linked to smoking, inhaling asbestos fibers, radiation and air pollution from the burning of hydrocarbons (for example fossil fuels).

In an interesting development, Mr. Athanasiou said that cancer of the large intestine - the incidence of which has risen sharply in Greece in recent years - apart from being linked to a lack of dietary fiber, may also be connected to use of herbicides i n agriculture and hormones in livestock production.

Breast cancer, chiefly caused by obesity and high fat consumption, has taken on epidemic proportions among Greek women, accounting for 23.9 per cent of cancers in the country's female population.

[23] Italian growers block entry of Greek watermelons

Two hundred Italian watermelon growers blocked 20 trucks loaded with Greek watermelons at the port of Brindisi in an attempt to prevent them from reaching the Italian market.

Italian farmers threw large quantities of watermelons into the sea before police arrived to restore order. They also protested the import of Greek watermelons into Italy, saying their own watermelons, which are now maturing, remain unsold.

A committee was received by the Brindisi prefect who was told that the watermelons were not from Greece but from non-EU members, and consequently could not be sold legally in Italy, in addition to not meeting market standards.

However, despite tension, no serious incidents or injuries were reported.

[24] Ban on FYROM meat imports

Greece yesterday banned the import of all meat products from the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) following an outbreak of foot and mouth disease in the neighboring country.

A circular issued by the agriculture ministry said the ban affected both livestock products and animal feed. The circular sent to border posts also barred Greek shepherds from allowing their herds to graze closer than three kilometers from the Greek-FYROM border.

Evzones border post customs director George Koukakis told the ANA that vehicles crossing the border into Greece "are obliged to pass through a special trench filled with caustic potash to disinfect their wheels".

Similar measures were also taken recently at the Greek-Albanian border following outbreaks of the disease in Albania.

[25] Bank of Central Greece announces '95 figures

Net profits of the Bank of Central Greece amounted to 1.85 billion drachmas in 1995, while additional provisions were made totaling 100 million drachmas for a possible decrease in assets.

Moreover, about 100 million drachmas were paid to the Deposits Guarantee Fund. Consequently, the total profits were maintained at about the same level as in 1994.

The general assembly of the bank's shareholders, convened on June 27, decided to distribute dividends amounting to 100 drachmas per share, corresponding to a yield of 5.82 per cent on ordinary shares and 7.25 per cent on privileged shares.

The total amount of dividends is 984 million drachmas and corresponds to 75.3 per cent of total profits after taxes. The creation of regular and special reserves amounting to 318 million drachmas was decided to support the bank's own capital and improve its solvency indicator even further.

According to the balance sheet, the bank's loans increased by 14.8 per cent in 1995 and amounted to 54.2 billion drachmas, while deposits increased by 13.3 per cent and reached 98.6 billion drachmas.

Total results increased by 16.4 per cent, amounting to 8.14 billion drachmas, while the bank's own capital amounted to 14.2 billion drachmas.

[26] Firms present joint research programme

Twenty of the country's leading companies will present their joint research programme for environmental and health protection at tomorrow's symposium "Chemical research and Industry" at the Dimokritos research institute.

Organizing committee president and president of the Greek Union of Chemists Nikos Katsaros said the joint research programme focused on recycling, and 'clean solutions' in production, and the consequences of the use of certain substances on health.

Among the firms taking part in the project are: Delta, Yiotis, Elais, Elda, Petrola, Titan, Eket, Plastika Kritis, Arfo, Gerolymatos, CPC, Galencia, Lavpharm, Unpharm, Ergo, Vioryl, Agrolab.

End of English language section.