Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 97-01-14
From: The Greek Press & Information Office, Ottawa Canada <[email protected]>
ATHENS NEWS AGENCY BULLETIN (No 1088), January 14, 1997
Greek Press & Information Office
Ottawa, Canada
E-Mail Address: [email protected]
CONTENTS
[01] Simitis rejects 'climate of tension' emanating from Ankara
[02] Ciller visit illegal, Athens states
[03] Opposition
[04] Archaeologists say they've found Aristotle's Lyceum
[05] Greek dig pinpoints cave of Euripides
[06] State Dept. official in Athens to discuss Cyprus issue
[07] Ankara says Ciller to visit Turkish-occupied Cyprus, although no
date fixed
[08] Six dead in wake of destructive flooding, measures announced
[09] Cleanup operations continue
[10] Opposition
[11] Sanitation workers back to work
[12] Simitis to address PASOK MPs tomorrow
[13] Cypriot delegation briefs Greek leadership on island republic's
defense program
[14] Cypriot ambassador briefs Evert
[15] State Dept. comments on Pangalos visit to Belgrade
[16] Yugoslav press gives extensive coverage to visit
[17] Pangalos, van Mierlo meeting today
[18] Epidemiological survey of Thrace unveiled
[19] WEU examines expanded role for Europe's defense
[20] Turkish national sentenced to 15 years jail for immigrant
smuggling
[21] Ships at anchor as seamen strike
[22] KKE comments on agriculture policy
[23] Russian energy minister in Greece for gas network's inauguration
[24] Bourse discusses Thessaloniki stock market expansion
[25] Greek products go on show in Nicosia
[01] Simitis rejects 'climate of tension' emanating from Ankara
Athens, 14/01/1997 (ANA)
Prime Minister Costas Simitis said yesterday that Athens would
not allow itself to be dragged into a climate of threats as
Ankara desired, adding that Greece remained a force of peace in
the region.
"Greece will not allow itself to be dragged into a climate of
threats, as Ankara desires... We apply our policy with
coolheadedness and take all necessary initiatives for peace and
stability in the region. Greece is and will remain a force of
peace," Mr. Simitis told reporters after a meeting with Foreign
Minister Theodoros Pangalos and National Defense Minister Akis
Tsohatzopoulos to focus on preparations for the visit of Cyprus
President Glafcos Clerides on Friday.
The meeting was held amidst continued Turkish threats of
military strikes against Cyprus, after the island republic
announced in the first week of the year a purchase agreement for
the advanced Russian-made anti-aircraft missiles S-300. During
Mr. Clerides' visit the two sides will jointly examine
developments in the Cyprus problem and "review scenarios and
positions", Mr. Simitis said.
The premier reiterated that Cyprus was a sovereign and free
state, which decided issues relating to its defense and the
means to make such a defense effective.
"Those who are concerned have only to contribute to ending
Turkey's illegal occupation of Cypriot territory, or contribute
to the realization of the Cyprus Republic's proposal for
demilitarization of the island," he added.
Asked whether yesterday's meeting dealt with information
available to the national defense ministry about Ankara's
military plans, Mr. Simitis underlined that "we discussed and
examined all information."
[02] Ciller visit illegal, Athens states
Athens, 14/01/1997 (ANA)
A scheduled visit by Turkish Foreign Minister Tansu Ciller to
the Turkish-occupied northern part of Cyprus is illegal,
government spokesman Dimitris Reppas stressed yesterday.
Ms Ciller is due to visit the Turkish-occupied areas of Cyprus
this week, according to press reports.
Meanwhile, the chief of the Turkish General Staff, Gen. Hakki
Karadayi, began a visit of the occupied areas yesterday.
"The government strongly condemns the action of Ms Ciller, who
is not offering good services to the already exacerbated
relations between the two countries (Greece and Turkey)," Mr.
Reppas said.
[03] Opposition
Athens, 14/01/1997 (ANA)
On her part, Communist Party of Greece (KKE) Secretary General
Aleka Papariga yesterday stated: "We are closer than ever to the
normalization of the partitioning of Cyprus and the subjugation
of the Aegean to NATO control under US surveillance."
Ms Papariga, who was commenting on the US initiative on Cyprus
and visits to Athens, Nicosia and Ankara by State Department
official Carey Cavanaugh, said "the calm of Mr. Simitis
expresses a conscientious choice to give a helping hand to these
American plans."
On the question of whether the advanced Russian-made S-300
anti-aircraft missiles scheduled for deployment in Cyprus is a
positive development, Ms Papariga said that provided the weapons
system is of a defensive nature, then it contributes to the
buttressing of the island's defense, an island located in a very
sensitive region.
Political Spring (Pol.An) leader Antonis Samaras noted that
"Cyprus' right to defense isn't given up and isn't negotiated...
Let those, who for 22 years have tolerated the occupation of the
martyred island, understand this."
[04] Archaeologists say they've found Aristotle's Lyceum
Athens, 14/01/1997 (ANA)
Three days after archaeologists claimed they had finally found
the cave where Euripides retreated to write his classic
tragedies, construction works for a modern art museum unearthed
a large ancient complex yesterday, complete with a central yard
and a wrestling arena approximately 600 meters from Parliament -
which, according to initial assessments may be the famed Lyceum
where Aristotle is believed to have taught.
Archaeologists have been trying to locate the lost Lyceum of
Athens - considered one of the three greatest academies of
philosophy of ancient Greece - for the past 150 years. The other
two renowned such ancient Athenian schools were the academy of
Plato and the academy of Kynosargous.
Excavations in the central Athens area started last May and
were completed a few days ago. A study by the archaeologist
conducting the excavations has not yet been published, which
according to the necessary procedures, will have to be first
presented t o the Central Archaeological Council.
However, historical sources have not completely agreed on the
location of the lyceum, since some arguments place the lyceum in
the wider region of Syntagma Square (in front of Parliament) or
the national garden.
The culture ministry has not yet made any official announcement
on the find.
[05] Greek dig pinpoints cave of Euripides
Athens, 14/01/1997 (ANA)
Three days ago archaeologists announced that they have found
the cave retreat of the ancient Athenian tragic poet Euripides,
at the Peristeria site on the island of Salamis, off Attica's
coast.
A thin clay pot partly intact, with the first six letters of
the name 'Euripides' inscribed on its external surface was found
last Friday at Peristeria bay on the southern coast of Salamis
by a 15-member team headed by Yiannis Lolos, an assistant
profess or of prehistoric archaeology at Ioannina University.
According to Prof. Lolos, the find points to the cave retreat
of Euripides (485/480-406 B.C.)
The partly intact pot is an excellent specimen of delicate
Attic pottery, bearing an admirable engraved decoration on its
bottom section, while the dramatist's name, which is inscribed
on the external surface, is partly visible. All the finds have
been taken to the Piraeus Museum, where they are being preserved.
Historical evidence has long indicated that Euripides, the
latest of three great Athenian dramatists, sought solitude to
work in a cave on the island of Salamis.
"The pot with Euripides' name is a unique find which adds to
our knowledge of intellectual life in the fifth century BC," Mr.
Lolos said.
Among the works of the reclusive Euripides are Medea, Hecuba
and the Trojan Women.
"I can picture him sitting at the terrace at the entry of the
cave, looking out at the Saronic Gulf and composing his plays,"
Mr. Lolos said.
Euripides was considered eccentric for his love of solitude at
a time when company was greatly valued. Ancient biographers
described him as stern, strict and unsmiling.
He was parodied in Aristophanes' comedy, The Frogs, and was
criticized by contemporaries for his innovations in tragedy.
Disappointed, he left Athens for the court of King Archaelaus
in Macedonia, where he wrote one of his most often-performed
plays - the Bacchae.
The culture ministry said the hardest evidence tying Euripides
to the cave was the clay pot inscribed with the first six
letters of his name.
The pot dates to 440-430 BC and graphologists say the
inscription was applied later, around the second century BC,
most probably as a votive offer by an admirer of the writer.
[06] State Dept. official in Athens to discuss Cyprus issue
Athens, 14/01/1997 (ANA)
The director of the US State Department's southern European
bureau, Carey Cavanaugh, was due to arrive in Athens late last
night, on the second leg of his tour of Cyprus, Greece and
Turkey.
During his stay, Mr. Cavanaugh is scheduled to meet with the
political director of the foreign ministry, Alexandros Filon,
and ambassadors Elias Klis and Nikos Ladopoulos.
According to diplomatic sources, discussions will center on US
proposals for adoption of measures to reduce tension in Cyprus,
particularly on the issue of the moratorium on military
overflights of Cyprus.
The same sources noted that Athens will receive the US
official's proposals with "an open mind", without, however,
binding itself on any decision, as Cyprus President Glafcos
Clerides is expected in Athens on Friday in order for the
Cypriot and Greek governments to examine their positions and to
coordinate their actions.
In a related development, according to an ANA dispatch from
Nicosia, Mr. Cavanaugh told the press after meeting with Turkish
Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash last night that he was satisfied
because, as he said, "there was support and agreement on
military dialogue and particularly on the issue of terms of
engagement and of unmanning."
He also said that there would be meetings within the week to
discuss implementation of these measures.
In Washington, US State Department spokesman Nicholas Burns
said that "both President Clerides and Mr. Denktash agreed to
give their full support to immediate implementation of the
package of measures proposed by the United Nations."
Mr. Burns said that while the Clinton administration considered
the tentative agreement to be progress, "full support means they
said they're going to give their full support to it. It doesn't
mean they've signed on the dotted line yet."
[07] Ankara says Ciller to visit Turkish-occupied Cyprus, although no
date fixed
Istanbul, 14/01/1997 (ANA)
Turkish foreign ministry spokesman Omer Akbel said yesterday
that a visit to Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus by Foreign
Minister Tansu Ciller had been planned, but no date had been
fixed as yet.
He added that Turkish President Suleyman Demirel was also
planning to invite Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash to
Ankara in the next few weeks.
Meanwhile, Turkish party leaders and prominent newspaper
columnists have offered varying degrees of criticism of the
government's handling of developments over the Cyprus issue.
"Our party will not permit any development which will endanger
Turkey's security," said Motherland Party (ANAP) party leader
Mesut Yilmaz, "despite our criticism of the way the government
exercises foreign policy."
Prominent columnist Mehmet Ali Birant wrote in the daily
"Sabah": "I fear the present government, and particularly
Ciller. She is even capable of ordering an attack against Cyprus
in order to change the agenda and rise on the scene.
"The Erbakan-Ciller pair is bracing up, and estimates that in
this way it will be able to go through the whole of 1997 doing
whatever it wants with the support of the media and public
opinion, which craves for 'heroic words'," he wrote.
[08] Six dead in wake of destructive flooding, measures announced
Athens, 14/01/1997 (ANA)
The bodies of another three people were recovered yesterday,
bringing the death toll from Sunday evening's widespread
flooding to six, with one or two persons still missing.
Another three people died in a car accident outside Tripoli
when their vehicle collided due to heavy rain and poor
visibility. A further road fatality was also registered.
Meanwhile, cleanup operations began in the hardest-hit regions
yesterday.
The storms caused extensive damage to homes, shops and other
buildings throughout the country, with power and telephone
interruptions in many towns and villages. In addition, traffic
was almost brought to a standstill in the provinces.
Prime Minister Costas Simitis said the government would "stand
by" flood victims and implement the same framework as on similar
past occasions.
Mr. Simitis also praised public officials who he said had
"shown courage and self-sacrifice" in confronting the disaster.
On his part, Environment, Town Planning and Public Works
Minister Costas Laliotis announced measures in Corinth for the
immediate relief of the victims.
Fifty million drachmas will be available for the Corinth
prefecture as of this morning to help meet pressing needs faced
by flood victims, while authorities will conduct checks to
ascertain damage caused. Individuals entitled to aid will
receive stipend s of 200,000 drachmas each to cover immediate
needs.
Additionally, Mr. Laliotis said three hotels in Corinth,
Loutraki and the community of Kehries were ready to accommodate
local residents made homeless by Sunday's flooding. All expenses
for their accommodation and feeding would be assumed by the
health and welfare ministry.
After the assessment of damage caused to Corinth and other
cities is completed, the government will pay compensation for
the value of households destroyed up to the amount of two
million drachmas.
Mr. Laliotis made the announcements following a meeting at the
prefectural headquarters in Corinth in the presence of local and
prefectural self-administration representatives and other
agencies in the city.
Among others, the measures include compensation for
professional vehicles swept away by the floods, a tax-free loan
amounting up to 30 per cent of the total damage sustained by
whatever commercial, handicraft or other professional activity,
low-interest loans for overall repairs, a transfer of the
economic commitments of professionals concerning insurance
funds, banks and the tax authorities, as well as subsidization
for rent up to the amount of 60,000 drachmas a month.
Farming and stockbreeding activities harmed by the floods will
also be compensated. At the same time associated ministries will
complete programs which have had funds amounting to 800 million
drachmas secured since 1995 by the European Union's mutual aid
fund for flood protection works in rural areas and major cities.
At the same time, teams of inspectors are being formed to record
the damage caused to water supply, irrigation and drainage
networks, not only in Corinth but also in other areas such as
Kiato, Aigio and Xylokastro.
Mr. Laliotis said more specific measures would be announced
early next week once the damage has been recorded and appraised.
[09] Cleanup operations continue
Athens, 14/01/1997 (ANA)
Army rescue units were trying yesterday to remove scores of
cars and trucks carried away by the flash floods in and around
Corinth, some of which were swept into the sea. Conversely, the
Public Power Corp. (DEH) did not yet restore electricity to
Corinth for fear of electrocutions, since dozens of power lines
have collapsed, a DEH spokesman said.
The worst-hit was the prefecture of Fthiotida, where five river
bridges collapsed after being engulfed by the waters of the
swollen Sperhios River.
The area has been flooded by massive amounts of water and mud,
while extensive damage has also been caused to crops in
Fthiotida, Trikala, Karditsa, Corinth, Achaia, Arcadia, and
Argolida.
Interior Under-secretary Lambros Papadimas told ANA that
Fthiotida had literally been cut in two as a result of the
collapse or serious damage to the five bridges connecting the
prefecture.
He said dozens of villages on one side of Fthiotida had been
cut off, while the national road network in the prefecture could
not be used due to severe damage.
Mr. Papadimas said the armed forces were assisting, with
marines and a battalion of engineers trying to build a floating
bridge to enable communication with the villages which have been
cut off.
Emergency cases in the prefecture are currently being served by
army helicopters, which yesterday morning transferred three
patients with kidney problems and one pregnant woman to hospital.
In a related development, government spokesman Dimitris Reppas
said the way that the state machinery had responded to the heavy
rains and floods had been "more than satisfactory".
After the forecast on Friday of a worsening of weather
conditions, he said, instructions had been sent to all
prefectural authorities, the army and fire service to be
prepared.
However, he added, the weather was much harsher than expected
"and, fortunately, the victims were few, but there has been
enormous material damage". The government team in Corinth headed
by Mr. Laliotis, he added, would travel by helicopter to Lamia.
[10] Opposition
Athens, 14/01/1997 (ANA)
Main opposition New Democracy leader Miltiades Evert demanded
immediate compensation for flood victims.
"From the moment that the state is not in a position to protect
the property of citizens, it is obliged to compensate them
immediately for the damage they have incurred from the floods.
And we expect the government to do precisely this without
delay," Mr. Evert said.
Coalition of the Left and Progress leader Nikos Constantopoulos
will head a party delegation to Corinth today, while Democratic
Social Movement (DHKKI) leader Dimitris Tsovolas left yesterday
for Corinth to visit the areas hit by the floods and be briefed
by local authorities on the situation.
[11] Sanitation workers back to work
Athens, 14/01/1997 (ANA)
Sanitation workers yesterday suspended a nationwide strike
following the torrential rains and flash floods that sent tons
of garbage spilling into the streets, blocking sewers and
inundating main road arteries.
The Sanitation Workers' Federation announced after an emergency
meeting that it was suspending the strike action until Feb. 20
"due to the situation in the streets following yesterday's
(Sunday's) floods". It also said it had taken into consideratio
n a pledge by Interior, Public Administration and
Decentralization Minister Alekos Papadopoulos that their demands
for permanent work contracts for temporary personnel and higher
bonuses would be settled with the tabling of a relevant
amendment in Parliament.
[12] Simitis to address PASOK MPs tomorrow
Athens, 14/01/1997 (ANA)
Prime minister and ruling PASOK party president Costas Simitis
will address a meeting of PASOK's Parliamentary Group tomorrow.
According to government spokesman Dimitris Reppas, then Cabinet
will convene on the following day on the issue of education,
youth and vocational training.
On Friday, Mr. Reppas added, the prime minister will address
Parliament on the issue of agriculture and will meet later in
the day with Cyprus President Glafcos Clerides. That meeting
will be attended by Greek Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos
and his Cypriot counterpart Alecos Michaelides.
[13] Cypriot delegation briefs Greek leadership on island republic's
defense program
Athens, 14/01/1997 (ANA)
Members of Cyprus' parliamentary defense committee yesterday
briefed Alternate Foreign Minister George Papandreou on the
course of the island republic's armaments program.
Cyprus Defense Minister Costas Eliades, accompanied by the
commander of the Cyprus National Guard and members of the
defense committee arrived in Athens on Sunday for talks with the
Greek government on the entire range of issues pertaining to
Cyprus' de fence.
Mr. Papandreou reaffirmed Athens' support for the Greece-Cyprus
joint defense doctrine, stressing that "we are in a transitional
phase which requires delicate diplomatic handling". Earlier, the
members of the defense committee were received by Parliament
President Apostolos Kaklamanis.
Speaking after the meeting, Mr. Eliades said there had been "a
briefing concerning the broader sector of defense and there was
an identity of views regarding support for the political
decisions taken by Greece and Cyprus."
Asked to comment on reactions by several countries to Nicosia's
decision to purchase and deploy Russian-made anti-aircraft
missiles, Mr. Eliades replied:
"We propose the demilitarization of Cyprus as a
confidence-building measure in the first phase, so that an
acceptable and fair basis can be found concerning the Cyprus
issue." Mr. Kaklamanis said Nicosia's decision to purchase the
S-300 system had been absolutely necessary, given that it faced
a direct threat from the Turkish occupation forces, "to which
(Nicosia) does not have the required defense."
[14] Cypriot ambassador briefs Evert
Athens, 14/01/1997 (ANA)
In a related development, Cyprus' ambassador to Athens,
Haralambos Christoforou, yesterday visited main opposition New
Democracy leader Miltiades Evert in order to brief the ND
president on the issues surrounding the purchase of the
Russian-made missiles, as well as on the course of the Cyprus
issue.
[15] State Dept. comments on Pangalos visit to Belgrade
Washington, 14//01/1997 (ANA - T. Ellis)
The Clinton administration expressed its gratitude yesterday
for Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos' weekend mission to
Belgrade, which aimed to resolve the protracted political crisis
in the Yugoslav capital.
"We are grateful for Foreign Minister Pangalos' actions over
the weekend, which help a lot, and are in line with the will of
the OSCE and the international community. We are grateful for
the effective way in which he represented all of us," State
Department spokesman Nicholas Burns said.
Replying to a question by ANA, he added that Athens had
previously informed Washington of its intentions regarding the
mission, and there was also a briefing after Mr. Pangalos'
return to Athens.
[16] Yugoslav press gives extensive coverage to visit
Belgrade, 1401/1997 (ANA - M. Mouratidis)
Meanwhile, the Yugoslav press yesterday gave wide coverage to
the lightning visit by Mr. Pangalos to Belgrade and his meeting
with Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic and members of the
opposition. Pro-government papers gave the Pangalos visit
front-page coverage, with emphasis on the official announcement
issued by Mr. Milosevic's office.
"Peace without involvement in domestic issues," trumpeted
"Politika Express".
The independent press, however, consigned Mr. Pangalos' visit
to the inside pages, giving emphasis to statements by the Greek
minister on how the opposition's electoral win had to be
recognized.
[17] Pangalos, van Mierlo meeting today
Athens, 14/01/1997 (ANA)
Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos will meet his Dutch
counterpart Hans van Mierlo at noon today. Mr. van Mierlo is
presiding over the European Union's Council of Ministers during
the current six-month period.
[18] Epidemiological survey of Thrace unveiled
Athens, 14/01/1997 (ANA)
Results from an epidemiological survey of Thrace's population
was unveiled yesterday by the Center of Preventative Medicine.
The research has been carried out by the Alexandroupolis Unit
of Preventative Medicine - Center for Control of Special
Infections over the last few years on Thrace residents regarding
sexually transmitted diseases (AIDS, hepatitis B, C and D).
According to research figures, the spread of the deadly HIV
virus is minimal. However, while optimistic, this finding
shouldn't cause complacency, as the number of people examined
(35,000 people out of the general population of the region)
cannot be considered satisfactory to reflect the true extent of
the virus' spread, reports state.
The spread of hepatitis C appears to be no different from that
of other European countries, although the danger of contracting
the C strain of the virus increases in Thrace through the
frequent movement of people from neighboring Bulgaria.
Center director Costas Papoutselis said that for this reason
measures will be taken, including an public information campaign
with lectures and printed material. Check-ups will also be
conducted for high-risk groups in each community in order to
locate possible sources of infection.
Both municipalities and health centers are to be informed of
the results so that measures such as vaccinations can be taken.
The program will first be implemented in Komotini, where a
total of 2,000 people will be tested for the hepatitis virus.
The Center for the Control of Special Infections will cover the
cost of AIDS tests, while the cost for the hepatitis C virus
will be met by the health ministry and the Institut Pasteur,
while those for hepatitis B by the Social Security Foundation
(IKA) or by the municipalities for individuals not insured by
IKA.
[19] WEU examines expanded role for Europe's defense
Brussels, 14/01/1997 (ANA - P. Pantelis)
The Western European Union (WEU) will undertake a more
substantial and specific role in the defense of united Europe,
according to the stated intention of France, which has assumed
the organization's presidency for the first half of the year.
This prospect, it seems, will continue with the German
presidency, who will succeed the French. Both presidencies
present particular interest for Greece, which supports WEU's
incorporation in a united Europe.
WEU secretary general Jose Cutilheiro said in a press
conference yesterday that a clearer role for the organization
will be emerge in the near future. It is envisaged that this
will include the undertaking of small-scale operations in many
parts of the world, and not just in pre-determined operational
zones, such as NATO.
Important decisions regarding this future role for the WEU,
with undoubted implications for Greece's acute national
problems, are expected to be adopted during the WEU foreign and
defense ministers' council session in Paris on March 12-13.
[20] Turkish national sentenced to 15 years jail for immigrant
smuggling
Athens, 14/01/1997 (ANA)
A Rhodes court yesterday sentenced a Turkish illegal immigrant
smuggler to 15 years and six months in prison. Alim Aydin, 20,
was arrested on Friday while attempting to disembark 13 Iraqi
nationals on the islet of Ro, near Kastellorizo.
The court also imposed a seven million drachma fine on Aydin
and has ordered his speedboat confiscated.
Aydin told the court he did not receive money for transporting
the illegal immigrants, but was to be paid on his return to
Turkey after he had taken the Iraqis to Rhodes.
In a separate development, another two Turkish nationals were
arrested in the early hours of Saturday morning while attempting
to transport 27 illegal immigrants to Ro. According to reports,
one illegal immigrant is being treated for hand injuries in an
Athens hospital after port police officers fired at the boat.
[21] Ships at anchor as seamen strike
Athens, 14/01/1997 (ANA)
Ships remained at anchor at ports around Greece yesterday as
seamen and dockworkers began a 48-hour strike to press their
demands that no changes be made to the fiscal regime applicable
since 1955.
The strike will affect Greek-flag vessels of all categories as
well as foreign ships employing Greek seamen.
The seamen are also demanding measures to combat unemployment,
the absorption of unemployed colleagues and a minimum pension
equal to 80 per cent of the present basic salary. The labor
action may develop into a rolling strike following talks between
the seamen and Finance Under-secretary George Drys which the
seamen described as unsatisfactory.
[22] KKE comments on agriculture policy
Athens, 14/01/1997 (ANA)
The Communist Party of Greece (KKE) does not legitimize what it
calls a "dialogue-fiasco" for the solution of agricultural
problems and "does not hide its support for the formation of an
action front by farmers, small-and-medium-size entrepreneurs and
workers towards that end," KKE secretary general Aleka Papariga
said during a press conference in Zappeion Hall yesterday.
She referred to two approaches in agricultural policy, namely,
one set by the European Union and international agreements,
which she said envisages a shrinkage in the number of farming
households by 50 per cent, and the other, supported by KKE,
which she said has the interests of farmers and the economy in
mind.
Ms Papariga described as false the argument that 40 per cent of
farmers' incomes comes from European Union funds, and claimed
that a large part of these funds was wasted for the purchase of
equipment that remains idle.
Setting out her party's positions, she stressed the need for
safeguarding the average farmer's income through a system of
prices and subsidies, and the differentiation of support
mechanisms in favor of those in greater need.
She also referred to the positive role that can be played by
producers' cooperatives, but not in their present form, and to
the need in dealing with the problems of rising costs and farm
fragmentation.
[23] Russian energy minister in Greece for gas network's inauguration
Athens, 14/01/1997 (ANA)
Russian Energy Minister Petar Rodionov, in Athens on an
official visit, yesterday had brief meetings with Prime Minister
Costas Simitis and Development Minister Vasso Papandreou.
Mr. Rodionov arrived in Athens on Sunday on the occasion of the
inauguration of a natural gas project this week.
Speaking later at a joint press conference, Mr. Rodionov and Ms
Papandreou announced that the two countries would also sign an
energy co-operation protocol.
The protocol provides for the formation of a working group to
discuss issues related to the Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil
pipeline and the extension of the natural gas network to the
Greek-Albanian border.
Asked to comment on Nicosia's decision to purchase and deploy
Russian-made anti-aircraft missiles, Mr. Rodionov replied:
"This is an issue purely of competition and if the purchase was
made by some other western country it would not taken on such
dimensions in the press."
Asked on the same issue, Ms Papandreou noted: "Cyprus is an
independent state and as such, takes its own decisions about
armaments."
[24] Bourse discusses Thessaloniki stock market expansion
Athens, 14/01/1997 (ANA)
Athens Stock Exchange (ASE) President Manolis Xanthakis
yesterday announced the conversion of paper shares on the bourse
into electronic securities will be completed by the end of the
year.
Mr. Xanthakis attended the first 1997 board meeting of the
Stock Exchange Center of Thessaloniki.
It was stressed during the meeting that the Thessaloniki bourse
aims at increasing the Stock Exchange's daily volume of
transactions, which has stabilized at 7 per cent currently.
Informational seminars will be organized to attain this target.
Additionally, a study to determine enterprises in Macedonia and
Thrace considered suitable to enter the parallel market is
moving in the same direction. The procedural part of the study
has already been completed but finalized decisions have not yet
bee n taken.
The possibility of buying the building in Katouni Street in
which it is housed was also discussed during the board meeting.
The building belongs to the Bank of Macedonia and Thrace and its
value amounts to 800 million drachmas.
[25] Greek products go on show in Nicosia
Athens, 14/01/1997 (ANA)
"Greece and Cyprus even closer" is the motto this year for the
exhibition of Greek products to be held in Nicosia January 15-19.
Organized by Helexpo-TIF, this year's fair will be attended by
Macedonia-Thrace Minister Philippos Petsalnikos and National
Economy Under-secretary Alekos Baltas.
Some 30 firms from Thessaloniki and other parts of Greece will
be participating in the trade fair and representatives are
expected to hold a series of meetings with Cypriot entrepreneurs
in the hope of joint ventures as well as exploiting Cyprus's
good relation with the Arab world and Greece's proximity to the
emerging markets of the Balkans, eastern Europe and the Black
Sea region.
End of English language section.
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