Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 97-06-30

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

ATHENS NEWS AGENCY BULLETIN (No 1224), June 30, 1997

Greek Press & Information Office
Ottawa, Canada
E-Mail Address: [email protected]

CONTENTS

[01] EU socialist ministers propose Economic Coordination Pact

[02] Communiqui

[03] Simitis

[04] Delors

[05] One employee killed in attack on Greek consulate in Gjirokaster

[06] ND leader on Albanian elections

[07] Greece says only commonly accepted name applicable for FYROM

[08] Samaras criticism

[09] Venizelos to again address issue of Parthenon Marbles' return

[10] Stephanopoulos wraps up visit to Serres

[11] ND leader speaks on local Gov't restructure

[12] Papantoniou says too early to talks about '98 budget

[13] Interest rates to stay on downward trend, Drys says

[14] Agreement between IKA Alexandroupoli, Bulgarian med schools

[15] Turkish businessmen on Rhodes for trade talks

[16] Clerides in Athens today for talks with Greek leadership

[17] Consulate in Melbourne looks to purchase building

[18] Avramopoulos mum on re-election bid

[19] Anthony Quinn honored in Rethymno

[01] EU socialist ministers propose Economic Coordination Pact

Athens, 30/06/1997 (ANA)

The socialist ministers and officials gathered over the weekend in Athens for a two-day conference on economic and social developments, organized by National Economy and Finance Minister Yiannos Papantoniou.

In addition, they discussed proposals for the strengthening of the social state, accelerating growth and boosting employment in the 15-member EU.

Mr. Papantoniou, at the end of the meeting, held at the Athens seaside resort of Vouliagmeni, told a press conference yesterday that the proposed Economic Coordination Pact was intended to cover the current "democratic deficit," which is noted in the making of European Union economic policy.

"It is aimed at abolishing the political vacuum that the European Central Bank will operate in with the current institutional framework, along with the attached risk of its following an 'autonomous monetarist policy'," Mr. Papantoniou said.

The EU socialist finance ministers want to upgrade the Council of National Economy and Finance Ministers (ECOFIN) so that politicians, and not the bankers and technocrats, will make the final decisions regarding the Union's economic policy.

Mr. Papantoniou said that this proposal was put together with the decisive contribution of the former European Commission President Jacques Delors, currently the head of the research group "Our Europe", who also attended the meeting.

The Greek minister said that Mr. Delors would be willing to "exercise his influence with German Chancellor Helmut Kohl," in an effort to convince him to accept the Pact. Germany's Bundesbank and Mr. Kohl's Christian Democrat Union constitute the strongest opposition to plans by the EU's socialist finance ministers to place the European Central Bank under political control.

Mr. Papantoniou, however, expressed a hope that Germany would finally accept the Economic Coordination Pact, adding that efforts would be made to put the issue on the agenda of the Luxembourg summit at the of the year.

On Saturday afternoon, during a midday joint press conference with Mr. Delors, Mr. Papantoniou told reporters that after achieving majority in Europe, the European socialist finance ministers could now focus on the development of growth-oriented economic policies with emphasis on the creation of jobs and on social protection.

He appeared cautious, however, when he said that "we should not nurture extreme expectations from the rise of the socialist parties in Europe."

"We have made a start and we can see positive prospects but a lot of work needs to be done," he added.

[02] Communiqui

Athens, 30/06/1997 (ANA)

The communiqui also points to the need for "more active policies to boost employment," and "fresh motives" to help the unemployed find jobs.

The participating ministers also agreed to strengthen the social state and to create a "renewed Social Contract", combining economic adjustment and social protection. Stressing that hopes should not fly high after the Athens conference, Mr. Papantoniou went on to say that the fresh European social agenda was merely the start of a difficult, political struggle towards the making of a European Union on the basis of growth, stability and social cohesion.

[03] Simitis

Athens, 30/06/1997 (ANA)

Mr. Simitis said the course towards a federal Europe should not ignore the particularities of the smaller states.

Stressing that "flexibility" should not constitute the main focus, Mr. Simitis warned that this would lead to "a concentration of power in the hands of the larger states." In short, flexibility would allow some countries to forge ahead of others, adopting specific policies and integrating more closely, without the threat of a veto from an unwilling partner.

The other, more reluctant, partners would be allowed to join in and catch up when they felt ready.

Turning to economic policy issues, Mr. Simitis emphasized the need for social cohesion, adding that the European socialists should focus economic policy on combating unemployment.

He said economic policy should also take into serious consideration the "particularities and sensitivities of the various member-states of the European Union."

Mr. Simitis further forecast that Greece would fulfill the criteria for participation in the Economic and Monetary Union in 1998 and would be in a position to participate in the EMU's third phase in 2001.

He stressed, however, that criteria should be the same for all EU member-states.

[04] Delors

Athens, 30/06/1997 (ANA)

"European public opinion expects a lot from the socialists, who are now the majority in Europe," Mr. Delors said.

He added that in conditions of a globalized economy to which the welfare state needs to be adjusted, European socialists should constantly exchange views and proposals on both national and European levels.

"We had a fruitful discussion but it needs to be followed up," Mr. Delors said, adding that "further analysis is necessary in order to make a correct assessment of the situation."

"The great challenge for socialists," he noted, "is to make the necessary adjustments to the system, without losing the values of freedom, solidarity and personal responsibility."

British Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown and French Finance Minister Dominique Strauss-Kahn did not attend the meeting due to other obligations.

[05] One employee killed in attack on Greek consulate in Gjirokaster

Athens, 30/06/1997 (ANA)

Athens also demanded more effective protection for the consulate in the southern Albanian town.

The shooting took place on the eve of crucial elections in the neighboring country, at the end of which both major rivals, the Socialist and Democratic parties, immediately said they had done well.

According to an ANA dispatch from Gjirokaster, Christos Kolas, 30, an ethnic Greek from Delvine, was fatally wounded on Saturday when he emerged from the building after hearing gunshots. Colleagues who tried to pursue the attackers were met with a hail of gunfire.

"The Greek government cannot but express its abhorrence over such cowardly acts, which beyond their criminal nature, oppose efforts by the international community in Albania, in which Greece plays a leading part," a foreign ministry statement said.

According to the statement, the Greek government has lodged a number of demarches with authorities in the neighboring country over the past four months requesting effective protection measures for the consulate, in order to ensure its normal function and put an end to a series of assaults by armed gangs. Also on Saturday, a former official of the Omonia party, which represents ethnic Greeks in Albania, was released by kidnappers.

Theodoros Bezianis, the ex-president of Omonia's Gjirokaster branch, was abducted last week. No details of his release were available.

Meanwhile, no violence was reported by midday in Albania's national elections, being held on Sunday.

At least 1,500 people have been killed in four months of unrest after hundreds of thousands of Albanians lost their life savings when five pyramid investment funds collapsed.

The south remains largely outside government control as armed gangs and youths roam the streets freely. A 7,000-man strong international protection force dispatched to help restore order across the country has made little difference, residents say.

[06] ND leader on Albanian elections

Athens, 30/06/1997 (ANA)

In statements to the press following celebrations in Serres for the city's liberation, Mr. Karamanlis called on the world community and all political factors of Albania to "realize that the road towards normalcy and progress goes through the guaranteeing of democracy, fair elections and respect of ethnic Greeks, against whom violent acts have been perpetrated in the past few days".

The ND leader expressed the hope that all leaders in the neighboring country would stand up to the challenges in order that "Albania enters the path of normalcy and not that of adventures".

[07] Greece says only commonly accepted name applicable for FYROM

Athens, 30/06/1997 (ANA)

The foreign ministry responded with an announcement to published statements by FYROM president Kiro Gligorov, who stated that FYROM has applied to the United Nations for recognition of its name as the "Republic of Macedonia".

In an interview published with the Sunday weekly "To Vima", yesterday, Mr. Gligorov said "I believe that on our side we have proposed a compromise, which helps both sides. It helps us to retain our dignity and the Greek government and Greek Parliament t o demonstrate that up until the end they kept their promise not to recognize FYROM under a name that includes the term 'Macedonia'."

Mr. Gligorov added, "We took recourse to this proposal by thinking realistically that we cannot force Greece to recognize us under the name 'Republic of Macedonia', if it does not wish to do so, neither can any other country (do so).

"Therefore, you can call our country by any name you wish," he concluded.

The interim agreement was signed by Greece and FYROM in New York on Sept. 13, 1995.

[08] Samaras criticism

Athens, 30/06/1997 (ANA)

Mr. Samaras claimed that Prime Minister Costas Simitis was attempting to relieve himself of the responsibility of bringing the issue to Parliament, thus circumventing the outcry that would be raised by opponents within his party.

He also said that dissenters within the two largest parties (PASOK and ND) as well as those in other parties who disagreed with the compromise bore a great responsibility.

Mr. Samaras also charged that if they allowed this "sly and disastrous development for Greece," the issue would become the second greatest national defeat after Imia within a year and a half.

[09] Venizelos to again address issue of Parthenon Marbles' return

Culture Minister Evangelos Venizelos will discuss the issue of the return of the Parthernon marbles today when he meets his British counterpart.

Mr. Venizelos had a get-acquainted meeting with the British minister during the sidelines of ceremonies for the reopening of the Galleria Borghese Museum in Rome yesterday. He said he expects to raise the issue officially before the start of the European Union (EU) culture ministers' meeting in Luxembourg today.

"I will explain the Greek position on the issue and present him with a text detailing the positions," he added.

He noted the importance of Britain's return to the status of full membership in the United Nations Educational and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as of July 1.

Meanwhile, the Greek minister attended a meeting of his counterparts from Mediterranean members of the EU - France, Italy, Portugal and Spain - who had been invited to Rome by Italian Vice-President and Culture Minister Walter Veltroni.

The five EU culture ministers agreed to co-operate on cultural issues and signed a joint agreement calling, among others, for an increase in the EU budget allocated to culture, which they said currently stands at 0.0018 per cent of the total community budget.

Mr. Venizelos said he had proposed to his counterparts the establishment of a network of museums, one per country, to represent the unity of European culture.

He also extended an invitation to his counterparts to visit the Treasures of Mount Athos" exhibition currently on display in Thessaloniki.

[10] Stephanopoulos wraps up visit to Serres

Athens, 30/06/1997 (ANA)

Commemorative events included a parade through Serres yesterday morning and a visit to Fort Rupel.

The parade was attended by main opposition New Democracy party leader Costas Karamanlis, Macedonia-Thrace Minister Philippos Petsalnikos, Education Under-secretary Yiannis Anthopoulos and others.

On Saturday evening, Mr. Stephanopoulos was given the city's key and named an honorary citizen in a ceremony before the Serres Town Hall.

In his speech, the president said that Greece was the only Balkan country which was member to the European Union (EU) and NATO, and was at the forefront of the efforts to develop Balkan countries.

This is something we must take advantage of, he said, both in the interests of other countries and in the interests of Bulgaria, with which Greece has excellent and brotherly relations.

The success of Balkan countries will benefit Greece as well and this includes Bulgaria's development, he said, expressing satisfaction over the official visit of the Bulgarian president this coming week.

Speaking following a meeting with the Serres prefect yesterday, Mr. Stephanopoulos said that Greece has been making constant political progress and has been improving its stable economy.

Mr. Stephanopoulos said that Greece could become an example of a well-governed state and could improve further by the expected Constitutional revision.

The president said that from his overseas visits he observed that other countries expressed respect and appreciation for Greece. Balkan countries and others see a future colleague in Greece, which could serve as an example to be followed, he said.

[11] ND leader speaks on local Gov't restructure

Athens, 30/06/1997 (ANA)

"ND believes in a system of government that combines two factors: the decentralized state, from an administrative point of view, and strong local government," Mr. Karamanlis said.

Addressing the party's central committee for local government, Mr. Karamanlis said that "nobody in ND has expressed disagreement with local government administration (at the medium level)".

The ND leader added that the principles his party would stress on the issue were that of the state's unity, that of support (by the state to local government) and the principle of financial self-reliance.

He also criticized the ruling PASOK party for its restructuring of regional areas and what he called "forceful unification" of communities, saying the government should not link this restructuring with municipal elections in October 1998.

That would indicate its plan was to serve political motives, Mr. Karamanlis said.

[12] Papantoniou says too early to talks about '98 budget

Athens, 30/06/1997 (ANA)

The minister was commenting on the proposals of an economic committee's report released earlier this month, recommending wage increases of 4 per cent in 1998 and 3.5 per cent in 1999 in order to bring inflation down to 2.5 and 2 per cent, respectively.

The report, which was prepared by a committee headed by Professor Yiannis Spraos and commissioned by Prime Minister Costas Simitis also calls for the levying of a "one-off" 10 per cent tax on company incomes or, alternatively, a lump sum contribution at the same rate to a fund dealing with labor issues.

The report had created a sensation in the press, but Mr. Papantoniou said it was nothing more than a "tempest in a teacup."

He said that "the relevant debate regarding the 1998 economic policy will begin in the autumn, in the framework of the compilation of the 1998 budget," adding that economic policy was formulated by the government and especially the national economy and finance minister.

"It is not rational to begin the debate on economic policy now," Mr. Papantoniou said.

[13] Interest rates to stay on downward trend, Drys says

Athens, 30/06/1997 (ANA)

Mr. Drys also noted that the government would proceed to wholly or partially privatize several state-run enterprises, such as the Hellenic Duty-Free Shops (offering up to 25 per cent of shares), the Public Petroleum Corp. and small state-owned banks.

Responding to press claims that there was a divergence from the budget, the finance under-secretary said that the budget did not set a monthly target, but only an annual one.

Mr. Drys said that according to current figures, divergence from the budget was calculated at 150 billion drachmas for 1997, which would be covered by privatization and restriction of public sector expenditures.

[14] Agreement between IKA Alexandroupoli, Bulgarian med schools

Athens, 30/06/1997 (ANA)

IKA governor Grigoris Solomos signed the agreement with Bulgarian Health Under-secretary Ivan Zlatarov in Alexandroupoli.

The agreement, implemented within the EU Interreg II program, aims at preventing and dealing with diseases such as hepatitis B and C, AIDS and syphilis.

The meeting was also attended by Turkish representatives from nearby Edirne, who expressed an interest in participating in the program.

Both Greek and Bulgarian officials expressed the hope that the program is extended to other countries, especially other Balkan states and Turkey.

The director of the preventative medicine unit for IKA in Alexandroupoli, Dr. Costas Papoutselis, said IKA hoped to name the program in memory of late health minister George Gennimatas and extend it to other Balkan countries.

On his part, National Economy Secretary General Apostolos Fotiadis, who attended the meeting, said the government hoped to improve relations with neighboring countries through similar agreements.

Mr. Zlatarov accepted an invitation by Mr. Solomos to visit Athens for talks on expanding the program.

[15] Turkish businessmen on Rhodes for trade talks

Athens, 30/06/1997 (ANA)

The delegation, accompanied by 13 reporters, arrived on the island Saturday morning following an invitation by the Dodecanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Chamber President G. Karagiannis said the meeting was "a first step in bringing the two peoples together and taking the edge off tense relations".

The businessmen, who are based in the Izmir area, have come with specific proposals.

"We want to co-operate on building marinas and luxury tourism hotels on Greek islands," the president of the Izmir Chamber Ekrem Demirtas said yesterday.

Mr. Demirtas also proposed that the Rhodes and Izmir chambers found chapters in each other's regions for trade exchanges.

The Turkish delegation members noted, however, the problem Turkish citizens face in receiving travel visas to Greece.

"More than three million Turks travel overseas every year," he said, adding, "Greece could absorb a significant number of them."

In a meeting Saturday evening between Greek and Turkish businessmen, areas of possible co-operation included tourism, farm products, leather goods, jewelry, clothes and the construction sector.

[16] Clerides in Athens today for talks with Greek leadership

Nicosia, 30/06/1997 (ANA - G. Leonidas)

Today, Mr. Clerides will meet with President of the Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos, while tomorrow he will have a meeting with Prime Minister Costas Simitis.

He is also due to meet with main opposition New Democracy leader Costas Karamanlis and former premier and honorary New Democracy president Constantine Mitsotakis.

The UN-sponsored direct talks are scheduled for July 9-13 outside New York City.

[17] Consulate in Melbourne looks to purchase building

Melbourne, 30/06/1997 (ANA - S. Hatzimanolis)

Consul Georgios Veis said the foreign ministry had approved the move for the consulate to purchase its own premises, while a search for a building has already begun.

[18] Avramopoulos mum on re-election bid

Athens, 30/06/1997 (ANA)

Replying to questions on Saturday, Mr. Avramopoulos said that press reports claiming he would not run for mayor again were 50 per cent true and 50 per cent entirely fictitious.

He said his final decision would be announced officially in May 1998, before the start of the campaign period in September of the same year.

"Things are preset until that time. Athens has a mayor, a specific program that must be applied. Under no circumstances should we enter a campaign period, because the only one that stands to lose is the Athenian public, who expects its city leaders to complete their program in order to judge (its success)," Mr. Avramopoulos added.

The mayor was speaking in Thessaloniki at the sidelines of a Central Union of Greek Municipalities and Communities meeting of mayors (KEDKE).

[19] Anthony Quinn honored in Rethymno

Athens, 30/06/1997 (ANA)

The award is presented by the Cretan city every two years to individuals who have promoted Greece internationally through their work.

The veteran Hollywood star is accompanied by his wife and his three children.

The ceremony was broadcast live on the German channel SAT 1, which has regular two-hour broadcasts from Crete, as part of a campaign to attract more German tourists to Greece's largest island.

End of English language section.

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