Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 97-12-12
From: The Greek Press & Information Office, Ottawa Canada <[email protected]>
ATHENS NEWS AGENCY BULLETIN (No 1365), December 12, 1997
Greek Press & Information Office
Ottawa, Canada
E-Mail Address: [email protected]
CONTENTS
[01] EU hardens stance towards Turkey
[02] ... Juncker Turkey years away from EU membership
[03] ... Other EU leaders
[04] Nano focuses on relations with neighbors, emigration
[05] EU summit begins today with focus on enlargement, 'euro council'
[06] Washington calls latest Turkish violations 'needlessly
provocative'
[07] ... Greek Gov't
[08] Gov't: New NATO agreement available for deputies, not publication
[09] Albanian defense under-secretary in Athens
[10] Stockholm next in line for Cultural Capital of Europe title
[11] Papoutsis on energy networks' role
[12] Gov't: Improvements for facilities dealing with mentally impaired
[13] G. Papandreou proposes decriminalization of cannabis
[14] Investigation into Papandreou bomb attack continues
[15] Xanthi man again up on trial for posing as mufti
[16] Kranidiotis calls on Turkish Cypriots to support Cyprus course
to EU
[17] Skandalidis receives president of Turkish Cypriot party
[18] Karamanlis calls for int'l protection of Patriarchate
[19] Expansion of museum exhibition on Greek civilization
[20] Reppas proposes protocol to safeguard rights amid information age
[21] ... Pan-European approach to communications technology urged
[22] V. Papandreou optimistic on businesses' adaptation to euro
[23] Shipowners calls for more measures to increase competitiveness
[24] Subsidiary loan agreements to be signed for Rio-Antirrio bridge
[25] Balkan chamber officials urge closer economic ties
[26] Greek stocks slump on international turmoil, rate jump
[27] European Union industrial output up 0.8 pct in 2nd qtr
[28] EU presents report on co-operation in Black Sea region
[29] Commission proposes financial penalties against Greece
[01] EU hardens stance towards Turkey
Luxembourg, 12/12/1997 (ANA - M. Spinthourakis)
The European Union yesterday hardened its stance on the issue of
negotiations for Turkish membership in future.
"Turkey does not fulfill the political conditions for being
admitted to the negotiating table by reason of its human rights
situation, the situation with the Kurds and its relations with
Greece and Cyprus," Luxembourg's Foreign Minister Jacques Poos
said during a press conference, ahead of the opening of the EU
summit in the Grand Duchy today.
"Turkey has not given the signals asked by the European Union
for a normalization of its relations with Greece," he added,
stressing that the Luxembourg presidency considered that Turkey
was a candidate for admission to the EU and did have European
prospects, but had not accepted a package of compromise
proposals submitted by the Luxembourg presidency.
Following this development, he said, Luxembourg Prime Minister
Jean-Claude Juncker and his Turkish counterpart Mesut Yilmaz had
decided during their fruitless three-hour meeting on Wednesday
that the invitation of Turkey to an official dinner at the EU
summit on Saturday would be canceled.
"The length of the meeting is often not proportional to the
value of the results," a Luxembourg government spokesman said
with reference to the Juncker-Yilmaz meeting.
Responding to reporters' questions whether Greece had threatened
to use a veto regarding the proposed European Conference, Mr.
Poos said that the Greek side had never used the word veto.
[02] ... Juncker Turkey years away from EU membership
Vienna, 12/12/1997 (ANA- D. Dimitrakoudis)
Turkey still needs years to become a member of the European
Union, Mr. Juncker said in an interview published in today's
issue of the "Luxembourger Wort" newspaper, but released ahead
of publication by the Austrian News Agency yesterday.
He also noted that he was not prepared to let the issue of
Turkey's European prospects dominate the EU summit in Luxembourg.
Mr. Juncker also said that during his meeting with Turkish
counterpart Yilmaz, he requested that Turkey revoke threats of
using military force in case the EU starts negotiations with
Cyprus. "Turkey did not do this," he said.
Mr. Juncker made a brief stop on his way back from Athens on
Wednesday night, where he sent an unequivocal message to Turkey
that its accession to the EU depended the fulfillment of certain
conditions.
"Above all, it must cease impeding Cyprus' accession to the
European Union. Turkey must make it clear that Cyprus can become
a member of the EU," he said after meeting Austrian Chancellor
Viktor Klima.
The president of the EU Council also stressed that Turkey must
accept the European legal regime and recognize the jurisdiction
of the International Court at The Hague in its differences with
Greece regarding the Aegean islands.
A third indispensable condition was progress in the human rights
situation in Turkey.
"There can be no compromise on this issue, and no special
arrangement for Turkey," he said.
[03] ... Other EU leaders
Athens, 12/12/1997 (ANA)
Another ANA dispatch from Rome quoted Italian Foreign Minister
Lamberto Dini as saying that Turkey was still not mature enough
to enter the European Union, but this was not a reason to
isolate it.
"We know very well that Turkey is not ready. It is certainly not
at the same level of political and economic maturity, so as to
participate in the EU with the other member-states that have
submitted membership applications. It will need an adjustment
course, which will certainly be longer than that of the other
countries," he said.
"However, this does not mean that we must close the door to
Turkey, simply because it has differences with Greece. We wish
the resolution of Greek-Turkish problems and we must mobilize
towards that end," he added.
Meanwhile, Danish Prime Minister Poul Nyrup Rasmussen used
strong language regarding Turkey yesterday.
"A country wishing to be considered as a candidate for EU
membership cannot have territorial designs against another
member-state of the Union," he said at a meeting of the European
Policy Council in Copenhagen.
He also referred to Turkey's demands on a group of Greek
islands, its efforts to impede Cypriot membership, and the
situation of human rights and minorities in the country.
"Turkey got a customs union co-operation with the EU. Now, it
must give something too," he said.
EU External Affairs Commissioner Hans van den Broek also stated
in Luxembourg that Turkey had not made the steps required for a
normalization of relations with Greece and a resolution of the
Cyprus issue.
He added, however, that Turkey was a very important country for
the European Union, and that he hoped that even at the last
minute during the EU summit a compromise proposal would be
possible so as to avert a crisis in the Community's relations
with Ankara.
Referring to the Cyprus problem, the Commissioner said
negotiations with the island republic would contribute to a
solution of its political problem, and that membership would be
to the benefit of both communities.
[04] Nano focuses on relations with neighbors, emigration
Tirana, 12/12/1997 (ANA - P. Haritos)
Five months after his Socialist party won Albania's
parliamentary elections, Prime Minister Fatos Nano spoke on his
government's efforts to deal with the Balkan country's problems,
including its relations with its neighbors.
Last week, the Albanian government signed an accord with the
Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), which has a large
ethnic Albanian minority. Mr. Nano said the accord was the
result of contacts begun in New York at the UN Assembly and
continue d at the Balkan summit in Crete last month.
"The initial agreements we have signed with the FYROM include
favorable provisions with regard to travel, visas and taxes.
Citizens who live within 10 kilometers of the border will be
able to cross over to the other side twice a month without a
visa, in order to develop a free trade zone that may be expanded
in future into a three-nation zone to include Greece," he said
in a wide-ranging interview to the ANA.
Asked if he was as optimistic about his country's relations with
Serbia, Mr. Nano said:
"We have adopted the same philosophy, that is to consolidate
democratic institutions, a free market, for our borders to be
less of an obstacle to the free movement of both businessmen and
citizens. This is the only solution for the southern regions of
the Balkans."
Drawing attention to the problem of Kossovo, whose population is
predominantly composed of ethnic Albanians, Mr. Nano called for
more dialogue between various minorities in each country.
"Once we have achieved that, we will be in line with
international initiatives aimed at achieving stability in the
Balkans, for a future in line with the values of each nation, so
that we can forget the conflicts of the past," he said.
His talks with Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic in Crete in
early November, he said, were "friendly" and characterized by
"logic as well as the need for respect for the criteria of the
international community for a civilized and democratic solution
to the Kossovo question".
"If all treaties are respected, a normalization of relations
between former Yugoslavia and Albania will be possible," added
Mr. Nano. Asked what the next step would be with regard to
Kossovo, in the light of a French-German initiative, the
Albanian prime minister observed:
"I do not think we will be able to undertake any unilateral
initiatives on Kossovo. We respect this issue since we have our
compatriots there. We are continuing to move in the direction of
creating a climate of dialogue in the Balkans so that the
Euro-Atlantic and European Union initiatives in the region will
be more substantial."
Turning to the issue of Albanians fleeing abroad as illegal
immigrants, the Albanian prime minister clarified that an
agreement signed with Italy last month did not simply provide
for the repatriation of illegal immigrants, but for procedures
applying t o those who would be allowed to stay in Italy.
"In future, Albanians will be able to travel to Italy to do
seasonal work. This will allow for the legalized status of the
remaining 100,000 Albanians already in Italy... Those who return
to Albania will receive financial support from the Italian
government as well as from our own," he explained.
Meanwhile, he said steps were being taken to solve the problem
of smuggling, which was exacerbated by the crisis earlier this
year.
Income from customs, which stood at US$2.7 million in May of
this year, was now of the order of US$20 million. "I can say
that the situation is now under control. Of course, there is
still insufficient control of the cigarette trade. The signing
of the Division XXI agreements and closer co-operation with the
Greek authorities has made the smugglers' task much more
difficult," he said, adding that a government committee had also
been created to deal with the problem.
Finally, with regard to the pyramid investment schemes whose
collapse led to the riots that brought about a complete
breakdown in law and order, Mr. Nano said that these schemes
were now under the control of the government and foreign experts.
"In a few months we will have a report as to what there is,
where the money went and how much can be recovered... This issue
is also linked with the establishment of a banking system and a
healthy free market," he said.
[05] EU summit begins today with focus on enlargement, 'euro council'
Luxembourg, 12/12/1997 (ANA - M. Spinthourakis)
The European Union's summit will get underway in here today and
will focus primarily on providing an impetus to the process of
the EU's new enlargement to the east and Cyprus.
The Greek delegation arrived yesterday and is led by Prime
Minister Costas Simitis, as well as the heads of the foreign and
national economy ministries.
The first important issue to be discussed is initiating the
so-called euro council. This means the possibility of the
countries which will join the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU)
from its start to convene - usually on the eve of the EU's
Economic and
Monetary Affairs Council - in order to discuss issues concerning
exchange and economic policy.
Countries not expected to participate in the euro from the
beginning disagree with this proposal, namely, Greece, Britain,
Sweden and Denmark, which believe that if the so-called euro
council is initiated then it will be very possible that certain
extremely important decisions will be taken by it, and not by
the council of the "15."
EU leaders will then consider the enlargement issue, while the
Luxembourg EU presidency has prepared a report in the wake of
the mandate issued by the Amsterdam summit.
[06] Washington calls latest Turkish violations 'needlessly
provocative'
Washington, 12/12/1997 (ANA - A. Ellis)
The US State Department expressed strong displeasure yesterday
over the flights of 12 Turkish F-16 warplanes over the
northwestern Aegean on Wednesday, saying such incidents
"needlessly raised tensions between the two NATO allies."
State Department deputy spokesman James Foley said in a
statement:
"We are aware of the movements of Turkish aircraft, which have
now been confirmed by NATO radars in the northwestern Aegean
near Thessaloniki. These flights in the northwestern Aegean,
even if they were carried out in international airspace, did not
con tribute to the effort for an improvement in Greek-Turkish
relations.
"They were needlessly provocative. Military activity of this
kind undermines confidence and needlessly exacerbates tensions
between our two NATO allies. We call on Turkey to stop such
actions," he added.
According to diplomatic sources, US Assistant Secretary of State
for European Affairs Mark Grossman addressed the issue
personally during the day, contacting both Athens and Ankara.
In a related development, US Pentagon spokesman Ken Bacon stated
that "FIRs have been created to control the movements of civil
aircraft and not military ones", in reply to a relevant press
question. He added that "we do not submit flight plans for
military aircraft entering the Athens FIR. And I don't think
we're planning to change this policy."
[07] ... Greek Gov't
Athens, 12/12/1997 (ANA)
On its part, the government yesterday described as "provocative"
the recent infringements of the Athens Flight Information Region
(FIR) by the Turkish warplanes.
"Such acts do not contribute to a de-escalation of tension and
the restoration of normal relations between Greece and Turkey,"
government spokesman Nikos Athanasakis said.
He added that such provocations did not serve Turkey's interests
and that Ankara must finally realize that it cannot act as a
destabilizing factor in the region.
According to national defense ministry sources, the 18 Turkish
warplanes infringed on air traffic regulations in the Athens FIR
from 2 p.m. until sundown yesterday.
The same sources said 52 violations of Greek national airspace
in the region between the eastern Aegean islands of Samos, Kos
and Rhodes were also recorded.
In all cases, the Turkish violators were recognized and
intercepted by Hellenic Air Force Mirage 2000 and F-16 fighter
planes, while in two cases the interception process developed
into engagements.
[08] Gov't: New NATO agreement available for deputies, not publication
Athens, 12/12/1997 (ANA)
Acting government spokesman Nikos Athanasakis said yesterday
that the recent agreement on the new NATO structure is available
for Greek deputies to read, but not for publication.
Replying to relevant questions, Mr. Athanasakis said that quite
a few discussions have already taken place on the issue, either
at the Cabinet level or in Parliamentary plenary sessions or at
the standing foreign affairs and defense committee.
[09] Albanian defense under-secretary in Athens
Athens, 12/12/1997 (ANA)
Albanian Defense Under-secretary Perikli Teta yesterday arrived
in Athens on a three-day visit at the invitation of his Greek
counterpart Demetris Apostolakis.
Tomorrow, Mr. Teta will meet with Mr. Apostolakis at the defense
ministry.
[10] Stockholm next in line for Cultural Capital of Europe title
Athens, 12/12/1997 (ANA)
The count down for handing over of the Cultural Capital of
Europe title to Stockholm began yesterday during a formal
reception of a visiting Swedish delegation at the National
Theater of Northern Greece, hosted by Culture Minister Evangelos
Venizelos. Swedish Culture Minister Marita Ulvskog also spoke at
the event.
Thessaloniki held the title in 1997.
[11] Papoutsis on energy networks' role
Berlin, 12/12/1997 (ANA)
European Commissioner Christos Papoutsis yesterday said that the
primary role of new energy networks is to minimize the isolation
of less developed and distant areas of the European Union.
Mr. Papoutsis, whose portfolio includes the EU's energy sector,
made the statement during a conference here on the development
of inter-European energy networks.
He also mentioned the work accomplished outside the EU.
Regarding future prospects, Mr. Papoutsis analyzed the new
energy corridors.
[12] Gov't: Improvements for facilities dealing with mentally impaired
Athens, 12/12/1997 (ANA)
Health and Welfare Minister Costas Geitonas announced measures
in Parliament yesterday on the improvement of living conditions
at PIKPA institutions.
Mr. Geitonas, who was replying to a question by main opposition
New Democracy party deputy Georgios Sourlas, mentioned the
reassessment of cases, the distinction between patients with
severe psychological problems and those diagnosed as retarded,
separation of patients according to their age and the hiring of
500 employees at the institutions.
He also announced the tabling in Parliament of a multiple bill
on restructuring welfare structures in Greece. The bill will be
submitted over the next three months and will include special
programs for children and the family.
[13] G. Papandreou proposes decriminalization of cannabis
Brussels, 12/12/1997 (ANA - G. Daratos)
The policy of criminal sanctions against drug abuse has failed,
Alternate Foreign Minister George Papandreou told a conference
here yesterday, organized in the European Parliament.
"As we approach the end of the second millennium, I believe that
the time has now matured to conduct a serious appraisal of the
approaches to date on this issue, which have created 'criminals'
and offered a great service to the underworld that benefits from
them," he said.
The Greek minister said the decriminalization of the use of
indian cannabis would contribute to a breaking of the
relationship between user and drug dealer, and should be
supplemented with other active policies against the use of "hard
drugs".
Mr. Papandreou also expressed his strong opposition to what he
termed hard drugs, and specified that his views on "soft drugs"
were personal and did not express the government to which he
belongs.
[14] Investigation into Papandreou bomb attack continues
Athens, 12/12/1997 (ANA)
The bomb disposal expert injured in Wednesday night's explosion
at the Athens office of Development Minister Vasso Papandreou
was reported to be in a satisfactory condition yesterday.
Pieros Xanthakos received injuries to his hands and legs while
trying to defuse a bomb left at the entrance of Ms Papandreou's
office.
Anti-terrorist squad officers and doctors said that his injuries
had been minimized by the special protective clothing he was
wearing at the time of the blast.
Mr. Xanthakos, who was visited yesterday by Public Order
Minister George Romeos, is expected to be discharged from
hospital in the next few days. He was handed a cheque for one
million drachmas by the head of the Greek Police as immediate
financial assistance.
Shortly after the blast, an anonymous caller to Skai radio and
television said the "Fighting Guerrilla Formation" claimed
responsibility for the bomb.
According to the caller, the attack was prompted by the
government's decision to give a gold mining contract to the
Canadian firm TVX Gold.
The caller said that a warning call earlier to newspaper
"Elefthe-rotypia" had deliberately misled police as to the time
the bomb was set to go off so as to cause injuries among police
arriving at the scene.
The bomb consisted of one kilo of dynamite packed in a metal
water canister which fragmented upon detonation, causing the
injuries to Mr. Xanthakos.
Police have expressed fears that the attack may have been an
attempt on Ms Papandreou's life rather than a warning since,
although she did not use the office regularly, she had
appointments there yesterday evening.
Mr. Romeos expressed concern about the recent spate of bomb
attacks against a variety of targets which were subsequently
claimed by various terrorist groups.
According to sources, anti-terrorist police are considering the
possibility that former members of terrorist groups
Revolutionary Popular Struggle and November 17 have set up new
organizations. Government spokesman Nikos Athanassakis,
meanwhile, strongly condemned yesterday's attack.
"No action whatsoever of this kind will obstruct the
implementation of the government's program for the development
and progress of the country," Mr. Athanassakis said.
Commenting on the environmental motives for the attack claimed
by the Fighting Guerrilla Formation, Mr. Athanassakis said that
it was "feigned sensitivity, as proven by the murderous, social
callousness displayed.
[15] Xanthi man again up on trial for posing as mufti
Athens, 12/12/1997 (ANA)
A Lamia court yesterday sentenced a Xanthi prefecture man to 16
months in prison for continuing to pose as an official religious
figure.
About 100 supporters from the Xanthi area escorted Mehmet Aga
Mustafa to Lamia, where he will stand trial on the charge of
posing as a mufti - a quasi-religious Islamic officeholder.
Tight security measures had been taken both inside and outside
the Lamia courthouse since Wednesday afternoon.
A plethora of cases concerning the same offense are still
pending against the man, since authorities charge that Mr.
Mustafa is continuing to issue decrees of a religious content,
signing them as the mufti of Xanthi and ignoring the fact that
an appointed mufti already functions in the region.
In the past year alone, three such charges against him have been
tried in Lamia, while another two were tried by courts in
Thessaloniki and Agrinio.
[16] Kranidiotis calls on Turkish Cypriots to support Cyprus course
to EU
Athens, 12/12/1997 (ANA)
Foreign Under-secretary Yiannos Kranidiotis yesterday called on
Turkish Cypriot political organizations to overturn Ankara's
policy and Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash for the good of
their community.
Mr. Kranidiotis was speaking at a conference organized by the
Coalition of the Left and Progress, entitled "Cyprus today:
Prospects for a Solution".
He said the prospect of Cyprus accession to the European Union
"pro-vides the greatest ever opportunity since 1974 for the
settlement of the political problem".
At the same time, he assured Turkish Cypriot representatives
attending the conference that Cyprus's accession perspective was
not a "side road" for perpetuating Greek Cypriot dominance, as
claimed by the Denktash regime.
Commenting on Mr. Denktash's intransigence in talks with Cypriot
President Glafcos Clerides, Mr. Kranidiotis said that Mr.
Denktash was seeking to perpetuate the Cyprus problem "because
he believes that by doing so, the political problem will remain
unresolved, and more importantly, he will be able to nullify the
impetus towards a resolution which has been created by the
accession prospects".
At this point, Mr. Kranidiotis appealed to Turkish Cypriot
political organizations to exert pressure on Mr. Denktash in
order to force him to "tone down" his intransigence and "see
reality".
He said Mr. Denktash was using the Turkish Cypriot community as
a "vehicle" to further Turkish designs, particularly its efforts
to come closer to Europe.
"But Ankara does not realize that in this way it is only
trapping itself and its European prospects are becoming
increasingly remote," Mr. Kranidiotis said.
Turning to the major issue to be discussed at the EU summit in
Luxembourg, namely that of Turkey's participation in a proposed
European Conference for states wishing to join the Community,
Mr. Kranidiotis reiterated that if Turkey did not satisfy the
prerequisites set by Greece, Athens would veto its participation.
"Turkey must therefore accept the compulsory jurisdiction of the
International Court, the perspective of Cyprus's accession to
the EU and provide tangible examples that it intends to respect
human rights and proceed with democratization," he said.
One significant initial step, he added, could be gradual
disarmament with the ultimate aim of the complete
demilitarization of the island republic.
Referring to talks on Cyprus's accession to the EU, Mr.
Kranidiotis underlined that representatives of the Turkish
Cypriot community could take part in negotiations only as part
of the Cyprus Republic delegation and not in a way which would
legitimize the pseudo-state in the Turkish-occupied north of the
island.
[17] Skandalidis receives president of Turkish Cypriot party
Athens, 12/12/1997 (ANA)
PASOK Secretary Costas Skandalidis met yesterday with the
president of the Republican Turkish Party Mehmet Ali Talat, a
Turkish Cypriot political party, at the latter's request. Mr.
Talat was in Athens for a conference on the Cyprus issue.
[18] Karamanlis calls for int'l protection of Patriarchate
Athens, 12/12/1997 (ANA)
Main opposition New Democracy party leader Costas Karamanlis
said yesterday that the international community must defend the
Ecumenical Patriarchate from attacks and threats.
Mr. Karamanlis was speaking in Thessaloniki to cadres of the
European Peoples Party's (EPP) Parliamentary group and to the
presidium of the European Union of Christian Democrats. Members
of both groups are attending a meeting on Orthodoxy organized by
Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos.
"The Ecumenical Patriarchate is receiving threats and sustaining
terrorist attacks, and we must all mobilize ourselves," Mr.
Karamanlis said, stressing the fact that the School of Theology
on the island of Halki, the Patriarchate's religious training
academy, has been closed by Turkish authorities since 1971.
A message by the Ecumenical Patriarch was conveyed to the
meeting by the Metropolitan of Philadelphia Meliton.
[19] Expansion of museum exhibition on Greek civilization
Athens, 12/12/1997 (ANA)
Culture Minister Evangelos Venizelos yesterday announced the
restructuring and expansion of an exhibition on Greek
civilization through the ages at the National Archaeological
Museum in Athens, after a meeting with museum officials. The
cost of the renovation will not exceed five billion drachmas, he
said. Instructions were also given on procedures to expand the
basement of the museum to 12,000 square meters.
[20] Reppas proposes protocol to safeguard rights amid information age
Athens, 12/12/1997 (ANA)
Press Minister Demetris Reppas proposed the creation of a
protocol on the rights of man amid the expanding society of
informatics, during his speech yesterday at the 5th European
Ministerial Conference on Mass Media Policy.
The conference is taking place in Thessaloniki with the
participation of ministers, government members and
representatives of international organizations from 40 European
countries and nine international organizations.
CoE Deputy Secretary General Hans Christian Kruger also
addressed the conference.
Mr. Reppas said the creation of the protocol is dictated both by
the European Union's strong legislative concern in the
establishment of a European television scene without borders and
efforts being made by the Council of Europe to consolidate
freedom of cross-border broadcasts between its members.
He said the protocol must consolidate freedom of access to
information, transparency and respect for human dignity. In this
context, governments must take care to avoid big economic
concentrations in the sector of procurement, access and content
to informatics networks and transparency in both relations
between purveyors and between them and the state.
The minister pointed out that "the dominant challenge at the
conference is to have the human-related character of the
informatics society emerge from it."
Messages were also read from President of the Republic Kostis
Stephanopoulos and Prime Minister Costas Simitis.
[21] ... Pan-European approach to communications technology urged
Athens, 12/12/1997 (ANA)
Governments should rapidly agree to a common response to the
information revolution, in order to avoid conflicting
regulations in the Council of Europe's 40 member-states, Mr.
Kruger said.
He told the opening session of the conference in Thessaloniki
that "new communications technologies hold great promise and
could break down geographical, cultural and intellectual
barriers world-wide".
However, he warned, "the information revolution has its dark
side, also".
Mr. Kruger said that "already, police have to pool resources to
fight paedophile groups on the internet, while organized
criminals are quick to make the best of rapid technological
change".
Absence of a legally binding European agreement could
"jeopardize freedom of expression and information as well as the
successful development of the information industry at
pan-European level," Mr. Kruger cautioned.
"The new technologies must serve the individual and every
country as far as possible on a equal footing," Mr. Kruger said.
"They should develop access to information, education, and
culture, promote exchanges of information and ideas, and improve
the relationship between individuals and public authorities," he
added.
More than 40 ministers from the Council of Europe member
countries and invited states are in Thessaloniki for the
conference, which aims to study the current situation, the
positive and negative aspects of the development of the
information society and its influence on how society operates.
Apart from the 40 CoE member-states, delegates are also
attending from Armenia, Georgia, the Vatican, Canada and the
United States.
The conference is being hosted by Greece's press and media
ministry.
The two-day discussions are focusing on the impact of new
communication technologies on human rights and democratic
values, and rethinking the regulatory framework for the media.
[22] V. Papandreou optimistic on businesses' adaptation to euro
Athens, 12/12/1997 (ANA)
Development Minister Vasso Papandreou yesterday expressed
optimism that the country's businesses and citizens would
quickly adapt to changes to be ushered in through the
introduction of a common European currency, the euro.
Speaking at an event of the European Union of Firms and
Businessmen (EEEE) and the Institute for the Study of the Greek
Economy, she stressed that those who will face the greatest
difficulty will be the private citizens without experience in
managing a transitional double system of calculation between the
old and new system.
The minister also referred to a need for an institutional
preparation of the state and the formulation of rules for
converting transactions from drachmas into euros.
She stressed the importance of the correct preparation of banks
and businesses, and the need to avoid passing costs to the
consumer.
[23] Shipowners calls for more measures to increase competitiveness
Athens, 12/12/1997 (ANA)
Members of the Union of Greek Shipowners (EEE) reacted
positively to statements by Prime Minister Costas Simitis and
Merchant Marine Minister Stavros Soumakis that there is no
question of the merchant marine ministry being abolished.
This was stressed by EEE President Yiannis Lyras during a press
conference yesterday.
"It is true that rumors concerning the abolition of the merchant
marine ministry and the incorporation of its services into other
ministries have created concern among us, since we are not aware
of the government's thoughts," he said.
Referring to the decrease of the Greek shipping registry being
recorded lately, he said measures taken by the government are
inadequate in relation to the measures taken by other European
Union countries to strengthen their registry and to attract
shipping firms to their country.
Mr. Lyras stressed that "we must be competitive compared to
other countries. I hope that the government will recognize that
the measures it has taken are ineffective and will revise its
policy on this issue to put an end to the loss of ships from the
national registry," he said.
Mr. Lyras said that from November 1996 to November 1997 there
has been a "leak" of 160 ships, namely, 19 per cent of the
Greek-flagged merchant fleet, adding that this is clearly due to
issues of competitiveness.
[24] Subsidiary loan agreements to be signed for Rio-Antirrio bridge
Athens, 12/12/1997 (ANA)
A package of 31 subsidiary loan agreements for construction of
the Rio-Antirrio bridge - linking western Greece with the
Peloponnese - will be signed today.
Environment, Town Planning and Public Works Minister Costas
Laliotis will sign the agreements on behalf of the state, while
the European Investment Bank will be represented by its
Vice-President, Panayiotis Gennimatas.
The main loan agreement for the project was signed on July 27,
1997.
[25] Balkan chamber officials urge closer economic ties
Athens, 12/12/1997 (ANA)
Balkan countries have to tighten economic links among themselves
in order to attract foreign investors and reap the benefits of
progress being made in the political arena, Nikos Zahariadis,
secretary general of Greece's national economy ministry said
yesterday. Addressing a meeting in Athens of the Balkan Chambers
Union, Mr. Zahariadis said that political steps taken at an
inter-Balkan conference in Crete in November would remain in
abeyance without economic backup.
Balkan co-operation should rest on equal status for each
country, respect for rules of the international marketplace, and
autonomy in foreign policy, he said.
Taking part in the meeting are chamber representatives from
Albania, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Cyprus,
Romania, Yugoslavia, Turkey and Greece. Bulgarian officials were
unable to attend due to adverse weather conditions.
According to Andreas Kyriazis, president of the Central Union of
Greek Chambers, socio-economic conditions in Balkan states had
improved in recent months. Stability and progress in some cases
was clearly discernible, but closer economic ties were needed in
order to make the Balkans a regional power, said Mr. Kyriazis,
who is also president of the Balkan chambers' assembly.
Discussed at the meeting was how European businesses could make
better use of the EU's Phare and Tacis programs, which provide
funding for direct investments in the Balkans and the creation
of joint ventures.
According to an EU official, the programs had helped to fund
more than 2,000 business plans for joint ventures in the
Balkans, eastern Europe and the former Soviet republics.
Eligible for funding are feasibility studies, plans for the
transfer of know-how, and events to promote economic ties in the
region.
Finally, a senior official of Commercial Bank of Greece told
delegates that the bank had initiated the creation of a Balkan
bank forum, whose first phase will include participation by 50
banks.
[26] Greek stocks slump on international turmoil, rate jump
Athens, 12/12/1997 (ANA)
Greek equities came under strong pressure yesterday to end
sharply lower on the Athens Stock Exchange.
Traders said the Greek market was hit by the shockwaves of new
turmoil in international markets which had dampened sentiment
and driven up rates on the domestic money market.
Interbank rates soared to 16 percent after falling to 9.8-11.0
percent the previous day, while the Bank of Greece reported
outflows totaling 300 million ECUs from the market.
The general index lost 5.12 percent of its value to end at
1,486.39 points. Trading was extremely heavy with turnover at
49.5 billion drachmas, boosted by arbitrage trading.
Sectors indices suffered losses. Banks fell 5.04 percent,
Leasing dropped 3.41 percent, Insurance plunged 4.52 percent,
Investment was 4.10 percent off, Industrials dropped 4.91
percent, Construction was 6.85 percent down, Holding fell 6.16
percent and Miscellaneous eased 5.09 percent.
The parallel market index for small cap companies fell 4.35
percent, while the FTSE/ASE index dropped 5.21 percent to 852.05
points.
Broadly, decliners led advancers by 220 to 17 with another 8
issues unchanged.
Ideal, Radio Athina and Macedonian Plastics scored the biggest
percent gains, while Intracom, Galis, Alte, Petzetakis, Avax,
Balkan Export, Nikas, Selonda and Hellas Can suffered the
heaviest losses.
National Bank of Greece ended at 25,320 drachmas, Ergobank at
15,400, Alpha Credit Bank at 16,550, Delta Dairy at 3,310, Titan
Cement at 12,470, Intracom at 13,500 and Hellenic
Telecommunications Organization at 6,000.
[27] European Union industrial output up 0.8 pct in 2nd qtr
Athens, 12/12/1997 (ANA)
European industrial production rose by 0.8 percent in the third
quarter of 1997 compared with the previous three months, the
European Union's statistical office Eurostat said yesterday.
The result compared with a decline of 0.2 percent in Japan and a
rise of 1.6 percent in the United States, it said.
European industrial output had been particularly strong in
Sweden and Spain, which recorded an increase of 2.5 percent and
2.2 percent, respectively, in the months of July to September.
Germany, the EU's largest manufacturing member, was on the
average, while France did slightly better (1.0 percent) and
Italy performed a 1.4 percent.
Production remained stable in Britain, and Belgium was the only
EU state to report a fall of 0.9 percent.
Eurostat said capital and intermediate goods continued leading
the economic recovery in the 15-nation block, but EU production
of consumer durables had recorded a fall of 0.9 percent.
[28] EU presents report on co-operation in Black Sea region
Athens, 12/12/1997 (ANA)
A European Commission report underlined the importance of
regional co-operation in the Black Sea region. This is the first
response to a request by the Dublin European Council (December
1996) for reports from the European Commission on regional
activities in Europe. The Black Sea report describes the
strategic importance of the region (encompassing Armenia,
Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Moldova, Romania, Russia,
Ukraine and Turkey) for the European Union and defines priority
objectives for regional co-operation.
The Black Sea's strategic relevance lies in its geographical
position which makes it a transit area between Europe and the
Caspian Basin and Central Asia.
The Black Sea region is marked by economic differences, with
some areas industrialized and others with more limited economic
development. Trade links among the Black Sea states and foreign
investment are still relatively modest.
But the economic potential of the region is growing with its
opening up to the world economy. Recent political and economic
changes have created new opportunities for co-operation both
within the region and with the outside world.
The European Union will support actions in the fields of
transport and energy networks, trade co-operation, ecologically
sustainable development, and justice and home affairs.
The region has become a transit area for drugs, weapons and
illegal immigration. Furthermore, it is heavily militarized,
arms acquisition and production in the region are considerable.
By encouraging regional co-operation in the Black Sea area, the
EU will contribute to enhancing security, stability and
prosperity in this region which is of increasing strategic
importance to the EU.
The Black Sea region includes one member state: Greece. The
Union has signed agreements with other Black Sea states: Europe
Agreements with Bulgaria and Romania; Partnership and
Co-operation Agreements (PCAs) with Russia, Ukraine, Moldova and
three Transcaucasian republics. The Customs Union between the EU
and Turkey, based on the 1963 Association Agreement, entered
into force on 31 December 1995.
Through assistance to the countries of the region the EU is
already making a significant contribution to strengthening
regional co-operation in the Black Sea area and stimulating the
region's development.
Such support is provided mainly through the Phare, Tacis and
Meda programs complemented by funding from Interreg and from
sector-specific EU programs.
Aid amounted to a total of ECU 2,589 million over the period
1991-1996 (excluding the EU assistance to Greece through the
European Structural Funds).
[29] Commission proposes financial penalties against Greece
Athens, 12/12/1997 (ANA)
The European Commission has decided to refer Greece to the Court
of Justice and to request the court to impose financial
penalties for failure to apply rulings concerning two
infringements arising from EU rules on recognition of
qualifications.
The first case concerns the failure by Greece to implement a
directive which set up a general system of recognition of higher
education qualifications.
The second case concerns the requirement for a Greek certificate
to open private schools or to be a director or teacher in such
schools.
In the absence of a satisfactory answer from Greece to the
reasoned opinion the Commission decided to refer the case to the
Court yet again and to request the court to impose a financial
penalty on Greece.
End of English language section.
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