Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 98-10-14

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Premier welcomes 'unity of views' at southeast Europe summit

[02] Athens hails Milosevic-Holbrooke agreement for Kosovo

[03] ESP presidium convenes in Brussels, Tsohatzopoulos attends

[04] Patriarch tours Auschwitz

[05] Greek under-21 soccer team edges Georgia 3-2

[06] Mixed Commission reaction over Greek nat'l employment programme

[07] ND pleased with first-round local gov't election,plans

[08] Simitis: Progress in Greek-Turkish relations axpected after Turkish elections

[09] Large NATO exercise ends in northern Greece

[10] Stephanopoulos receives outgoing Russian ambassador Matvienko

[11] Gov't to adhere to tight economic policy, Papantoniou says

[12] Gov't expected to OK third float for state telecom within days

[13] Three-month T-bill auction brings average weighted 12.55 pct

[14] Greek stocks rally in slim trade

[15] Minoan Lines may merge with small Cretan shipper

[16] EU's four least developed states meet fiscal discipline criteria for '97

[17] IOBE study focuses on marble sector

[18] Georgian chamber leader in Greece

[01] Premier welcomes 'unity of views' at southeast Europe summit

ANTALYA 14/10/1998 (ANA - A. Kourkoulas)

The communique by the leaders underlined support for the decisions of the UN Security Council and called for an immediate stop to hostilities in Kosovo and the commencement of unconditional talks. The communique also underlined the commitment to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Yugoslavia and for the "full protection of all rights of residents, citizens, ethnic minorities and ethnic communities, on the basis of equality". The leaders also referred to the new Albanian government as " a prerequisite for the further restoration of public order and the growth of a constructive dialogue between the political forces in Albania, in the framework of democratic institutions".

The communique also stressed the European vocation of all the nations of southeast Europe and adopted the view, strongly expressed by Greece, that European unification could not be complete without the inclusion of all the countries of southeast Europe.

The communique also referred to Bosnia and reiterated the support of all countries for the full implementation of the Dayton agreements.

Mr. Simitis stressed the presence of Greece in all countries in the region and reminded that 3,000 Greek companies are active in southeast Europe.

The communique also hails the decision for the creation of a political consultations mechanism on policy and security issues, as well as the development of cooperation on issues concerning human rights, environmental protection, political exchanges, tackling terrorism, organised crime and other threats for stability and security in the region.

The Antalya meeting agreed on the creation of a centre for the development of trade between countries in the region, while the ministers and prime ministers signed relevant documents.

The creation of an advisory forum between the Parliaments of countries in southeastern Europe was also decided and the meeting hailed the effort by the Foreign Ministry directors to start a study for the creation of a proclamation of good neighbourly rules for countries in southeastern Europe.

The meeting was attended by the Prime Ministers Momir Bulatovic of Yugoslavia, Branco Cerkovski of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Ivan Kostov of Bulgaria, Mr. Simitis of Greece, Radu Vasil of Romania and Mesut Yilmaz of Turkey, as well as the Foreign Ministers Ismail Cem of Turkey, Blagoye Hatjinski of FYROM, Zivadin Jovanovic of Yugoslavia, Nadezha Mihailova of Bulgaria, Paskal Milo of Albania, Theodoros Pangalos of Greece and Andrei Plesu of Romania. Ivo Sanader of Croatia and Besin Spahik of Bosnia also attended as observers.

Athens News Agency

[02] Athens hails Milosevic-Holbrooke agreement for Kosovo

Athens 14/10/1998 (ANA)

"With a sense of relief, which, as seen by the statement issued at the end of the Antalya summit, is shared by all the countries of the region, Greece hails the agreement reached by Messrs. Holbrooke and Milosevic for ending the crisis in Kosovo. In this framework, it calls on the Kosovar leadership under Mr. (Ibrahim) Rugova to proceed to the process of peace-making, and on UCK to now show the courage required by peace," he said in a statement.

"Greece congratulates the architects of the agreement, President Milosevic and Mr. Holbrooke. It draws, however, attention to how near the danger of the conflagration drew and how all margins for negotiation had to be exhausted," he continued.

"The Greek side will make all efforts for the peace process to succeed. As in the past, Greece will participate with men and means in the organs that will be set up, particularly in the "Compliance Verifying Mission" of the OSCE, which constitutes the catalytic expression of Prime Minister Costas Simitis' initiative last June.

"Greece believes in the favourable outcome of this process, which also constitutes an indisputable vindication of its Balkan policy, and calls on its friends and partners in Europe and the neighbouring region to join forces in this great task," Mr. Repp as concluded.

Greece had long insisted on the need for a political solution to the crisis and the exhaustion of all diplomatic means for a settlement, stressing that it would not veto any NATO intevention, but would not provide any troops or planes in operations either.

Athens News Agency

[03] ESP presidium convenes in Brussels, Tsohatzopoulos attends

BRUSSELS 14/10/1998 (ANA - M. Spinthourakis)

The meeting was attended by National Defence Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos and Deputy Foreign Minister Yiannos Kranidiotis.

In a brief statement to the press, Mr. Tsohatzopoulos said that after a briefing by British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook on the agreement reached between US mediator Richard Holbrooke and Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, the Presidium preoccupied itself with the proclamation of the European socialists.

Mr. Tsohatzopoulos said that the target of yesterday's discussion was the adjustment of European socialists to new factors and exceeding traditional structures and formations existing in the past. He said that the present dialogue showed that there are strong views by several representatives of socialist parties, including Greece, who want a traditonal depositing of the principles and values of the socialist movement in Europe.

Mr. Tsohatzopoulos also said that new recommendations must be seen as from now which will exceed the traditional framework of social democracy and will converge with the views and trends of wider formations.

Athens News Agency

[04] Patriarch tours Auschwitz

Athens 14/10/1998 (ANA)

The Patriarch, in Poland since Saturday, held a joint mass with Polish Catholic clergy in Warsaw on Sunday, while he later awarded Orthodoxy's highest distinction to Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski and Prime Minister Jerzy Bouzek.

Athens News Agency

[05] Greek under-21 soccer team edges Georgia 3-2

Athens 14/10/1998 (ANA)

Scorers: Greece - Liolidis (28), Kostantinidis (39) and Koulakiotis (89). Georgia - Rekozivili (31), Moudzin (45).

The same two countries' men's teams will meet today in a Euro 2000 qualifying match at the Athens Olympic Stadium - 6 p.m.

The opening session of the newly founded national contemporary art museum's board was held yesterday.

The main topic on the agenda, chaired by Culture Minister Evangelos Venizelos, were building projects, after his decision to select the current site of the horse racetrack in Faliro for building a new museum. The area at one point was projected as either a future park or a site for Olympic facilities.

Athens News Agency

[06] Mixed Commission reaction over Greek nat'l employment programme

BRUSSELS 14/10/1998 (ANA - G. Daratos)

The report describes Greece's labour market in the 1990s as of a low employment level and of increasing unemployment, with most people out of work falling under the category of "long-term unemployed".

However, the unemployment rate remains lower than the EU average.

Nevertheless, the Commission found that there is some improvement in the implementation of EU-adopted guidelines to tackle unemployment, such as an introduction of an employment status card and a statisical mechanism to record and monitor joblossness an demployment details.

The report, however, notes that Greece's total allocation for its employment policy spending represented a mere 0.71 per cent of GDP in 1996, the lowest in the EU.

The Commission praised Greece's new labour relations law, which it said will lent weight to labour market flexibility, in turn contributing to efforts to boost and modernise the economy.

Athens News Agency

[07] ND pleased with first-round local gov't election,plans

Athens 14/10/1998 (ANA)

The meeting focused on actions for this Sunday's second round and underlined that ND's priority is the prevalence of candidates it supports in prefectures where it is leading, as well as in municipalities.

It was also made clear that ND places increased importance on the election result in the super prefecture of Attica and in the municipalities of Thessaloniki and Piraeus and also hopes to win in more than 20 prefectures.

Other parties : The Coalition of the Left and Progress (Synaspismos) yesterday called on its supporters to vote in Sunday's second round of municipal elections "on the basis of political and local government criteria, disregarding the logic of 'equal distances'."

The position was adopted with a large majority by the party's central committee, on the basis of a proposal by party leader Nikos Constantopoulos

Mr. Constantopoulos, addressing the committee, called on PASOK's leadership to realise that "its political choices and its persistence on maintaining a dual-party system is paving the way for the (return of the) conservative side".

Democratic Social Movement (DHKKI) leader Dimitris Tsovolas urged during his party's followers to vote in the second round "according to conscience", using as criteria what he termed the "progressive nature of the candidates' platform and their oppositi on" to the "neo-liberal policies of PASOK and New Democracy".

Referring to election analyses, Mr. Tsovolas claimed that DHKKI had doubled its popular electoral support on a nationwide basis.

Political Spring (Pol.An) executive committee decided that the prime minister should be "fully given to understand the stong political message of the elections, which constituted a defeat for Mr. (Costas) Simitis and his policies."

"The message of popular discontent should be received in its true dimensions by himself and his government," a statement said.

Former PASOK deputy Antonis Dedidakis, who stood as an independent candidate for mayor of Piraeus, visited the party's official candidate Christos Fotiou, who was the second and distant runner-up and is participating in Sunday's second round, and expres sed his support. He also issued a statement to that effect.

Athens News Agency

[08] Simitis: Progress in Greek-Turkish relations axpected after Turkish elections

ANTALYA 14/10/1998 (ANA - A.Kourkoulas)

"As long as the issue of elections (in Turkey) is pending, there can be no solution to problems," the prime minister told reporters at the conclusion of the two-day summit of southeast European leaders.

Mr. Simitis met with his Turkish counterpart and host Mesut Yilmaz on Monday night. Both Greek and Turkish sides said the meeting was "positive" despite both premiers ascertaining that the climate prevailing in Greek- Turkish relations was not good.

Mr. Simitis said on yesterday that he had underlined that the International Court of Justice at the Hague was available as a framework to deal with differences over the delineation of the Aegean continental shelf and other problems that Turkey believes it has with Greece.

The recognition of the jurisdiction of the court is a prerequisite to Turkey being absorbed into European institutions, Mr. Simitis said.

Mr. Yilmaz, at a news conference, said that the two countries continued to have differences of opinions on how to deal with disputes. "We request a cataloging of all problems, Greece insists on the procedure through the International Court," he said.

Mr. Yilmaz also denied reports in the Turkish press that he had broached the issue of Kurdish Workers' Party "cooperation" with Mr. Simitis.

Referring to the same issue, Mr. Simitis flatly denied that Greece was involved in any illegal activity directed against any neighbouring country, but that it would continue to support the right of all Greeks and foreign residents of Greece to freedom of expression.

He said that he told Mr. Yilmaz that Greece's standing position was that Turkey's differences with Syria must be resolved through peaceful and diplomatic means and the recourse to force could only be justified if it had the prior approval of the UN Secu rity Council.

Athens News Agency

[09] Large NATO exercise ends in northern Greece

Athens 14/10/1998 (ANA)

According to a scenario for the 'Dynamic Mix '98' exercise, NATO forces were called on to maintain borders and create conditions of safe passage for groups of hypothetical refugees.

The NATO exercise was carried out with the assistance of Greek Railways (OSE) trains, as well as jeeps and armoured personnel carriers. "Refugees" were examined by doctors and given clothing and food. Military forces cordoned-off the area, checking all vehicles attempting to enter, while they "fought-off" armed gangs trying to raid trains bringing in food and medicine.

The scenario for the entire exercise involves an attack on Turkey by a hypothetical country south of its borders, "Yellowlandia". The government of "Greylandia", on the northern borders of Greece, exploits the unrest to repress its minorities. This resu lts in a wave of refugees towards the south, reaching Greek borders while others attempt to cross the Dalmatian coast and reach Italy.

The US reponse is immediate and NATO forces are called on to conduct missions on three fronts: defensive and offensive in Turkey and humanitarian in Greece and Italy. Italian Gen. Francesco Vanucci, the sub-commander of NATO's southern flank, said at the conclusion of the exercise that NATO was ready in the best possible manner to undertake any mission and hailed the professionalism of the troops participating.

Gen. Vanucci said the new role the Alliance was being called upon to play meant that it needed to be able to respond with flexibility simultaneously in many different regions.

Greece, along with Turkey and Italy, is hosting 'Dynamic Mix '98' which will involve forces from 11 NATO nations and is designed to improve the southern region's capability to implement NATO strategy and to deal simultaneously with a crisis and peace support operation.

In total the exercise will involve approximately 17,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines. Approximately 5,000 troops, 62 ships and 170 aircraft will participate, as well as all NATO headquarters in the Southern Region. It is directed and coordinated by the Commander-in-Chief of Allied Forces in Southern Europe (CINCSOUTH).

Athens News Agency

[10] Stephanopoulos receives outgoing Russian ambassador Matvienko

Athens 14/10/1998 (ANA)

Ms Matvienko will assume the post of deputy prime minister in Russian PM Yevgeny Primakov's government, responsible for social affairs.

Athens News Agency

[11] Gov't to adhere to tight economic policy, Papantoniou says

Athens 14/10/1998 (ANA)

Commenting on the outcome of Sunday's local elections, Mr. Papantoniou told reporters that conclusions should not be drawn from the first round of voting. Some areas are due for a second round next Sunday.

The minister noted that the government's economic policy was based on the mandate it received from general elections in 1996.

Turning to incomes policy in 1999-2001, he said that workers would see a real increase in wages as in the past, which meant pay rises slightly higher than inflation forecasts for each year.

The period spans a convergence programme designed to take Greece into European economic and monetary union that on Monday received the approval of EU economics ministers, a move Mr. Papantoniou described as a message of confidence that was especially im portant for markets.

The government aims to bring Greece into the euro, the EU's single currency, by January 1, 2001.

Mr. Papantoniou said that reducing consumer price inflation to 2.0 percent at the end of 1999, a requirement for EMU entry, would be the most difficult task.

But the government would use all means at its disposal to achieve the target, including lowering indirect taxes.

Beyond reducing a gasoline tax in September and slashing by more than half a heating oil tax in October, the government had yet to take further decisions on cutting indirect taxes but was examining all the possibilities, the minister said.

He also urged enterprises to contribute to the government's effort to combat inflation by lowering their prices, which some supermarket owners have already done.

Mr. Papantoniou was optimistic that all convergence targets would be met by the end of 1999, and that the government would apply in the first half of 2000 to participate in EMU, barring any major deterioration in the global economy.

However, no such risk was currently being forecast, he said.

Athens News Agency

[12] Gov't expected to OK third float for state telecom within days

Athens 14/10/1998 (ANA)

The float, which was originally scheduled for the autumn, is to sell around 10 percent of share capital, raising the amount privatised to 35 percent of stock.

OTE's board and government officials have already begun briefing domestic and foreign institutional investors on the offer, which is expected to involve the sale of 50.4 million shares at home and abroad for around 300 billion drachmas.

Under the original sale plan, 70 percent of stock would be sold to investors in Europe and the United States through book building; and 30 percent in Greece through book building and a public offer.

Road shows to publicise the company were due to finish by the end of October to coincide with the end of book building and a public offer in Greece.

Again on the basis of the original plan, OTE's stock was expected to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange on November 2 in the form of American Depository Receipts.

The stock also was due to start trade on the Athens bourse by November 13 at the latest.

The two international consultants for OTE's float - Credit Suisse First Boston and Salomon Smith Barney - have both recommended going ahead with the sale despite jittery markets at home and abroad.

OTE's stock is currently trading around 6,000 drachmas.

Athens News Agency

[13] Three-month T-bill auction brings average weighted 12.55 pct

Athens 14/10/1998 (ANA)

The auction was oversubscribed by 1.4 times, representing 108.3 billion drachmas.

Athens News Agency

[14] Greek stocks rally in slim trade

Athens 14/10/1998 (ANA)

The general index ended 2.46 percent higher at 1,782.49 points in thin turnover of 29.3 billion drachmas.

Sector indices scored gains.

Banks rose 2.60 percent, Insurance ended 0.29 percent up, Investment jumped 2.50 percent, Leasing soared 6.15 percent, Industrials rose 2.53 percent, Construction ended 1.45 percent higher, Miscellaneous increased 4.12 percent and Holding rose 4.04 perc ent.

The parallel market index for small cap companies ended 0.71 percent higher. The FTSE/ASE 20 index ended 2.46 percent higher at 1,055.49 points.

Volume was 7,348,000 shares.

Broadly, advancers led decliners by 174 to 49 with another 19 issues unchanged.

Mytilineos, Strintzis Lines, Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation and Hellenic Petroleum were the most heavily traded stocks.

Fourlis, Attica Aluminium, Bitros, Fanco and Mytilineos hit the daily 8.0 percent limit up, followed by Desmos, Agrinio Metalplastics, Radio Athina, Parnassos and Etma which also were the day's biggest percentage gainers.

Mouzakis, Dimitriadis, Halyps Cement, Technodomi, Epiphania, Interinvest, Aspis Invest, Papastratos and Eskimo suffered the heaviest losses.

National Bank of Greece ended at 30,200 drachmas, Ergobank at 20,000, Alpha Credit Bank at 17,060, Ionian Bank at 8,830, Hellenic Telecoms at 5,995, Delta Dairy at 3,050, Intracom at 8,620, Titan Cement at 15,095, Hellenic Petroleum at 2,250 and Minoan Lines at 4,940 drachmas.

Athens News Agency

[15] Minoan Lines may merge with small Cretan shipper

Athens 14/10/1998 (ANA)

Iraklio-based Minoan Lines, which joined the bourse in the spring with a 15 billion drachma initial public offer (IPO), said in a statement that it was sounding out equity participation in the smaller firm through a merger and absorption.

Domestic passenger shippers are renewing and expanding their fleets in order to become more competitive by 2004 when cabotage rules are lifted that currently bar foreign shippers from plying internal Greek routes.

The abolition of cabotage, which is ordained by the European Union, is also expected to lead to mergers, acquisitions and alliances.

Hania-based Anek, which plans to join the bourse this year with a 16 billion drachma IPO, will buy 50 percent of capital and management of LANE, another smaller Cretan operator, with the possibility of a full buyout in the future.

Athens News Agency

[16] EU's four least developed states meet fiscal discipline criteria for '97

BRUSSELS 14/10/1998 (ANA - M. Spinthourakis)

The Cohesion Fund functions on the principle of conditionality, on the basis of which its ouflows to the member-states cease if they do not achieve their annual commitments in relation to their fiscal deficit.

The fund mainly finances projects in the sectors of transport and environmental protection. Greece received 493.5 million ecu in 1997 for these two sectors.

Athens News Agency

[17] IOBE study focuses on marble sector

Athens 14/10/1998 (ANA)

The above information is included in a latest study on marble made by the Economic and Industrial Research Foundation (IOBE) .

The study says that tension in competition in the marble market is expected to be aggravated even further in the future and quite a few smaller companies are expected to leave the market.

The main characteristic in the competition structure in the marble sector is the pressure being exerted by substitute products, namely ceramic tiles and wood, as well as the state's strong intention to protect the environment.

Larger marble companies have a purely exporting nature and consequently their interest in promoting their products in the local market is limited.

The marble market is believed to have exceeded 147.5 billion drachmas in 1997 (145.6 billion drachmas in 1996 and 144.7 billion drachmas in 1998). Out of this figure 82 percent concerns the local market and the remaining 18 percent concerns exports. The sales of the seven biggest companies range between 5.5 billion drachmas and 1.5 billion drachmas (1996), while those of the rest do not exceed one billion drachmas.

Athens News Agency

[18] Georgian chamber leader in Greece

Athens 14/10/1998 (ANA)

KEE President Paris Kyriakopoulos and Georgian Commercial and Industry Chairman Guram Ahvlendiani also discussed Georgia's course towards a free market economy, privatisations, major construction projects and attraction of foreign investments in the one -time Soviet republic.

The Georgian chamber official extended an invitation to Mr. Kyriakopoulos to visit Tbilisi.

Athens News Agency

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