Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 99-04-24

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

CONTENTS

[01] Simitis warns against widespread Balkan destabilisation if Kosovo crisis continues

[02] Press unions, parties condemn NATO attack on Yugoslav journalists

[03] Kranidiotis

[04] Armenian community groups hold sitdown strike at Turkish embassy

[05] Athens praises Chernomyrdin initiative as `positive`

[06] Tsohatzopoulos talks with US Sen. Sarbanes

[07] " G. Papandreou details Athens' humanitarian initiatives to CNN

[08] Yugoslav ambassador unveils casualties of NATO bombing, cites `media war`

[09] CoE health ministers focus on Europe's elderly

[10] Thessaloniki council votes against any more support for NATO passage

[11] Economy news

[12] Athens foreign exchange

[01] Simitis warns against widespread Balkan destabilisation if Kosovo crisis continues

WASHINGTON, 24/4/1999 (ANA - T. Ellis)

Speaking during the first day of a summit of NATO's 19 member states, held to commemorate the Alliance's 50-year anniversary, he also called for a political approach to the Kosovo crisis.

Mr. Simitis, who also outlined the consequences of the Kosovo crisis for Greece, said Athens' position is that the arming of the rebel Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) entails dangers, adding there should be no change in borders, while the solution should b e widespread autonomy for Kosovo.

"NATO always gave priority to a peaceful settlement to differences," Mr. Simitis said, pointing out that the military operations may be going ahead but this does not mean that the effort at a diplomatic level should not continue in parallel.

Mr. Simitis said the policy of ethnic cleansing followed by Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic in Kosovo was unacceptable and reiterated Gre- ece's three priorities in tackling the crisis, namely, the need of finding a political solution as soon as possible, a restructuring and development plan for the "next day" in the Balkans an d providing humanitarian aid.

On his part, US President Bill Clinton expressed satisfaction that Greece and Turkey were seated at the same table and recognised the important role played by Athens in relation to the dispatch of humanitarian aid to Kosovo.

Turkish President Suleyman Demirel focused his address on the fact that Ankara is already hosting several thousand Kosovo refugees and is contributing in this way to handling the refugees' "humani-tarian tragedy."

Later, Mr. Simitis had a 20-minute meeting with President Clinton, and according to government spokesman Dimitris Reppas, the US president praised Greece's contribution to the provision of humanitarian aid and its initiative for a reconstruction plan fo r the Balkans, saying it was an issue of concern to him as well.

Mr. Simitis also shook hands and had a brief exchange with Turkish President Suleyman Demirel.

Athens News Agency

[02] Press unions, parties condemn NATO attack on Yugoslav journalists

Athens, 24/4/1999 (ANA)

In addition, the Unified Organisation of Insurance and Healthcare for Journalists (EODEAP) announced an offer of medicine and medical materiel, worth 30 million drachmas, in efforts to aid the people of Yugoslavia.

EODEAP also announced that it will sponsor five disabled children from Yugoslavia.

ESHEA President Nikos Kiaos, meanwhile, said the "military targets (of NATO) became civilian and are now targets against information, since yesterday's attack was obviously against free information."

EODEAP President Orestis Frangos called the attack "a gangster-like" attack against the freedom of the press, which aimed at "for lies to overcome the truth."

It was also announced during a press conference that Greek newspapers and television news broadcasts will feature a black ribbon "in mourning for that attack."

In a related development, the Greek Radio and Television employees' union (POSPERT) expressed "disgust" for what it called the "inhuman and cowardly attack of NATO forces" on the radio and television building of Belgrade.

Political parties: Main opposition New Democracy (ND) spokesman Aris Spiliotopoulos said any such actions cause disgust and are utterly condemnable by any civilised person.

He added that ND expressed its deepest shock for the attack which caused the death and injury of journalists while on duty.

The Communist Party of Greece (KKE) stated that the motive of the attack against the public radio and television building was to "hide the truth from the international public opinion, which is the recipient of misinformation and poisonous hate agaist pe oples."

The Coalition for the Left and Progress (Synaspismos) noted that the attack was a hit against information and communication in Yugoslavia and the world.

The Democratic Social Movement (DHKKI) expressed its disgust over the attack, calling it a "cowardly and cold blooded murder".

Athens News Agency

[03] Kranidiotis

Athens, 24/4/1999 (ANA)

"We hope that Turkey will be able to form a normal political chart and that a strong government will be formed able to function within the framework of the international community,with respect to the rules and the principles governing both the internati onal community and the European family..."

Athens News Agency

[04] Armenian community groups hold sitdown strike at Turkish embassy

Athens, 24/4/1999 (ANA)

A resolution attached to the Turkish embassy's entrance by the organisations called for the recognition and condemnation of the genocide of some 1.5 million Armenians perpetrated by Turkish forces in 1915, the return of ancestral territory Ankara illega lly holds to the Armenian people, an end to the arming of Azerbaijan and Turkey's contribution to peace initiatives aimed at finding a just and viable solution to the issue of Nagorno Karabakh, as well as the lifting of the stifling blockade imposed on th e Republic of Armenia by Turkey.

Athens News Agency

[05] Athens praises Chernomyrdin initiative as `positive`

Athens, 24/4/1999 (ANA)

Government spokesman Nikos Athanasakis said also that any international force sent to Kosovo to keep the peace should be armed "in order to ensure normality in the region".

Replying to reporters' questions, Mr. Athanasakis reiterated that Greece would be willing to participate in a Kosovo peacekeeping force provided the opposing sides agreed to such a force.

Mr. Athanasakis said Greece was in favour of a withdrawal of Serb forces from Kosovo and the simultaneous cessation of NATO bombing.

Mr. Chernomyrdin said he had won Yugoslavia's agreement to an "international presence" in Kosovo during a visit to Belgrade on Thursday. Asked to comment on NATO's attack on Serbian state television early yesterday morning, Mr. Athanasakis underlined t he "tragic nature" of the situation and the need to promote procedures for a political settlement of the crisis.

Kranidiotis: The longer the crisis continues in Kosovo, the further we become removed from the peace framework which we had supported, Alternate Foreign Minister Yiannos Kranidiotis said yesterday.

Replying to reporters' questions shortly before the European Union General Affairs Council in Luxembourg on Monday and Tuesday, Mr. Kranidiotis said the continuation of the crisis would make the possibility of some settlement based on the principles of respect for territorial integrity of states, for minority rights and the inviolability of borders more remote. Mr. Kranidiotis will represent Greece at the General Affairs Council which, in addition to the Kosovo crisis, will also discuss a common strate gy for Russia and EU-US trade relations.

In Luxembourg, the Greek side will put forward a proposal on Kosovo and the greater region, Mr. Kranidiotis said, which will underline the need to confront the crisis at a diplomatic level. He expressed Greece's concern over developments in Kosovo and s aid the main aim of the Greek proposal was to press for a diplomatic solution and the cessation of hostilities in Yugoslavia.

Mr. Kranidiotis said the despatch of humanitarian aid from Greece was going well. He noted that Greece was the only country sending aid into Kosovo. One convoy of aid had already left and a second, comprising five of six trucks, will be leaving today, M r. Kranidiotis said.

Greece, he added, was also helping to set up a refugee camp in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) in cooperation with non-governmental organisations.

Replying to other questions, the minister said Greece would in Luxembourg also raise the issue of the environmental repercussions of NATO bombing and ask the European Commission to conduct a study on the impact for the region.

Athens News Agency

[06] Tsohatzopoulos talks with US Sen. Sarbanes

WASHINGTON, 24/4/1999 (ANA - I. Frangouli)

Mr. Tsohatzopoulos explained the particularity of Greece's position as a NATO and European Union member-state and a Balkan country, adding that a war in the Balkans must be avoided and, additionally, to NATO's activities, there should be prospects for a realistic political approach to the problem.

He further pointed out to Mr. Sarbanes why an escalation with ground forces would be a disastrous development which would not lead to a solution.

On his part, Mr. Sarbanes said Americans do not understand why Slobodan Milosevic is continuing the policy of "ethnic cleansing" and is not trying to accept a peaceful solution.

In a meeting Mr. Tsohatzopoulos had with US Sen. Christopher Bond, he wss briefed on the atmosphere prevailing in the US Senate in relation to the Kosovo crisis.

Conveying the atmosphere of the discussion, Mr. Tsohatzopoulos said "the Americans see and realise that Greece, for them, constitutes part of the problem because it is a matter of time when other neighbouring countries will get involved in this confrontation."

Athens News Agency

[07] " G. Papandreou details Athens' humanitarian initiatives to CNN

WASHINGTON, 24/4/1999 (ANA - T. Ellis)

In the interview, Mr. Papandreou spoke of the "great cost" that would be entailed for the reconstruction of the region after the war ended.

He stressed the concern caused among the Greek people by their certainty that Greece, the Balkans' most prosperous nation, would be called on to shoulder a substantial part of that cost.

Mr. Papandreou called former Russian prime minister Viktor Chernomyrdin's initiative a positive one, but added that any international security force deployed in Kosovo would have to carry arms so that the refugees would feel safe in returning to their h omes.

In another interview on the Public Broadcasting Station (PBS), Mr. Papandreou outlined Greece's positions on the Kosovo crisis.

He condemned Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic's "ethnic cleansing policy", but stressed that Athens had from the outset expressed reservations on the NATO bombings against Serbia.

Mr. Papandreou pointed out Greece's unique position as it was a NATO member state but also a Balkan country, that wished to help in a speedy resolution of the crisis through the good relations it maintained with Serbia as well as Albania.

Athens News Agency

[08] Yugoslav ambassador unveils casualties of NATO bombing, cites `media war`

Athens, 24/4/1999 (ANA)

Speaking during a press conference only a few hours after the alliance struck the state-run television centre in downtown Belgrade, ambassador Dragomir Vucicevic told reporters that his government had recorded more than 7,000 air strikes, with some 700 NATO planes employed in operations and roughly 1,800 missiles fired at Yugoslav territory.

Yugoslav embassy officials also released a detailed list of what they claimed were all the sites attacked in the Balkan country, saying some 500, 000 people were now unemployed as a result of NATO military operations. As leaders of NATO's 19 member-state s met in Washington, the Yugoslav ambassador pointed to what he called a "dual war" against the Milosevic government and the Yugoslav people over the Kosovo impasse, saying NATO was conducting a "military campaign of destruction against Serbia" and a "med ia war" unleashed by several NATO governments. He said 25 people had been killed in the early morning NATO bombing yesterday against the main state- run television centre in Belgrade. That figure has not been confirmed by independent sources.

"This contemptible act shows the barbaric nature of the invaders: to hide the truth. I believe the death of your colleagues has affected you as well, " Mr. Vucicevic said, calling for journalists around the world to "show solidarity with their colleagues ."

Asked about western press reports emanating from neighbouring Albania citing "ethnic cleansing" against the Kosovar population, as well as repeated allegations by NATO and US officials of "mass rapes" of Kosovar women, mass executions, assassinations of

Kosovar leaders and makeshift concentration camps, the ambassador said no conclusive evidence has ever been aired or presented by the international press or the separatist Kosovo Liberation Army rebels, whom he called "terrorists", to substantiate the al legations.

One of the questions he fielded along these lines referred to an unsubstantiated NBC website report this week claiming that 600 Kosovar youths may be "used as involuntary blood donors" in the province by the Yugoslav army. The NBC website cited unnamed NATO officials.

However, he declined to say whether Belgrade intended to allow the free and unlimited access of foreign correspondents in the strife-torn province, simply noting that more than 500 foreign journalists, including dozens of Greek reporters, are presently in Yugoslavia. In other statements, he called the attack against Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic's residence an "attack by international terrorists targetting the head of state of a sovereign nation" and aimed at assassinating the symbol of "Yugosla via's independence and freedom", while reiterating that any solution in Kosovo necessitates an end to the NATO attacks. He also said Belgrade has taken measures to persuade the Kosovo Albanians back to their homes, providing humanitarian and medical aid to the province's population, repeating Belgrade's statements that the NATO bombings were responsible for the flight of K osovo's residents, including "Albanians, Serbs, Montenegrins and gypsies."

"Even the animals are fleeing..." he said.

Finally, Mr. Vucicevic claimed that all KLA activity in the province has been eradicated, although he said Belgrade believes rebel bases in northern Albania are recruiting Kosovars, with training "provided by NATO specialists."

Athens News Agency

[09] CoE health ministers focus on Europe's elderly

Athens, 24/4/1999 (ANA)

In a press release, the CoE ministers expressed concern over the crisis in the Balkans and its effects on refugees, calling on the Council to contribute to international efforts to support relevant services.

The ministers of the 40 member-states participated in the "Ageing in the 21st Century: The Need for a Balanced Approach".

They added that society's success in ensuring that people live to an older age was coupled with the need to meet challenges facing older people, such as disability, poor health and dependence.

Athens News Agency

[10] Thessaloniki council votes against any more support for NATO passage

Athens, 24/4/1999 (ANA)

The council called on President Kostis Stephanopoulos to seek a meeting of political party leaders and for Parliament to discuss whether the Constitution was clear on whether the Parliament's approval did not need to be sought to allow NATO access.

According to Defence Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos recently, Parliament must give its permission for foreign troops to use Greek territory. He said, however, that Article 28 overrode this provision by permitting Greece to take all measures it needed to f ulfill its obligations under international treaties and agreements.

Thessaloniki Mayor Vassilis Papageorgopoulos told reporters yesterday that the bombing of Yugoslavia contravened the NATO charter and, as such, Greek support was not covered by the article.

He hinted that the municipality was considering further activity to protest the bombing of Yugoslavia, including a possible trip to Belgrade.

Thessaloniki's port and airport is considered to be a key transit point for NATO troops and equipment if a ground attack is decided.

To date, NATO has been using Thessaloniki as an entry point for troops and equipment involved in a peacekeeping force based in Skopje and for refugee relief.

Athens News Agency

[11] Economy news

Athens, 24/4/1999 (ANA)

"Positive trends in the Greek economy are facing some problems due to the Kosovo crisis, which are natural, and pose some questions," Mr. Papantoniou told the Athens News Agency in an interview.

"On the other hand, the crisis is having a negligible effect on the economy, as ties with Serbia are too few to affect it as a whole."

The minister said that if military operations lasted for months, slight repercussions would be seen on tourism, and probably on the transport sector.

"But I repeat that this is a negligible impact in terms of the entire economy," he said.

In addition, the stock exchange was hit by daily fluctuations on breaking news and rumours.

But the overall economy was unscathed, showing stamina based on structural reforms carried out over the past five years including fiscal revitalisation, he said.

Coupled with Greece's intention to join the euro zone, the moves had brought capital inflows, giving the economy more staying power.

Mr. Papantoniou repeated that Greece had pledged to keep out of a possible ground war in Yugoslavia being discussed in NATO.

The country's goal of joining the euro zone by January 1, 2001 was still in place, and alignment criteria for entry would be met by the end of the year, he said.

Turning to unemployment, Mr. Papantoniou said the level was stable in the past few months.

The number of jobless would begin to decline, with the drop expected to accelerate in 2000 in line with economic growth and the implementation of policies to boost employment.

State gets Dlr 600 million syndicated loan: Deputy Finance Minister Nikos Christodoulakis yesterday signed a 600-million-dollar syndicated loan for the public sector with a consortium of banks from abroad.

The loan's duration is five years and the interest is Libor plus 0.275 percent.

Lead managers of the loan are Commaerzbank, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi Ltd, Bank of Montreal, Barclays, Paribas and Bayerische Landesbank Girozentrale AG.

The finance ministry said in a statement that demand was robust for the loan in the European market.

Mr. Christodoulakis noted the Greek economy's rapid progress in recent years towards meeting criteria for entry into the euro zone.

Domestic lending rates were at the same level as Germany's a year and a half ago, he added.

Central bank reports jump in consumer credit: Consumer credit increased by 36 percent in February, rising to 984.5 billion drachmas from 713 billion in the same month last year, the Bank of Greece said yesterday.

The rate of growth was 36.8 percent in January against the same month a year earlier, the central bank said in a financial bulletin.

The Bank of Greece has ordered temporary measures to punish banks that overstep a 12 percent growth limit for loans to the private sector and major state enterprises.

The penalties come into force in April.

Stocks rise after six-day slump: Equity prices rebounded moderately yesterday in the last trading session of the week on the Athens Stock Exchange, halting a six-day decline which saw the market lose 12.07 percent of its value.

The general index ended 0.94 percent higher at 3,312.88 points, off the day's highs.

The market was nervous and extremely volatile hit by confusion over the outcome of a Russian diplomatic initiative to end the war.

Traders said investors mostly remained on the sidelines on fears of a ground war in Yugoslavia. Buying activity focused on short-term trade.

Sector indices ended higher. Banks rose 0.39 percent, Leasing increased 1.01 percent, Insurance fell 0.54 percent, Investment ended 0.52 percent up, Construction rose 2.13 percent, Industrials ended 1.72 percent higher, Miscellaneous increased 1.72 perc ent and Holding rose 0.54 percent.

The parallel market index for small cap companies jumped 2.86 percent.

Hellenic Telecoms' share price rebounded for the third consecutive session, ending 145 drachmas higher.

Turnover was 105.937 billion drachmas and volume 18,313,435 shares.

Broadly, advancers led decliners by 185 to 94 with another 14 issues unchanged.

Macedonian Textiles, Hellenic Telecoms, Alpha Credit Bank and Metka were the most heavily traded stocks.

3A, Macedonian Textiles, Sarandopoulos, Sato, Demetriadis, Gekat, Endysi, Doudos and Technodomi scored the biggest percentage gains hitting the day's 8.0 percent limit up.

Alysida, Hippotour, Kekrops, Minerva, Benroubi, Corinth Textiles, Xylemporia, Allatini Ceramics and Xifias suffered the heaviest losses.

The FTSE/ASE 20 index ended 0.74 percent higher at 2,070.20 points.

National Bank of Greece ended at 19,400 drachmas, Alpha Credit Bank at 19, 400, Ergobank at 25,200, Ionian Bank at 17,300, Titan Cement at 21,900, Hellenic Petroleum at 2,300, Intracom at 17,400, Minoan Lines at 7,150, Panafon at 7,500 and Hellenic Telec oms at 6,800.

Bonds volatile over Kosovo, yield spread down in late trade (PK): Bonds in the secondary market were volatile with the yield spread against German bunds rising to 2.01 percent until the last 10 minutes of trade, when it slipped below the 2.0 percent level to 1.98 percent.

The market was affected by conflicting reports about the outcome of a Russian diplomatic initiative in Yugoslavia.

Seventy one percent of electronic trade, which was 178 billion drachmas from 148 billion drachmas and 50 billion drachmas in previous sessions, resulted from trade in the last half hour.

At the central bank's daily fix, the euro ended at 326.240 drachmas from 326.710 drachmas in the previous trading session.

The parity was 325.5 drachmas in trade after the fix, and then 326.4 drachmas.

Minister sees little impact on tourism from Kosovo crisis: The impact from the Kosovo crisis on domestic tourism is limited, Development Minister Evangelos Venizelos said yesterday.

Addressing the inaugural meeting of the National Tourism Council, Mr. Venizelos said that 1999 would be a good year for the industry, and an advertising campaign for the next season would begin immediately.

He said that the adverse impact on tourism from NATO's bombings of Yugoslavia mainly concerned tourist arrivals from the United States and from neighbouring countries involved in the crisis.

Any drop in tourism from the United States did not pose a serious problem as arrivals averaged 250,000 annually, a minor part of incoming tourism.

Bank of Greece data on consumer, housing loans: Consumer and housing loans sharply increased in the first two months of the current year, while at the same time credit expansion is increasing at a high rate over the entire economy, a development justifying measures recently taken by the Bank of Greece.

According to data publicised by the Bank of Greece yesterday, the total amount of loans given by banks and special credit organisations increased by 14.9 per cent in the first two months of 1999, compared to the corresponding period last year. Loans by commercial banks are showing a greater increase and have reached 15.6 per cent.

According to evaluations by the Bank of Greece, the total amount of housing loans has increased 2.2 per cent from the beginning of the year. Consumer loans are showing a similar picture with banks having increased the amount of consumer loans and credit cards by 36 per cent during the first two months of the year, compared to the corresponding period last year.

Official unemployment rate in Greece rises: The official unemployment rate in Greece rose slightly to 10.4 per cent in December 1998 from 10.3 per cent the preceding month and against 9.9 percent in October 1998, a Bank of Greece report said yesterday.

Unemployment was running at 8.7 per cent and 8.4 per cent, respectively, in December and November 1997.

Athens News Agency

[12] Athens foreign exchange

Athens, 24/4/1999 (ANA)

Banknotes Buying Selling
US Dollar 304.286 311.341
Can.Dollar 205.780 210.552
Australian Dlr 198.331 202.929
Pound Sterling 491.139 502.526
Irish Punt 410.925 420.453
Pound Cyprus 559.488 572.460
Pound Malta 727.362 757.669
Turkish pound (100) 0.072 0.075
French franc 49.337 50.481
Swiss franc 202.095 206.781
Belgian franc 8.023 8.209
German Mark 165.470 169.306
Finnish Mark 54.431 55.693
Dutch Guilder 146.857 150.262
Danish Kr. 43.543 44.552
Swedish Kr. 36.416 37.261
Norwegian Kr. 39.124 40.032
Austrian Sh. 23.519 24.065
Italian lira (100) 16.714 17.102
Yen (100) 254.269 260.165
Spanish Peseta 1.945 1.990
Port. Escudo 1.614 1.651
euro
Buying: 323.630 Selling: 331.134
Gold Sovereign (rates in Drachmas)
Old mint: 20930 (b), Elizabeth up to 1973: 20620 (b), Elizabeth of
1974 and onward mints: 20620 (b), 22160 (s)
GOLD (in dollars per ounce) London: 283.15 New York: 283.35 Foreign
Exchange Buying Selling
New York 304.286 311.341
Montreal 205.780 210.552
Sydney 198.331 202.929
London 491.139 502.526
Dublin 410.925 420.453
Nicosia 559.488 572.460
Paris 49.337 50.481
Zurich 202.095 206.781
Brussels 8.023 8.209
Frankfurt 165.470 169.306
Helsinki 54.431 55.693
Amsterdam 146.857 150.262
Copenhagen 43.543 44.552
Stockholm 36.416 37.261
Oslo 39.124 40.032
Vienna 23.519 24.065
Milan 16.714 17.102
Tokyo 254.269 260.165
Madrid 1.945 1.990
Lisbon 1.614 1.651

Athens News Agency

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