Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 00-05-29

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

CONTENTS

[01] Karamanlis urges party unity, blasts plan to weaken ND

[02] Gov't spokesman calls Karamanlis, ND absentee political force

[03] Stephanopoulos begins official visit to Canada Monday,

[04] PM to attend international centre-left conference in Berlin

[05] Poll shows majority want religion kept on IDs

[06] Karamanlis accuses gov't of seeking rift with Church over Ids

[07] Minister says keeping religion off Ids will protect the public

[08] Cleric distances himself from ID brawl

[09] Turkish defence minister opposes abolition of Aegean Army

[10] Vartholomeos appeals for reopening of Halki Theological School

[10] Orthodox Church does not disobey laws of the state

[12] Greek Embassy delegation, businessmen visit Berat

[13] Parliament to hold Olympics debate before summer recess

[14] British author calls for return of the Parthenon Marbles

[15] Forty-one Indian illegal immigrants to face prosecutor in Crete

[16] Iraqi arrested for holding compatriots hostage for cash

[17] Two arrested in prostitution racket

[18] Quake recorded in waters off Kalamata

[19] First-time drugs use in army same as rest of society

[20] Drama honours memory of 1,200 Jews

[21] Greek athlete wins gold medal in European gymnastics championships

[22] Revival of Nemean Games at ancient stadium

[23] Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides stressed that Turkey cannot play with time

[01] Karamanlis urges party unity, blasts plan to weaken ND

Athens, 29/05/2000 (ANA)

Addressing a meeting of the party's central committee, Karamanlis urged analysis of ND's failings and constructive self-criticism following a narrow defeat in national elections on April 9, but he warned against introversion and internal bickering.

The meeting was called to affirm the party's ideological identity, debate organizational restructuring and show ND as a party representing the political middle ground between left and right, Karamanlis said. He also indirectly showed support for ND spokesman Aris Spiliotopoulos, who on Friday filed a suit against three journalists and the owner of the private 'FLASH' radio station, accusing them of slander in orchestrating a smear campaign against him in the national elections.

At the close of the party's central committee meeting late Saturday night Karamanlis said that he would not tolerate introversion and disputes on fundamental options. He said he was open to criticism but was determined to forge ahead and not tolerate introversion.

He dismissed charges by certain ND members that there was a lack of democratic functioning in the party. Karamanlis said that he was not willing to compromise in his efforts to combat what he called vested interests that "support the government", noting that "those who fear are those who have fear in them."

[02] Gov't spokesman calls Karamanlis, ND absentee political force

Athens, 29/05/2000 (ANA)

He was responding to a speech by Karamanlis earlier in the day made before ND's central committee. "They have to finally realise that the country cannot move ahead with outmoded slogans and out-of-date jingles. A program and proposals are needed for Greece and Hellenism in the 21st century," Reppas said.

"If they cannot contribute to this effort, at least they should refrain from undermining it, thus demonstrating daily that ND remains a party of limited liability," the spokesman added.

[03] Stephanopoulos begins official visit to Canada Monday,

President of the Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos on Monday begins an official visit to Canada for talks with government leaders following a warm welcome by the Greek community when he arrived in the capital at the weekend.

It is Stephanopoulos' first visit to Canada, and the first by a Greek head of state since 1978.

The purpose of the one-week trip is to further strengthen existing healthy political, economic and cultural ties between the two countries.

Stephanopoulos, who was received by senior government officials at Ottawa's airport on Saturday, is due to meet Prime Minister Jean Chretien in the Canadian parliament on Monday.

He will later travel to Montreal for talks with Quebec Prime Minister Lucien Bouchard.

He is accompanied by Deputy Foreign Minister Angeliki Laiou, Deputy National Economy Minister Ioannis Zafiropoulos, and a large business delegation.

On Sunday morning, Stephanopoulos and the delegation attended mass officiated by Sotirios, Metropolitan Bishop of Canada, and the president was guided round the country's cultural museum.

On Saturday evening, Stephanopoulos attended an arrival dinner held in his honour by the Greek Ambassador to Canada, Ioannis Thomoglou.

[04] PM to attend international centre-left conference in Berlin

Athens, 29/05/2000 (ANA)

Simitis, leader of the ruling Panhellenic Socialist Movement, is scheduled to speak at the conference attended by another 13 heads of state and government.

The meeting will focus on progressive government in the 21st century.

[05] Poll shows majority want religion kept on IDs

Athens, 29/05/2000 (ANA)

At the same time, 46.1 percent of those polled backed Prime Minister Costas Simitis' decision to have the religion category removed from IDs in order to protect the privacy of personal data, according to the survey conducted by Metron Analysis in Attica and published in the newspaper on Sunday.

Disagreeing with Simitis' decision were 39.8 percent of respondents. Another 14.1 percent declined to reply. Furthermore, 57.8 percent of respondents thought that the state should not collect data on religious, political or other beliefs held by members of the public.

[06] Karamanlis accuses gov't of seeking rift with Church over Ids

Costas Karamanlis, leader of the main opposition New Democracy (ND) party, on Saturday accused the government of seeking a rift with the Greek Orthodox Church with its decision to remove religion as a category of information on identity cards carried by the public. "In a strange and incomprehensible way the government is looking for open conflict with the Church and has shown no hesitation in proceeding with decisions that harbour the risk of tension and division within Greek society," Karamanlis told an ND central committee meeting.

He accused Prime Minister Costas Simitis of going back on the word of his education minister, who allegedly told Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens and All Greece that talks would be held on retaining or scrapping the religion category on ID cards.

Dialogue and understanding were needed on this and other matters involving Church and the state, Karamanlis said.

"This is the road the Church opted for, this is the road the government committed itself to, and this is the road the prime minister should return to ... Either they're scoffing at the Church, or deceiving or theyre aspiring to serve other interests," he added.

[07] Minister says keeping religion off Ids will protect the public

Athens, 29/05/2000 (ANA)

"What is important nowadays is protection of the public from the computerization of personal data and unhindered access by anyone to that data," Tsohatzopoulos said in reply to a reporter's question on the sidelines of an army seminar in Thessaloniki. "In any case, the Church itself has sought protection from the computerization of data. This need is addressed in the decision to have as little data as possible in police identity cards," he added.

The minister said that there was still time for opponents of the move to come to understand the decision, as it would be implemented later when Greece adapted to European Union directives.

[08] Cleric distances himself from ID brawl

Athens, 29/05/2000 (ANA)

"All this turbulence is nothing more than inhibitions on the part of both sides, the Church and the State," he said in an interview to a radio station.

[09] Turkish defence minister opposes abolition of Aegean Army

Turkish Defense Minister Sabahatin Cakmakoglu has expressed his opposition to a recent proposal by Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit's adviser retired admiral Guven Erkaya for the abolition of the Turkish Aegean Army. "The fact that the idea for the abolition of the Aegean Army came up for discussion has taken me by surprise, while in essence no progress has been achieved in Greek-Turkish relations," Cakmakoglu told a Turkish daily.

He argued that the abolition of the Aegean Army, "at a time when there has been no progress in Greek-Turkish relations, with regard to the disarmament of the Aegean islands, air and sea space and the Cyprus issue, will cause problems whose confrontation will be difficult".

Erkaya, in his memorandum to Ecevit, had proposed the abolition of the Aegean Army and the adoption of a policy of mutual concessions in Greek-Turkish relations.

[10] Vartholomeos appeals for reopening of Halki Theological School

ISTANBUL, 29/05/2000 (ANA - A. Kourkoulas)

The Turkish government "will become aware that it is in the interest of all for this long-standing issue to be solved," Vartholomeos said, addressing high-ranking dignitaries of the Ecumenical Patriarchate from all over the world.

He expressed the hope that Turkey will soon take the necessary steps for the reopening of the School.

"The laws of Turkey and those of the international community recognise religious freedom, and an inseparable element is the right of every religion to train its clerics. In no event can the laws of the state impose terms with which in essence revoke this right," the Patriarch said.

[10] Orthodox Church does not disobey laws of the state

ISTANBUL, 29/05/00 (ANA - A. Kourkoulas)

The Patriarch said the Greek Orthodox Church has always been law abiding.

This compliance with the law does not mean that the faithful should renounce their legal rights, he said, adding that Christians can demand their rights which are foreseen by the law of each country.

[12] Greek Embassy delegation, businessmen visit Berat

TIRANA, 29/05/2000 (ANA)

The Greek delegation's visit to the historical city was at the invitation of the city's Commercial and Industrial Chamber.

During the visit, the Greek delegation held talks with local officials and businessmen who referred to the region's investment potential in such sectors as tourism, olive oil, fruit, tobacco, wood and construction material. Greek Ambassador to Tirana Al. Mallias, who headed the Greek delegation, said that Greek investments in Albania, directly or through joint ventures, will double in the 2000-2001 period.

[13] Parliament to hold Olympics debate before summer recess

Athens, 29/05/2000 (ANA)

The debate on the Olympics, which was requested by the main opposition New Democracy party, will include addresses to the plenary by party political leaders.

Parliament will continue to operate on a limited basis during the summer recess until early October when full house sessions resume.

[14] British author calls for return of the Parthenon Marbles

British journalist and author Christopher Hitchens has called for the immediate return of the Parthenon Marbles to Greece.

In a speech he gave on Friday (26/5) during a graduation ceremony at the Centre of Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies of Queens College of the Municipal University of New

York, Hitchens said the British House of Commons and Prime Minister Tony Blair must obey, without delay, the will of British public opinion for the return of the Parthenon Marbles to Greece.

In his speech, entitled "The unique Parthenon. Stones worth dying for," Hitchens expounded on the historic and legal facts which lead to the outcome that the Marbles should be returned.

[15] Forty-one Indian illegal immigrants to face prosecutor in Crete

Forty-one Indian illegal immigrants are being held at the Aghios Nikolaos municipality in Crete and will appear before the public prosecutor on Monday.

They were located on Saturday in the sea region of Almyros. They said that they had abandoned the cargo ship on which they were working and set off in two small boats. They claimed they took this action after the rest of the crew threatened to kill them.

The Indians, aged between 18 and 40, did not have any form of documentation with them. Although they had worked on the cargo ship for about three months, the Indians claim they do not remember the name of the ship. They will go before the public proscutor on Monday. The Indians are asking for procedures to get under way for their deportation.

[16] Iraqi arrested for holding compatriots hostage for cash

Athens, 29/05/2000 (ANA)

The man, identified as Vai Avora, 26, was working with five accomplices when he received the immigrants at the port of Piraeus and took them to the apartment near the Acropolis.

The immigrants had arrived illegally in Greece and their first port of call was the island of Kos, where they obtained bogus documentation as aliens.

Avora was arrested on Saturday and police are seeking his accomplices. The nine Iraqis held hostage will be deported, police said.

[17] Two arrested in prostitution racket

Athens, 29/05/2000 (ANA)

The two, who were arrested on Friday in the Dafni area of Athens, were identified as Nikos Kastanakis, 44, and Stella Geronikolou, 52. Police said Kastanakis had paid cash for three women - two Russian and one Albanian - from a migrant trafficker in the Thessaloniki area, and then handed them over to Geronikolou, who took them to a flat in Dafni that was used as a brothel. The women were forced to work as prostitutes, with Kastanakis and Geronikolou taking the fee, police said. The two are to appear before a public prosecutor to hear charges.

[18] Quake recorded in waters off Kalamata

An earthquake measuring 4.9 on the Richter scale was recorded in the sea off Kalamata in the Peloponnese at 6.08 am on Saturday, two seismological institutes said. The undersea epicentre was 120 kilometres south of Kalamata, the same site as a recent 6.0 quake on the Richter scale that shook the area, according to the Athens National Observatory's Geodynamic Institute and Thessaloniki University's Geophysical Laboratory.

Earthquake experts at the two institutes said that Saturday's temblor was a normal part of post-seismic activity in the area.

In connection with another earthquake last week, government experts are visiting the northwestern town of Preveza to inspect around 200 homes damaged in a quake measuring 5.3 on the Richter scale. Twenty of the homes were deemed unfit for habitation.

[19] First-time drugs use in army same as rest of society

National Defence Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos said on Saturday that the number of young people taking drugs for the first time in the army was the same as in the rest of society.

"The percentage of young people who take drugs for the first time while in the army is 12%-15%, the same percentage as in young people who begin drugs use at school or in their neighbourhood," Tsohatzopoulos said. The minister was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an army seminar in Thessaloniki on preventing drugs use in the armed forces.

[20] Drama honours memory of 1,200 Jews

DRAMA, 29/05/2000 (ANA)

The events were held in the park of Aghia Varvara in front of the monument of the Jewish martyrs, where they had been gathered by the Nazi occupation forces.

[21] Greek athlete wins gold medal in European gymnastics championships

Greek athlete Dimosthenis Tambakos won on Sunday the gold medal in the rings in the men's European gymnastics chmpionships. He garnered 9.737 points, followed by Hungary's Szilvester Csollany (9.675) and Belarus' Ivan Ivankov (9.650)

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