Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 00-08-02

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

CONTENTS

[01] Tsohatzopoulos reiterates significance of Cyprus solution to Greek-Turkish relations

[02] Papantoniou to brief Simitis on economy

[03] V. Papandreou says additional measures will be taken for fire-stricken people of Samos

[04] British minesweeper handed over to Greek navy

[05] Government unveils draft bill for euro adoption

[06] Greek stocks end mixed in subdued trade

[07] 10-year bond auction a success, yields steady

[08] Skaramanga shipyard�s privatization seen in 1st quarter 2000

[09] Greek-Dutch consortium fails in BTC bid

[10] Charter arrivals up, overnight stays down in June

[11] Grigoris Foods signs five-year contract with Athens Spata Airport

[12] K.I. Sarandopoulos to build multiplex center in Thessaloniki

[13] Restoration and maintenance work on Acropolis to be completed by 2004

[14] Latest four wildfires under control

[15] More than 2,300 dead on Greek roadways in Jan-May periods over the last 3 years

[16] Clerides, Denktash hold talks with UN special adviser de Soto

[17] New US Ambassador to Turkey says new opportunity for Cyprus solution

[18] Cyprus initiative in air traffic control

[01] Tsohatzopoulos reiterates significance of Cyprus solution to Greek-Turkish relations

Athens, 02/07/2000 (ANA)

"There is no prospect for Turkey's accession to the European Union if the neighboring country does not contribute and make concessions on Cyprus," he said in response to statements by Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem that Cyprus is not a Greek-Turkish problem.

This, he added, "has to be understood as it is a firm position and non-negotiable."

Tsohatzopoulos made the statements after talks in Athens with Cypriot counterpart Sokratis Hasikos, focused on the ongoing proximity talks in Geneva and the issue of the recent advance of Turkish occupation troops into the buffer zone on the island.

Tsohatzopoulos also said that the key to positive prospects on the Cyprus issue was the island-republic's membership of the European Union. He stressed that the bilateral crisis management center was fully operational, confirming the joint management of defense and security in the framework of the Joint Defense Doctrine.

Hasikos said that the defense effort was continuous, despite the ongoing talks with the Turkish Cypriots.

With regard the issue of the buffer zone, Tsohatzopoulos said that it was an unacceptable development. He added that following pressure exerted by Greece and the Republic of Cyprus, a process is underway between the United Nations and Turkey to deal with the situation.

Hasikos said the Cyprus government would continue to raise the issue created when Turkish advanced to Strovilia village, on the eastern part of Cyprus, "until the status quo is restored".

[02] Papantoniou to brief Simitis on economy

Athens, 02/07/2000 (ANA)

Simitis and his wife Daphne, who returned from a break on the island of Skopelos on Tuesday, and to continue their holidays in Elounda, Crete, and Sifnos.

[03] V. Papandreou says additional measures will be taken for fire-stricken people of Samos

Athens, 02/07/2000 (ANA)

Papandreou said economic support for farmers will be valid for all and will be immediate.

There will be an extension of payment deadlines for tax and social insurance contributions for all businesses, she announced. At the same time, flood-prevention works, which are funded by the 3rd Community Support Framework, will get underway immediately.

Particular emphasis will be given to the tourist promotion of the island through subsidized tours.

[04] British minesweeper handed over to Greek navy

LONDON, 02/08/2000 (ANA - L. Tsirigotakis)

The HMS "Bister", with 14 years of service in the British Navy, will be re-christened "Evropi" (Europe) when commissioned into the Hellenic Navy.

The initial deal calls for the British firm Vosper Thorne Croft to construct the three new vessels at the Elefsina Shipyards, west of Athens. The transfer of another British minesweeper to the Greek navy is also envisioned.

[05] Government unveils draft bill for euro adoption

Athens, 02/07/2000 (ANA)

The draft legislation on double pricing excluded private sector's businesses with less than 10 employees, which were given an extension until March 1, 2001.

The obligation for double pricing includes the product's final price, the bill said.

The draft bill also referred to the introduction of the euro currency in tax cases and issues regarding the conversion of public companies' and limited companies' equity capitals from drachmas to euros.

[06] Greek stocks end mixed in subdued trade

Athens, 02/07/2000 (ANA)

Dealers said the market had completely ignored news that Morgan Stanley, the US investment bank, on Monday would place the Greek bourse in its list of developed markets from May 31, 2001.

The general index ended at 3,998.57 points, up 0.26 percent, with turnover a low 63 billion drachmas.

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavy traded stocks ended at 2,231.58 points, up 0.29 percent and the FTSE/ASE 40 index fell 0.23 percent to 558.15 points.

Sector indices ended as follows: Banks: 7,569.20 +0.44% Leasing: 769.26 +0.01% Insurance: 2,448.81 -1.61% Investment: 1,620.53 -0.32% Construction: 2,180.46 +1.16% Industrials: 2,512.49

+0.39% Miscellaneous: 3,970.85 -0.30% Holding: 4,243.34 -0.08%

The parallel market index for smaller capitalization stocks ended 2.30 percent higher at 763.36 points.

Broadly, decliners led advancers by 167 to 154 with another 21 issues unchanged.

Hellenic Telecoms, Dionik, Sex Form, Alpha Bank and Themeliodomi were the most heavily traded stocks.

Leading shares' closing prices (in Drs): National Bank: 14,300 Titan Cement (c): 13,575 Alpha Bank: 13,460 Hellenic Telecoms: 8,100 Commercial Bank: 16,200 Panafon: 4,250 Hellenic Petroleum: 3,740 Eurobank: 9,475 Attica Enterprises: 3,690 Intracom: 12,850 Lambrakis Press: 10,180 Minoan Lines: 3,595 Heracles Cement: 7,770 Hellenic Bottling: 5,280

Equity futures end mixed, tracking bourse: Equity futures traded on the Athens Derivatives Exchange finished mixed on Tuesday, in line with the indices on which they are based.

The FTSE/ASE 20 index closed 0.29 percent up, and the FTSE/ASE 40 ended 0.23 percent lower.

Turnover was 11.14 billion drachmas from 13.07 billion drachmas a day earlier.

A total of 1,209 contracts were traded on the FTSE/ASE 20 with turnover at 5.46 billion drachmas.

On the FTSE/ASE 40 index, 2,507 contracts changed hands on turnover of 5.68 billion drachmas.

Bonds pick up steam in light trade: Bond prices in the domestic secondary market on Tuesday finished higher in light trade, and a burst of transactions in 10-year paper by investors abroad was seen in the after-hours market.

The Greek benchmark 10-year bond showed a yield of 6.011 percent from 6.051 percent in the previous session.

The Greek paper's yield spread over German bunds was 85 basis points from 83 basis points a day earlier.

Turnover through the central bank's electronic system totalled 42 billion drachmas from 6.0 billion drachmas in the trading session before.

Buy orders accounted for 34 billion drachmas of turnover.

Drachma up vs. euro, dollar: The drachma on Tuesday rose against the euro and the US dollar in the domestic foreign exchange market.

At the central bank's daily fixing, the euro was set at 337.220 drachmas from 337.250 drachmas in the previous session.

Also at the fixing, the US dollar was set at 364.040 drachmas from 365.020 drachmas a day earlier.

[07] 10-year bond auction a success, yields steady

Athens, 02/07/2000 (ANA)

The average weighed yield of a 10-year bond, paying an annual coupon of 6.0 percent, was stable at 6.01 percent.

Bids submitted totalled 680 billion drachmas, more than three times more the asked sum (220 billion drachmas). The organization finally accepted bids totalling 264 billion drachmas.

The average weighed prices of the bond were set at 99.882 units with a minimum accepted price of 99.850.

[08] Skaramanga shipyards privatization seen in 1st quarter 2000

Athens, 02/07/2000 (ANA)

The privatization of the state-owned shipyard was discussed in a meeting between National Economy and Finance Minister Yiannos Papantoniou, Development Minister Nikos Christodoulakis and Labor Undersecretary Christos Protopappas.

Papantoniou will meet Prime Minister Costas Simitis on Wednesday to prepare the premier's keynote speech at the Thessaloniki International Fair in September.

The two men will also discuss with Culture Minister Theodore Pangalos plans for the flotation of OPAP, the state football pools organization.

[09] Greek-Dutch consortium fails in BTC bid

SOFIA, 02/08/2000 (ANA)

The back-and-forth talks over the last year ended abruptly when Deputy PM Petar Zhotev reportedly cited additional requests by the bidders, Greece's state-owned OTE and Dutch telecom operator KPN, as potentially harmful to Sofia's bid for future European Union accession.

Zhotev, who is also the national economy minister in the Bulgarian cabinet, added that a new international tender will be announced for the Bulgarian Telecommunications Co. (BTC) following fruitless marathon talks between his government and representatives of the consortium just prior to a July 31 deadline set by Sofia.

The initial deal stood at around $600 million for a stake in the country's fixed line network and the accompanying creation of a new mobile telephone provider.

[10] Charter arrivals up, overnight stays down in June

Athens, 02/07/2000 (ANA)

A survey by the NSS showed that charter arrivals at the country's five main airports (Hellenikon, Iraklio, Rhodes, Corfu and Thessaloniki) totalled 823,343 from 802,782 in the same month a year earlier, up 2.56 percent.

A survey of 288 hotels in Athens, Thessaloniki, Crete, Corfu, Rhodes and Halkidiki dropped by 2.49 percent against a year earlier.

Capacity in hotels was 81.74 percent, down from 83.83 percent in June 1999, the NSS said in a statement.

[11] Grigoris Foods signs five-year contract with Athens Spata Airport

Athens, 02/07/2000 (ANA)

The company has won an international tender with more than 50 Greek and foreign companies bidding.

Grigoris Foods will open two restaurant shops at the Spata departure hall in 2001.

The company expects its turnover to exceed one billion drachmas next year.

[12] K.I. Sarandopoulos to build multiplex center in Thessaloniki

Athens, 02/07/2000 (ANA)

The multiple center, of an estimated investment value of 6.5 billion drachmas, will be built on an area owned by the Thessaloniki YMCA. It is expected to be completed in the next two years.

The consortium will have managing rights of the underground garage station, with a capacity of 1,000 cars, for 20 years with expected revenues around 20 billion drachmas.

[13] Restoration and maintenance work on Acropolis to be completed by 2004

Athens, 02/07/2000 (ANA)

The Council approved the making of exact copies of the western frieze of the Parthenon from the original now kept in the British museum, and their placement on the monument.

[14] Latest four wildfires under control

Athens, 02/07/2000 (ANA)

Authorities remain on alert on Tuesday as gusty winds - a contributing factor to increasing the destruction of summer forest fires -- remained in the weather forecast for most of the country.

[15] More than 2,300 dead on Greek roadways in Jan-May periods over the last 3 years

Athens, 02/07/2000 (ANA)

The disappointing figures were released by Greece's national statistical service (ESYE) on Tuesday.

Specifically, traffic fatalities reached the 761-mark in the first five months of 2000, down from 790 in 1999 and 797 in 1998 - a total of 2,348 deaths in a country of around 11 million. A total of 8,889 accidents, meanwhile, were reported during the same periods, along with 1,651 serious traffic-related injuries.

Corresponding figures for the five-month periods of 1999 and 1998, respectively, were 9,181 and 8,975 accidents; 1,606 and 1,718 serious injuries.

In May 2000, 167 people lost their lives in traffic-related accidents, whereas 360 were seriously injured out of 2,030 accidents officially documented nationwide.

During May 1999, 168 people were killed on Greece's roads in 2,109 accidents. Four hundred and eighteen were seriously injured the same month last year.

[16] Clerides, Denktash hold talks with UN special adviser de Soto

GENEVA, 02/08/2000 (CNA/ANA)

After the meeting, which took place at the UN headquarters in Geneva, President Clerides said that "we worked quite well today".

Earlier on Tuesday, President Clerides met for about 45 minutes US Ambassador to Cyprus, Donald Bandler, and US Presidential Emissary for Cyprus, Alfred Moses, at the hotel where the Greek Cypriot delegation is staying.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded and occupied the northern third of the island.

Two rounds of UN-led proximity talks, separate meetings of the UN with President Clerides and Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash, have already been held since December. A third round is underway in Geneva. It adjourned on July 12 and resumed on July 24. A fourth round is scheduled for September in the US.

Alvaro de Soto also had an one-hour meeting in the afternoon with Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash.

Denktash said he would meet with the UN official again on Wednesday, but refrained from making any other statements to the press.

[17] New US Ambassador to Turkey says new opportunity for Cyprus solution

WASHINGTON, 02/08/2000 (CNA/ANA)

Speaking during his swearing in ceremony, in the presence of US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Pearson said that "negotiations for a resolution of the Cyprus issue continue, and the United States support the efforts of the UN and the parties to take advantage of this moment".

[18] Cyprus initiative in air traffic control

NICOSIA, 02/08/2000 (CNA/ANA)

An official statement reads that a meeting took place on Monday in Nicosia between representatives of the Civil Aviation Departments of Cyprus, Egypt, Jordan and Israel, during which methods of cooperation in air traffic control were discussed and it was agreed to draw up a Regional Protocol towards this end, to be signed within the year 2000 by the four countries.

Representatives of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the International Air Transport Association (IATA), and Eurocontrol attended the meeting.

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