Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 01-03-22

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

CONTENTS

[01] NATO cannot just ignore FYROM crisis, Simitis says

[02] Karamanlis echoes government's line on crisis after FYROM talks

[03] One policeman dead, another injured in downtown Skopje attack

[04] Powell to officially meet Greek FM in May

[05] Main opposition leader criticizes government's economic and social policies

[06] Tsoukatos' 'minimum income' amendment likely to be booted out

[07] Gov't reiterates that racist-generated incidents still rare

[08] Constantopoulos attacks government, makes overtures to PASOK left

[09] Pope to visit Greece May 4-5

[10] Athens adamant over Cyprus' EU accession course

[11] US State Department spokesman says Washington's position on Cyprus problem remains steadfast

[12] New envoys from Andorra, Austria and Morocco present credentials

[13] National plan of action to combat poverty

[14] Greece to offer 800,000-euro loan to Black Sea Bank

[15] Kathimerini announces plans to expand into shipping

[16] Geothermal energy concession tendered in Macedonia

[17] Elton Chemicals seeks to produce electricity from wind power

[18] Greece spends the lowest funds on research and technology in the EU

[19] First Olympic shop to operate at international airport in Spata

[20] Greek stocks follow international markets lower

[21] Council of State rules that citizenship listing necessary on IDs

[22] Universities to close after Efthymiou refuses TEI assessment

[23] Greek Independence Day celebrations in US and Australia

[24] KKE donates books to Hellenic Studies and Research Center at Melbourne University

[25] US believes Cyprus' EU accession course pivotal to settlement

[01] NATO cannot just ignore FYROM crisis, Simitis says

LONDON, 22/03/2001 (ANA - G. Papachristos)

The violence in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, triggered by the attacks of Albanian extremists around Tetovo, near the tiny republic's border with Kosovo, was one of the main issues discussed by Simitis and UK Prime Minister Tony Blair on Tuesday.

According to Simitis, during his talks with Blair on Tuesday evening and in earlier talks with NATO Secretary General Lord George Robertson in Athens, he was given the impression that the UK and NATO want to plan their next move in the area carefully, to ensure any intervention they decide is successful.

A belief that Britain and the US want to pull out of the area was mistaken, he continued, and said that US President George Bush had assured him of this during a telephone conversation a few days earlier.

The Greek prime minister categorically ruled out unilateral action by Greece in FYROM, even if the neighboring state's government would like this, and stressed that Greece would act within the framework of the international organizations of which it is a member, such as NATO and the European Union.

"If NATO and the EU decide something, we will participate," he said and called for a more "decisive" NATO and EU presence in the area.

Simitis also ruled out sending Greek troops to FYROM, in response to questions, and said there were other ways of supporting FYROM's government.

The most important thing, he added, was to seal off the border with Kosovo, which Greece had supported from the start. The problem was that this required moving troops - something that could create problems in other areas.

Regarding bilateral relations between Greece and FYROM, Simitis said that these were at a very good level but that the dispute over the republic's name was still unresolved.

"I have pointed out to the Skopje government that the name issue cannot be bypassed by developing good bilateral relations, and that initiatives by Skopje are needed," he said.

Commenting on his talks with Blair on Tuesday night, Simitis described Blair as Britain's "most Europeanist prime minister," and said they had discussed EU affairs after the Nice summit.

"We cannot be satisfied with the results at Nice, we have to keep going. But we must decide, before we make any institutional changes, what we want from Europe, where we are going and why," he added.

Another topic raised during his talks with Blair, Simitis reported, was the Cyprus problem. According to the Greek premier, the UK's position on this largely satisfied Athens.

He said they had also touched upon organized crime and terrorism, and cooperation on this between the Greek police and Britain's Scotland Yard, which Blair had commented on very favorably.

Finally, the two men had discussed bilateral trade relations, the sale of British tanks to the Greek army and relations between Europe and Turkey.

Earlier on Wednesday, Simitis had met with the Committee, an influential union of Greek ship owners based in London.

[02] Karamanlis echoes government's line on crisis after FYROM talks

SKOPJE, 22/03/2001 (ANA - M. Vihou)

He told reporters he had conveyed firm positions of Greece's political leadership regarding the inviolability of borders, respect for territorial integrity and its condemnation for the actions of terrorists and Albanian extremists.

He hailed the stance of Albanians who supported peace, however, saying that they would help resolve the crisis.

Karamanlis also spoke about the role of the international community, claiming that there were grave responsibilities for what had happened and urging decisive intervention and condemnation of the attacks, as well as more effective control of the borders. He appealed to the Greek government to undertake initiatives for a resolution to the crisis, and said that the future of the region lay "in a common European course in a multicultural society."

Asked if Greece would give FYROM assistance in defense, Karamanlis said that "no country in the region (southeast Europe) should become involved bilaterally."

[03] One policeman dead, another injured in downtown Skopje attack

SKOPJE, 22/03/2001 (ANA - M. Vihou)

A Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) government spokesman made the announcement to reporters, while noting that the attack was recorded in the Bit Bazaar market district.

FYROM, to Greece's immediate north, is reeling from the first violent signs of rebellion among its ethnic Albanian populace in the country's northwestern part.

However, no information was provided as to whether the incident was linked to Albanian rebels.

[04] Powell to officially meet Greek FM in May

NEW YORK, 22/03/2001 (ANA-T. Ellis)

"Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou has accepted an invitation by Secretary of State Colin Powell to meet in Washington on May 21. Apart from the meeting the two will have a working luncheon," Boucher said.

[05] Main opposition leader criticizes government's economic and social policies

Athens, 22/03/2001 (ANA)

Speaking on the theme "Inter-Border Problems - Protection - Security of the Citizen", Karamanlis said that Greece had extensive regional and social inequalities compared to other European Union countries.

He claimed that the farmers' income had decreased by 8 per cent these past four years and that Greece was at the bottom of the list in funds for education. He added that Greece was first in road accidents and second in the rate of increase in crime.

Karamanlis also referred to organized crime in narcotics trafficking, which he said is taking on disturbing dimensions to the extent that drugs are sold outside schools.

Illegal immigrants, he concluded, who are unemployed, out of need resort to crime.

[06] Tsoukatos' 'minimum income' amendment likely to be booted out

Athens, 22/03/2001 (ANA)

The proposal was initiated by a former advisor to Prime Minister Costas Simitis, Theodoros Tsoukatos, who had departed from the premier's office under a cloud, and is signed by prominent party members, such as former ministers Gerassimos Arsenis and Karolos Papoulias and twice-ousted minister Theodoros Pangalos.

The PASOK party speaker for Constitutional Revision, Culture Minister Evangelos Venizelos, told reporters covering Parliament, however, that he intends to throw out the proposed amendment because it was submitted late and the debate on the article in question has already taken place.

Three months earlier, in December 2000, Tsoukatos had embarrassed the government by attempting to submit a bill along similar lines in Parliament, with the backing of another 52 PASOK deputies. The bill, which was eventually rejected by the house, would have provided citizens with a guaranteed minimum income that would cover their basic needs, unrelated to their contributions to the state insurance system.

It also provoked a reaction from Prime Minister Costas Simitis, then in France, who had said it was premature and that decisions on this issue would be made in due course.

Simitis had then instructed Health and Welfare Minister Alekos Papadopoulos to say that the government could not adopt the proposal.

[07] Gov't reiterates that racist-generated incidents still rare

Athens, 22/03/2001 (ANA)

Government spokesman Dimitris Reppas made the statement on the occasion the "World Day Against Racism", and one day after an Euro barometer poll was released on EU citizens' views regarding foreigners and minorities residing in their home countries.

According to the poll - conducted on behalf of the European racism watch body EUMC -- Greeks along with the Belgians and Danes seem to have a slightly lower tolerance toward minorities.

However, 78 percent of Greek citizens questioned answered that they weren't concerned with the existence of people with different religious beliefs in their country, compared to a slightly higher European Union-wide average of 82 percent.

The Danes seem to be the most concerned with religious minorities, with 31.7 per cent saying just that; Belgians placed second with 25.6 pre cent and Greeks with 20.1 per cent came third compared to a Union average of 14.3 per cent.

In terms of attitudes towards minorities, 27 percent of the Greeks questioned in the poll said they were "non-tolerant"; 43 per cent said they had "mixed feelings"; 22 per cent declared that they were "passively tolerant" and 7 per cent "actively tolerant".

The survey queried 16,078 individuals from around the Union and was conducted between April 5 and May 23, 2000.

[08] Constantopoulos attacks government, makes overtures to PASOK left

Athens, 22/03/2001 (ANA)

Accusing the government of supporting the activities of 'powerful economic power centers' and of collaborating with conservative New Democracy to push through major changes in labor relations, social insurance and the public sector, he said he was making overtures to people within PASOK that were disturbed by these attacks against the Left.

Asked about the possibility of cooperating with PASOK, Constantopoulos said his party was interested in power on the basis of its program. He said he was against a proposal for dialogue with PASOK made by left-wing veteran Leonidas Kyrkos, unless this was done under certain terms.

[09] Pope to visit Greece May 4-5

Athens, 22/03/2001 (ANA)

However, Christodoulos will be present at the Pnyx where the pontiff will make an address on May 4.

The Pope will visit Greece May 4-5.

President Kostis Stephanopoulos invited the Pope to Greece during a recent visit of his to the Vatican.

"We could not and should not say no" to the visit, the sources said, as this would give the impression of fundamentalism and intolerance. If the Greek Church said no to the visit "it would cut the bridge of dialogue," the Archbishop's associates said. They added that it would give the picture that the Church is over and above the state.

[10] Athens adamant over Cyprus' EU accession course

Athens, 22/03/2001 (ANA)

Government spokesman Dimitris Reppas said decisions taken at the 1999 Helsinki EU Summit are not subject to change.

"We will not allow Cyprus' accession course to be interrupted," he added.

[11] US State Department spokesman says Washington's position on Cyprus problem remains steadfast

WASHINGTON, 23/03/2001 (ANA - T. Ellis)

Asked to comment on the contents of Tuesday's reference by Marc Grossman, nominee for the post of U.S. Undersecretary of Sate for Political Affairs, on the Cyprus issue, Boucher said "I would call on you to look exactly at what he said and not to give further interpretations in statements."

Boucher said that Grossman had said that the US wanted to see all the inhabitants of Cyprus to have the opportunity to join the European Union, and for this to happen they have to solve the Cyprus problem.

"I think that the European Union is the great goal out there and we ought to be able to make sure that all people in Cyprus whether in the North or the South , have the opportunity to get in the European Union," Grossman said.

"And to do that they're going to have to settle the problem," he added.

[12] New envoys from Andorra, Austria and Morocco present credentials

Athens, 22/03/2001 (ANA)

During a ceremony, Stephanopoulos received the new Moroccan ambassador, Mohamed Lofti Aouad; Austrian ambassador Rene Pollitzer; and Andorra ambassador Isabel Escude Riera.

[13] National plan of action to combat poverty

Athens, 22/03/2001 (ANA)

Addressing a seminar, Yiannitsis conceded that there were great social imbalances in the country and that the government's priority was to confront the problem of poverty and social isolation.

Attention will focus on poor farmers, the long-term unemployed, poor families with minors, and the creation of new jobs.

[14] Greece to offer 800,000-euro loan to Black Sea Bank

Athens, 22/03/2001 (ANA)

The bank's vice-chairman, Daniela Bobeva, speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a meeting held in Thessaloniki on Wednesday to discuss investment opportunities in the region, said the agreement was expected to be signed with Greece's national economy ministry in the next few days.

The money will be offered to Greek consultancy firms (75 percent) and to similar companies in the Black Sea region (25 percent).

"These funds, to be approved by the Greek government, will be used to ensure funding of business plans in the region," Bobeva said.

The meeting brought together bankers from the Black Sea region, businessmen and investment consultants, high-ranking officials from the Black Sea Trade and Development Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the World Bank.

Mrs. Bobeva told reporters that the bank's participation in projects, worth one billion US dollars, in the region would total 300 million dollars in 2001. She said that the bank approved funding of projects worth 400-500 million dollars last year.

World Bank is the biggest lender for countries in the region, with funds exceeding 10 billion US dollar annually, followed by the EBRD, and the International Finance Corporation - a World Bank's arm.

The Black Sea Trade and Development Bank on Wednesday signed an agreement with Ukrainian bank Nadra Bank to offer pre-export credits, worth 1.5 million US dollars, to Ukraine. The deal is expected to boost trade in the country, which was hit by a three-year decline.

[15] Kathimerini announces plans to expand into shipping

Athens, 22/03/2001 (ANA)

Addressing an extraordinary general shareholders' meeting, Alafouzos said a global crisis in the new technology and electronic media sectors was the cause for a decision to review the company's investment planning.

The meeting approved a plan envisaging the creation of a subsidiary, which in turn would set-up foreign-based companies to acquire two modern tankers.

Kathimerini's subsidiary company will have an initial equity capital of 30,000 euros and will seek a share capital increase plan, worth 9.0 billion drachmas to partly finance the purchase of the two vessels, of total worth 29.3 billion drachmas. The remaining 20.4 billion drachmas would be secured through bank lending.

Alafouzos said the move would benefit the company because it was buying the two vessels at a lower cost.

Kathimerini announced that its after-tax profits totalled 976 million drachmas last year. Alafouzos said net profits could reach 3.6 billion drachmas if the vessels had been purchased in 2000.

Alafouzos said it was considering listing of its shipping company's shares on the New York Stock Exchange and has already begun talks with Morgan Stanley Dean Witter.

The new Aframax-type tankers will be called "Therasia" and "Oceanis" and will have a draw of 106,597 tons. They are registered in the Greek register and under the management of "Cyclades Maritime Corporation".

[16] Geothermal energy concession tendered in Macedonia

Athens, 22/03/2001 (ANA)

The purpose of the tender was to find a single company to exploit the six sites on offer, the region's general secretary, Vassilis Valassopoulos told a news conference in Thessaloniki.

Profitability in some instances was estimated at 30 percent, Valassopoulos added.

[17] Elton Chemicals seeks to produce electricity from wind power

Athens, 22/03/2001 (ANA)

The firm told the Athens Stock Exchange in a statement on Wednesday that it would seek shareholder approval for the move, as energy was currently outside the company's line of business.

[18] Greece spends the lowest funds on research and technology in the EU

BRUSSELS, 22/03/2001 (ANA - B. Demiris)

Greece spends just 0.51 per cent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for research and technology. Greece is followed by Portugal with 0.63 percent, Spain with 0.90 per cent and Italy with 1.02 per cent.

Highest on the list is Sweden 3.77 per cent, Finland with 2.89 per cent and Germany with 2.29 per cent.

The Union average is 1.86 per cent.

[19] First Olympic shop to operate at international airport in Spata

Athens, 22/03/2001 (ANA)

The Olympic shop will be located in the departure lounge and will have items such as sportswear, clothes, household goods and jewellery.

The Athens 2004 Olympic Games Organizing Committee on Wednesday held a meeting at a central Athens hotel on Olympic products. Taking part in the meeting were also tens of representatives of enterprises.

[20] Greek stocks follow international markets lower

Athens, 22/03/2001 (ANA)

The general index fell below the 3,050 technical support level during the session but managed to end at 3,073.50 points, 1.12 percent lower, off the day's lows of 3,046.64 points.

Turnover was 186.08 million euros, or 63.4 billion drachmas, of which 10.11 million euros were pre-agreed block trades.

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavy traded stocks ended 1.12 percent lower at 1,762.37 points, and the FTSE/ASE 40 index fell 1.01 percent to 373,02 points.

Sector indices ended as follows: Banks: 6,540.75 -1.04% Telecoms: 993.44 -2.38% Insurance: 1,409.82 +0.05% Investment: 1,269.14 -1.11% Construction: 1,483.67 -1.37% Industrials: 1,906.25 -0.91% Holding: 3,497.27 +0.32% Base metals: 990.02 -0.93% Minerals: 1,027.70 -0.91% Publishing: 975.87 -1.22% Textiles: 1,193.85 +0.31% Retailing: 1,111.83 -1.87% IT: 1,062.14 -0.29% IT solutions: 1,031.50 +0.08%

The parallel market index for smaller capitalization stocks ended at 329.29 points, off 0.38 percent.

Broadly, decliners led advancers by 245 to 96 with another 14 issues unchanged.

ETMA (p), Daios Plastics, Remek, Klaoudatos, Micromedia, Barba Stathis, Xifias, Daring and European Credit (p) topped the list of gainers, while AAA, Viosol (p), Korfil (p), Allatini Ceramics, Alco Hellas, Technodomi, Multirama and Sfakianakis suffered the heaviest percentage losses.

Hellenic Telecoms, Athenian Holdings, Naoussa Spinning, Doudos and Alpha Bank were the most heavily traded stocks.

Leading shares' closing prices (in euros): National Bank: 38.66 Alpha Bank: 30.02 Commercial Bank: 49.92 Eurobank: 18.62 Piraeus Bank: 13.06 Lambrakis Press: 12.60 Altec: 7.14 Intrasoft: 11.82 Titan Cement (c): 38.10 Hellenic Telecoms: 15.06 Panafon: 6.22 Hellenic Petroleum: 9.00 Attica Enterprises: 7.78 Intracom: 20.52 Mytilineos: 8.16 Minoan Lines: 4.82 Viohalco: 9.96 Coca Cola HBC: 16.70

Equity futures end down, tracking Athens bourse: Equity futures traded on the Athens Derivatives Exchange finished lower on Wednesday, in line with the bourse indices on which they are based, traders said.

The FTSE/ASE 20 index closed 1.12 percent down, and the FTSE/ASE 40 ended 1.01 percent lower.

Turnover was 35.3 million euros on 5,855 contracts traded, the dealers said.

Bond prices mixed in record-breaking trade: Bond prices in the domestic secondary market on Wednesday finished mixed in record-breaking turnover with selling seen mainly in long-term paper.

The Greek benchmark 10-year bond showed a yield of 5.25 percent from 5.274 percent a day earlier.

The yield spread over German bunds was 60 basis points from 58 basis points in the session before.

Turnover through the central bank's electronic system totalled a record 2.205 billion euros (751.3 billion drachmas) from 580 million euros (197 billion drachmas) in the previous trading day.

Sell orders accounted for 1.213 billion euros of turnover.

[21] Council of State rules that citizenship listing necessary on IDs

Athens, 22/03/2001 (ANA)

However, the Council of State upheld the exclusion of religious affiliation from new IDs -- which effectively rules out the optional listing as well -- ruling that citizens' religious preferences definitely fall under the heading of personal and sensitive information.

The European Commission has also reportedly favored the listing of citizenship on the new Greek ID cards.

On Wednesday, the government-appointed Personal Data Protection Authority quickly clarified, in a press release signed by its chairman, that it had advised against listing citizenship on new IDs in order to avoid a redundancy, as holders of such cards must be Greek citizens. Additionally, the agency's head, Costas Dafermos, justified the exclusion by saying the issuing entity's name - in this case, the "Hellenic Republic" - appears on the ID cards' masthead.

In backtracking from its original position, though, besides pointing to "redundancies" the announcement concludes by saying that the listing of citizenship "does not contravene the spirit and purpose of for which the ruling was issued".

New ID cards, issued at police precincts, have been available for the past five months, sans the citizenship listing.

The court ruled that citizenship does not constitute 'personal and sensitive' information and that it is a necessary component of any ID used as a travel document.

In terms of the more divisive religious affiliation category, the powerful Autocephalus Orthodox Church of Greece has been collecting signatures nation-wide over the past few months in order to force a referendum on the issue of allowing for the optional listing on ID cards. A deadline for the collection of signatures has been set for March 25.

[22] Universities to close after Efthymiou refuses TEI assessment

Athens, 22/03/2001 (ANA)

The rectors want TEI institutes to be assessed before they are upgraded to the same status as universities, to ensure that they meet certain standards.

In a meeting earlier on Wednesday, however, the minister reportedly insisted on going ahead with the planned changes and said he would submit the bill to Parliament without modifications.

Rectors said they would begin with a three-day warning shutdown, possibly in early April after student elections are held on March 28.

[23] Greek Independence Day celebrations in US and Australia

Athens, 22/03/2001 (ANA)

Niotis will represent the Greek government at the customary March 25th parade on Fifth Avenue.

Before his return to Athens on March 28, Niotis will be the guest speaker at the Federation of Greek Associations of Greater New York, meet with Archbishop Dimitrios of America, address students at the City University of New York's (CUNY) Queens College, and attend a reception by the Greek General Consulate.

Greek Independence Day will also be celebrated in Australia, with the a parade in Melbourne attended by local and state government officials, the Greek foreign ministry's secretary general for overseas Greeks Dimitris Dollis, and several Greek MPs.

[24] KKE donates books to Hellenic Studies and Research Center at Melbourne University

MELBOURNE, 22/03/2001 (ANA-S. Hatzimanolis)

The KKE would also donate archives on issues concerning overseas Greeks.

The collection of the books was launched personally by KKE leader Aleka Papariga, who interceded with the director of Synchronis Epochis publishing firm to donate to the EKEME a copy of all the publications of the KKE and the publishing firm.

The KKE's donation further includes a copy of the entire periodical press, left-wing magazines and rare editions dating to the 1930s.

The EKEME director, in a letter to Papariga, expressed appreciation for the KKE's interest in the Center and the significance of the books donated for students and researchers.

[25] US believes Cyprus' EU accession course pivotal to settlement

WASHINGTON, 22/03/2001 (CNA/ANA)

Marc Grossman has told a confirmation hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to be Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs that the US has to use "leverage in a positive way" in the direction of Ankara and the Turkish Cypriots with respect to Cyprus, noting that people in Cyprus have to settle the problem in view of the EU accession.

"The EU is the great goal out there and we ought to be able to make sure that all people in Cyprus, whether in the north or in the south, have the opportunity to get in the EU. And to do that, they are going to have to settle the problem," Grossman said.

On UN efforts to resume the peace talks, which Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash has interrupted by failing to return to the negotiating table, Grossman said the US has to do "everything we possibly can to support the efforts of the UN as they try to bring these two parties together."

"We have got to impress on the Turkish Cypriots and the people in Ankara that they have got to get involved in this negotiation", he said, adding that the US has to use "leverage" on Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots.

"But I use that term kind of in a positive way, in terms of what Cyprus is going to do to get into the EU," he said.

Denktash, backed by Ankara, has declared the UN proximity talks, which started in December 1999, dead and now demands "state-to-state" negotiations in a bid to gain international recognition of his self-styled regime in the areas of Cyprus occupied by Turkish troops since 1974.

Replying to questions, Grossman said he has been working to make people recognize their interests more quickly and added "there is a solution out there and people have to now just stand up and do something about it."

"It is surely in the interest of Turkey that there be a settlement on the island and surely in the interest of most of the Turkish Cypriots to have a settlement," Grossman said.

He also said that Greece and the government of Cyprus have a clear interest in a solution "because the future is about the EU and the future is about moving forward in these areas and that is what people have to do. "Asked if the EU is the hook to bring about the settlement, he said the message he would present to Turkey, the Turkish Cypriots, all Cypriots and Greeks is that "the EU is key to this deal".

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