Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 01-08-21

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

CONTENTS

[01] Return of Parthenon Marbles not to be used legally for the return of other antiquities

[02] Premier speaks of vision for a metropolitan Thessaloniki, of a Greece at the crossroads

[03] Thessaloniki mayor to attend International Trade Fair

[04] Tsohatzopoulos comments on NATO mission in FYROM

[05] Government to send medical and humanitarian aid to FYROM

[06] Venizelos says gov�t firm on supporting existing Balkan borders

[07] Mitsotakis on FYROM developments

[08] PASOK congress issues dominate Simitis-Skandalidis meeting

[09] Parliament president receives visiting Serbian students

[10] ND voices opposition to privatizations bill, cites lack of transparency

[11] Athens, Nicosia, Tel Aviv bourses to create combined east Med index

[12] ND's Mitsotakis attacks gov�t policy on agriculture

[13] Greek stocks end flat in thin trade

[14] State budget for Olympic projects announced

[15] Cyprus foreign minister to hold talks with Russian counterpart in Moscow next week

[01] Return of Parthenon Marbles not to be used legally for the return of other antiquities

Athens, 21/08/2001 (ANA)

Commenting on his letter to the new British culture minister Tessa Jowell, requesting anew that the Parthenon Marbles return to Greece even in the form of a long-term loan to be housed in the new Acropolis Museum to be completed by the 2004 Olympic Games that will take place in Athens.

"The Parthenon Marbles are members of a non-movable monument. What we have here is the dismemberment of a building. The Parthenon Marbles are not an autonomous monument. They are the members that were cut off," the culture minister said.

"The (Acropolis Museum) room (that will be build to house) the Parthenon Marbles can not be left empty. It will have missing spots and will show a huge, international, ecumenical cultural problem, which is the dismemberment of the elements of Parthenon," he noted.

"The British side is well aware of that. The period until 2004 will be a period of constant international pressure applied to the British side for the return of the Marbles," Venizelos added.

As far as other Greek antiquities on display in museums around the world, Venizelos stressed that the request for the return of the Parthenon Marbles is not the beginning of a "movement for the return of other ancient Greek and Byzantine treasures to their homeland."

"We believe that these good of international heritage" should have not been taken out of Greece, under the circumstances they were transported where they are today, he said, adding that "the-re is a reality that we respect for all those items that are not the product of illegal excavation and all those items that have left Greece illegally and in violation of the legislation on antiquities".

[02] Premier speaks of vision for a metropolitan Thessaloniki, of a Greece at the crossroads

Athens, 21/08/2001 (ANA)

"The vision of a metropolitan Thessaloniki in the 21st century can be achieved. The outward looking orientation of Greece's economy and the continued greater connection with the globalized economy are conscious choices," the premier said in his message.

The establishment of a positive climate for more investments is also, a conscious choice. This has a precondition of stability, as well as further deepening of the structural changes, freeing the productive capabilities of the country and supporting competitive conditions," he added.

"Today Greece carefully places the foundations for a self-sustaining development. The country literally is being transformed. From one side to the other, projects are underway, that make distances smaller, facilitate communications, improve the quality of life, upgrade the environment, support the balanced development of the center and the regions," he said.

"Northern Greece has a strong productive network with intense export orientation. With projects that are underway now, and with the opening of the borders toward Central and Eastern Europe, creative forces were released over the past few years. During the bipolar system of the post war era, Greece was at the fringes. Today it is the crossroads of a region with huge resources of possible development," he concluded.

[03] Thessaloniki mayor to attend International Trade Fair

Athens, 21/08/2001 (ANA)

Denying reports that he would not attend Papageorgopoulos ma-de the statement after a meeting he had with Macedonia-Thrace Minister George Paschalidis.

Papageorgopoulos said the International Trade Fair "is a major institution for our city, and we respect and appreciate this institution and all our actions are directed exactly towards upgrading these institutions and not to downgrade them."

He also denied reports that the municipality was organizing a protest during the premier�s stay in Thessaloniki.

[04] Tsohatzopoulos comments on NATO mission in FYROM

Athens, 21/08/2001 (ANA)

Tsohatzopoulos pointed out that many NATO countries, Greece among them, had strong reservations on whether the right conditions had been ensured for the FYROM peace treaty to be upheld.

Referring to the problems of the Balkans in general, the defense minister stressed the need to respect the inviolability of borders, resolve problems using peaceful means, and the participation of Greece and other European countries in peace-keeping missions based on the decisions of international organizations, at the invitation of all sides involved.

According to ministry sources, meanwhile, the Greek contingent taking part in the NATO mission in FYROM will be deployed south of Skopje.

With respect to the crisis in the Middle East, Tsohatzopoulos reiterated that resuming the peace process was the sole alternative prospect for solving the crisis.

Commenting on Turkey's European prospects, the defense minister repeated calls to Turkey to create the conditions that would bring it closer to the European Union and prove its ability to adapt to European norms. He said that the accession of Cyprus to the EU would act as an indirect bridge for Turkey's accession.

[05] Government to send medical and humanitarian aid to FYROM

Athens, 21/08/2001 (ANA)

Minister of Health, Alekos Papadopoulos, signed a proposal that is set to disperse some 50 million drachmas to eight mental health units at the mentioned foundation, while a shipment of humanitarian aid is also expected to make its way to the war stricken nation.

In an unrelated development, the Ministry agreed to endorse a program that will provide free medical treatment to children from Palestine at the �Aghia Sofia� Children�s Hospital in the Greek capital.

[06] Venizelos says gov�t firm on supporting existing Balkan borders

Athens, 21/08/2001 (ANA)

He added that the priority at this point was to terminate the conflict in the neighboring country.

The Greek government, he said, was also firm on supporting the neighboring republic to stand on its own as the existing Balkan borders should not be doubted.

Turning to the recently signed peace deal between the FYROM government and the Albanians, Venizelos said this was the result of an international mediation effort, which did not take the form of a global agreement, but rather of a political deal between two parties, so that amendments could be made to this nation�s constitution.

On his part, Main opposition New Democracy party deputy Sotiris Kouvelas and Thessaloniki Mayor Vassilis Papageorgopoulos on Monday made statements concerning the reference of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) as "Macedonia" in the text of the peace agreement which was signed in FYROM last week between the political forces of the neighboring country.

The Thessaloniki mayor noted that "with anxiety we ascertain that the issue of the name of Skopje is progressing in a negative way and insults our national dignity and historic truth."

Papageorgopoulos added that "the Greek and European stance, through negligence and the de facto recognition of Skopje with the name of 'Macedonia' is distasteful and worries us."

On his part, ND deputy Kouvelas mainly referred to Foreign Minister George Papandreou's statements, which he described as "foggy."

The Thessaloniki ND deputy noted that "Mr. Papandreou had stated that the name issue remains pending. This however is in theory given that in the peace agreement the neighboring country is referred to as 'Macedonia', and this text, according to reliable sources, Greece has also signed."

[07] Mitsotakis on FYROM developments

Athens, 21/08/2001 (ANA)

�Our goal should always be peace. And peace in the Balkans demands a correct policy, which, unfortunately, Greece has not followed over the past few years �Developments in the neighboring country of Skopje are troubling�� Mitsotakis, the Greek prime minister between 1990-93, said.

�Greece continues, however, to have the great advantage of being the only country in the Balkans that is a full European Union member, one that also is a NATO member; it�s also a country that hasn�t experienced the adventure that the other Balkan country have since the end of World War II,� he added from the Cretan city of Hania.

[08] PASOK congress issues dominate Simitis-Skandalidis meeting

Athens, 21/08/2001 (ANA)

According to party Secretary Costas Skandalidis afterwards, all political proposals dealing with a variety of issues will be discussed, whereas he added that Simitis � who is also PASOK�s president � is open to a change of policy, �as long as it isn�t in opposition with the country�s European prospects.�

Preparations for the upcoming PASOK executive bureau and central committee meetings leading up to the congress also dominated the approximately one-hour contacts.

Skandalidis noted that the ruling party�s goal is for a �truly political congress, where PASOK will be able to build a new unity, giving specific answers to the issues that affect us,� he said.

Asked about the recent speculation over the casting of blank votes for the party�s president at the congress, Skandalidis said any criticism must be accompanied by a positive counter-proposal. However, he mostly dismissed the issue, adding that �what�s important is a political discussion and agreement; a political course towards the congress�.

Finally, asked who will succeed him as PASOK�s secretary, he said: �If I knew, I could tell you�.

Reelection of Simitis should be basic line of PASOK congress: The reelection of the President of PASOK and Prime Minister Costas Simitis, with a majority vote, is the basic message of the party congress in October, Culture Minister Evangelos Venizelos said on Monday.

Venizelos, during comments to reports in Thessaloniki, said that the prime minister the mandate of the electoral body and his reelection to the post of PASOK party president is something that should be seen as �self-evident and a fact�.

[09] Parliament president receives visiting Serbian students

Athens, 21/08/2001 (ANA)

Speaking to a group of students who were in Greece as guests of a hospitality program organized by the association of the Athens urban bus system he said Greece has monitored the situation in the Balkans and the drama that has been developing there all of these years.

He said it was unfortunate that under the influence of non-Balkan and non-European forces, leaders in the region made grave mistakes and it was because of this that their nations today face an ongoing and tremendous ordeal.

Turning to the situation in FYROM, the President of Parliament said that the situation can only be termed as dramatic, and he expressed the optimism that every level of security will be applied in case a Greek peace keeping force would be stationed there.

[10] ND voices opposition to privatizations bill, cites lack of transparency

Athens, 21/08/2001 (ANA)

He also chaired a meeting focusing on the government�s latest effort to privatize the Skaramangas Shipyard, west of Athens, as a relevant bill is up for debate in Parliament�s second summer session.

A decision to vote against the privatization framework bill was subsequently announced by ND, which qualified its opposition by claiming that provisions for such sales are not transparent.

According to reports, Karamanlis said he believes the government is relinquishing control of the shipyard instead of denationalizing the large industrial unit, as well as �selling it off� instead of �selling�.

[11] Athens, Nicosia, Tel Aviv bourses to create combined east Med index

Athens, 21/08/2001 (ANA)

Also participating in the meeting will be FTSE International, the international index provider, as the future fourth member of a marketing joint venture that the three bourses plan to set up within a year.

According to the press release, the Athens bourse is also in talks with the Istanbul stock exchange at this time, to negotiate a mutual opening of the two markets to Greek and Turkish investors through a cross-membership system.

The deal involves a technical application that would allow investors in both countries to monitor both bourses at the same time, and the technical teams of both bourses have had their second meeting on how this can be achieved, while a meeting between the authorities of both bourses is expected to take place in September.

[12] ND's Mitsotakis attacks gov�t policy on agriculture

Athens, 21/08/2001 (ANA)

The honorary president of main opposition New Democracy, Mitsotakis described the government's policy as "a tragic failure - especially in the way products are dealt with and in terms of investment."

He was speaking in the village of Palia Roumata in Hania, Crete, which he had visited on Sunday to attend an event dedicated to Yiannis Ritsos.

[13] Greek stocks end flat in thin trade

Athens, 21/08/2001 (ANA)

Shares in the construction and IT sector scored gains, while the publishing and telecoms sectors suffered the heaviest losses.

The general index ended 0.23 percent lower at 2,687.05 points, off the day's lows of 2,672.10 points, with turnover a low 84.10 million euros, or 28.66 billion drachmas.

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavy traded stocks ended at 1,498.60 points, off 0.03 percent, the FTSE/ASE 40 index fell 0.04 percent to 309.60 points, and the FTSE/ASE SMALLCAP 80 index ended at 895.63 points, down 0.40 percent.

The parallel market index for smaller capitalization stocks ended at 262.93 percent, off 0.37 percent. Broadly, decliners led advancers by 190 to 110 with another 50 issues unchanged.

Prices mixed in moderate trade: Bond prices in the domestic secondary market on Monday finished mixed in light to heavy trade.

The Greek benchmark 10-year bond showed a yield of 5.26 percent, and the yield spread over German bunds was 50 basis points.

Turnover through the central bank's electronic system totalled 505 million euros. Buy orders accounted for around half of turnover.

Futures flaccid in shrinking trade: Equity futures traded on the Athens Derivatives Exchange ended at a discount on Monday, tracking despondency in the main market.

Changing hands were 4,609 contracts on turnover of 32.0 million euros.

[14] State budget for Olympic projects announced

Athens, 21/08/2001 (ANA)

The figure accounts for some 80 percent of the total budget for Olympics-related works � namely, 260 individual projects and 95 studies. For 2001 alone, up to 215 billion drachmas has been approved, according to the ministry.

On his part, National Economy Deputy Minister Christos Pachtas said the government projects an added 2 percent increase in GDP from the construction of Olympic projects and related activities, with an even bigger influence on the economy for 2003 and 2004.

[15] Cyprus foreign minister to hold talks with Russian counterpart in Moscow next week

NICOSIA 21/08/2001 (CNA/ANA)

Kasoulides leaves on Tuesday, 28 August, and the following day he is to have talks with Ivanov, expected to focus on developments in the Cyprus question, bilateral issues and regional concerns.

According to a draft program, the Cypriot minister is scheduled-led to meet Russian Duma Speaker Gennady Seleznyov and the chairman of the state Duma Foreign Relations Committee.

Kasoulides is set to see the mayor of Moscow and visit Saint Petersburg for a meeting with the city mayor.

In Moscow the Cypriot official will give a lecture at the Russian Diplomatic Academy. He returns on Sunday, 2 September.

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