Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 02-04-29

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

CONTENTS

[01] President troubled at poll findings on far-right voters

[02] Senior ruling party official calls for policy counter-attack

[03] Former premier calls on PM to quit if ruling party loses local polls

[04] Deputy transport minister to run for Thessaloniki mayor

[05] Opposition party blames EU and governments for Le Pen's rise

[06] New border pass with Albania opens

[07] Gov't sees energy investments of Dr 7.0 bln by 2010

[08] Main opposition blasts gov't over farm policy

[09] Key section of east-west highway to open in 2003

[10] PM to meet head of Athens Olympics organizers

[11] Cyprus to ship metal for Olympic medals to Greece

[12] Conference on return of Parthenon Marbles held in

[13] Australian newspaper chief calls for return of Parthenon Marbles

[14] Orthodox Easter services in Istanbul to be shown on Greek

[15] Court acquits self-styled Moslem religious leader

[16] Businessman arrested in fraud against foreign job seekers

[17] Weston: Better sense of state of play in direct talks for Cyprus

[18] Cyprus rejects Denktash's assertion in letter to Annan

[01] President troubled at poll findings on far-right voters

Athens, 29/04/2002 (ANA)

''It's unthinkable that there are Greeks who remain unmoved by the freedom we are enjoying today,'' Stephanopoulos told reporters.

He was speaking on the sidelines of a commemoration ceremony for the fall of Messolonghi during Greece's War of Independence in the early nineteenth century.

Stephanopoulos said that the sacrifice made by the ''Free Besieged'' in the western Greek town remained a paradigm of the urge to freedom and love of country.

Government ministers and opposition leaders attended the ceremony.

[02] Senior ruling party official calls for policy counter-attack

Athens, 29/04/2002 (ANA)

''We need a counter-offensive now, through policies that must convince and inspire,'' Laliotis told the Ethnos on Sunday newspaper in an interview.

''Officials of the party must finally and irrevocably put an end to a vicious circle of introversion, complaining and defeatism,'' he said.

Laliotis added that undue importance should not be attached to the findings of opinion polls; and that the local elections would not bring any major political changes.

[03] Former premier calls on PM to quit if ruling party loses local polls

Athens, 29/04/2002 (ANA)

''A politician should know when to step down. He has ruled the country for six years, which is long enough,'' Constantine Mitsotakis, also a former premier of the New Democracy party, told the Typos on Sunday newspaper.

''He has earned public respect and has accomplishments to his name as he happened to be the one who took the country into the eurozone,'' Mitsotakis said.

He also recalled a recent statement by Simitis in which the prime minister praised Lionel Jospin of France for announcing his resignation in the wake of an election defeat.

The statement appeared to signal Simitis' own intention, and he should demonstrate this in practice, Mitsotakis added.

[04] Deputy transport minister to run for Thessaloniki mayor

Athens, 29/04/2002 (ANA)

''This does not mean that PASOK has nominated Spyros Vougias. It does mean that he has accomplishments behind him, a vision and a plan for metropolitan Thessaloniki, and he has served in local government,'' Costas Laliotis, the head of PASOK's central committee, told reporters in the northern port city on Sunday.

Vougias was a candidate for the post in 1998, backed by the Coalition of the Left and Progress, environmentalists and non-aligned groups.

[05] Opposition party blames EU and governments for Le Pen's rise

Athens, 29/04/2002 (ANA)

Nikos Constantopoulos, head of the small opposition party, was speaking in an interview to the Sunday Kathimerini newspaper.

[06] New border pass with Albania opens

Athens, 29/04/2002 (ANA)

The two major border posts between Greece and Albania are at Kakavia and Krystallopiyi, with three smaller passes at Voidomatis, Sopiki and Ripesi, the latest addition.

The new pass was inaugurated on Friday by the neighboring country's public order minister, the officials said.

[07] Gov't sees energy investments of Dr 7.0 bln by 2010

Athens, 29/04/2002 (ANA)

The projects around the country included construction of privately owned, gas-fired electricity plants, renewal of power transmission networks, and investments in alternative energy sources.

Tsohatzopoulos was speaking after an informal meeting of European Union energy ministers in Spain.

[08] Main opposition blasts gov't over farm policy

Athens, 29/04/2002 (ANA)

''Among the main reasons for today's (adverse) conditions are the lack of an integrated agricultural policy with immediate, medium-term and long-term controls,'' ND leader Costas Karamanlis told farmers and business representatives in the prefecture of Viotia.

''Not even once has Mr. Simitis been to Brussels. He has not followed the example of other prime ministers who have fought personally to protect their farmers' rights and back their countries' output,'' Karamanlis said.

He claimed that Greek agricultural produce was losing traditional markets abroad, and being ousted from the home market.

[09] Key section of east-west highway to open in 2003

Athens, 29/04/2002 (ANA)

Speaking in the north, Papandreou said she had secured agreement from the engineering contractor handling the project for early completion of a section linking Grevena and Veria, including a bypass.

Construction of the Egnatia Way, the longest road currently being built in Europe, was hampered by difficult terrain, Papandreou added.

The minister attended the opening a 4.7-kilometre road tunnel in the prefecture of Ioannina, the country's longest.

[10] PM to meet head of Athens Olympics organizers

Athens, 29/04/2002 (ANA)

Daskalaki is to brief the premier on progress in projects linked to the Games, especially a plan on how public services will function in Athens throughout their duration.

The International Olympic Committee has requested the plan ahead of its next inspection tour early in June.

[11] Cyprus to ship metal for Olympic medals to Greece

NICOSIA, 29/04/2002 (ANA)

The speaker of the Cypriot parliament, Dimitris Christofias, attended a ceremony to mark the start of the Kerynia's construction in Limassol.

The bronze was donated by the Cypriot Greek Metals Company.

[12] Conference on return of Parthenon Marbles held in

US WASHINGTON, 29/04/2002 (ANA)

Taking part in the conference were archaeologists, academics and experts in the subject from Greece, the U.S., Britain and Canada.

Greece has repeatedly requested the return of the Marbles to Greece from the British Museum in London, where they are housed.

A goal of the meeting was to try to forge worldwide consensus among archaeologists on the need for return of the sculptures.

The organizers called on academics and the public to visit the conference's website at www.parthenonconference.com for information on campaigns that aim to persuade Britain to give the sculptures back to their homeland.

The conference, which was open to the public, received funding from the University of Missouri's Greek Studies Department and Greece's culture ministry.

Among the speakers was a culture ministry archaeologist, Elena Korka, who spoke on the repercussions of the Marbles' transfer to London.

[13] Australian newspaper chief calls for return of Parthenon Marbles

MELBOURNE, 29/04/2002 (ANA)

''The arguments used by the British, who refuse to return the sculptures, no longer hold good. I hope that by (the Olympics) in 2004 they will be in Athens,'' Alan Howe told reporters on Sunday.

He was speaking at a ceremony arranged by the Council for Overseas Greeks (Oceania) with ethnic Greek businesses to welcome the newspaper's contribution to the campaign for return of the Marbles.

In the past, the Sunday Herald Sun has said that museums around the world were afraid of the idea of the sculptures returning to the Parthenon in case a precedent was set for other works of art to be sent back to their country of origin.

Although study on a case-by-case basis was required, there was no longer any doubt that Lord Elgin had looted the treasures from Greece, and that justice should be done, a recent lead article in the paper said.

The Sunday Herald Sun has also covered a petition campaign by ethnic Greeks in Australia for the sculptures' return that was handed to British Prime Minister Tony Blair on a recent visit to Australia.

The newspaper, which has a circulation of 550,000, has also published petition forms for readers to sign and send back.

[14] Orthodox Easter services in Istanbul to be shown on Greek

TV ISTANBUL, 29/04/2002 (ANA - Alkis Kourkoulas)

The broadcasts for Orthodox Easter, which falls on May 5, are sponsored by the culture ministry.

[15] Court acquits self-styled Moslem religious leader

Athens, 29/04/2002 (ANA)

A court in Larissa had sentenced Mehmet Emin Aga to four months in prison in January 2001 for signing religious exhortations to Moslems as the mufti of Xanthi, a northern Greek town that already had a legally sanctioned religious head.

Under Saturday's verdict, Aga was not liable for prosecution as the charge of impersonation had to include evidence of the performance of a mufti's administrative and other duties.

Aga's claim to the title of mufti was not enough to bring charges without citation of duties performed, the court said.

According to international treaties signed between Greece and Turkey in the early 1920s, the appointment of Islamic religious officials in Thrace, and Greek Orthodox clerics in Istanbul, is subject to validation by domestic state authorities.

[16] Businessman arrested in fraud against foreign job seekers

Athens, 29/04/2002 (ANA)

Ioannis Petropoulos, 56, who is wanted by Greek authorities on other counts, is due to appear before a public prosecutor after his arrest on Friday by Attica police's organized crime division. Interpol had requested the arrest.

According to police, Petropoulos and accomplices operated a firm in Canada called JRN International Corp. last year that extorted 500-1,000 US dollars each from 1,263 Cambodians in their country of origin on fake offers of work in major Greek building projects.

After repeating the pattern in Thailand and Indonesia, Petropoulos launched a company in Athens named Century 21 in the same line of business as the Canadian operation.

Cases have been brought against Petropoulos in the three countries he visited for recruitment, including a class action suit in Thailand, where plaintiffs received damages from their country's government.

In addition to incriminating documents found in Petropoulos' Athens office, police located a Mercedes he owned that carried stolen German license plates.

Petropoulos is liable for 59 months in prison due to three past convictions for breach of the law on cheques and non-payment of national insurance contributions, police said.

[17] Weston: Better sense of state of play in direct talks for Cyprus

LARNACA, 29/04/2002 (CNA/ANA)

In statements on his departure for Brussels, Weston said he was satisfied with the ''very useful'' discussions he had here and said that in Brussels he will have routine consultations with European colleagues on Cyprus and later on he will go to New York where the Security Council will examine the issue.

Replying to a question, Weston said ''the solution to the Cyprus issue has got to be found by the two leaders involved in the direct talks to that end which they agreed to pursue in good faith until a solution is found,'' expressing belief that a settlement of the problem is possible to be reached by June.

He said the US is interested in the solution of the problem, adding that ''we are thinking in terms of supporting the process of the direct talks.''

Weston said that both leaders ''have expressed the view that a settlement is possible to be reached by June,'' adding ''that timetable is still a very worthy timetable to adhere to.''

Referring to the US role in the process of direct talks, Weston said ''we provide diplomatic support to the UN, the leaders and other parties who wish to have our support,'' but did not elaborate.

Answering a question, he said ''It is not up to us to propose agreements,'' adding, ''they (agreements) have to be found by the two leaders''.

Asked whether he has made any suggestions to the two leaders, Weston said ''we provide out diplomatic support to the process.''

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. President Clerides and Denktash have been engaged in face-to-face talks since mid-January, with a view to negotiate until a settlement is found.

[18] Cyprus rejects Denktash's assertion in letter to Annan

The government of Cyprus has sent a letter to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, rejecting the ''various incorrect assertions'' in Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash's letter to Annan on 6 March, regarding the Cyprus' take over of Search and Rescue Operations (SAR) within the Nicosia Flight Information Region (FIR).

In the Cyprus government's letter to Annan which was circulated as a document of the General Assembly and the Security Council, Charge d'affaires of the Permanent Mission of Cyprus to the United Nations, states that Denktash makes various incorrect assertions about ''unilateral changes of the provisions for search and rescue (SAR) services within the Nicosia flight information region (FIR)''.

It recalled Security Council resolutions 541 (1983) and 550 (1984), which declare Denktash's regime illegal and invalid and call on all states to respect the sovereignty, territorial integrity and unity of the Republic of Cyprus.

The letter also noted that the ICAO resolutions of 1974, 1975 and 1977 reaffirm the sovereign responsibility of the Republic of Cyprus.

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