Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 03-10-15

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

CONTENTS

[01] PM addresses ruling PASOK parliamentary group, denies reshuffle rumor

[02] Papandreou: justice to investigate official's suicide

[03] President Stephanopoulos begins three-day official visit to Serbia-Montenegro

[04] Spokesman says has no information regarding Powell's visit to Athens

[05] Karamanlis, Mitsotakis, discuss economy, Greek-Turkish relations

[06] MP tables question over 'lost' Internet domain names

[07] FM Papandreou hails election of Greek judge as EU community court president

[08] Deputy FM meets with Russian counterpart in Athens

[09] Simitis, Karamanlis to attend party conferences in Brussels

[10] ESHEA deplores maltreatment of two Greek journalists in Turkey

[11] Gov't spokesman says EU has decided to provide economic aid for Iraq

[12] Greek exports rise 5.1 percent in first half 2003

[13] Greek tourism authorities participate in intl travel fairs

[14] Record number of Greeks visit Turkey Jan-Sept

[15] Greek stocks end lackluster session slightly up

[16] ATHOC agreement with Athens-based medical group

[17] Rail link to Athens airport to be ready for 2004 Olympics, gov't says

[18] Ambassador Savvaides invites U.S. students to watch Olympic Games

[19] Athens Metro to open new station in February

[20] Gov't to 'examine' issue of biometric scans on airline passengers

[21] Public prosecutor orders investigation into illegal buildings in Piraeus

[22] Defense for Tzortzatos continues to present final arguments

[23] Siamese twins will be able to return to Thessaloniki in two or three weeks

[24] Greek National Tourism Organization presents ''Ulysses Voyage'

[25] Greek Parliament to support Ukraine schools in which Greek language is taught

[26] Event on modern Greek culture to be organized in Montreal

[27] Judicial panel rules against Gusinsky's extradition

[28] Spyros Simitis proclaimed honorary professor of Athens University

[29] Cyprus President: Cyprus question relates to change in Ankara's policies

[01] PM addresses ruling PASOK parliamentary group, denies reshuffle rumor

Athens, 15/10/2003 (ANA)

In addressing a meeting of PASOK�s parliamentary group, Simitis also denied rumors of a government reshuffle, before criticizing those who ''cultivate attacks against MPs in order to mar their personal dignity''.

He also called on PASOK�s deputies to disregard such rumors, and instead to focus on the party�s strategy for reducing unemployment, for convergence with the EU, and for national issues.

The premier further called on his deputies to showcase the government's accomplishments of recent years and its commitments for the next four-year term to voters, while at the same time accusing main opposition New Democracy of engaging in a ''sterile opposition'' that aims only at assuming power. Among others, he cited ND leader Costas Karamanlis' stance on Greek-Turkish affairs and the main opposition party's stance on the ''re-establishment'' of the state.

ND's sole goal is to gain power in favor of a ''closed group and circle of party supporters'', Simitis said.

In pointing to what he said were the government�s accomplishments, he cited a reduction in joblessness (8.9 percent), GDP growth rates exceeding the 4-percent mark, a successful campaign against local terrorism, Cyprus� EU accession, a successful Greek EU presidency as well as ongoing efforts to prepare for next year�s Athens 2004 Olympic Games.

However, he cautioned that there are �no magical recipes� for growth, instead an acceleration of modernization is necessary to provide prospects for Greek society.

In reference to the �convergence charter� he unveiled last month in tandem with a �social charter� foreseeing more social spending, Simitis said:

�Let me repeat: The measures will not be cut but they will not be multiplied, either. The government is not a mechanism for satisfying every demand � If we try and achieve convergence in one night, then we will miss out forever,� he told PASOK�s deputies.

Following several speeches by numerous PASOK deputies, Simitis again took the podium, where he agreed with many of the previous speakers on the issue of quickly deciding on candidate lists for the upcoming elections.

He also disputed a repeated charge by the main opposition that PASOK has become a "regime" in the country, saying this is an insult for a party that has consistently won elections through a democratic process.

He also dismissed ND's promises of a new and replenished government once in power, claiming that cadres that served in the 1990-93 government and even as far back as 1974 cannot be considered as new political blood.

ND reaction: In commenting on Simitis' address, a ND spokesman said:

''Just as true as is the fact that Mr. Simitis and PASOK said 'yes' to the European Union is the fact that PASOK adopted rules of transparency and meritocracy in governing the land.

''Twenty years is way too long for Mr. Simitis to believe that the Greek people have not picked up on them (PASOK),'' spokesman Thodoris Roussopoulos charged.

KKE: In a later reaction to the prime minister�s address, the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) later issued a press release stating: �PASOK has turned the client-state, the buying out of consciences, ideological terrorism and blackmail into a science. Its policy makes the many poorer and the few richer�.

[02] Papandreou: justice to investigate official's suicide

Athens, 15/10/2003 (ANA)

''Justice will take over from now on. We will continue our policy,'' the minister told reporters.

Papandreou said that inquiries into the affair had been ordered by the public administration inspectors department and the public prosecutor's office.

Asked whether there were instances of corruption involving buildings without planning permission and beachfront villas, the minister only replied that justice would be investigating ''everything''.

She also underlined that the government's policy would continue when asked if the demolitions that had been scheduled would go ahead.

The government also expressed its sorrow over the affair via government spokesman Christos Protopapas on Tuesday, who urged all sides to wait for the results of the inquiries.

Protopapas also reserved criticism for those attempting to embroil government ministers and officials in the affair by "spreading rumors", clarifying that he was not referring to political forces.

He said all sides should allow the authorities to do their job and stressed that the government had made its position on illegal construction clear from the start.

In an announcement on Tuesday, meanwhile, Public Administration General Inspector Costas Dafermos revealed that his department had come into contact with Stathea-Tzavara last week and scheduled a meeting, in the framework of an investigation into her attempt to stay the demolition orders.

Dafermos said that the Special Secretary of the Public Administration Inspectors/Auditors Corps (SEEDD), Costas Koyias, was sent to conduct an urgent inspection on October 7.

The meeting was postponed until Sunday morning at Stathea-Tzavara request and was conducted in a ''friendly and cooperative climate'' according to the inspector, who said she had given no sign that she was contemplating suicide.

Her body was discovered close to her holiday home near the Keratea town on Monday afternoon, at the bottom of a 20-metre cliff roughly a kilometer from her residence in eastern Attica.

A mother of two and a high-ranking official at the finance ministry-affiliated State Real Estate Service, she came into the media spotlight early last week when she attempted to temporarily block demolition orders for four beachfront walls built around luxury villas in the southeast Athens coastal district of Anavyssos, saying that they should be re-assessed on the basis of constantly changing Greek legislation regulating seafront zoning.

According to reports, the woman had left three notes at her residence, one addressed to her husband and one each to her two children, while the former also told police she phoned him earlier and threatened to commit suicide.

Notes to her superiors at work, her family doctor and Sunday Eleftherotypia publisher Seraphim Fyndanides were later found at her office.

All six letters left behind by Stathea-Tzavara are now in the hands of the first-instance public prosecutor supervising the investigation into her death, while her husband has made a statement to the police.

Police also intend to take statements from her colleagues at the State Real Estate Service over the coming days.

Official sources said that none of the letters indicate that Stathea-Tzouvara had been threatened in any way, while they also denied any present plans to open her bank accounts.

City planning officer's suicide note to newspaper calls attention to problems: Roubini Stathea-Tzavara, 52, a city planning officer that committed suicide on Monday, left behind letters to her husband, children and one addressed to the director of the Athens's daily newspaper ''Eleftherotypia'', explaining the reasons behind her decision to put an end to her life.

The letter to the newspaper, began saying ''this is not a resignation, this is not running away. I believe, that every end is a new beginning. I wish my end to be a new beginning for a small effort on everyone's part to become better. The employees a little more diligent, responsible and effective. The politicians a little more honest. The judges a little more credible, the journalists a little less carnivorous''.

''I am not a heroine, I do not consider myself a martyr. I believe that I must pay for my mistakes and my inadequacies, since with my actions I embarrassed my husband one more time of many, the most sensitive man of integrity and democratic ideas I ever met, (with my actions) I undermined his political future, which deserves to be great. I embarrassed my children, my service, my ministry, the government and the judicial power,'' she wrote in the apparent suicide note to the newspaper.

''I believe that most employees are honest. It is not their fault that they pay for the inadequacies and dysfunction of the system, (which exist) since the beginning of the Greek state,'' Stathea-Tzavara said in the letter, adding ''I believe that the government - with exceptions - is the best I have ever lived through and as far as the premier goes I believe him to be the most honest one we ever had''.

In closing she said ''my last wish is that employees not be prosecuted for mistakes and inconsistencies for the reasons I provided in the aforementioned''.

[03] President Stephanopoulos begins three-day official visit to Serbia-Montenegro

BELGRADE 15/10/2003 (ANA/N. Megadoukas)

''I am among friends. And this friendship of ours has been proved in practice. And we shall do this in the future as well with words and with deeds,'' President Stephanopoulos said after his talks with President Marovic.

President Stephanopoulos reiterated Greek support for the effort of Serbia-Montenegro to join Euroatlantic institutions, the NATO alliance and the European Union.

Additional proof of the president's words is the Greek plan for Balkan reconstruction, half of whose funds are directed at Serbia-Montenegro and which was a topic of discussion between the two presidents, in the presence of Deputy Foreign Minister Andreas Loverdos.

President Marovic said a part of these funds will go for the construction of Corridor 10, extending from the city of Nis to the border with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), another part will be used for electric power in Nis and a third part for the construction of a hospital in the city of Podgorica.

Both in statements after his meeting with President Marovic and during his toast at the official dinner hosted in his honor, President Stephanopoulos stressed that Greece desires, and is working to achieve this, a stabilization of the situation in the western Balkans and congratulated his counterpart of Serbia-Montenegro for his country's efforts in this direction.

President Stephanopoulos will inaugurate the Greek-Serbian business forum (to be attended by about 50 Greek businessmen who are accompanying him on his visit to Belgrade) on Wednesday morning, and afterwards he will visit acting Serbian President Micic and address the Parliament of Serbia-Montenegro.

Greek president speaks of historic Greek-Serbian bonds in newspaper interview:

President of the Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos on Tuesday referred to the historic bonds between Greece and Serbia-Montenegro, in an interview to a local newspaper.

In his interview to the Belgrade ''Politika'' newspaper, Stephanopoulos spoke of the feelings of friendship, adding ''these feelings did not change during the time we found ourselves in different ideological sides and are not about the change now that we are on the same road and are expecting the rapprochement and the entry of Serbia and Montenegro to the European Union''.

''These relations have a history going back to centuries and were forged in the framework of common aims and common vision for the wider Balkan region,'' Stephanopoulos said, adding that Greece and Serbia never fought against each other, to the contrary, he said, they were always on the same side.

The president is accompanied by Deputy Foreign Minister Andreas Loverdos, and during his three-day stay here he will meet with the country's leadership.

[04] Spokesman says has no information regarding Powell's visit to Athens

WASHINGTON 15/10/2003 (ANA/T. Ellis)

Boucher said that at this moment of time he himself was not in a position to announce other stopovers.

''If there are any stopovers we will tell you them when they are decided,'' Boucher stressed, stating that for the time being, he has no information regarding Powell's visit to Athens.

Concluding, he said that at this stage he is not denying anything, but simply is not in a position to answer categorically.

[05] Karamanlis, Mitsotakis, discuss economy, Greek-Turkish relations

Athens, 15/10/2003 (ANA)

According to sources, the half-hour discussion focused on the 2004 state budget and the stance ND would take during the debate and vote in parliament, and on Karamanlis' recent meeting with Turkish prime minister Tayyip Erdogan. The two men also exchanged views on the course of Greek-Turkish relations and on the Cyprus issue.

[06] MP tables question over 'lost' Internet domain names

Athens, 15/10/2003 (ANA)

In a question for Development Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos, Kassimis said that the IP addresses greece.info, greece.com and hellas.com were all registered to private firms, one of them American.

He compared this with the IP address spain.info, which was visited by millions of users seeking tourist info.

The equivalent greece.info was registered to a US firm based in California, while www.greece.com was registered to a small Greek firm in Glyka Nera and www.hellas.com to a small firm in Galatsi.

The MP also pointed out that the domain name for the Greek tourism organization was www.gnto.gr, which in no way enhanced visitability, while its .com counterpart was owned by a US firm that rented the trademark.

[07] FM Papandreou hails election of Greek judge as EU community court president

LUXEMBOURG 15/10/2003 (ANA)

''The election of professor and judge Vassilis Skouris to the position of president of the European communities court at a crucial and important time for the Union, on the eve of the accession of 10 new members, is an honor for Greece,'' he said.

Papandreou was speaking while congratulating the newly-elected president during a reception organized in his honor by the Greek ambassador to Luxembourg on Monday.

Skouris was elected to the post for the period between October 7, 2003, and October 6, 2006.

[08] Deputy FM meets with Russian counterpart in Athens

Athens, 15/10/2003 (ANA)

''Our discussion was very productive and it could not be any different, since the relations of the two countries are very good. In any case the timing is very appropriate since this year we are celebrating the 175th anniversary since the initiation of diplomatic relations between Greece and Russia,'' Magriotis said.

He noted that they discussed the St. Petersburg Declaration regulating future relations between Russia and the EU and the Greek proposals accepted for a ''bilateral action plan'' between Greece and Russia.

''On affairs of bilateral economic interest, we discussed outstanding issues such as the construction of the Burgas-Alexandroupoli pipeline and Mr. Razov informed me of the recent agreement between Russia and Bulgaria,'' he said.

''Now I believe that we can move forward with this great economic, energy and geostrategic effort,'' he added.

Magriotis also made reference to the 120,000 strong Greek community in Russia which he said is playing a significant role in relations between the two states.

On his part, Razov spoke of the coincidence of their meeting with the 175th anniversary since the initiation of diplomatic relations between the two countries and expressed his country's appreciation for Greek aid to the people of Southern Russia who were hit by natural disasters.

''On most issues we either had a coincidence of opinions or we were very close concerning our positions. We agreed to continue our contacts,'' he concluded.

[09] Simitis, Karamanlis to attend party conferences in Brussels

BRUSSELS 15/10/2003 (ANA/A. Simatos)

Prime Minister Costas Simitis and Foreign Minister George Papandreou will participate in the European Socialist Party conference, which will take place in the central hotel of the downtown Brussels area at 8 p.m. local time, with the participation of many socialist leaders.

On his part, main opposition New Democracy (ND) leader Costas Karamanlis will participate in the EPP conference, which will take place at 7 p.m. at the city's National Botanical Garden.

[10] ESHEA deplores maltreatment of two Greek journalists in Turkey

Athens, 15/10/2003 (ANA)

Armed Turkish soldiers arrested the two newsmen on the outskirts of Trabzon and transported them to a military camp where they were detained for two days.

The board of ESHEA denounced the unacceptable conditions of their captivity as during the first two hours of their arrest they were forbidden to communicate with the Greek authorities, their mobile phones were taken from them and they were kept in solitary confinement.

The members of the journalistic mission were photographed by the Turkish authorities who took their fingerprints, made photocopies of all their documents and confiscated some of their journalistic equipment.

The Turkish authorities accused Kanellakis of being a suspect for propaganda against the Turkish state.

The members of the mission were freed following intervention by the Greek foreign ministry, the consulate in Istanbul and ESHEA.

[11] Gov't spokesman says EU has decided to provide economic aid for Iraq

Athens, 15/10/2003 (ANA)

The spokesman added that before any such discussion the UN must initially undertake the reconstruction of Iraq.

Protopapas further said this also applies to the sending of forces, but in no way will Greece be sending an expeditionary force.

[12] Greek exports rise 5.1 percent in first half 2003

Athens, 15/10/2003 (ANA)

Exports to EU rose 17 percent in the January-June period, while exports to OECD member-states increased by 16 percent over the same period.

Greek exports to countries in a transition phase, former eastern bloc, rose 1.0 percent in the first six months of the year, with exports to former Soviet bloc countries falling 15 percent, while exports rose to former Yugoslavia and other Eastern and Central European countries.

Exports to the Middle East and Northern Africa plunged 23 percent in the January-June period, while exports to Cyprus, Malta and Gibraltar fell by the same percentage rate.

Imports, however, rose by 22 percent in the same period, resulting to a widening of the country's trade balance.

Exports of manufactured goods rose 14 percent, with chemicals recording a spectacular 64 percent increase in the first half, while manufactured products also recorded a big rise (26%) in imports.

[13] Greek tourism authorities participate in intl travel fairs

Athens, 15/10/2003 (ANA)

GNTO participated in JATA World Travel Fair in Japan along with a number of Greek tourist enterprises. The travel fair completed its activities with the promotion of the Olympic flame and the six Greek Olympic cities by Greek tourism authorities.

GNTO also participated in TTW Tour-Travel 2003 international fair held in Warsaw, Poland.

Around 40,000 people visited the travel fair, of which 9,000 were commercial visitors and 600 journalists.

[14] Record number of Greeks visit Turkey Jan-Sept

ANKARA 15/10/2003 (ANA/A.Abatzis)

A total of 283,222 Greek arrivals were recorded, up 43 percent on the same period of 2002. In full-year 2002, 280,433 Greeks traveled to Turkey.

Among visitors, Greeks rank 10th at 2.1 percent of total arrivals to Turkey.

Topping the league are Germans at 21.4 percent, followed by Russians at 11.0 percent and Britons at 10.4 percent.

[15] Greek stocks end lackluster session slightly up

Athens, 15/10/2003 (ANA)

The general index ended 0.10 percent higher at 2,114.75 points, with turnover a heavy 549.8 million euros, of which 433.9 million euros were a block trade in Papastratos' shares. The company sold 24,080,787 shares at 18.02 euros per share.

The IT Solution (2.12 percent), Cement (1.03 percent) and Textile (0.93 percent) sectors suffered the heaviest percentage losses of the day, while the Base Metal, Construction and Wholesale sectors scored the biggest percentage gains (0.94 percent, 0.90 percent and 0.69 percent, respectively).

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavy traded stocks ended 0.02 percent higher, the FTSE/ASE MID 40 index eased 0.07 percent and the FTSE/ASE SmallCap 80 index fell 0.47 percent.

Broadly, decliners led advancers by 187 to 100 with another 64 issues unchanged.

Derivatives Market Close: Turnover at 74.2 mln euros Tuesday

Equity Index Futures: