Antenna: News in English (AM), 97-08-06

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From: Antenna Radio <http://www.antenna.gr> - email: [email protected]

News in English, 06/08/97

TITLES

• Kostas Gatsioudis wins Greece its first medal at the world track and field championships.
• The foreign minister pledges support for Albania.
• And, the Trojan Women in Athens.

GATSIOUDIS

Shortly before ascdending the platform to receive his medal, Gatsioudis thanked everyone for the support they've given him. "I've worked hard" he said.

WORLD TRACK/STEFANOPOULOS

Many people see the Athens championships as something of a dry-run for the 2004 summer Olympics, which the Greek capital hopes to host.

The Athens 2004 bid was the main topic discussed at a reception held by the Greek president Monday night.

Kostis Stephanopoulos's guests of honour were members of the International Olympic Committee, the International Amateur Athletics Federaton, and the organisers of the current games.

Stephanopoulos awarded IAAF chairman Primo Nebiolo Greece's Commander of the Legion of Honour medal. Nebiolo reciprocated, presenting the Greek president with his organisation's highest distinction.

Greek officials at the reception were optimistic that Athens will get the 2004 games.

Nikos Filaretos of the IOC said the Athens 2004 Committee has done an excellent job in promoting the city's bid.

The IOC will announce the winning city on September 5th. Joining Athens on the short list of finalists are Buenos Aires, Cape Town, Rome, and Stockholm.

ALBANIA

Pangalos is at the head of a high-level delegation of Greek officials visiting Albania.

This is the first official visit by Greek officials since Albania's new government was formed.

And, arriving in Tirana, Pangalos said the visit shows how much importance Greece attaches to cooperation with the Albanian governemnt.

Meeting with prime minister Fatos Nano and foreign minister Paskal Milo, Pangalos signed a bi-lateral cooperation accord. He also agreed to a plan regulating the flow of seasonal workers from Albania to Greece. Albanian workers will be registered and able to obtain temporary residence and work permits.

Later, there may be an agreement that will resolve once and for all the status of some 200 thousand Albanians already living in Greece.

Milo thanked Pangalos for his willingness to bring the issue of economic aid for Albania up for discussion in the EU. A Greek government source says a loan from Greece may be on the way, but he did not say how large it would be.

With Pangalos are public order minister Giorgos Romeos, and deputy defence, foreign, labour, and environment ministers. There are also five MPs in th delegation.

Romeos granted his Albanian counterpart's request for Greece to continue supplying the Albanian police with badly-needed equipment. Among the supplies already sent are bullet-proof vests.

Albania has been caught in the grip of lawlessness since March. Greece was among the nations that sent international peacekeepers to see the country to its recent elections. 600 of the Greeks recently came home. A further 215 are staying longer at the Albanians' request.

TURKEY

Mesout Gilmaz told Newsweek recently that Turkey isn't ruling out arbitration.

In the same issue of the magazine, the Greek prime minister looks forward to resolving Greece's difference with Turkey over rights to the Aegean continental shelf.

The US also finds that comment positive.

Since Turkey nearly sparked a war with Greece by landing troops on Imia last year, Greece, the European Union and the United States have been telling Ankara to go to the court if it insists on claiming the island.

In Newsweek, Gilmaz says quote "The so-called wise men can lead us to the International Court".

It is the first time since the Imia crisis that Turkey has indicated it may go through legal channels with its claim.

US state department spokesman Jim foley called that remark "highly significant". <> In the same issue of Newsweek in which Gilmaz speaks, Greek prime minister Kostas Simitis expresses interest in resolving the Greek-Turkish difference over rights to the continental shelf in the Aegean.

Foley also calls that comment "highly significant".

He adds that the US hopes Greece and Turkey will continue to address major issues dividing them, and that the atmosphere between the two countries seems to be on an upward curve.

CYPRUS

Denktash says if the EU talks start, then he may NOT meet with Cypriot president Glavcos Clirides. Their UN-sponsored meeting is scheduled for August 11th in Switzerland.

The Switzerland meeting follows a meeting in New York last month, where UN ideas for re-uniting Cyprus were put on the table.

After the New York round of contacts, Clirides said things are at very preliminary stage. A stage which may become bogged down, if Denktash makes good on his threat NOT to show up in Switzerland.

YIANNAROS

Yiannaros, a former Left coalition MP born in the Peloponese in 1936, served three terms in the Greek parliament.

During his long political career he also served as a member of the Communist Party of the Interior's Executive Bureau, then later as a member of the Left Coalition's political secretariat.

Yiannaros also wrote hundreds of articles and books.

Hearing of his death, the Left Coalition issued a statement expressing its sorrow. It added that his memory and his work will live on.

The leaders of all the country's main parties and the mayor of Athens sent telegrams of condolence to YiAnnaros's family.

Yiannaros will be buried in Athens Wednesday.

OLYMPIC AIRWAYS

The Greek purchase of the European aircraft is the third important order for Airbus, trying to hold on to its market share following the merger of US companies Boeing and McDonnell-Douglas.

The delivery of the planes, with a passenger capacity of 299, will begin next year.

The planes, which will fly intercontinental routes, will replace older 747s.

Olympic may order two more Airbus jets, and plans to have six in its fleet by the end of the century.

The new planes will be arriving as Olympic plans to move its services into the new Athens airport, due to open within five years. The move will cost an estimated 400 million US dollars.

Olympic will run the new airport in partnership with a German consortium.

WORLD TRACK

Getting Greece into the medals table Tuesday night, Gatsioudis accomplished what Olga Bazdeki narrowly missed doing 24 hours earlier.

- Kostas Gatsioudis won the bronze medal in the men's javelin, with a throw of 86.64 metres. That throw had him in second place after the competitors' completed their fifth attempts.

But Britain's Steven Backley's sixth try went 16 centimetres further than Gatsioudis's best throw, giving HIM the silver.

South African Marius Corbett won the gold, hurling the javelin 88.4 centimetres.

World record holder Yon Zelezny of the Czech Republic finished a disappointing 9th, with a throw of 82.04 metres.

Gatsioudis, hampered by an elbow injury, decided to forfeit his sixth attempt, settling for the bronze rather than risk serious damage to his arm. Gatzioudis was philosophical about Backley's edging him out of second on his final throw. "Backley's a world class athlete, and he can beat you at the last moment", he said.

Gatzopidos's grandfather, who watched the finals with dozens of other people in the athlete's home town of DimOtiko, was also philosophical, talking about his grandson's bad luck and injury at the end. "Third's good too", he said. "We're all happy. You can't always be lucky".

Among those with words of congratulation for Gatsioudis was Olga Vazdeki - who was narrowly squeezed out of bronze medal in the women's triple jump Monday night.

Her leap of 14.62 metres would've given her third place, but she was edged out just moments later by YielEna GobOrova, who did 5 centimetres better.

Vazdeki told Antenna's Nikos Haralabopoulos there's joy as well as pain with her near miss. "Missing out on a medal is just part of competing", she says.

That can't detract from the fact that her 14.62 metres is a Greek record, and the young athlete says she's just going to try harder, and, given that she's been hampered by a leg injury for the past two years, there's good basis for her hopes of winning a medal at the Sydney Olympics in 2000.

Back on the field, Stella TsikOUna kindled Greek hopes of another medal Tuesday, reaching the finals of the women's discus with a throw of 61.52 metres.

MARATHON

Greece's hopes are pinned on Spiros Andriopoulos, who talked to Antenna about the race.

The conditions and weather in Athens make the marathon especially difficult, he said. he wouldn't predict how he'll place in the race - that's hard to do with marathons, he explained. All he can promise is to do his best.

But many people are wondering if any European's best can win a long distance race.

One of the world's long distance powerhouses is Kenya.

Kenyan runner Paul Tergat says a European winning the marathon is unlikely at the present.

Compatriot Wilson Boyd Kipketer downplays nationality. "We like to see the Kenyan flag flying at the medal ceremony", he says, but we run mostly for ourselves".

IRODIO

The anti-war tragedy, translated and directed by Michalis Kakoyiannis, touched the hearts of many as they watched the play unfold under the night sky.

Euripides inspiration in writing the play was Helen of Troy.

Kakoyiannis, originally from Cyprus, can be said to share that same level of inspiration. He has directed the ancient tragedy on numerous occasions to packed audiences in Greece and abroad. He has even directed a movie version of Trojan Women.

© ANT1 Radio 1997

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