Antenna: News in English (AM), 97-09-24

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

News in English 24/09/97

TITLES

• Greece takes delivery of eight new F-16.
• High distinction for a young Greek composer.
• And, Aek and Olympiakos lock horns - the score and the highlights.

PANGALOS

The meeting was to be the first high-level contact between Greek and Turkish officials since the Nato summit in Madrid in July.

There, the two sides signed a non-aggression pact. Relations have been strained since, but the US was hoping Tuesday's meeting would get things going in the right direction again.

But while US secretary of state Madeleine Albright wanted that pact to form the foundation of a spirit of conciliation, relations have not improved.

American officials urged both sides to return to the spirit of Madrid before Tuesday's meeting.

Turkish foreign minister Ismail Gem told CNN shortly before his meeting with Greek opposite number Theodoros Pangalso that he intended to ask Pangalos how the two countries can get back on track.

What Greece wants is for Turkey to agree to take its claim to the Greek isle of Imia to the international court. Turkey nearly sparked a war last year by landing troops on the rocks.

What Ankara wants is for Greece to lift its veto over European Union funds earmarked for Turkey. It wants Greece to demilitarise the Aegean islands, and it wants Cyprus to cancel its plans to deploy defensive Russian anti- aircraft missiles next year.

Greece and Cyprus reject Turkish attempts to tell them how to defend themselves, especially since it is Turkey that constitutes the main threat to their secrutiy.

The US has focussed much attention during the second Clinton term on Greek- Turkish relations and the Cyprus problem.

Indicative of the attention the administration is giving to those issues was president Clinton's mention of them during his speech to the UN general assembly Monday.

F-16

Greece believes the acquisitions will enhance its ability to play the role of peace-keeper in the region.

For defence minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos, the new F-16s add muscle to the forces of peace and stability in the Balkans.

As Greece took receipt of the aircraft, he said the country is in a better position than ever to deter aggression and destabilising behaviour.

One of the main destailising forces in the region is Turkey, which has made repeated claims to Greek isles in the Aegean. Tsochatzopoulos said "it's time Turkey's leaders though about what they can do to contribute to peace, and stopped issuing unthinkable threats".

The defence minister added that Turkey is accountable to the international community for its destabilising antics.

US ambassador Thomas Niles was also on hand as the planes were unveiled. He said Washington will continue its efforts to improve Greek-Turkish relations.

US PLANE

The P-3 Orion radar aircraft overshot the runway and caught fire.

All five men on board at the time of the incident are fine.

The accident came shortly after the air force suspended domestic training flights in the wake of a number of other types military aircraft were involved in accidents.

SIMITIS

After the meeting, Development minister Vasso Papandreou said there are a number of complex issues at hand, which can be resolved through dialog.

The government is eager to speed up the pace at which infrastructure projects are being carried out. The main hitch is delays in environmental studies that need to be ordered by government ministries.

Environment minister Kostas Laliotis says what's needed is coordination of efforts at all levels, to ensure that the pace of development not only speeds up, but that development is carried out correctly.

SIMITIS

After the meeting, Development minister Vasso Papandreou said there are a number of complex issues at hand, which can be resolved through dialog.

The government is eager to speed up the pace at which infrastructure projects are being carried out. The main hitch is delays in environmental studies that need to be ordered by government ministries.

Environment minister Kostas Laliotis says what's needed is coordination of efforts at all levels, to ensure that the pace of development not only speeds up, but that development is carried out correctly.

LAMBRINAKOS

His composition is called "Celebritas", or celebration. With "Celebritas", Nikolas Lambrinakos has become the first Greek composer to ever record with the London Symphony Orchestar.

The composition was written for a 70-piece orchestra, and a fifty-member choir. "CelEbritas" was recorded at Whitfield Studios in London earlier this month, just a few days after Athens won the bid for the 2004 Olympics.

The piece will be one of the musical themes for the 2004 games, and could be up for a Grammy.

Lambrinakos is proud that he has been able to win such high distinction for th world of Greek classical music.

The composer was born in Greece in 1973, and grew up in Patra.

He received a degree in mathematics from the university in the port city, but his real interest lay elsewhere. Even in his tender years, he composed for the piano.

To round out his knowledge of composing, Lambrinakos went to England, where he became the protege of Suzan Brantso, herself a student of Maurice Ravi and Pierre Bouleh.

The recording of "Celebritas" will be be available around the world.

Even as it was being recorded it attracted considerable interest. A number of artists and personalities from the Greek shipping set in London, like Chritina Chandri and Chrysanthi Lemou, went to the studios to listen in.

PIANO

Bachauer gave her first recital in Athens, at the age of 8.

Her first concert with an orchestra was in 1932, when she was 20 years old. Before she died in 1975, she gave hundreds of concerts - including 630 for the Allied troops in the Middle East during World War II.

Vinia Tsopela, herself an internationally- acclaimed pianist, and a student of Bachauer's, showed Antenna's Anna Boutou around Bachauer's house in the Athens suburb of Halandri.

Today, TsOpela and people who live near the house still visit, to feed stray cats, as Bachauer did when she was alive.

Neigbours with fond memories of the pianist also take care of the grounds, even though the house stands empty.

Tsopela is a member of the Bachauer competition jury. First prize is 10 thousand dollars, a grand piano, a date to play with the Utah symphony orchestra, and a number of other concerts all over the world.

The competition is held every four years.

EXHIBITION

Five canvasses painted in his homeland of Crete by El Greco, or Dominikos Theotokopoulos, are on show at the exhibition centre in the Athens Symphony Hall.

The post-Byzantine period pieces all have religious themes. And the most important one on display is generally thought to be the "Passion of Christ", because it contains all the elements characteristic of the Greek painter's style before he left Greece for Spain at the age of 27.

The El Greco pieces are supplemented at the exhibition by 59 icons from the Velimezis collection.

One exception is the icons, the "Assumption of the Virgin Mary" which has been taken out of the PsarianEE monastery in Syros for the first time.

SOCCER

Olympiakos controls the tempo and the flow of the match, but that's not always enough.

And it isn't on Monday night, as Aek's Demis Nikolaides scores the only goal of the game in the 61st minute.

With the victory, Aek remains undefeated in the young season, while Olympiakos drops to 2 and 1.

RALLY

This year, the race featuring cars made between 1912 and 1974 is being held in northern Greece. It was last held in Greece in 1984.

The wacky racers in their 90 cars come from 9 nations, including Greece and Cyprus.

The flag went up at the starting line in the northwestern port of Igoumenitsa Tuesday. Shortly afterward, the first jalopies appeared lakeside in the city of Iannena some 80 kilometres inland.

The final desitnation of the drivers as they make their way eastward on their 890-kilometre journey, is Thessaloniki.

One driver said it's all a great throwback to earlier days, and a great hobby.

Another proud driver boasted that his gleaming museum piece looked nothing like it does now when he bought it. It took a lot work and tender loving care to get it in show-off shape.

Some of the cars are truly historic curiosities, like this 1914 DFP owned by a Greek.

DALARAS - CONCERT

The programme included a number of the composer's songs which make reference to the sea.

They were performed by singers GIorgos Dalaras, Kostas Makedonas, and Afroditi Manou.

The concert was dedicated to Greek sailors in the merchant, the men who were brought closer to everyone through Theodorakis's songs.

© ANT1 Radio 1997

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