Athens News Agency: News in English (PM), 97-06-11
NEWS IN ENGLISH
Athens, Greece, 11/06/1997 (ANA)
MAIN HEADLINES
- Parliament approves Schengen treaty amidst protests
- Talks in Athens on Cyprus issue
- PM to meet with Albanian socialist leader
- FM meets with Albanian delegation
- Simitis warns: 'don't relax European unification efforts'
- British woman drowns
- Albanian drug courier sought
- Major support for SMEs in eastern, southeastern Europe
- Budget revenue up 11.8 percent in Jan-May
- Balkan ministers agree on regional trade centre
- Kos island airport project completed
- V. Papandreou sees increase in Russian tourist flow to Greece
- Sainz wins 44th Acropolis Rally
- Weather
- Foreign exchange
NEWS IN DETAIL
Parliament approves Schengen treaty amidst protests
Parliament today ratified by a large majority the European Union's Schengen
border control agreement despite an all-night protest outside by opponents
claiming it violated individual freedoms.
With 78 deputies absent, the 300-seat House voted 142 to 80 for ratification
of the pact, which provides for the removal of border controls between EU
member-states and increased law enforcement cooperation.
About 200 protesters, including many members of the clergy, remained
outside the Parliament building all night, dispersing only after the
agreement was ratified.
The demonstration caused extensive traffic problems in the city centre
today when the number of protesters swelled to about 500.
Opposers of the pact claim it will result in the creation of a massive
electronic file of information on EU citizens and a 'police state' regime
in Europe.
Members of religious groups maintain the agreement contains a direct
reference to the number ''666'', which represents the anti-Christ in the
Book of Revelations.
Shortly before the vote, a policeman on duty outside parliament joined the
protesters, took a cross and declared his opposition to the pact. A monk
lifted him on his back and carried him among the crowd of cheering
protesters.
In much the same fashion, a second policeman later joined the protesters.
Public Order Minister George Romeos later expressed regret at the action of
the two police officers, adding that the procedure would be followed as
foreseen by the police disciplinary code.
Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos said that although there were certain
reservations concerning human rights, what made the greatest impression on
him was the fact that ''many colleagues spoke without being familiar with
the text of the pact''.
''I have greater respect for those who fear Satan, because I cannot say
with certainty that he does not exist, than for those who are not even
familiar with the treaty,'' Pangalos said.
Commenting on the pact yesterday, Alternate Foreign Minister George
Papandreou said the state would keep information only on citizens who have
been convicted or are being prosecuted.
''Greek citizens are free to check on the type of information being kept by
the state,'' he added.
Talks in Athens on Cyprus issue
Foreign Undersecetary Yiannos Kranidiotis had talks here today with
Britain's envoy on the Cyprus problem, Sir David Hannay, a foreign ministry
annoucement said.
The announcement added that the talks focused on developments in the Cyprus
problem, while Hannay briefed Kranidiotis on his latest talks on the
divided island.
In statements earlier at Larnaca airport, Hannay said ''give and take'' was
not a method but ''common sense'' and the only way for any agreement to be
reached, according to an ANA despatch from Nicosia.
''We are at the end of the beginning and not at the beginning of the end,''
Hannay said, adding that determination and realism was required if an
agreement was to be attained.
Speaking after a three-day visit to Cyprus before departing for Athens,
Hannay said forthcoming direct talks between Cyprus President Glafcos
Clerides and Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash provided an ''opportunity''
for the Cyprus issue.
The UN-sponsored talks will be held in New York next month.
''The solution to the Cyprus problem will take time because it is a complex
problem involving sensitive issues. I hope it will be possible for progress
to be achieved in the first rounds (of talks)...'' Hannay told reporters in
Larnaca.
PM to meet with Albanian socialist leader Nano
Visiting Albanian Socialist Party leader Fatos Nano will meet with Prime
Minister Costas Simitis tomorrow evening, the government announced
today.
Government spokesman Dimitris Reppas said Nano, who arrived here today at
the head of a party delegation for a four-day visit, would meet with
Simitis at 20.00 local time.
Replying to questions on forthcoming elections in the neighbouring country
and the return of Albanians presently working in Greece, Reppas reiterated
that the government would provide every possible facility to ensure mass
participation in the elections.
The spokesman stressed that the government intended to give ''permits''
even to Albanians currently in Greece illegally ''but does not intend to
take them to Albania by force''.
FM meets with Albanian delegation
Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos and president of the ruling Democratic
Party of Albania Tritan Sehu today discussed the situation in the
nighbouring country in view of elections pending there at the end of the
month.
No statements were issued after the meeting, but sources said Pangalos
reiterated the Greek government's ''undivided support for the course of
Albania's democratisation''.
Sehu later briefed main opposition New Democracy leader Costas Karamanlis
on the situation in Albania.
He said after the meeting that elections would go ahead as scheduled on
June 29 ''at all costs'', despite the fact that pre-electoral campaigns
could not be conducted in some citieis because ''they have been taken over
by extremists''.
Sehu expressed gratitude for Greece's assistance to Albania during the
''difficult times'' it went through, saying this had helped maintain
stability in the country.
Simitis warns: 'don't relax European unification efforts'
Prime Minister Costas Simitis yesterday cautioned that recent changes in
the electoral map of Europe should not cause a relaxation of Greece's
efforts to remain firmly in the process of European unification.
"For Greece, changes in Europe are welcome, they are an encouragement, but
if we stay outside European unification, we shall have deprived the country
of another opportunity. Therefore, there must not only be no illusion of a
relaxation, but on the contrary there must be a new impetus for the
attainment of permanent national objectives," he said during the pre-agenda
debate in Parliament on the government-sponsored "social dialogue" on
economic and labour issues.
He reiterated that the dialogue was a process of planning the developmental
priorities of the country, and agreeing on the social conditions for the
planned policies.
"Social dialogue represents the multiplying dynamics of all the productive
and creative forces of Greek society, and was successfully applied in other
countries such as Spain, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Ireland," he
stressed.
The premier stressed that the government had succeeded in establishing a
climate of confidence in the economy, and that issues concerning the labour
market should be discussed in combination with a policy for development.
British woman drowns
A young English woman drowned today after the motorcycle she was riding
went off the road and crashed into the sea near Alykes, Elounda on
Crete.
The body of the woman, identified as Amanda Clair Selleck, 35, was taken to
Aghios Nikolaos State Hospital for autopsy.
Albanian drug courier sought
Police in northern Greece have issued a warrant for the arrest of a 28-year-
old Albanian who is alleged to have smuggled an unknown quantity of
marijuana into the country in a tanker-truck.
The warrant was issued for the arrest of Arben Daouta (phonetic spelling)
who is believed to have smuggled the marijuana into Greece about two months
ago and delivered it to his compatriot, Matei Artankov, 22 in Yiannitsa.
Light was shed on the case at dawn yesterday when police arrested two
Greeks driving a motorcycle without license plates in the area of
Chalkidona.
Antonios Karavavas and Sarantis Mourmouras, both 26 and residents of
Imathia, were found in possession of 11 kilos of marijuana which, they told
police, they had bought from Matei Artankov for 400,000 drachmas per
kilo.
Major support for SMEs in eastern, southeastern Europe
European Investment Bank (EIB) vice-president Panayiotis Gennimatas said
yesterday that the European Commission and the EIB are in the process of
drafting two ambitious financial mechanisms to support to private
enterprises, especially small- and medium-s ized enterprises, in eastern
and southeastern European countries which aim to attain full EU membership.
Addressing a meeting of southeast European businessmen in Thessaloniki,
which was timed to coincide with a conference of Balkan foreign ministers
in this northern Greek city Mr. Gennimatas said the programmes aim to
assist those countries converge with the economies of European Union member-
states, so as to be able to become members themselves.
"The first programme concerns a new special pre-accession financial
mechanism, the aim of which will be to facilitate even further the process
of economic convergence. It should be ready by the end of the year," he
said.
"Equally important, and perhaps more interesting for businessmen, is the
planning of an additional financial mechanism for small- and medium-sized
enterprises (SMEs), undertaken by the EU, EIB, and the PHARE programme," he
added.
The amount to be disbursed in the form of loans was likely to exceed Ecu3.5
million, while the Community's financial organ par excellence, the PHARE
programme, envisaged additional funding to the tune of Ecu6.7 million until
1999.
Budget revenue up 11.8 percent in Jan-May
Finance Undersecretary George Drys repeated that the government would
impose no new taxes in 1997 and that it had abandoned its 1996 policy of
debt rescheduling.
Briefing the parliamentary economic affairs committee on state revenue for
1997, Mr. Drys said that implementation of the budget would produce no
major deviations.
"Targets set in the budget are very difficult but attainable," he said.
Revenue had risen by 11.8 percent in the first five months of the year
compared with the corresponding period in 1996 to reach 3.2 trillion
drachmas, Mr. Drys said.
Predicting the course of budget revenue for the rest of the year, Mr. Drys
said that monies from income tax, new state securities and privatisation
would rise.
Balkan ministers agree on regional trade centre
Balkan ministers meeting in Thessaloniki yesterday agreed to create a
regional centre based in Turkey to promote trade.
They also supported a proposal to extend the activities of the Bucharest-
based Balkan Centre for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises to southeast
Europe.
Kos island airport project completed
An airport development and modernisation project for the Dodecanese island
of Kos was completed in record time for the peak summer tourist season.
The project, worth 3.7 billion drachmas, included extension of air terminal
facilities, extension of landing slots by 35,000 square metres - up 100
percent from last year's capacity, runway extension to 2,400 metres, and
the purchase of three new passen ger buses.
V. Papandreou sees increase in Russian tourist flow to Greece
In an interview with "Pravda-5" newspaper, Development Minister Vasso
Papandreou expressed her conviction that in the near future Russian
tourists will occupy third place among visitors to Greece after the Germans
and the British.
Ms Papandreou said 1.2 million tourists from eastern European countries
visited Greece in 1996, a figure representing 12.2 per cent of Greece's
total number of visitors. This figure is expected to increase to 1.35
million in 1997, or 13.5 per cent.
She said traditional relations between Russia and Greece can contribute to
a further significant increase in the number of Russian tourists, provided
that problems are also resolved concerning the ease with which visas are
given to tourists.
Sainz wins 44th Acropolis Rally
Two-time world champion driver Carlos Sainz is the winner of the 44th
Acropolis Rally.
At the end of yesterday's sixth special stage (Analipsi II), the Spanish
driver was in the first place in the general standings with a total penalty
time of 4:56.24. It was the third time Sainz, driving a Ford Escort, won
the Acropolis Rally, after 1990 and 1994.
Second place after 20 special stages went to Juha Kankkunen from Finland
(Ford Escort) with 4:56.41 followed by Briton Richard Burns (Mitsubishi)
with 4:58.31.
WEATHER
Unstable weather in several parts of Greece is forecast today with some
local clouds in the mainland in the afternoon with possible local rain in
the mountainous regions of the Peloponnese. Northern and central Greece
will be increasingly cloudy with some rainstorms. Athens will be mostly
sunny with temperatures between 17-30C. Same in Thessaloniki with possible
rain in the afternoon and temperatures between 16-29C.
FOREIGN EXCHANGE
Tuesday's closing rates - buying US dlr. 270.618
Pound sterling 443.166 Cyprus pd 528.875
French franc 46.709 Swiss franc 187.488
German mark 157.956 Italian lira (100) 15.970
Yen (100) 240.560 Canadian dlr. 194.928
Australian dlr. 206.162 Irish Punt 410.093
Belgian franc 7.654 Finnish mark 52.477
Dutch guilder 140.378 Danish kr. 41.491
Swedish kr. 34.674 Norwegian kr. 37.851
Austrian sch. 22.446 Spanish peseta 1.866
Port. Escudo 1.558
(M.P.)
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