Athens News Agency: News in English (AM), 97-06-18

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

NEWS IN ENGLISH

Athens, Greece, 18/06/1997 (ANA)

MAIN HEADLINES

• Premier praises new EU treaty
• Kranidiotis' Washington meetings cover Cyprus, CBMs in Aegean
• Tsohatzopoulos calls for true convergence of EU economies
• Black Sea Parliamentary Assembly meeting begins today
• Georgian parliament president in Athens
• Athens mayor to attend Moscow conference
• Gligorov praises Greece's role in the Balkans
• Hellenic Steel announces 4.5 billion drachma investment programme
• Greek equities end 2.94% down in selling spree
• Greek arms sales up 36.4% in '96
• Reports on child abuse released
• Revolutionary driver-less vehicle system presented
• Greek athletes win more medals at Med Games
• Weather
• Foreign exchange

NEWS IN DETAIL

Prime Minister Costas Simitis today praised the new treaty hammered out by the 15 European Union leaders in a marathon session as having social sensitivity, ensuring the equal participation of the bloc's smaller countries, and for preserving a member state's right of veto when its vital interests are at stake.

On common foreign and security policies, Simitis told reporters in Amsterdam early this morning that the references concerning respect of the EU's integrity and external borders and on the development of a mutual policy of solidarity among the member states were also satisfactory.

He described as particularly positive the agreement reached that foreign policy decisions of strategic importance to the EU would be made unanimously, while a member state reserved the right to veto a common action if it felt its vital interests would be harmed.

He said the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) decisions on EU institutional reform and common foreign and seccurity policies satisfied the Greek positions, while the completion of the IGC talks paved the way for EU enlargement towards the countries of central and eastern Europe and Cyprus.

Concerning institutional reform, Simitis said institutional balance had been preserved despite ''strong efforts'' to alter it, thus ensuring the equal participation of Greece and the other small, with respect to population, member countries, while the principle of each member state having at least one Commissioner in the European Commission had also been maintained.

He also hailed the introduction of regulations, in the new treaty, for the development of the Community's islands via EU structural policy as ''exceptionally positive'' for the Greek islands.

Kranidiotis' Washington meetings cover Cyprus, CBMs in Aegean

There has been no positive response from the Turkish side as yet on the extension of a two-month moratorium in the Aegean, it was revealed yesterday, following talks between Foreign Undersecretary Yiannos Kranidiotis and th e US Assistant Defence Secretary Jan Lodal.

Mr. Kranidiotis told a news conference that he had discussed NATO-proposed confidence-building measures in the Aegean and Greek-Turkish relations with Mr. Lodal, implying however, that there had been no further progress on the issue but that Athens was continuing the discussion in the framework of the NATO secretary-general's initiative.

After meeting with Richard Holbrooke, who was recently appointed as a US presidential envoy for Cyprus Mr. Kranidiotis told reporters that Mr. Holbrooke agreed that Greek-Turkish relations and the Cyprus issue could not be considered as a "package", as they involved different issues requiring different handling.

Both sides agreed that a Cyprus resolution would have a positive effect on Greek-Turkish relations.

Mr. Holbrooke, who negotiated the Bosnian peace accords, is expected to visit Athens, Nicosia and Ankara at the beginning of August for talks with the three governments on the future of negotiations regarding Cyprus, following face-to-face talks between Cypriot President Glafcos Clerides and Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash in New York from July 9-13.

Mr. Kranidiotis said he told Mr. Holbrooke the Greek government welcomed his appointment as an indication of the US interest in resolving the protracted problem, adding that for the US involvement to show a result pressure must be exerted on Turkey to retreat from its present stance.

Mr. Holbrooke will be assisted by the US charge d'affaires in Athens, Mr. Miller.

Tsohatzopoulos calls for true convergence of EU economies

Greece and its European Union partners should formulate conditions for true convergence between European economies, National Defence Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos said in an interview published yesterday in the Athens daily "Eleftherotypia".

"Those looking at development in the narrow, rationalistic sense of mathematical equations are out of touch with reality," the minister said, a few days before the opening of ruling PASOK's central committee meeting.

"They haven't realised that European public feeling is running high," said Mr. Tsohatzopoulos, who is also the vice-president of the European Socialist Party.

European socialists do not dispute convergence criteria or the need for a single European currency, he said, adding that coordination of economic policies on both a national and European level would lead to higher growth rates.

Referring to NATO's recent proposal for the establishment of two European headquarters, one in the north and the other in the south with four subheadquarters in Spain, Italy, Greece and Turkey Mr. Tsohatzopoulos said the proposal was supported by all NATO member states except Turkey, which claims that the number of NATO's Mediterranean subheadquarters should be reduced, while suggesting that Greece and Turkey share a common subheadquarters.

Stressing that growth was based on security, Mr. Tsohatzopoulos said "our goal is to create through a fresh cooperation between the private and public sector an industry for the manufacture of armaments and products for Greece in order to limit the flow of funds used for purchasing weapons systems (from abroad)."

Commenting on the possibility of a joint venture with Russia to manufacture weapons systems, including tanks and missiles, Mr. Tsohatzopoulos said the issue was under consideration and due to be finalised over the next few months.

Black Sea Parliamentary Assembly meeting begins today

Representatives of parliaments of Black Sea nations will discuss a number of economic, political and social issues when the 9th Plenary Session of the Black Sea Organisation's Parliamentary Assembly (PABSEC) gets under way today.

The agenda includes a discussion of the conclusions of the 9th foreign ministers' meeting of the organisation held in Istanbul in April, developments in the establishment of the Thessaloniki-based Black Sea Trade and Development Bank and the rights and pro tection of refugees in the region.

Ten Black Sea nations are represented at the meeting -- Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Greece, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Turkey and Ukraine.

Taking part as observers are representatives of the Egyptian Parliament and Israel's Knesset and the UN High Commission for refugees.

PABSEC was created in 1993 at the parliamentary arm of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Pact and aims at cooperation between the peoples of the region to create a zone of stability, prosperity and peace in the larger effort for a new Europe.

Georgian parliament president in Athens

The president of Georgia's parliament, Zourab Zhvania, yesterday began a four-day official visit to Greece which include talks with Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos, opposition leaders and businessmen.

Mr. Zhvania met with President of the Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos earlier yesterday as well as his Greek counterpart Apostolos Kaklamanis in the evening.

Today, he will attend the official inauguration of the Black Sea Parliamentary Assembly plenary session. He is also scheduled to meet with members of the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Athens mayor to attend Moscow conference

Athens Mayor Dimitris Avramopoulos leaves today for Moscow to attend the fifth conference of the "world's largest cities."

Visiting Moscow at the invitation of his counterpart Yuri Louskov, Mr. Avramopoulos is expected to try to gain accession for Athens to the international network of the world's largest cities.

Gligorov praises Greece's role in the Balkans

The president of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Kiro Gligorov, expressed his country's positive view on the role played by Greece in the Balkans to US President Bill Clinton, during his visit to the White House on Monday.

Leaving the Oval Office and replying to a question, Mr. Gligorov said he did not discuss the question of his country's name with President Clinton.

"It was not the object of our talks today. I briefed President Clinton on our views on the present policy followed by (Greece's) Prime Minister Mr. Simitis, and that we evaluate very positively this policy, particularly Greece's orientation to be a more important factor in this region compared to how it was until now," Mr. Gligorov said.

It is Mr. Gligorov's first visit to the United States as the president of FYROM.

Hellenic Steel announces 4.5 billion drachma investment programme

An investment programme amounting to 4.5 billion drachmas is in progress at the Hellenic Steel Co., which despite decreased supply worldwide has secured adequate raw materials and is continuing to implement its production programmes to cover orders placed in Greece, Europe, Asia, the United States and Mediterranean and Balkan countries.

The company has already announced that its profits over the first five months of the current year have amounted to 1.05 billion drachmas, exceeding targets set in the budget and while over the corresponding period last year it produced losses totalling 711 million drachmas.

Commenting on these developments, the firm's general director, G. Lykidis, said the favourable results stemmed from the climate of accord and confidence between the company and workers.

Greek equities end 2.94% down in selling spree

Greek equities nosedived on strong selling pressure on Tuesday to end well below the former 1,600 support level at 1,577.95 points on the general share index, down 2.94 percent.

Turnover was moderate at 18.9 billion drachmas. The parallel index for smaller cap stocks finished 1.92 percent down.

Heavily weighted Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation (OTE), which is undergoing a second part-privatisation on the Athens bourse, lost 275 drachmas to close at 6,820 drachmas.

The second float's share prices were set at 6,600 drachmas for institutional investors and 6,400 drachmas for individual buyers.

All sector indices ended with losses. Banks plunged 3.02 percent, Leasing sank 1.97 percent, Insurance dropped 2.20 percent, Investment fell 2.52 percent, Industrials slumped 2.47 percent, Construction slid 2.33 percent, Holding plummeted 4.71 percent, and Miscellaneous finished 2.37 percent down.

Of 237 shares traded, losers outpaced gainers at 163 to 47 with 27 stocks remaining unchanged.

Among the largest gainers were Parnassos, Erlikon, Papoutsanis (common) and Macedonia Textiles (preferred), all of which ended at the upper 8 percent daily volatility limit.

Greek arms sales up 36.4% in '96

Hellenic Arms Industry (EBO) sales rose by 36.4% in 1996 to a total 19 billion drachmas from 13.9 billion dr in 1995, while losses decreased for the third consecutive year by 36.2% or about 3.9 billion dr.

The state-run arms manufacturer made investments totalling 500 million drachmas in its three plants, while it decreased expenditures by 200 million drachmas.

EBO's turnover is projected to exceed 20 billion drachmas in 1997.

Reports on child abuse released

Hundreds of underaged boys and girls in Greece are abused both inside and outside their home every year, according to recently released figures.

Data provided by researchers yesterday, the first day of a two-day conference on "Priority in Dignity and Safety for the Children of Europe", is shocking. The director of the Institute of Health for the Child, Eleni Agathonos, said that only indicative evidence exists in the country.

"As you can imagine it would not be possible to open all the doors of Greek homes and see what is going on inside. However, if conditions which appear to exist in other countries apply to Greece, then we must estimate about 1, 000 to 2,000 new cases of c hild abuse every year," Ms Agathonos said, adding that between 18-36,000 children must have been abused in Greece over the past 20 years, many of which continue to be abused.

According to reports, children leaving home must be included among children abused emotionally, while half of the children leaving their homes have psychological traumas for the rest of their lives. Based on unofficial data, abuse in Greece concerns 7 per cent of boys and 17 per cent of girls.

Revolutionary driver-less vehicle system presented

A presentation of the US department of transportation's "PAFF" programme was made during a conference on transport in Hania yesterday in the presence of 300 delegates from all over the world.

The PAFF programme concerns a modern automated motorway system whereby vehicles will be piloted without drivers, thanks to radars, sensors and ultra-red frequencies.

According to University of California professor Roberto Horowitz, the purpose of the programme, to be implemented in the certain sites in the US over the next five years, is to create a modern highway infrastructure which will guarantee a considerable increase in traffic capacity and a decrease in accidents.

Greek athletes win more medals at Med Games

Greek athletes won nine medals (two gold, five silver and two bronze) yesterday in the 13th Mediterranean Games being held in Bari, Italy. The gold medals were won in the women's triple jump event by Olga Vasdeki with 14 metres and 13 centimetres and by weightlifting champion Kahi Kahiasvili (he won a gold medal in the Atlanta Olympics) in the 99-kg category with 212.5 kg in jerk.

WEATHER

FOREIGN EXCHANGE

(C.E.)

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