Athens News Agency: News in English (AM), 98-06-22
NEWS IN ENGLISH
Athens, Greece, 22/06/1998 (ANA)
MAIN HEADLINES
- Prime minister optimistic on definite success of 2004 Olympics
- Ionian Bank employees end six-week strike
- Kranidiotis criticises US of policy error
- Turkish admiral: Ankara has no right to prevent passage of ships
- Palestinian and Israeli personalities to meet in Rhodes
- Germany called on to pay reparations
- Simitis: Gov't determined to succeed in targets it has set
- Memorial service held for Andreas Papandreou
- Karamanlis says Epirus is in urgent need of development
- Papoutsis outlines EU Commission's policies on trade
- Weather
- Foreign exchange
NEWS IN DETAIL
Prime minister optimistic on definite success of 2004 Olympics
Prime Minister Costas Simitis was upbeat in an address to the 2004 Olympic
Games National Committee's inaugural meeting at the Olympic Academy in
Ancient Olympia on Saturday, saying that the Olympiad was a great
opportunity to show the image of modern Greece.
"Organising the Olympic Games in 2004 is a great opportunity for us to show
the image of modern Greece. All of us together will succeed in the
difficult task we have ahead of us. And the results will be worthy of our
expectations. We can succeed and will shall succeed," he said.
Mr. Simitis said that the choice of Athens was not an act of grace for
Greece, nor a self-evident gesture of honour for the ancient Olympic
spirit. He said it was recognition that modern-day Greece has the abilities
and can undertake such a top international event, the greatest sports event
in the world and one of the greatest events of world communication such as
the Olympic Games are.
"Consequently, we shoulder commitments towards the International Olympic
Committee and the world Olympic family. However, we primarily shoulder
commitments towards our very selves. Towards our cultural heritage, towards
the modern and optimistic image of Greece," he said.
Mr. Simitis said that the appropriate preparation and success of the final
result are unbreakably bound with two major political choices of Greek
society. Firstly, he added, this success will provide a considerable
impetus to the country's modernisation and development and, secondly, will
secure an equally important promotion of Greece, modern and creative Greece,
on the international front.
"Organisation of the Olympic Games started from the moment that the IOC's
decision was announced in Lausanne. We mobilised from the very start,
having full consciousness of time. But, in parallel, with the will also to
show that Greece is aware of the comparative facts and can make the most
effective, the most flexible and the most economically-suitable choices,"
he added.
"The preparation of the Olympic Games in 2004 is a unique opportunity for
the promotion of an important initiative which has already been processed
by the Culture Ministry and was unanimously ratified by UNESCO's General
Assembly, the initiative of the Cultural Olympiad. Not only of the first
Cultural Olympiad of 2000-2004 but of a permanent international non-
governmental institution headquartered in Ancient Olympia," he said.
Ionian Bank employees end six-week strike
Employees at Ionian Bank returned to work today ending a six-week strike.
The decision to end the stoppage was taken by a general assembly of workers
late on Saturday.
It came a day after shareholders in Ionian's parent company Commercial Bank
voted to sell a 51 percent stake in the bank, at a late night meeting on
Friday called after protesting Ionian workers disrupted and eventually
cancelled the scheduled morning meeting.
Employees at Ionian Bank have staged a rolling strike since May 11 to
protest the privatisation, despite court rulings declaring the strike
illegal.
On hearing of the end of the strike, both Commercial Bank management and
National Economy and Finance Minister Yiannos Papantoniou reiterated an
earlier commitment to safeguarding jobs and pension rights of workers at
Ionian.
Kranidiotis criticises US of policy error
Foreign Undersecretary Yiannos Kranidiotis yesterday criticised the United
States of a policy error in basing its initiative to resolve the Cyprus
issue on equal treatment of Turkish and Cypriot entry into the European
Union.
"The levers for pressure (US presidential emissary on Cyprus) Richard
Holbrooke is seeking to use are those of the EU. It would be good if he
sought levers to exert pressure that the US have in the economic sector,"
Mr. Kranidiotis told the Cypriot Phileleftheros newspaper.
"Only if the US really pressures Turkey is there a chance of Ankara
changing its line on the Cyprus issue ... The EU lever belongs to the EU,
which is using it appropriately and effectively," Mr. Kranidiotis said in
an interview.
He said that Athens and Nicosia should work hard to ensure the island
republic's entry into the first wave of EU expansion.
"This is the strongest negotiating tool, and it belongs to our side," Mr.
Kranidiotis said.
Turkish admiral: Ankara has no right to prevent passage of ships
Former Turkish Navy Chief Guven Erkaya said yesterday that Turkey has no
right to prevent the passage of ships from the straits even if they are
carrying S-300 missiles. Mr. Erkaya was placed in retirement last August
and since then he has been an adviser for Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz on
issues concerning the straits.
In an interview published in the newspaper Milliyet yesterday, Mr. Erkaya
also referred to the recent crisis in Cyprus and claimed that there will be
no hot incident.
Replying to a question on whether it was true that according to the
Montreux accord, Turkey has no right to stop and check ships passing
through the straits, Mr. Erkaya said "yes, we have no such right. Whatever
the cargo and the flag of the ship, it has the right of passage", adding
that "the sole condition for passage to be prevented is for a trial to be
pending."
Palestinian and Israeli personalities to meet in Rhodes
A meeting between personalities from Israel and Palestine will take place
in Rhodes between July 1-5 in the presence of European Union envoy to the
Middle East Miguel Angel Moratinos.
The meeting will also be attended by Israel's Labour and Culture ministers,
the Palestinians' negotiators Hussein and Saad, as well as other officials.
The meeting is taking place with the mediation of Greece to be represented
by Foreign Undersecretary Yiannos Kranidiotis.
Parallel to the meeting, a journalistic conference will be held on the
island, organised by the International Centre for Peace in the Middle East.
It will be attended by about 90 journalists from Israel and Palestine, as
well as foreign press correspondents based in Tel Aviv.
Issues to be examined include the role played by the mass media in
resolving local disputes, the image of the Palestinians and the Israelis
before and after the Oslo agreement and the role played by the European
media in the Middle East.
Germany called on to pay reparations
The three-day "Greek-German Friendship Conference on Reparations" came to a
close in Delphi yesterday with the adoption of a resolution calling on the
German Federal Republic to recognise crimes perpetrated during the German
occupation of Greece in WW2 and the destruction of the Greek economy.
"The Conference calls on the German government to recognise the historical
and political responsibility towards the victims and to apologise. It also
calls on it to schedule the payment of compensation for these victims and
to make some kind of reparation for the misery and destruction they
experienced, on condition that reparation not to fully depict reality. It
must request dialogue with the victims and the Greek government and not to
try to gain time with methodisations," it said.
The conference was held at a peculiar conjuncture concerning the history of
German reparations, since the time limit for appealing the ruling taken by
a court in the town of Levadia expires today.
The German government does not recognise the jurisdiction of Greek courts
in adjudicating reparation cases. At the same time, German courts are
refusing to compensate the victims of the Wermacht and the SS.
With their resolution, the Greek and German delegates recognise the
injustice which the German state is continuing to do to Greece and call for
its correction.
Simitis: Gov't determined to succeed in targets it has set
Prime Minister Costas Simitis on Saturday reiterated his government's
determination to succeed in targets it has set for the viable and balanced
development of the country.
Mr. Simitis was addressing the mayor of Ancient Olympia after arriving in
the framework of the first meeting of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games
National Committee.
"Our government is determined to succeed in the targets it has set for the
viable and balanced development of the country, for the modernisation and
competitiveness of our economy, for the safeguarding of the geopolitical
position and the strengthening of the international role of Greece.
Stability, development and social protection. The results of this policy,
of these choices of ours, appeared at the recent summit in Cardiff where
Greece confirmed its strength and international prestige," he said.
Referring to trade union activities in the country, Mr. Simitis said that
"no trade union reaction can stop us. No effort by small groups using force
as a weapon can create an obstacle in the country's development, the
prosperity and acquired interests of all the Greeks."
Mr. Simitis said that the government is exactly in the middle of its term
of office and has more than two years before it to complete the implementation
of its programme and present the results of a policy which is succeeding in
its targets step-by-step .
Memorial service held for Andreas Papandreou
A memorial service was held at the Athens First Cemetery yesterday to mark
the second anniversary of the death of prime minister and founder of the
ruling socialist PASOK party Andreas Papandreou.
The ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Costas Simitis, members of the
government, PASOK deputies and officials, Parliament President Apostolos
Kaklamanis, Andreas Papandreou's widow Dimitra Liani-Papandreou, members of
the Papandreou family and a large crowd of people.
Mr. Simitis said on arrival at the cemetery that the work of Andreas
Papandreou is a source of inspiration and quest.
PASOK Central Committee Secretary Costas Skandalidis said that Andreas
Papandreou lives in the thoughts, the hearts and the lives of all and
always inspires, unites and leads PASOK.
Karamanlis says Epirus is in urgent need of development
Speaking in Ioannina yesterday, main opposition New Democracy party leader
Costas Karamanlis said that the Epirus region needs a great effort to
restore damaged confidence between the state and citizens.
Mr. Karamanlis, who concluded a tour of Ioannina and the Aetoloakarnania
prefecture, was speaking at a meeting organised by his party on the
development of Epirus and employment.
"Epirus lies outside the major networks, such as those of energy, while it
holds the regrettable record of the poorest region in the European Union
and the region with the highest unemployment indicator. It has low
absorptions in the Community Support Framework and whatever choices for
projects made were not the result of comprehensive planning but were
fragmental. The Egnatia motorway, a project of paramount national
significance and national priority, is being delayed unjustifiably. We have
no other ground for delays," he said.
Mr. Karamanlis also said that Epirus joining the fourth zone of incentives
together with Thrace was a paramount priority.
Papoutsis outlines EU Commission's policies on trade
European Union Energy Commissioner Christos Papoutsis analysed the European
Commission's policies on trade and small and average-size enterprises, as
well as Greek trade prospects at the annual general assembly of the
National Confederation of Greek Trade (ESEE) held last night at a downtown
Athens hotel in the presence of President Kostis Stephanopoulos, Parliament
President Apostolos Kaklamanis and representatives of parties and foreign
trade delegations.
WEATHER
Fair weather is forecast in most parts of Greece today with scattered cloud
expected in Macedonia and Thrace in the evening. Winds northwesterly,
moderate to strong in the southeastern Aegean. Athens will be sunny with
temperatures from 18C to 30C. Same in Thessaloniki with temperatures from
17C to 27C.
FOREIGN EXCHANGE
Friday's rates (buying) U.S. dollar 303.512
British pound 505.940 Japanese yen (100) 225.105
French franc 50.352 German mark 168.843
Italian lira (100) 17.118 Irish Punt 425.370
Belgian franc 8.180 Finnish mark 55.552
Dutch guilder 149.663 Danish kr. 44.285
Austrian sch. 23.972 Spanish peseta 1.988
Swedish kr. 38.119 Norwegian kr. 39.944
Swiss franc 201.783 Port. Escudo 1.649
Aus. dollar 187.870 Can. dollar 205.939
Cyprus pound 576.094
(C.E.)
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