Athens News Agency: News in English (PM), 98-06-23
NEWS IN ENGLISH
Athens, Greece, 23/06/1998 (ANA)
MAIN HEADLINES
- FYROM, Greece stress need for peaceful end to Kosovo crisis
- Kosovo dominates Holbrooke-Simitis talks
- Greece hosts PfP exercise 'Prometheus '98'
- PM to meet Italian counterpart over weekend
- Mild quake recorded
- Police suspect November 17 behind bank bomb
- Fireman gets five years for setting fires
- Police break up heroin ring
- Weather
- Foreign Exchange
NEWS IN DETAIL
FYROM, Greece stress need for peaceful end to Kosovo crisis
The foreign ministers of Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia (FYROM), Theodoros Pangalos and Blagoya Hatzinski, agreed during
talks here today that the crisis in the Serbian province of Kosovo should
be resolved by peaceful means. Speaking to reporters after the meeting,
Pangalos said the fact that both sides shared the same view on the Kosovo
crisis was no coincidence, adding that that "the voice of the countries of
the region is the voice of reason". "We have lots to gain with a peaceful
resolution and much to lose with military intervention," Pangalos said,
calling on "all those sitting comfortably in capitals of the North and West,
and who like playing war games" to be "more modest".
Kosovo dominates Holbrooke-Simitis talks
The main focus of talks between Prime Minister Costas Simitis and US
Ambassador to the United Nations Richard Holbrooke in Athens on Monday was
the crisis in the Serbian province of Kosovo, government spokesman Dimitris
Reppas said today. In his new capacity as Ambassador at the UN, Reppas said,
Holbrooke asked for the Greek government's support in efforts to find a
solution to the Kosovo problem. Holbrooke was in Athens for one day before
leaving this morning on a tour of the region which will take in Belgrade,
Kosovo and Skopje. Reppas said the Cyprus problem and Greek-Turkish
relations were also reviewed at the meeting "without there being any
development".
Greece hosts PfP exercise 'Prometheus '98'
Military contingents from six European countries are currently engaged in a
joint exercise codenamed "Prometheus '98" in the Kilkis prefecture in
northern Greece within the framework of the Partnership for Peace (PfP)
programme. The scenario provides for the distribution of humanitarian aid
and the consolidation of peace and security in a region "somewhere in the
Balkans" under extremely difficult conditions - including a strong
earthquake and terrorist activity with thousands of dead and missing.
Taking part in the exercise, which will culminate on June 30 with real fire,
are military units from three NATO countries - Greece with 292 men, Italy
with 29 and the Netherlands with 39 - and three PfP member states, Armenia
with 17 soldiers, Bulgaria with 32 and the Former Yugoslav Republic
of Macedonia (FYROM) with 17.
PM to meet Italian counterpart over weekend
Prime Minister Costas Simitis will have a brief meeting with Italian Prime
Minister Romano Prodi on the island of Corfu on Sunday, government
spokesman Dimitris Reppas said today. Reppas said the two premiers would
then leave together for Frankfurt to attend the official appointment of the
governor of the European Central Bank on Monday.
Mild quake recorded
An earthquake measuring 4.1 degrees on the Richter scale shook central
Greece shortly before noon today and police said they had no immediate
reports of damage or injuries. The Athens observatory said the tremor,
recordedat 11.39 local time came from a distance of 130 kilometres
northwest of the capital and its epicentre was the region of Molos in
Fthiotis.
Police suspect November 17 behind bank bomb
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the bomb which damaged a branch
of the Alpha Credit Bank in Athens last night but police today said they
believed the attack was the work of the November 17 urban guerrilla group.
Senior police officials said the bomb - comprised of a timing mechanism
made of two clocks and a large amount of explosive material - was a
hallmark of November 17, used in previous attacks. They said that the
attack was probably directly linked to the sale of state-run Ionian Bank.
Alpha Credit Bank is considered to be the front runner to buy a majority
stake in the bank.
Fireman gets five years for setting fires
A three-member Samos court today sentenced a fireman to five years'
imprisonment after finding him guilty of starting a bush fire near the
community of Koumarades on the Aegean island three days ago. In sentencing
Dimitris Hatzilagos, 32, who was hired two weeks ago on a seasonal basis,
the court refused to accept any mitigating circumstances. Eye-witnesses
testified that they had seen Hatzilagos lighting the fire on purpose. The
blaze was eventually put out by more conscientious colleagues of Hatzilagos
after it destroyed only a small area of bushland.
Police break up heroin ring
Three Albanians were arrested in central Athens today after trying to sell
half a kilo of heroin for 2.5 million drachmas to an undercover narcotics
agent posing as a buyer. The three were identified as Vangelis Tzortzis, 24,
Yolanda Koyia, 18 and Tzortzio Kouri, 23 who were found in possession of
half a kilo of heroin. Police later found a further small quantity of
heroin and precision scales at their hotel room in Kypseli. The three were
due to appear before a public prosecutor later today.
WEATHER
Fair weather is forecast in most parts of Greece today with the possibility
of cattered showers in the mountainous regions of Macedonia and Thrace.
Winds variable, light to moderate. Fine weather in Athens with temperatures
between 19-34C. Overcast in the afternoon in Thessaloniki with temperatures
from 17-32C.
FOREIGN EXCHANGE
Monday's rates (buying) U.S. dollar 301.389
British pound 502.349 Japanese yen (100) 217.804
French franc 50.027 German mark 167.757
Italian lira (100) 17.026 Irish Punt 422.592
Belgian franc 8.132 Finnish mark 55.175
Dutch guilder 148.790 Danish kr. 44.051
Austrian sch. 23.845 Spanish peseta 1.976
Swedish kr. 37.877 Norwegian kr. 39.640
Swiss franc 200.711 Port. Escudo 1.637
Aus. dollar 183.222 Can. dollar 204.451
Cyprus pound 574.308
(M.P.)
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