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Athens News Agency: News in English (PM), 98-06-26
NEWS IN ENGLISH
Athens, Greece, 26/06/1998 (ANA)
MAIN HEADLINES
- Greece not alone in Turkey fund veto - FM
- Foreign women released from enforced prostitution
- French national drowns
- Nicosia 'wall' will fall, says Greek President
- Turkish warplanes try to identify US plane in Athens FIR
- SE countries discuss Balkan peacekeeping force
- Conference of Israelis, Palestinians in Rhodes
- Venizelos cites British handover of antiquities to Ankara
- Joint Greek-Bulgarian archaeological excavation
- Weather
- Foreign Exchange
NEWS IN DETAIL
Greece not alone in Turkey fund veto - FM
Greece is not alone in its insistence on vetoing the release of European
Union funds earmarked for Turkey, since democracy, values and principles
are important for many countries, Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos said
today, according to an ANA despatch from Nicosia. Pangalos was speaking to
reporters in Cyprus, where he is accompanying President Kostis Stephanopoulos
on an official four-day visit. He was replying to press questions
concerning the exerting of pressure on Greece to lift its veto on EU funds
to Turkey.
Foreign women released from enforced prostitution
Police in Thessaloniki have pressed charges against three persons for
detaining eight foreign women against their will and forcing them to engage
in prostitution. The young women from Ukraine, Romania and Bulgaria were
discovered in a house in Melissochori, near the northern Greek port city.
Their passports had been taken from them by George Strongylis, 37, a
resident of Nikea, Attica and Constantine Lazaridis, of Thessaloniki, a
nightclub owner. The police said the women were forbidden to leave the
house except to go to Lazaridis' nightclub and work as prostitutes.
French national drowns
A 75-year-old French citizen drowned yesterday as he was swimming in the
sea off Hersonissos in Heraklion, Crete, police said. They identitied the
man as Andrea Asstier. The local port authorities are investigating the
incident.
Nicosia 'wall' will fall, says Greek President
President Costis Stephanopoulos expressed hope that Nicosia, the capital of
Cyprus, will soon be reunited, as well as the island as a whole. He
described as a "shame" for the world civilisation the wall which divides
Nicosia, the world's last divived capital. The Greek president, was
presented with the capital's golden key by Nicosia Mayor Lellos Demetriades
during a welcoming ceremony at the entrance of Nicosia as he began a four-
day state visit, the first ever by a Greek head of state to the island
republic.
Turkish warplanes try to identify US plane in Athens FIR
Two Turkish F-16 warplanes yesterday attempted to identify a US Air Force
KC-135 aircraft, despite the fact that the American military plane had
followed all necessary procedures by submitting flight plans to both the
Greek and Cypriot authorities. In addition, the US aircraft had received
special permission to fly in the Athens Flight Information Region (FIR) at
an altitude of 35,000 feet. The incident took place southeast of Siteia,
Crete and west of Rhodes. According to initial reports, the Turkish
aircraft proceeded to identify the US aircraft from behind at a great
distance.
SE countries discuss Balkan peacekeeping force
Military experts from seven SE European countries meeting in Athens to
discuss procedural matters related a proposed multinational force to
prevent conflict in the Balkans are reported to have agreed on a committee
to decide the force's peacekeeping missions, sources said yesterday. The
committee is to be made up of diplomats and military experts. The decision
to set up the force was taken at a meeting of the defence undersecretaries
of eight countries of southeast Europe and the United States in Tirana last
month.
Conference of Israelis, Palestinians on Rhodes
Participants from Israel and Palestine will meet in Rhodes between July 1-5
in an effort to consolidate a climate of confidence between the two peoples
and to advance peace procedures in the Middle East. The Greek government
undertook the initiative for the meeting. According to a foreign ministry
announcement, the gathering will enable participants - politicians,
government officials, academics and other personalities - to exchange views
on all aspects of the peace initiative and, in general, relations between
Israelis and Palestinians. This is the third meeting of its kind hosted in
Greece within a year.
Venizelos cites British handover of antiquities to Ankara
Culture Minister Evangelos Venizelos yesterday said that the British
government on May 26 handed over to Turkey five antiquities, citing a
report by the "Turkish Daily News". He said the antiquities were found by
an amateur diver on a 1894 Dutch shipwreck under the Irish Sea, and were
claimed by both Turkey and the Netherlands. According to the Ankara-based
newspaper, the artifacts hailed from Asia Minor and were allegedly exported
from Turkey illegally by the Dutch ambassador to Istanbul at the end of the
previous century.
Joint Greek-Bulgarian archaeological excavation
Greek and Bulgarian archaeologists are working together at a Promahonas,
Serres archaeological site, officials in eastern Macedonia announced
yesterday. The site is split in half by the Greek-Bulgarian border. The
settlement, dated as far back as 5,000 BC, consists of wooden residences
and public structures as well as pottery fragments is expected to reveal a
wealth of information on the relations of Aegean civilisation and the
inhabitants of the inner Balkans, an announcement added.
WEATHER
Fine weather is forecast in most parts of Greece today with possible storms
in eastern Macedonia and Thrace in the afternoon. Winds, northerly, light
to moderate. Mostly fair in Athens with temperatures between 22-35C.
Scattered clouds in Thessaloniki with temperatures from 20-32C.
FOREIGN EXCHANGE
Thursday's rates (buying) U.S. dollar 301.360
British pound 502.468 Japanese yen (100) 213.578
French franc 49.987 German mark 167.608
Italian lira (100) 17.012 Irish Punt 422.195
Belgian franc 8.126 Finnish mark 55.116
Dutch guilder 148.706 Danish kr. 44.001
Austrian sch. 23.818 Spanish peseta 1.975
Swedish kr. 38.242 Norwegian kr. 39.579
Swiss franc 199.774 Port. Escudo 1.633
Aus. dollar 182.394 Can. dollar 205.344
Cyprus pound 573.535
(M.P.)
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