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Athens News Agency: News in English (PM), 98-10-21
NEWS IN ENGLISH
Athens, Greece, 21/10/1998 (ANA)
MAIN HEADLINES
- PM vows to carry on with government's mission
- Simitis appeal to Klima over monies for Turkey
- Alexandroupolis hosts regional economy conference
- Police stumble upon 100 kilos of marijuana
- Greece sells hydrotherapy resorts
- Justice minister, new prefect clash in court
- Four foreigners injured in road accident
- Greek equities end higher yet again
- Weather
- Foreign Exchange
NEWS IN DETAIL
PM vows to carry on with government's mission
Prime Minister Costas Simitis said today that he was determined to carry on
with his policies leading the Greek economy into European economic and
monetary union, despite setbacks in recent local government elections,
adding that "our primary concern is the progress of the country, not our
image". He told a meeting of the ruling PASOK party's parliamentary group
that the country was foing through a phase that "does not allow for games,
manoeuvering and petty political expediencies", noting that "anyone who
claims that there is another road other than cooperation with the EU
is disregarding reality".
Simitis appeal to Klima over monies for Turkey
The government on Wednesday indirectly confirmed reports that Prime
Minister Costas Simitis had sent a letter to Austrian Chancellor Viktor
Klima protesting an attempt by the European Commission to neutralise
Greece's veto of EU funds to Turkey. Stressing that Greece "will protest at
all levels", government spokesman Dimitris Reppas said that Athens was in
constant contact with "all parties", while adding that "it is normal within
this framework also for letters to be sent". Foreign Minister Theodoros
Pangalos on Tuesday sent a letter to his Austrian counterpart, Wolfgang
Schuessel, asking him to intervene to prevent the adoption of European
Commission proposals on the release of Community funds for Turkey, which
Athens considers to be legally unfounded. Despite efforts by its EU
partners to persuade Greece to lift its veto, Athens has insisted on
adherence to decisions taken at the last EU summits in Luxembourg and
Cardiff, when Turkey was told that its EU candidacy would depend on whether
it improved its human rights record and relations with Athens.
Alexandroupolis hosts regional economy conference
The 3rd International Conference on Mediterranean Cooperation and
Development which opens on Thursday in the northern city of Alexandroupoli
will focus on prospects for a single economic area spanning the Mediterranean,
the Balkans and the Black Sea after the year 2000. The conference, which
will end on October 25, will be chaired by Alternate Foreign Minister
George Papandreou. According to previous reports, Prime Minister Costas
Simitis will open the conference that will draw officials from 76 countries
of the area under discussion, including ministers, ambassadors, trade
attaches and bank governors. Among items on the agenda are energy,
transport, the modernisation of telecom networks, small and medium-
sized enterprises and cultural cooperation. Peace and security in
the region will also be discussed.
Police stumble upon 100 kilos of marijuana
Police on Wednesday found five sacks containing 100 kilos of marijuana at
the side of the Ioannina-Athens highway. A sack containing 16.5 kilos of
marijuana was found by police meanwhile at the side of the Ioannina-Kozani
national road. In both cases, the police believe the marijuana was left by
Albanian smugglers for accomplices in Greece to pick up. Before taking the
sacks, the police placed the two areas under surveillance but no one came
for them.
Greece sells hydrotherapy resorts
The National Tourism Organisation of Greece (EOT) is planning to privatise
its four hydrotherapy units in the Fthiotis prefecture and will issue an
international call for tenders soon. An EOT spokesman told the ANA that the
organisation will privatise its four hydrotherapy units at Koniaviti,
Thermopylae-Psoroneri, Loutroypatis and Platistomo, all between two and two-
and-a-half hour drive from Athens. The deadline for both local and
international tenders is April 5, 1999. The privatisation will bring in
some 10 billion dr. in private investment, the spokesman said.
Justice minister, new prefect clash in court
Justice minister Evangelos Yannopoulos is suing newly-elected Attica super-
prefect Theodore Katrivanos for slander and defamation of character, it was
announced today. Yannopoulos' lawyer today filed the suit with Athens
criminal prosecutor Isidoros Doyiakos, accusing Katrivanos of slander in
recent statements he made on television disputing the minister's national
resistance struggles during the Nazi occupation of Greece in World War II.
Yannopoulos, a lawyer, has also reserved the right to sue for moral damage.
The lawsuit states that Yannopoulos is tentatively suing Katrivanos for 10,
000 dr. (about 35 dollars). The prosecutor will decide on the lawsuit
Thursday.
Four foreigners injured in road accident
A Greek woman and her four Albanian passengers, all illegal immigrants,
were seriously injured when the woman's car overturned on the Preveza-
Neraida road, police said on Wednesday. All five were taken to the Preveza
Hospital for treatment. The woman, identified as Panayiotia Kounaki, 43,
from Livadia, central Greece, had picked up the four Albanians at the Greek
borders and had charged them 100,000 drachmas each to be taken to
Athens.
Greek equities end higher yet again
Greek equities ended sharply higher for one more session on the Athens
Stock Exchange helped by signs of a significant drop in the inflation rate
below 4.8 percent in October, prospects of a successful third flotation in
Hellenic Telecoms and a wave of interest rates declines in international
markets. The general index ended 1.79 percent higher to 2,087.81 points.
Trading was heavy with turnover at 46.2 billion drachmas. Volume was 13,317,
000 shares. Sector indices scored gains. Banks rose 2.33 percent, Insurance
ended 2.18 percent up, Investment increased 2.66 percent, Industrials
rose 1.17 percent, Construction jumped 5.36 percent, Miscellaneous
ended 0.89 percent up and Holding increased 2.48 percent. Leasing
bucked the trend to end 3.36 percent off on profit taking following
three days of big gains.
WEATHER
Scattered cloud will prevail throughout Greece today with the possibility
of showers in the northern Ionian, Epirus, western central Greece,
Macedonia and Thrace. Winds variable, light to moderate, turning to strong
in the Aegean Sea. Partly cloudy in Athens with temperatures between 16-
25C. Same in Thessaloniki with temperatures from 15-20C.
FOREIGN EXCHANGE
Wednesday's rates (buying) U.S. dollar 278.316
British pound 475.168 Japanese yen (100) 237.872
French franc 50.846 German mark 170.480
Italian lira (100) 17.236 Irish Punt 425.568
Belgian franc 8.263 Finnish mark 56.076
Dutch guilder 151.161 Danish kr. 44.832
Austrian sch. 24.229 Spanish peseta 2.007
Swedish kr. 35.627 Norwegian kr. 37.295
Swiss franc 208.985 Port. Escudo 1.662
Aus. dollar 175.227 Can. dollar 179.572
Cyprus pound 578.019
(M.P.)
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