Athens News Agency: News in English (PM), 99-01-19

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

NEWS IN ENGLISH

Athens, Greece, 19/01/1999 (ANA)

MAIN HEADLINES

• Culture minister welcomes Parthenon Marbles efforts
• Pensioners march through city centre
• Government mum on charges against Papandreou widow
• Occupations at schools continue
• Talks on Amsterdam treaty begin
• Greece to spend 15 bln dr on Y2K
• Black Sea fibre optics contract to be signed
• Arsonists target Crete tax office
• Police nab thieves with 15 tonnes of nuts
• Equities end moderately lower
• Weather
• Foreign Exchange

NEWS IN DETAIL

Culture Minister Evangelos Venizelos on Tuesday sent a letter to five Greek Eurodeputies congratulating them on their initiative and success in getting colleagues in Strasbourg to sign a petition calling for the return of the Parthenon Marbles from the British Museum to Greece. In the letter, Venizelos said the initiative enabled him to raise the issue for discussion at the Council of Culture Ministers. On Friday, 339 of 626 European Parliament deputies, or more than half of the assembly, signed a petition in favour of a return of the priceless 5th century BC Parthenon friezes from Britain. It was the third, and first successful, attempt by Greek Eurodeputies to gather enough signatures for a formal resolution.

Pensioners march through city centre

Over 3,000 pensioners held a rally in the centre of Athens on Tuesday followed by a march to the office of Prime Minister Costas Simitis to press demands for real pension increases and tax relief. The pensioners arrived at the premier's office shortly after noon and dispersed two hours later, after a delegation failed to meet with Simitis. Initially, strong police forces prevented pensioners' representatives from approaching the premier's office, provoking cries of protest from the demonstrators. Following negotiations, the delegation had talks with Deputy Minister to the PM George Paschalidis and Social Security Deputy Minister Fivos Ioannidis.

Government mum on charges against Papandreou widow

The government declined on Tuesday to comment on the filing by an Athens prosecutor of felony charges of fraud against Dimitra Liani-Papandreou, the widow of former prime minister Andreas Papandreou, and three associates. The charges, filed on Monday, relate to tax irregularities in the acquisition of land in the northern Athens suburb of Ekali. The land was used by Papandreou and her late husband to build a luxurious home. Papandreou's co-defendants in the case are brothers Aristidis and Sotiris Loumidis and businessman Yiannis Alexiou. Asked by reporters whether the charges had any political ramifications, government spokesman Dimitris Reppas replied: "Occupying oneself with matters which are considered to have closed does not contribute to the smooth development of political life. Nothing can cast a shadow over the name of Andreas Papandreou... who wrote history and is not alive to defend himself."

Occupations at schools continue

Lyceum pupils staging a sit-in at a Thessaloniki school complex on Tuesday set up barricades on surrounding steets and attacked television crews. The pupils of the Euclides school complex, one of the five of 253 Thessaloniki lyceums to be still under occupation, closed off central Alexandrou Papanastasiou avenue for about two hours, causing a traffic jam in the region. They also threw eggs at an ET-3 television crew covering the news story.

Talks on Amsterdam treaty begin

Alternate Foreign Minister George Papandreou inaugurated a series of talks with social partners, including employers and trade unions, on Monday, ahead of the expected ratification of the Amsterdam treaty by Parliament in February. Parliament begins discussion of the treaty in the first half of the month. The new treaty is seen as laying the groundwork for the entrance of up to a dozen new members over the next decade. Papandreou on Monday met with the presidents and representatives of major trade union groups, including those representing civil servants, Greek telecoms organisation OTE, farmers and the General Confederation of Workers of Greece and the Athens Labour Centre.

Greece to spend 15 bln dr on Y2K

Greece will spend some 15 billion drachmas on dealing with the millennium bug but work is proceeding at a very satisfactory rate, Interior Minister Alekos Papadopoulos said on Tuesday. Papadopoulos was speaking after chairing a high-ranking meeting on the problem. The meeting was attended by the ministers of defence, national economy, development and transport and communications, as well as officials from the sectors of industry, banking, and other affected sectors. The meetings are held on a monthly basis to coordinate work on the issue between ministries, government services and the private sector.

Black Sea fibre optics contract to be signed

An agreement for the construction and maintenance of a Black Sea underwater fibre optics telecommunications system linking seven countries in the region is to be signed Wednesday at a central Athens hotel. The signing will be attended by the Transport and Communications ministry leadership and representatives of the telecommunications authorities of Greece (OTE), Armenia, Bulgaria, Russia, Ukraine, Cyprus and Slovenia.

Arsonists target Crete tax office

Arsonists set fire to a local tax office in Iraklion, Crete, early on Tuesday, causing property damage but no injuries. Fire department officials said the arsonists gained entry to the first floor office in Hersonissos through a window early on Tuesday and doused the office with fuel which they then set alight. The fire caused damage to computers and office furnishings but failed to damage tax records, which were locked in a cupboard. Authorities are seeking the culprits.

Police nab thieves with 15 tonnes of nuts

Police in the northern Greek town of Veria on Tuesday arrested two men involved in the theft of 15 tonnes of nuts worth 30 million drachmas from a Larissa warehouse last week. Police identified the ringleader as Alexandros Feim, 33, who with two accomplices who are still being sought, stole the goods and passed them on to Faedon Timini, 47, from Veria, who was also arrested. With the help of the owner of the goods, Mihalis Triantafyllou, who posed as a prospective buyer of the nuts, police raided Timini's warehouse, arrested him and confiscated six tonnes of pistachio nuts, eight tonnes of almonds, and 500 kilos of hazlenuts.

Equities end moderately lower

Greek equities ended moderately lower on Tuesday as profit taking reversed Monday's rally on the Athens Stock Exchange. The general index ended 0.89 percent off to 2,960.85 although it temporarily surpassed the 3,000 level early in the day. Turnover was 99.7 billion drachmas and volume 21,335,000 shares. Sector indices suffered losses. Banks fell 0.34 percent, Leasing plunged 4.39 percent, Insurance dropped 3.42 percent, Investment fell 1.31 percent, Construction rose 0.56 percent, Industrials eased 0.95 percent, Miscellaneous ended 0.37 percent down and Holding fell 1.59 percent.

WEATHER

FOREIGN EXCHANGE

(M.P.)

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