From: than...@athena.mit.edu (Thanos Tsekouras)
Subject: Greek news from Athens News Agency for June 8, 1993
Date: 9 Jun 1993 04:25:14 GMT

Athens News Agency Bulletin, June 8, 1993

	Luxembourg, 8/6/1993 (ANA - K. Verros):  At a time when most of
the European Community's member-states are faced with ever-growing
recession, Greece constitutes one of the "very few positive examples".
National Economy and Finance Minister Stephanos Manos said here
yesterday after the ECOFIN meeting of EC finance ministers.  It has been
ascertained by all sides that Greece's economy "is on the right path",
Mr. Manos said.  Referring to both the ECOFIN meeting and the
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) report,
which the organisation will discuss at the end of the month.  Mr. Manos
said that the report said the Greek economy was on the right path "to
overcoming the structural and macroeconomic imbalance of the 80s" when
the country's economy sustained its greatest damage.
	Mr. Manos underlined "paragraph 99 in the OECD report, which
notes that during the 80s the drachma was devalued much more than was
necessary, without this helping Greece's export yields, but on the
contrary, reducing pressure on business to increase their
competitiveness".  "I also point out that this speedy depreciation
created inflationary pressures which, in the long run, worsened our
productivity and export yields", he said, adding that the policy of
speedy depreciation, supported by some, will not lead to positive
results.  Mr. Manos said Greece was one of the "few very positive
examples" - ascertained by the EC and the OECD - at a time when the
recession was hitting the European Community much harder than had been
expected late last year.  He also expressed the hope that the
International Monetary Fund's (IMF) report on the Greek economy would
also be positive.  The IMF Council discussed Greece last Friday.  Mr.
Manos added that he will release the IMF report as soon as he receives
it.
	The OECD report stresses that, since the end of the 70s, the
Greek economy's performance has been "particularly disappointing", with
low GDP development rates and high inflation.  "Structural obstacles,
unproductive mechanism and unsuitable policies led to significant
reductions in industrial production and exports" while the "intolerably
high public deficits played an important role in the worsening of
long-term trends".  Summing up, the OECD report says that "backed by the
restrictive macroeconomic policy and the structural reforms, the Greek
economy entered 1991 in a period of adjustment after at least 10 years
of very low development rates and great and increasing imbalances".
	The report says that progress achieved "is considerable" as
shown by the "great reduction of the public sector's borrowing
requirements between 1990 and 1992 (from 18.5 per cent to 10.5 per cent
of GDP) of inflation (from 20.5 per cent to 15.5 per cent) and the
current accounts deficit (from 5.5 per cent to 2.5 per cent of GDP)".
However, the OECD notes in its report that "despite these achievements,
the Greek economy is still in a difficult position, since with the
public sector's borrowing requirements at about 10 per cent of GDP, the
public debt at 116 per cent of GDP and inflation probably at 12 per cent
at the end of the year, Greece is far from satisfying Maastricht
criteria", while most of the recent gains can "easily be reversed" if
there is deviation from current policies.

	Luxembourg, 8/6/1993 (ANA - K. Verros):  Transport Minister
Theodoros Anagnostopoulos yesterday asked the Community to take action
to facilitate transport through third countries to offset transport
problems Greece is facing due to the conflict in former Yugoslavia.
Speaking at a meeting of EC transport ministers here, the Greek
representation presented a communique detailing the prevailing
situation, its concequences and the aims of the Greek side.  "Further
effort from the Community and the member-states is required to avert
isolation of the Southeast end of the EC from the rest of the Community
body", the communique said.  During the discussion, Mr. Anagnostopoulos
suggested that the EC and member-states take action to restore Community
"free-transit to and from Greece".
	The communique stressed the importance of the Community-Greece
axis and the fact that 81.6 per cent of Greek products exported by land
reach destinations in central and western Europe. Perishable goods such
as fruit, vegetables and other foodstuffs represent 65 per cent of all
products exported by land, while fresh fruits and vegetables reaching
destinations in the Community and the EFTA member-countries represent 43
per cent of Greece's total exports.  In addition, the majority of the
farming products which reach the Community from and via Greece have a
low price per volume unit therefore their transportation costs play a
decisive role in the formation of the market price of products in the
Community markets.

	Athens, 8/6/1993 (ANA)  President Constantine Karamanlis
yesterday called on Skopje's leadership to act in the best interests of
their republic.  "The issue is simple and easy as long as Skopje
understands what is in its best interests", Mr. Karamanlis said when
asked to comment on developments in the Skopje issue.

	Paris, 8/6/1993 (ANA - A. Podimata)  The Vance-Owen Skopje
mediation report is a just compromise between Greece and the former
Yugoslav republic, worthy of extensive and in-depth examination,
international mediator Lord Owen said in Paris yesterday.  He said that
neither he nor Mr. Vance "intend to reopen the matter at our own
initiative", underlining that "if the Greek prime minister and the
Skopje president want to talk directly and consider that our presence is
of assistance to them, then we will participate gladly".  He was
replying to a question by the ANA on whether there will be any new
proposal for a solution to the Skopje problem after both sides had
rejected the plan he and Mr. Vance submitted.  Lord Owen was in Paris to
meet with French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe yesterday.

	Tirana, 8/6/1993 (Macedonian Press Agency)  Albania will block
an attempt by Skopje to accede to the Conference for Security and
Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) as a full member, unless the former
Yugoslav republic begins showing respect for the rights of its Albanian
citizens, Albanian Foreign Minister Alfred Serraqi told Albanian
television after meeting with his Italian counterpart Beniamino
Andreatta in Rome yesterday.  "Albania recognised the republic,
convinced that this action would help bring stability to the region.
But, on the other hand, the Albanian government seeks recognition and
respect for the rights of the Albanians without discrimination.  As long
as these demands are not satisfied", he said, Albania will block
Skopje's accession to the CSCE.
	Mr. Serraqi described as "very serious" the situation in Kosovo,
warning that it could spiral out of control.  The insecurity that
prevails in the region, the lack of progress in Bosnia where the war
continues, the increase of violence and terrorism, the Serbian military
presence and the ethnic cleansing operations are some of the causes
which have made the situation in Kosovo tenser, he said.  He reiterated
the demand of the Albanian gevernment for more CSCE observers in Kosovo
and the deployment there of NATO and UN forces.  "These measures will
help resolve the Kosovo issue with political means", Mr. Serraqi said.

	Athens, 8/6/1993 (ANA)  On her return from a seven-day tour of
former Soviet Union nations, Foreign Undersecretary Virginia Tsouderou
said that Greece fully intended to develop cultural, political and
economic relations with the fledgling republics.  Ms. Tsouderou visited
southern Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia and held contacts
with authorities and representatives of local Greek communities there.
	She met with Georgian Prime Minister Tengiz Sigua to whom she
delivered a letter for Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadza from Prime
Minister Constantine Mitsotakis.  Greeks living in the republic of
Georgia are estimated to number 120.000.  On the occasion of her visit
to Armenia and Azerbaijan, Ms. Tsouderou announced the opening of Greek
embassies in these countries in the next few days.  She said Greek
embassies would also soon open in Kiev, Ukraine, and Tbilisi, Georgia.
Ms. Tsouderou said these countries expected Greece's support during the
period of its EC presidency as it would be in a position to promote
their positions all over Europe.  She said they were faced with major
economic and political crises and required help in all sectors.
Referring to national issues, Ms. Tsouderou said the Greek government
was handling them with prudence and realism, saying that she had been
reassured at the end of her long tour that Greece specially appreciated
for the way in which it handled both national and European issues.

	Athens, 8/6/1993 (ANA)  The European Community's foreign
ministers will meet their US counterpart Warren Christopher to discuss
NATO policies in the light of the collapse of the Warsaw Pact today in
Luxembourg.  Foreign Minister Michalis Papaconstantinou will represent
Greece at the meeting.  The meeting will focus on the situation in
Yugoslavia and also discuss relations between the EC and former Eastern
bloc nations.  In a statement before his departure yesterday, Mr.
Papaconstantinou said the Skopje issue would not be discussed at the
meeting.  Mr. Papaconstantinou also refuted press reports that France
would establish a diplomatic mission in Skopje.  France will not
establish diplomatic relations with Skopje, unless the "12" agree on
diplomatic recognition and an agreement is also reached between the two
parties involved, he said.  Mr. Papaconstantinou said that Skopje was
pursuing NATO accession, but "had yet a long way to go".
	Meanwhile, Athens was preparing to play host to a meeting of
NATO foreign ministers on Thursday and Friday in Vouliagmeni.  Sixteen
NATO foreign ministers from member-states will participate in the
meeting on Thursday while, on Friday, foreign ministers of former
member-states of the Warsaw Pact will also join the meeting.  Mr.
Papaconstantinou will return to Greece tomorrow to host the NATO meeting
at which he will hold a series of bilateral meetings with Mr.
Christopher, his Russian counterpart Andrei Kozyrev and his Turkish
counterpart Hikmet Cetin.

	Athens, 8/6/1993 (ANA)  Twenty-one illegal migrants spotted in
the sea region between the Greek island of Kos and the Turkish coast at
dawn Saturday have returned to Turkey following a demarche lodged by the
Greek ministry.  Foreign Minister Michalis Papaconstantinou said the
matter was over, adding that cooperation was necessary between Greece
and Turkey in controlling gangs of Turkish criminals who transported
illegal migrants.

	Athens, 8/6/1993 (ANA)  National Defense Minister Ioannis
Varvitsiotis, currently on a two-day official visit to Vienna held a
series of meetings with Austrian Federal Vice Chancellor Erhardt Bauen,
Foreign Minister Alols Mock and his Austrian counterpart Werner
Fasslabend.  The meetings focused on the situation in former Yugoslavia
and the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina as well as matters related to illegal
immigration in Europe.  On Sunday Mr. Varvitsiotis was received by
Archbishop Michael.  He is due in Athens today.

	Athens, 8/6/1993 (ANA)  Chairman of NATO's military committee
Field Marshal Sir Richard Vincent arrived in Athens yesterday to attend
a meeting of NATO foreign ministers due to take place at the Asteres
Hotel in Vouliagmeni on Thursday and Friday.  During his stay in Greece
Field Marshal Vincent is expected to meet with the national defense
ministry's political and military leadership.

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