From: miltos@nfl2.irc.nrc.ca Date: Sat, 17 Jul 93 12:14:16 -0400 To: macedonia@husc.harvard.edu Subject: News I (Greek Press Office BBS in Ottawa). Bulletin, 17/07/1993 ( ) ------------------------ A.N.A. Athens, 17/7/1993 (ANA): The government said yesterday that Albania must fulfil its obligations before international law and the CSCE not only verbally but in practice. ``The Albanian side must realize that respect for the rules of international law and its obligations to the CSCE should not be restricted to verbal statements, but evidenced on a daily basis in its policy towards its ethnic Greek minority``, government spokesman Vassilis Manginas said in response to statements on Thursday by Albanian President Sali Berisha. ``It is clear that Mr. Berisha has not understood the substance and real meaning of the positions set out by Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis``, the spokesman said. In statements late Thursday night, Mr. Berisha spoke of a ``risk of conflagration in the Balkans and unacceptable claims``, accusing the Greek government of ``adopting the policy of nationalistic circles which it has condemned in the past``. Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis called on Albania to afford the same rights to the ethnic Greek minority in Northern Epirus (southern Albania) as Tirana demanded for its own minority in former Yugoslavia. He set six conditions for an improvement in Greek-Albanian relations which worsened recently following the expulsion of a serior Greek orthodox cleric from Gyrokastr. ``An attitude of compliance with international legalities would, apart from anything else, confirm (Albania's) course toward democratisation and a fair and just State which Mr. Berisha has invoked and would prove it had finally broken with the methods and practices of the past``, Mr. Manginas continued. ``In every case, such a compliance would make a decisive contribution to ensuring conditions for close and constructive relations of friendship and cooperation with Greece, relations for which the Greek government has from the first instance displayed the best possible will. ``Mr. Berisha must also realise that the international treaties that have been in force a long time, as well as the current borders in our wider region, are and must be absolutely respected. Opposite views or even insinuations could dynamite peace and stability in our sensitive region. ``I want, also, to repeat once again that the Greek government's interest for the Greek minority in Albania is exaclty the same as that displayed by Mr. Berisha for the Albanian minorities outside his country. ``As for the references to `minorities in Greece`, Mr. Berisha should know that here in Greece there are neither `Albanian` nor any other `ethnic minority`. ``The Greek government would like to hope that the Albanian side will understand and respond to the points made by the prime minister. On this condition, Greece, a factor for peace and stability in the region, desires friendly relations and good cooperation with Albania. And it is willing to once again make a decisive contribution to the economic development of its neighbour country and, among other things, to press ahead with drawing up an agreement to regulate the status of Albanian seasonal workers in Greece. An agreement through which the problem of illegal immigrants will be dealt with``. ANA Athens, 17/7/1993 (ANA): Greece and Egypt yesterday signed a protocol providing for cooperation in the sectors of construction, agriculture, air and sea transport and social security. The protocol was signed by Foreign Minister Michalis Papaconstantinou and his Egyptian counterpart Amr Moussa who is paying a four-day official visit to Greece. The two countries also signed agreements providing for the reciprocal protection of investments in Greece and Egypt and well as a cooperation memorandum between the Greek and Egyptian export promotion organisations. Before the signing, Mr. Papaconstantinou and Mr. Moussa held lengthy talks and exchanged views on bilateral and internaitonal issues of common interest, including the Middle East problem and the crisis in the Balkans. To promote cultural ties, it was decided to establish an Alexander the Great University in Alexandria and set up Greek and Egyptian cultural centres in Alexandria and Athens. Another decision taken concerns the granting of Egyptian citizen-ship to long-term Greek residents in Egypt and the reciprocal granting of Greek citizenship to Egyptians resident in Greece. Mr. Papaconstantinou said that cooperation between the two countries was ``excellent`` and would improve even further. Mr. Moussa said that the two countries had decided to open up new markets, increase commercial transactions, set up an Egyptian trade centre in Greece and settle outstanding debts on the basis of a ``just and rapid`` procedure. He said that Egypt was willing to mediate between Athens and Tirana for the normalisation of relations between the two neighbouring countries and expressed the hope that problems between Greece and Turkey would be resolved. Mr. Papaconstantinou responded by saying that a settlement of the Cyprus problem was a prerequisite for the normalisation of relations with Turkey. Mr. Moussa said that Egypt was aware of the important role which Greece could play in the Balkans, the mediterranean and the Middle East during the country's forthcoming term as EC president. Mr. Papaconstantinou said Greece was particularly interested in the maintenance of peace and stability in the region, both on a bilateral and European Community level, ``particularly now that we have become members of the Troika``. Mr. Papaconstantinou has accepted an invitation to pay an official visit to Cairo this coming winter. Later in the day, Public Order Minister Nikos Gelestathis received Mr. Moussa, the deputy Egyptian Foreign Minister Ibrahim Mubarak, the Egyptian ambassador to Athens Ahmed nabil el-Salawy and members of their delegation. The two ministers exchanged views on matters of public order, illegal immigration, terrorism and drugs and agreed on the need for the two countries to establish cooperation on these matters. --- Main opposition Panehellenic Socialist Movement leader Andreas Papandreou met Mr. Moussa in Ekali yesterday. The meeting focused on international developments, developments int he wider region and Greek-Egyptian relations. ANA Athens, 17/7/1993 (ANA): Negotiations on the Skopje issue will resume within the next few weeks, government spokesman Vassilis Manginas said yesterday. The negotiations will be held under the auspices of the UN and with the mediation of former US secretary of state and international mediator on former Yugoslavia Cyprus Vance. Mr. Manginas said Greece's positions were well-known and ``what we are seeking, is a nationally acceptable solution``. Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis briefed the Inner Cabinet on the matter during its meeting yesterday. ANA Athens, 17/7/1993 (ANA): Greek sergeant Stavros Georgiou, missing since July 2, has been found in Nairobi, the Greek embassy there has reported. Georgiou went missing when his plane touched down in Nairobi, Kenya on route to Mogadishu, where he is serving with the Greek force in the UN peacekeeping operation. National Defence Minister Ioannis Varvitsiotis has ordered the sergeant to return to Athens. ANA Belgrade, 17/7/1993 (ANA - N. Georgiadis): Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos will pay an official visit to the Serbian patriarchate from August 5 to 12, according to the Greek embassy in Belgrade. ANA Athens, 17/7/1993 (ANA): Health, Welfare and Social Security Minister Dimitris Sioufas yesterday officially inaugurated the Onassis Cardiology Centre in the presence of undersecretaries and other officials. The centre's first two heart operations took place last Thursday. The Onassis Centre's 11 cardiological clinics for outpatients will operate on an interview basis through a telephone switchboard. The cardiological departments are equipped with state-of-the-art technology and the cardiological units have weel-known Greek heart surgeons who have worked at renowned heart surgery centres abroad.