Subject: News I, 27/07/93 (Greek Press Office BBS, Ottawa).
To: macedonia@husc.harvard.edu (macedonia list.)
Date: Tue, 27 Jul 93 11:16:53 EDT

  bulletin, 27/07/1993 ( )
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 A.N.A.
        Nicosia, 27/7/93(CNA/ANA)--Labour Minister Aristidis
Kalantzakos, who is in Cyprus for a three-day visit at the
invitation of his Cypriot counterpart Andreas Moushioutas,met with
Cyprus President Glafkos Clerides yesterday morning.
        In statements after the meeting, Mr Kalantzakos said that
the agreement to be signed by the Greek and Cypriot labour
ministries will provide for exchange of information and technical
expertise in the fields of employment, professional training,
career advice, helth and safety conditions at work. ana

        Athens, 27/7/93(ANA)--Greece's new ambassador to Spain
Haralambos Korakas yesterday presented his credentials to King Juan
Carlos in the presence of Foreign Minister Xavier Solana.
        Mr Korakas was later granted a private audience by the
king. ana

        Athens, 27/7/93(ANA)--The Hellenic Foundation of Foreign
and Defence Policy (ELIAMEP) yesterday released the ''Agenda of
Defence and Foreign Policy '93--Greece and the World 1992'',the
second volume in the foundation's series.
        The volume is a detailed analysis of developments in
various regions relating to Greece (Greece-Balkans, Greece-Europe,
Greece-Turkey-Cyprus, Greece-US) and presents texts,documents and
speeches made by Greek politicians.
        ELIAMEP director, professor Thanos Veremis, has provided a
foreword to the work which follows an introduction outlining
Greece's defence policy by the deputy director of the foundation,
professor Yannis Valinakis. ana

        Athens, 27/7/93(ANA)--The two biggest hospitals in the
northern Greek town of Ioannina are facing serious financial
problems due to the 2.6 billion drachmas worth of free medical care
provided to Northern Epirotes and Albanians in the last three
years.
        According to official figures,the two hospitals treated
approximately 5,300 Northern Epirotes and Albanians between 1990
and 1992, running up a bill of 2.6 billion drachmas for the Greek
state.
        At the same time, both hospitals are facing the same
financial difficulties as all other state hospitals in Greece.
        The deficit of the Ioannina University Hospital is expected
to total 2.5 billion drachmas by the end of the year, while the
corresponding figure for the town's other big hospital , the
''Hatzikosta'',will be in the region of 800 million drachmas.
        According to Saturday's edition of the weekly economic
review ''The Investor'', the figures pertaining to the free medical
care provided to Northern Epirotes and Albanians are now in the
hands of Foreign Undersecretary Virginia tsouderou, providing
incontrovertible proof that Greece is protecting the human rights
of Albanians living in Greece and refuting claims to the contrary
by Albanian President Sali Berisha.
        ''As regards the human rights of the Norther Epirotes
(ethnic Greeks in southern Albania)'', The Investor underlines,
''that is another matter''.
        According to the figures of the two hospitals in Ioannina,
in the three-year period 1990-1992 a total of 5,268 Northern
Epirotes and Albanians received medical treatment costing 2,233
billion drachmas.
        In addition, the hospitals performed 1,225 CT scans at a
total cost of 29,674,000 drachmas and 38,050 patients were examined
in the outpatient clinics at a total cost of 129,876,000 drachmas.
        The two hospitals were therefore burdened with a total cost
of 2,540 billion drachmas, which will be fully covered by the Greek
state. The Investor quoted the president of the Hatzikosta
Hospital, Panagiotis  Thomos, as saying taht ''between January 1,
1993 and May 31, 1993, the treatment of Northern Epirot Albanians
cost a further 201,000,000 drachmas''.
        As consequence, both hospitals are facing a serious
liquidity problem. According to the financial departments of the
Hatzikosta and University hospitals, their deficits by the end of
the year will have reached 800 million and 2.5 billion drachmas
respectively.
        The problem has been brought to the attention of Health
Undersecretary Nikos Anastasopoulos by both the workers and
administrations of the two hospitals.
        The Investor notes that the cost of medical care provided
to Northern Epirote Albanians by the four health centres in the
region (Igoumenitsa, Delvinakio, Konitsa and Filiates) is
unknown.According to rough estimates however, it is expected to be
in the region of 500 million drachmas, bringing the total cost up
to the end of 1993 to over 4 billion drachmas. ana

        Athens, 27/7/93(ANA)--Greece's role as the guarantor of
stability and economic development in the balkans was highlighted
by Foreign Minister Michalis Papaconstantinou in statements to the
press on his arrival in Kastoria yesterday, where he is to
inaugurate the sessions of 6th International Conference of
Panmacedonian Unions today.
        ''Greece is the strongest country in the Balkans'', he
said, ''and ecoonmically and militarily is in a position to help
the other Balkan countries. Europe and international public opinion
expects Greece to play a leading role in the Balkans''.
        Pointing to Greece's membership of the EC and NATO, Mr
Papaconstantinou stressed that it was well-placed to  help other
Balkan countries become affiliated with the Community-as it had
done in the case of Bulgaria and Romania-on condition that they did
not harbour ''expansionist aims, ideas which are unrealistic or
which, of course, do not contribute to maintaining stability in the
Balkan region''.
        ''Greece is essentially the guarantor force for stability
but also economic  development in the Balkans'', he said.
        Referring to the conference, Mr Papaconstantinou said its
aim was chiefly to thank  the Macedonians around the world for
their support of the Greek government.
        ''The Macedonians of the diaspora, not only of America,
Australia and Canda but also of Europe, are noe gathered in
Kastoria'', he said, pointed out that Kastoria had also hosted the
first Panmacedonian conference 25 years ago.
        ''The first resolution by the conference was signed here
(kastoria).This is where the concept of a Panmacedonian conference
first originated, which has now taken on international, global
proportions'', he said.
        Immediately after his arrival, Mr Papaconstantinou presided
over a meeting at the offices of the Kastoria prefecture, attended
by the Undersecretary to the Prime Minister's Office Constantine
Simaeoforides, Kastoria Prefect Dionysios Chrysofotis and other
officials.