Subject: News I, 12/08/93 From: zarros@turing.scs.carleton.ca (Theodoros Sp. Zarros) Athens News Agency Bulletin, August 12, 1993 ============================================ Ipekio, Kosovo, 12/8/93 (ANA - A. Kourkoulas) - Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos yesterday expressed ''fraternal support and solidarity" with the Serbian people during a special service in the Kraguevivac Cathedral at the end of a week-long visit to Yugoslavia. "We are not here just to fulfil official church duties but to express our fraternal support and solidarity during these difficult times", he said. Referring to the Somaritsa cemetery, where 7,000 schoolchildren killed by the Nazis in retaliation for Serbian resistance activities are buried, the Ecumenical Patriarch said that to this day, these memories haunt the Serbian people and are their nightmare". Patriarch Vartholomeos said Kosovo faced one of the greatest crises in its history. "We turn to Christ in prayer and hope that the light may remove the darkness from this storm", he added. The Ecumenical Patriarch will continue his Balkan tour with visits to Romania and Bulgaria. He is also scheduled to visit Greece in October. His Balkan tour follows official visits to the patriarchates of Alexandria, Damascus and Russia as part of his mission of "love, peace and unity" to all Orthodox patriarchates. Athens, 12/8/93 (ANA) - A group of Greek military and civilian officials left yesterday for Georgia to help monitor the repatriation of ethnic Greeks from Georgia and Abhazia, dubbed Operation Golden Fleece. Athens, 12/8/93 (ANA) - Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis said yesterday that the government "neither knew of nor agreed to "the surprise visit to Greece of former king Constantine and reiterated that his arrival could not have been prevented. Speaking to reporters after a meeting of the inner cabinet, Mr Mitsotakis said that the former king's visit could not have been prevented since he had Greek nationality and a Greek passport. He said that the government had interpreted statements by Constantine as acknowledgement by the former king of the country's democratic system of government. Shortly after arriving in Thessaloniki on Monday, the former king said that Greece was a presidential democracy and that he was visiting the country as a private individual. Mr Mitsotakis said, however, that Constantine's itinerary was "not compatible" with the nature of a private visit, adding that the government had prevented him from visiting the Niki army border post and advised him against visiting the Vergina archaeological site. "It is necessary for the former king to make perfectly clear his stance concerning the recognition of the system of government (in Greece)", Mr Mitsotakis said, adding that "his movements must be in line with his statement that he is visiting the country as a private individual". "If he does not comply, the government reserves the right to take certain decisions. At this difficult moment in time for our country, with its major domestic and foreign problems, the creation of additional problems is unwanted", he said. Athens, 12/8/93 (ANA) - Recent reports in the Belgian press have praised the quality of Greek beaches and urged Belgians to spend their vacations in Greece, according to a statement released yesterday by the Greek National Tourism Organisation (EOT). It said that the Belgian press had also highlighted the number Blue Flags awarded to Greek beaches under the European Community's "Blue Flags of Europe" programme. This year 237 Greek beaches and six marinas were awarded Blue flags for meeting EC criteria on water quality and cleanliness. Athens, 12/8/93 (ANA) - Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis yesterday said that a low-level meeting between Greek and Skopjan officials would probably take place in the latter half of August. Asked to elaborate, the premier expressed his certainty that United Nations mediator Cyrus Vance would proceed with the handling of the Skopje issue. Athens, 12/8/93 (ANA) - Sales of state bonds in July exceeded the value of bonds reaching maturity, enabling the government to reduce interest rates, Finance Under-secretary Peter Doukas said yesterday. He said that sales of state bonds, both drachma and linked, reached 600 bullion Drs in July, almost double the value of bonds reaching maturity. Mr Doukas added that given a projected annual inflation rate of eight or nine per cent for the 12-month period beginning August 1993, real interest rates would be in the range of 11.5 per cent. "This means that it will be possible to continue the government's policy to reduce interest rates further", he said. Athens, 12/8/93 (ANA) - A Greek man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for attempting to smuggle 31 illegal immigrants from Pakistan into Greece, court officials on Samos said yesterday. They said Michalis Goergarios, who was arrested Tuesday, was sentenced to 10 years in prison and fined 10 million drachmas for attempting to smuggle the migrants into Greece aboard his yacht. His brother, Ioannis and Nikos Kappos, were sentenced to 8.5 and 6 years in prison respectively. Both had been arrested on the yacht. Ioannis Georgarios was also fined 9.5 million drachmas. The 31 Pakistanis were ordered deported, after receiving 10 month suspended sentences. Athens, 12/8/93 (ANA) - Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis yesterday said his government was determined to proceed with the adoption of legislation aimed at the partial privatisation of the Hellenic telecommunications Organisation (OTE). Speaking at a news conference after a meeting of the inner cabinet, the premier expressed the hope that parliament would pass the bill. Draft legislation to privatise 49 per cent of the state-run phone company was submitted to parliament's second summer session on Friday. The bill calls for the sale of 35 per cent of OTE's shares to a strategic investor, who would also assume the company's management. Ten per cent of OTE shares are to be sold on the Athens Stock Exchange, with the remaining four per cent to be distributed free to OTE employees. Asked about objections to the plan raised by labour unions and opposition parties, Mr Mitsotakis said National Economy and finance Minister Stephanos Manos had accepted several amendments proposed at meetings with labour representatives. "Of course, the Opposition has expressed a different view. I respect it, but I cannot ask the Opposition to change its position just as they cannot ask us, the government, to change our policy" he said. Meanwhile, Greece's largest labour union, the Confederation of Greek Workers, has called a 24-hour strike today to protest against OTE's partial privatisation. The strike was called in support of rolling 24-hour strikes by OTE employees.