From: miltos@nfl2.irc.nrc.ca Subject: News (in ENGLISH)- Fri, 8 Oct 1993 (Greek Press Office BBS, Ottawa). Athens News Agency Bulletin, October 8, 1993 United Nations, 8/10/1993 (ANA): Greece's ambassador to the United Nations Antonis Exarchos said yesterday it was "distressing" that Tirana still followed the practices of the former communist regime towards the ethnic Greek minority there. Mr. Exarchos was using his right of reply to respond to an October 4 press release from the Albanian UN delegation which, Mr. Exarchos said, was a "distortion" of the contents of a letter by Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE) Commissioner for Ethnic Minorities Max van der Stoel to the Albanian foreign minister. "The Albanian representative had attempted to reject justified Greek concern at the unsatisfactory state of the large Greek ethnic minority in Albania by attributing (this) legitimate Greek interest to 'patriotic extremism prompted by electoral expediency"', Mr. Exarchos said. Tirana had tried to portray Albanian views on the treatment of the ethnic Greek minority as conclusions and recommendations made by the CSCE commissioner, he said. "Albania's unacceptable treatment of the ethnic Greek community has been reiterated in many reports by international bodies including the European Parliament which, on July 14, 1993, passed a resolution demanding that the Albanian government respect the cultural and religious rights of the Greek ethnic community", Mr. Exarchos stressed. "Greece originally extended aid to Albania in its early steps to establish democracy and achieve reconstruction. It has taken into consideration Albanian thanks, it intends to remain a friendly neighbour and extend further aid in future. I should like to stress, at this point, that Greek humanitarian and economic aid was not restricted to the southern part of Albania (where the larger part of the ethnic Greek minority lives) but to the entire country. Greece respects and complies with CSCE rules, and expects Albania to act likewise", Mr. Exarchos said. "The attitude of Albania authorities toward the Greek ethnic minority is a determining factor in future relations between the two countries", Mr. Exarchos cautioned. Tirana, 8/10/1993 (ANA - K. Liatis): For Albania, "the road leading to Europe passes through Athens", Nerita Ceka, leader of the opposition Democratic Alliance party, told the Albanian daily Aleanza yesterday. Speaking in an interview with the paper, Mr. Ceka said Albania must give priority to its relations with Greece and not follow the same hard political line, followed by the Communist party, for decades. "Instead of abolishing the operation of Greek schools, Albania should draft a plan for co-operation with the neighbouring country, since the road, leading to Europe passes through Athens", Mr. Ceka said. Athens, 8/10/1993 (ANA): Main opposition Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) leader Andreas Papandreou pledged yesterday to "fight to the end" for the victory of his party's vision and create "a new Greece" within a united Europe. "A new day dawns on Monday, a new era begins for this country", he said at a mass rally in Athens' central Pedio tou Areos park, wrapping up his party's election campaign. Mr. Papandreou predicted victory in Sunday's elections and pledged to "immediately begin the gargantuan task of restructuring and rebuilding the country from the rubble left in the wake of the neo-liberal apprentice sorcerers". "We commit ourselves here, tonight, not to cease struggling until the country wins the high stakes and becomes a modern and democratic state and stamps its seal on developments in the region, a seal of peace and co-operation", he said. Turning to foreign policy issues, Mr. Papandreou warned "we will not concede anything" and said his government's goal would be to "unite all Greeks ... under the flag of a comprehensive national strategy ... that responds to the provocations and threats that surround Hellenism". "Only a unified, independent and sovereign Cypriot republic, without occupation troops, is a viable solution to the Cyprus issue. (There will be) no discussion with Ankara about the joint exploitation of the Aegean. We do not accept and will never allow the 'Cyprification' of western Thrace. We will not recognise any state with the name 'Macedonia' or any of its derivatives on our northern borders", he added. Mr. Papandreou said the three goals of his economic policy were "growth, stability and social welfare". "We will protect the real income of workers, farmers and pensioners and provide relief to those at the lower income levels ... We will immediately promote a national plan to fight unemployment by creating new jobs and providing training", he said. "These elections are the most critical battle for the country's future ... Today, hope becomes reality", he added. W Press and Information secretary general and government spokesman Nikos Argyropoulos said in a statement last night that "the small cycle of the PASOK leader's elections campaign rallies has ended and on Sunday night the cycle of his forthcoming election defeat begins". Mr. Argyropoulos criticised Mr. Papandreou for saying "nothing specific about national issues, the economy, education, health and public administration". "Mr. Papandreou again spoke with his silence", he said. Athens, 8/10/1993 (ANA): The end of the pre-election campaign finds New Democracy stronger than ever, ND director general Costas Pylarinos told a press conference at party headquarters yesterday. Mr. Pylarinos presented opinion polls showing a sharp increase in support for ND since the establishment of the Political Spring party. He predicted that ND would win 168 seats in parliament. Replying to questions by the press on Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis' statement that he would resign as party leader if ND failed to be re-elected, Mr. Pylarinos said the position of the party's grass roots is that Mr. Mitsotakis will remain party leader for the next four years. Mr. Pylarinos said the election campaign had been characterised by the lack of political dialogue and the return of populism in "its most hideous form" of demagoguery U both of which PASOK leader Andreas Papandreou bears exclusive responsibility for U and the collapse of all slander aimed at ND. Athens, 8/10/1993 (ANA): Foreign Under-secretary Virginia Tsouderou will represent Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis at the Council of Europe's Summit on Human rights today in Vienna. Mr. Mitsotakis will be absent due to Sunday's elections. British Prime Minister John Major will also not attend the summit, due to his attendance of the Conservative Party summit. The two-day summit is to discuss minority and human rights issues. Athens, 8/10/1993 (ANA): The Belgian presidency of the EC yesterday presented its partners with a programme of reform for Community institutions in light of the Community's expansion. The programme foresees the parallel expansion of the Commission to 21 members as against the current 17 and an increase in the number of seats in the European Parliament to 639 when Austria, Finland, Sweden and Norway accede to the Community. France and Germany have also submitted reform plans and, according to reports, the issue is to be discussed at the next summit. Athens, 8/10/1993 (ANA): French physicist and 1992 Nobel laureate Georges Charpak has been awarded an honorary doctorate by Thessaloniki's Aristotelian University. The award ceremony, at which Mr. Charpak will speak, will be held at the ceremonial hall of the university's French Department on October 21. Athens, 8/10/1993 (ANA): A Greek library has been established in Rome, at the initiative of the Culture Ministry, in co-operation with Italian cultural agencies. Following a decision signed by Culture Under-secretary Kalliopi Bourdara, the Greek Library of Rome has been provided with encyclopaedias and a large number of literary, historic and cultural books. The chairman of the committee for the establishment of the library, Dr. Francesco Gligora, said this initiative would substantially contribute to the development of Greek-Italian relations and the library would soon become the reference point for Greek studies in Rome.