From: miltos@nfl2.irc.nrc.ca
Subject: News (in ENGLISH)- Mon, 15 Nov 1993 (Greek Press Office BBS, Ottawa).

	Tirana, 15/11/93(ANA-K.Christodoulou/Vichos/Reuters)-Greek-Albanian
talks are on a good course, Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias
said after a meeting with his Albanian counterpart Alfred
Serreqi during his first day of talks in Tirana yesterday. The
two ministers focused their discussion on bilateral and
international issues, particularly on the situation in the
Balkans and the Yugoslav crisis. Following the meeting, Mr
Papoulias said the talks, expected to conclude today, "have
entered a good course". Mr Papoulias described his visit to
Tirana as especially useful at a critical period for the Balkan
peninsula and at the dawn of a new period in Greek-Albanian
relations. "As neighbouring peoples we have common interests and
side by side we have lived for many centuries", Mr Papoulias
told Mr Serreqi. "We have fought together many times and I think
that this historic conscience of both peoples will help overcome
existing obstacles and open a new sector of co-operation for the
achievement of common interests and contribution to peace in the
Balkan peninsula", he added. Expressing optimism for the results
of the talks, Mr Serreqi described Mr Papoulias' visit to Tirana
as "a test for good will which constitutes a new milestone in
Greek-Albanian relations". 

	Meanwhile, sources told the ANA talks were very important as
they introduced a new phase in Greek-Albanian relations. The
same sources said the two parties also discussed the
establishment of a joint inter-ministerial committee to deal
with economic issues, for the founding of which Alternate
National Economy Minister Yiannos Papantoniou is expected to
visit Tirana soon. The issue of the Greek minority's rights was
also discussed at the meeting which decided the establishment of
a special committee to deal with educational issues concerning
the minority. The meeting also decided the establishment of
special committees to deal with the issue of Albanian illegal
immigrants to Greece as well as issues of military co-operation.

	According to a Reuters dispatch, an Albanian spokesman said Mr
Papoulias and his Albanian counterpart were both optimistic that
better relations between the two countries could be forged. "The
talks held on Sunday indicated a new development in
Albanian-Greek relations", Albanian Foreign Ministry spokesman
Ramazan Hysa told journalists. He said the talks covered the
rights of Albania's Greek minority, estimated at 400,000 by
Athens, as well as the problem of illegal Albanian immigrants in
Greece. Relations between Tirana and Athens became increasingly
strained after Albania's Stalinist regime crumbled in 1990,
ending nearly, 50 years of isolation. Since then as many as
300,000 Albanians have fled their impoverished country across
the rugged mountain border into Greece where they work.
Relations plummeted last June after Albania expelled a Greek
Orthodox priest, accusing him of fomenting separatism among the
ethnic Greeks of southern Albania. Yesterday, Mr Papoulias was
also expected to have separate meetings with representatives
from the ethnic Greek Omonia party, the Human Rights Union of
the Socialist and Socialdemocratic party, the Democratic
Co-operation, and also with Archbishop of Albania, Anastasios.
Today, Mr Papoulias is scheduled to meet with Albanian President
Sali Berisha and Prime Minister Alexander Meksi. Mr Papoulias
and Mr Serreqi are also due to hold a joint press conference
today. According to sources, the ministers will announce at the
conference a series of initiatives designed to smooth and
develop Greek-Albanian relations. The Greek delegation is
expected to return later today. 


	Split, 15/11/93(ANA-K.Christodoulou)-- Foreign Minister Karolos
Papoulias told journalists yesterday he expected to meet with
Bosnian Moslem leader Alija Izetbegovic this week. Mr Papoulias
was due to meet Mr Izetbegovic on Saturday but his visit was
cancelled after a special aircraft, scheduled to fly the Greek
minister from Split to Sarajevo, did not appear. Nevertheless,
Mr Papoulias held a meeting at the Split airport with Croatian
Foreign Minister Mate Granic, who was returning from Sarajevo.
Mr Granic's effort to hold a meeting with Mr Izetbegovic while
in Sarajevo had failed. Turkish Foreign Minister Hikmet Cetin
also failed to see Mr Izetbegovic in Sarajevo. 


	Athens, 15/11/93(ANA)--Greece said yesterday that Italy's
intention to forge diplomatic ties with the Former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia would act as a destabilising factor in the
Balkans. "In every circumstances it is evident that the
diplomatic practice of states and particularly those of the
European Community should contribute to the maintenance of
stability and peace in the Balkans and should not encourage
provocative and historically unfounded claims," government
spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said. He was replying to statement
by Italian Foreign Minister Beniamino Andreatta that Italy was
prepared to recognise the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
on a diplomatic level within the next few days. Italy recognised
the country as an independent state in April, soon after it was
admitted to the United Nations under the temporary name Former
Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Greece has been blocking
international recognition of the new state, saying its use of
the name 'Macedonia' or any other derivatives conceal
territorial claims on Greece's northern province of the same
name. Greece and the former Yugoslav republic have been involved
in UN-sponsored talks to resolve the name dispute, but Athens'
newly-elected socialist government recently lambasted Skopje for
its "continued intransigence". "The Greek government is not
willing to permit the Skopje government to continue deceiving
international public opinion as it does not have the slightest
intention of co-operating for a peaceful resolution of the
dispute", Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias said in a letter to
the UN chief earlier this month. He pointed out in the
three-page letter that continuation of UN-sponsored talks hinged
on Skopje changing its obstinate stance and meeting a list of
criteria. These include ceasing its hostile propaganda,
abandoning claims to national Greek emblems and dropping demands
to use the name 'Macedonia' or any of its derivatives. 


	Athens, 15/11/93(ANA)--Culture Minister Melina Merkouri and
alternate minister Thanos Mikroutsikos yesterday visited
Thessaloniki to discuss preparations for Thessaloniki 's
European Cultural Capital events, to be held in 1997.
"Thessaloniki and the preparations for (its assumption of)
Cultural Capital are the first priority of the government", Ms
Mercouri said. Ms Mercouri and Mr Mikroutsicos visited the
restored neo-classical house which serves as headquarters for
the organising committee for the 1997 events, and met with the
executive committee. Ms Mercouri said it had been "a great
achievement for Thessaloniki to be selected as Cultural Capital
of Europe" and promised that she would immediately authorise the
release of 500 million Dr for infrastructure works, criticising
the 20-month delay in the disbursement of the funds. "If the
money is not delivered (to the organising committee) by the end
of the year it will return to the Finance Ministry", Ms Mercouri
said. Mr Mikroutsicos said the responsibility for the works and
preparations lay with the Thessaloniki Municipality adding that
the ministry would take a co-ordinating role. According to 

Ms Mercouri, Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou will announce in
the next few days the ministers which will comprise the
committee overseeing preparations. It is expected that Ms
Mercouri will be among the three ministers on the committee. 

	Athens,15/11/93(ANA)--Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou is to
have a series of crucial meetings as of today, mainly on the
country's national issues. Mr Papandreou will be received today
at noon by President Constantine Karamanlis to discuss the
progress of the economy as well as current political
developments. Today at noon, Cyprus President Glafcos Clerides
is arriving on an official visit. He will meet the prime
minister tomorrow for a discussion on the progress of the Cyprus
problem. President Clerides will also have meetings with
President Karamanlis and the leaders of political parties. On
Wednesday, Mr Papandreou will have a meeting with New Democracy
leader Miltiadis Evert, a meeting which will constitute a
turning point on opposition practice in recent years. 


	Athens, 15/11/93(ANA)--Government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos
said yesterday that the arrival of Cyprus President Glafcos
Clerides in Athens today and his meeting with Premier Andreas
Papandreou tomorrow was viewed by the government as a working
visit of particular importance. "The positions of both
governments form a framework of co-operation which allows for
the best possible promotion of our national issue at all
levels", he said. 


	Athens, 15/11/93(ANA)--Culture Minister Melina Mercouri
yesterday described the GATT agreement as the darkest hour in
European film-making. "The darkest point in European
cinematography is the GATT agreement which treats film-making
like merchandise not as cultural or spiritual work", Ms Mercouri
told a press conference yesterday in Thessaloniki. She was
speaking in view of preparations for the 100th anniversary of
European cinematography, to be celebrated in 1995. President of
the European Council Committee for the 100 years of
Cinematography, Jean Deer was also present at the conference. At
the conference, which was held at the conclusion of the 34th
Thessaloniki Film Festival, Ms Mercouri announced that film
critic Yannis Bakoyannopoulos had been appointed advisor on
cinematography. Alternate Culture Minister Thanos Mikroutsicos
said the appointment of a film advisor showed "the direct
interest of the ministry to launch an offensive on the issue of
Greek film-making". Ms Mercouri further announced that the
Culture Ministry would proceed very soon to solve problems
pending for Greek film making and finance a selection of Greek
movies. 


	Athens,15/11/93(ANA)--The International Federation of Film
Critics (FIPRESCI) yesterday named Sotiris Goritsa's "From the
Snow" the best Greek movie of the year. The international panel
of critics also voted Taiwan director Ping Ho's "18" as the best
foreign film. The awards were announced at the 34th Thessaloniki
Film Festival. 


	Athens, 15/11/93(ANA)--New Democracy leader Miltiadis Evert
announced his decisions for the reorganisation of the party and
parliamentary mechanism of New Democracy last night, appointing
former national defence minister Ioannis Varvitsiotis alternate
president of the party and vice president of its executive
committee. According to the decisions taken by Mr Evert:
Athanasios Tsaldaris is appointed head of ND relations with
other parties and chairman of the committee of the party's code
of ethics; Achilleas Karamanlis is appointed chairman of the
organisation of the party congress; Athanasios Kanellopoulos
secretary general of the parliamentary group and co-ordinator of
parliamentary representatives and the secretariat of the
parliamentary group; Aristidis Kalantzakos alternate secretary
of parliamentary group assisted by deputies Yannis Homatas,
Yannis Stathopoulos and Nontas Zafiropoulos; George Souflias,
Dimitris Sioufas and Theodoros Anagnostopoulos are appointed
parliamentary representatives. Other appointments include:
Professor Yannis Vartholomeos, director general of New Democracy
and Nikos Balios, director of the party leader's political
bureau.