From: zarros@turing.scs.carleton.ca (Theodoros Sp. Zarros)
Subject: News (in ENGLISH)- Wed, 24 Nov 1993 (Greek Press Office BBS, Ottawa).

Athens, 24/11/1993 (ANA): Greece desires relations of "good
neighbourliness and co-operation" with Israel, Prime Minister
Andreas Papandreou said yesterday, following a 30-minute
meeting with visiting Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres.
Mr. Peres said that relations between the two countries had
gone through difficult times but that there were now no
differences. The talks focused on the Middle East peace
process and bilateral issues which Mr. Peres discussed in
detail in meetings with Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias and
Alternate Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos. Mr. Papandreou
described the course towards peace in the Middle East as "an
achievement" and expressed the hope that the process would be
completed soon. 
"The Israeli foreign minister's assurance that the peace process
will not stop bears a great significance for Greece. We are
awaiting (the conclusion of this procedure), and we wish that
this procedure will conclude soon", Mr. Papandreou said. Mr.
Peres said that Greece could play an important role in the
region in view of its assumption of the European Community
presidency in January. Asked whether he would meet with PLO
leader Yasser Arafat who is due in Athens today, Mr. Peres
replied: "No such meeting has been scheduled but we are in
continuous contact (with Mr. Arafat) and when there is a need
to meet, we do so. There would be nothing unusual about having 
such a meeting". Mr. Peres also had talks yesterday with
Alternate Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos. According to
informed sources, the talks focused on relations between the
EC and Israel in view of Greece's assumption of the Community
presidency in January.  

Mr. Peres met with his Greek counterpart Karolos Papoulias late
last night to discuss Greek-Israeli relations. "The PASOK
government is opening a new chapter in relations between
Greece nd Israel", Mr. Papoulias told the press after the
meeting. He aid an agreement on cultural and scientific co-operation was
also decided at the meeting and would be signed by the two
countries. "Both countries have pledged to act towards peace and
development in the Middle East as both our people are parts of
the same history and share a common sea and a common future",
Mr. Peres said. Asked whether Greece would assume a mediating
role to help normalise relations between Israel and Syria, Mr.
Peres said: "We found Greece prepared to play a role in the
pacification procedure in the region. We are satisfied and we
encourage Greece in its effort to build bridges". The Israeli
foreign minister also referred to Greece's assumption of the
six-month EC rotating presidency in January, adding that the
European Community would "play an important role in the peace
process in the Middle East". The meeting was followed by a
reception also attended by National Defence Minister Gerasimos
Arsenis and Foreign Under-secretary George Papandreou.     
Mr. Peres also met with former Prime Minister Constantine
Mitsotakis. Mr. Mitsotakis said relations between Greece and
Israel had been normalised under the New Democracy government
and expressed his satisfaction that this policy was now
acceptable to all political parties in Greece. Mr. Mitsotakis
added that Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) Chairman
Yasser Arafat's visit to Athens provided the right opportunity
for Greece to show the same desire to normalise relations and
implement the same policy towards the Palestinians as it has
done towards the Israelis. 


Athens 24/11/1993 (ANA): Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres
said yesterday that a lasting peace in the Middle East could be
achieved only through economic co-operation among states in the
region. "If we want lasting peace, then like in Europe we need a
Middle East economic community", Mr. Peres told a joint press
conference with Alternate Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos in
Athens. "If we only reach political agreements we will have
achieved too little". He added that Israel hoped to meet its
December 13 deadline for its withdrawal from the Gaza strip and
Jericho. "We hope to be on time. These are unprecedented
negotiations going on, but we are making progress", he said. His
statement, made during a two-day visit here, came as Israeli and
PLO representatives resumed secret talks in Cairo to discuss the
details of the Israeli pullout. Under a historic PLO-Israeli
agreement signed in Washington in September, the Jewish state is
to begin withdrawing from the densely-populated,
poverty-stricken Gaza strip and the small West Bank town of
Jericho in three weeks. The handing over the regions to
Palestinian administration is due to be completed by April 13.
Defying popular discontent over the historic agreement, Mr.
Peres said his government was determined to go ahead with the
peace process, opting for a comprehensive settlement of the
Arab-Israeli conflict. "We are on the course of peace without
yet seeing the fruits of it. There are opposing forces trying to
kill the peace process, but we are determined to go ahead. We
will try to reduce violence and stand up against violations",
he said. 

     On efforts to break a year-long deadlock in talks with Syria,
Mr. Peres said Israel was trying to "widen the channels of 
negotiation". Syria insists on total Israeli withdrawal from the
Golan Heights, a region captured in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.
Israel will not say how much land it will return unless Syria
says whether it accepts full peace including trade and
embassies. Mr. Peres said consecutive peace agreements with
Syria, Jordan and Lebanon were necessary for the "re-building of
a new Middle East". "We are working on two tracks. The first is
aimed at resolving the conflicts of the past and the other
aims at building a new Middle East on new assumptions", he said. 

     Mr. Pangalos told the press that Greece supported the
Israeli-PLO accord and would work to provide European Community 
economic assistance when Greece assumed the six-month EC
rotating presidency in January. "We are ready to help", he said.
"We have decided to take common action in the framework of joint
foreign policy. We are also considering all possible means to
achieve a peaceful settlement with the other countries involved
(Syria and Lebanon) in the Middle East conflict". The meeting
also discussed Community funding to the Palestinians in order to
contribute to development in Gaza and Jericho. The Community aid
is estimated at 90 million ECU according to a September decision
of the European Community Finance Ministers Council (ECOFIN).
The funding will be allocated to a series of infrastructural
works in Jericho and the Gaza Strip especially in the sectors of
education and health as well as the establishment of joint
ventures. 


     Athens, 24/11/1993 (ANA): PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat arrives in
Athens today on an official visit. Prime Minister Andreas
Papandreou will welcome Mr. Arafat at the airport which will be
followed by the Palestinian leader's meeting with Archbishop of
Athens and all Greece Serapheim at the Foreign Ministry. At
noon, Mr. Arafat will have a meeting with President Constantine
Karamanlis, followed by an official luncheon hosted in Mr.
Arafat's honour by Mr. Papandreou. Mr. Arafat will hold
consecutive meetings with main opposition New Democracy party
leader Miltiades Evert, Political Spring leader Antonis Samaras,
Communist Party of Greece (KKE) leader Aleka Paparriga and
representatives of the business world. He will also meet House
Speaker Apostolos Kaklamanis and attend a dinner given by
Interior Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos in the evening. 


     Athens, 24/11/1993 (ANA): Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou had
talks yesterday with India's Ambassador to Greece Aftap Seth on
bilateral relations and regional and international developments.
Mr. Papandreou and Mr. Seth exchanged views on developments in
the Balkans and the Indian envoy briefed the premier on
developments in the Indian sub-continent. An Indian Embassy
source said that Mr. Papandreou expressed his determination to
give fresh impetus to the excellent relations between Athens and
New Delhi. Mr. Papandreou and Mr. Seth also discussed ways to
expand bilateral economic and cultural co-operation. It was
decided during Mr. Seth's courtesy call that the joint
Greek-Indian committee be convened in May. 


     Athens, 24/11/1993 (ANA): Minister to the Prime Minister's
Office Anastasios Peponis has circulated a draft public
administration bill which provides for the establishment of a
watchdog body to monitor appointments in the public sector. The
interior, national economy, labour, energy and technology and
transport and communications ministries, as well as
under-secretaries to the premier's office including the press
under-secretary, will consider the bill. According to the draft
law, a Supreme Council of Staff Selection (SCSS) will report to
the Prime Minister and the House speaker in March every year
analysing the council's work and listing the number of employees
hired during the previous year. The appointments concern public
services, legal entities of public law, local administration
organisations, state corporations and organisations and legal
entities of private law which the state either owns or
subsidises. The bill, which attempts to establish meritocracy in
the public service and end cronyism, has also been sent to the
Civil Servants' Supreme Administrative Council (ADEDY), the
General Confederation of Workers of Greece (GSEE), the Central
Union of Greek Municipalities and Communities (KEDKE) and the
Panhellenic Federation of Short-Term Civil Servants (POED),
calling on them to communicate any observations and proposals as
soon as possible. Mr. Peponis said contacts on the bill will
begin immediately. 


     Athens, 24/11/1993 (ANA): Foreign Under-secretary George
Papandreou is due to arrive in Cyprus today on a three-day
official visit to hold meetings with government officials and
participate in a symposium on "Hellenism in the 21st century",
organised by the Cyprus Research Centre (KYKEM). Mr. Papandreou
told a press conference yesterday that his trip to Cyprus was
the first in his capacity as under-secretary and reflected the
need for closer co-operation between Greece and Cyprus. "The aim
is to benefit from the international climate, especially after
the developments in the Middle East and the increased
sensitivity displayed by overseas Greeks in the past few years,
to promote the Cyprus problem on an international level", Mr.
Papandreou told a press conference. Mr. Papandreou clarified
that the handling of the Cyprus problem was not his immediate
responsibility but was indirectly related to his line of work as
he is responsible for Greek-American relations. Mr. Papandreou
will pay an official visit to the United States early December. 


Athens, 24/11/1993 (ANA): Public Order Minister Stelios
Papathemelis said yesterday that while, on the political side,
the case of the two US diplomats had closed, the government
would re-examine co-operation with the US on these issues.
"The case has closed politically, with the premier's statement.
Given this, we are reconsidering the 'chapter' of co-operation with
the US on such matters and will re-examine the practices
followed by the previous government on co-operation (with the
US) on such matters", Mr. Papandreou told reporters. The two
US diplomats were arrested in Athens Tuesday last week and
released the same night. The Greek police had simply done its job in
arresting the two Americans, the minister said. "The US
ambassador pledged that such an incident would not recur ...
the issue had a politico-diplomatic aspect and has ended here.
Similar things happened between the US and the USSR during
their period of tension and they were ended with similar
statements", he said.