From: zarros@turing.scs.carleton.ca (Theodoros Sp. Zarros) Subject: News (in ENGLISH)- Tue, 7 Dec 1993 (Greek Press Office BBS, Ottawa). Athens News Agency bulletin, December 7, 1993 Athens,7/12/93 (ANA) - Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou will raise the issue of recognition of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) at the European Union Summit in Brussels on December 10-11, government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said yesterday. He added the government had taken this decision in view of developments in the past ten days, referring to efforts by a number of Greece's EU partners to establish diplomatic relations with Skopje. "It will be a good opportunity to detail and make clear Greece's positions, while stressing the importance of Community solidarity and the principles of a joint (EU) foreign policy as provided for in the Maastricht Treaty", Mr Venizelos said. The Premier will raise the Skopje issue at the summit talks, at an official dinner and during private meetings with other European leaders, including German Chancellor Helmut Kohl. Responding to press questions, the spokesman said Greece did not regard the Skopje issue as part of the Yugoslav crisis. He described the neighbouring state as an "artificial creation". The spokesman reiterated Greece's position, that it will not recognise a state on its northern border with the name "Macedonia" or any derivative, adding Athens viewed the name issue as non-negotiable. "The Greek side is awaiting concrete indications from Skopje, that it will move away from intransigence and provocation", Mr Venizeloss said. Replying to other questions, the spokesman said Mr Papandreou would be accompanied by Alternate Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos, who would also take part in the European Council meeting. Meanwhile Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias yesterday told EU Foreign Ministers in Brussels, the Greek government's position remained steadfast on the issue of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), confirming a diplomatic offensive by Greece on the FYROM issue was curently under way. Referring to an intention by certain Community countries to establish diplomatic representations in FYROM, Mr Papoulias seemed to rely greatly on pressure currently exerted by Greece on such countries, in the hope it might prevent them from implementing their intention for the time being. Mr Papoulias linked the issue of EC states' establishing diplomatic relations with FYROM, with solidarity Community partners should show among themselves. "Should they establish diplomatic representations, they would be running coutner to Community solidarity, and alienate the feeling of the Greek people", Mr Papoulias said. According to diplomatic sources, this steadfast position by Athens makes Greece's parners exceptionally sceptical on whether or not they should conclude diplomatic relations with FYROM at present. An additional factor enhancing Greek positions is that Community partners have come to realise Greece is the sole country capable of guaranteeing FYROM's stability and, on the strength of this, the Greek government is trying to convince its partners not to repeat the mistakes they have made in the past, in recognising certain former Yugoslav republics - recognitions that account for the present bloodshed in Bosnia. According to the sources, Athens now expects FYROM's President Kiro Gligorov to show goodwill, as Greece will not back away from its positions, since time and the oncoming heavy winter favour Greek positions. Mr GLigorov should finally come to realise Athens seriously believes in what it says, the sources said. Speaking to reporters on his arrival to Athens yesterday, Mr Papoulias said he had discussed the Skopje issue at private meetings with European foreign ministers. "The Skopje issue was not raised during the European Union Foreign Ministers' meeting in Brussels, but I had the opportunity to discuss it in private meetings with my European counterparts", Mr Papoulias said. He added that Greece's partners in the EU were now reconsidering their plans to establish diplimatic missions in Skopje. "Our partners in the European Union are now thinking it two and, may be, three times over", Mr Papoulias said. Turning to the Yugoslav crisis, Mr Papoulias said there were now good prospects for the initiative of the Twelve on the Yugoslav crisis. Treating as a good omen the fact that the initiative of the Twelve, which began in Geneva last week, was still sustained, Mr Papoulias said he expected "good and positive results in the next few days". Mr Papoulias said he was going to meet with Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou to brief him on the results of his trip and his contacts before the latter leaves Greece for the European Union Summit in Brussels on December 10,11. --- Bonn will recognise Skopje under the name of "Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), German Consul General Hans Juliut Bolt said yesterday. "We will go ahead and recognise Skopje, but we will not be the first to do so, as Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia", Mr Bolt told Minister for Macedonia-Thrace Constantine Triarides during a courtesy visit. Apart from the Skopje issue, topics concerning German nationals residing in Northern Greece and Greek immigrants in Germany were also discussed. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Mr Triarides said Mr Bolt had told him that Bonn did not wish Athens to feel Germany was maintaining a hostile stance towards Greece. Mr Bolt also underlined that Germany would not be the first country to recognise Skopje, and that when recognition was eventually extended, it would recognise the state only as FYROM. --- Although Political Spring leade Antonis Samaras yesterday expressed satisfaction at Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou's decision to raise the Skopje issue at the European Union Summit, in Brussels on December 10-11, he went on to blame the government for "inaction", "lack of strategy" and "being at a loss". Athens, 7/12/93 (ANA) - Representatives of the Panhellenic Federation of Foreign Language Private Preparatory Schools yesterday denounced publishing firms in Britain and Germany for anti-Greek propaganda. They reported British Longman and Macmillan companies of publishing the Photo Dictionary Longman book with a map showeing Crete, Cyprus and the Dodecaneese as belonging to Turkey, and covered with Turkish colours. In a book "Reading fo Adults" by the same publishing firm, Greece and Macedonia are teated as two different nations. Moreover, German Hubert and Klet companies published books containing maps naming the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) "Macedonia". The preparatory school owners said they requested explanations from the publishing fimrs which replied that the books had withdrawn and new, corrected versions published. Education Minister Dimitris Fatouros said he had ordered an enquiry into the issue, while a representation of the Longman publishing firm visited him, acknowledging that there had been mistakes and historical inaccuracies. They promised to withdraw the books from the Greek market for necessary corrections to be made and historical truth to be restored. New York, 7/12/93 (ANA - M.Georgiadou) - Greece seeks steady and sound co-operation with the U.S. both on a bilateral level and, of course, in a wider sense, is Premier Andreas Papandreou's message which Foreign Under-secretary George Papandreou will deliver to U.S. President Bill Clinton. Speaking to the press on Sunday, Mr Papandreou quoted the premier as saying in his message. "I wish to convey our anxiety over our major national issues and a desire for upgrading Greece's role in the Balkans. Greece seeks steady and sound co-operation with the U.S. both on a bilateral level and, of course, in a wider sense, in fields where our targets are identical: peace and co-operation, economic development, support and protection for human rights, the inviolability of borders and encouragement of democratic institutions". Referring to the U.S. stance toward Greece's positions on the Balkans and the issue of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), the Foreign Under-secretary said: "Being the only European Community member-state in the Balkans, Greece believes it has first say on matters relating to the region, and expects its partners to honour its geographical position and its political volition. We are, therefore, often entitled to criticise our partners for unilateral actions. The target of our aims is for Europe and the U.S. to adopt our views after substantive dialogue". "I believe that Greece has a very important and stabilising role to play in the Balkans, contribute to establishing a common policy which sould also be adopted by the European Union and the U.S. with common targets on pacification, growth and the gradual admission of various economies to the region of international economy, strengthening democracy, safeguarding human rights and guaranteeing the inviolability of borders", Mr papandreou said. "I belive a positive atmosphere exists in the U.S. regarding our positions. As conditions have presently changed throughout the world, new directions have emerged which are identical on the whole, both for Greece and the U.S. I do not see why we should not lay a special imprint on co-operation between Greece end the U.S. on such targets", he concluded. The foreign Under-secretary also referred to the two important matters for Greeks abroad, referred to by Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou in his policy statements, namely creation of a "parliament of Hellenism" and operation of satelite TV. He further called on Greeks abroad to continue working united on national issues, regardless of political or partisan affiliation. --- Mr Panadreou yesterday delivered Archbishop of North and South America Iakovos an invitation by Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou for an official visit to Greece. The Foreign Under-secretary will give a reception in honour of Boston's Greek community tomorrow night. Former U.S. presidential candidate Michael Doukakis will attend. Mr Papandreou was scheduled to meet with representatives of leading Greek societies and organisations in New York yesterday afternoon. Athens, 7/12/93 (ANA) - The government does not intend to ask Alternate Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos to resign, Government spokesman told the press yesterday. The "Pangalos issue is virtually non-existent for the government", Mr Venizelos said. New Democracy Deputy and former minister Ioannis Varvitsiotis and Political Spring leader Antonis Samaras on Saturday called on Mr Pangalos to submit his resignation, following Mr Pangalos' TV statement the Skopje name issue was "a lost cause for Greece". Mr Pangalos replied yesterday from Brussels, where he attends an EC Foreign Ministers meeting, he did not intend to resign. "I will dissapoint them. I do not intend to resign", he told reporters, adding that he thought the deputies' request was "a little too much". He added Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou whom, he said, he had contacted many times since his controversial statements, did not intend to ask for his resignation. "If he did I would have known", the Minister said. Turning to the Skopje issue, and the possible establishment of diplomatic missions there by a number Community countries including Italy and France, Mr Pangalos said "we wish they didn't". Mr Pangalos said that establishment of diplomatic representations in Skopje would not "facilitate the effort to solve the problem". "By aggravating Greek public opinion and making the Skopje leadership more audacious they do not help towards a settlement of the problem", Mr Pangalos said. "Establishing diplomatic missions in Skopje is tantamount to endorsing Skopje's attitude", Mr Pangalos said, adding Community countries , should instead, help in resolving the problem through apositive contribution on the border and the flag issues. Bonn, 7/12 (ANA - P. Stangos) - A German diplomatic source yesterday told Greek journalists in Bonn, that the German Federal government was demanding "satisfactory explanations, and not just any sort of apology" from Greece, for a recent statement by Alternate Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos on Germany. The course added a report alleging the German side had called for Mr Pangalos' dismissal, was a figment of the imagination without, however, concealing the German government's strong dissatisfaction, which still lingered at both at the Foreign Ministry and the Chancery. A German Foreign Ministry spokesman, commenting on the subject, said "the form of 'anticipated satisfactory explantions' is a matter for the Greek side, our Greek friends to decide". The spokesman praised the German Ambassador to Athens, leopold Bill von Bredow", for improving the climate created by last week's drastic silence of the German Foreign Ministry following the Ambassador's statement after meeting with Mr Pangalos, that the matter was closed.