From: zarros@turing.scs.carleton.ca (Theodoros Sp. Zarros) Subject: News (in ENGLISH)- Tue, 18 Jan 1994 (Greek Press Office BBS, Ottawa). Athens News Agency Bulletin, Athens, 18/1/1994 (ANA): Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou said yesterday dialogue with Skopje might resume and prove useful, only if the neighbouring state abandoned its aggressiveness. Speaking to reporters after meeting with President Constantine Karamanlis, Mr. Papandreou said Skopje aggressiveness was blatantly manifested in certain sections of its Constitution reflecting irredentist designs, its propaganda against Greece and use of Greek symbols. Mr. Papandreou added dialogue would include the issue of the neighbouring state's name, and not imply recognition under the name 'Macedonia' or any derivative. "This does not mean we have changed our position", Mr. Papandreou said, "since we remain firm in the attitude of not accepting 'Macedonia' or any derivative as the neighbouring state's name. We hope, however, we will convince them that it is in their own interest to use another name". The prime minister reiterated Greece had no territorial claims against Skopje and its economic viability depended on Greece. Mr. Papandreou said he was handling the Skopje issue personally in co-operation with Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias. Athens, 18/1/1994 (ANA): "There have been no secret contacts between Greece and Skopje, and no 'behind the scenes' facet to Greek diplomacy", government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said yesterday, renewing Greece's insistence on concrete examples of goodwill on the part of Skopje. Gligorov (Skopje President Kiro) "arrears to acknowledge the particular importance to Skopje of having good relations with Greece", the spokesman remarked. Mr. Venizelos told questioners U.N. mediator Cyrus Vance had not been in contact with the Greek side on the issue of dialogue between Athens and Skopje. He confirmed Greece's permanent representative at the U.N. Antonis Exarchos had met with Mr. Vance, remarking the meeting fell within the framework of Mr. Exarchos' normal duties. Replying to press questions later, Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias clarified that the meeting had taken place because Mr. Vance wanted "further confirmation" of Greece's positions on the Skopje issue. Skopje, 18/1/1994 (ANA - M. Vihou): The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) yesterday denied there were any talks currently between Skopje and Athens on differences between the two countries. "Dialogue, which began in New York, through mediation by United Nations negotiator Cyrus Vance, was called off during the Greek elections and, unfortunately, has not resumed", a FYROM Foreign Ministry statement said yesterday. "However, 'The 'Republic of Macedonia' is interested in continuing negotiations with Greece, acknowledging this as the only real way to solve problems that weigh heavily on relations between the two neighbouring countries". Athens, 18/1/1994 (ANA): Main opposition New Democracy party criticised the government for incoherence over the issue of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) in a statement yesterday. The statement stressed ND referred to statements by government members only, adding it declined to comment on Premier Andreas Papandreou's statement after his meeting with President Karamanlis. "ND calls on the Greek people to merely read carefully today's statements by the Prime Minister and what was said by government members in recent days, to realise and assess government incoherence", the statement said. Athens, 18/1/1994 (ANA): Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias said that Greece's "very good" relations with Australia were further improving after conferring with visiting Australian counterpart Gareth John Evans yesterday. During the 90-minute meeting, which focused on bilateral and international issues, Mr. Papoulias briefed Mr. Evans on the crisis in former Yugoslavia, the Skopje issue and the Cyprus problem. Mr. Evans told reporters it was part of Australian government police to maintain contact and have talks with each presidency of the European Union, currently held by Greece. He said Australia was particularly interested in developing economic ties with the European Union in all sectors. Mr. Evans expressed the belief that during Greece's six-month presidency, there would be "positive results" in the entire range of bilateral relations. He underlined that approximately 500,000 Greeks living in Australia "under very good economic conditions" constituted a link binding the two countries. Earlier, Mr. Evans had talks with Alternate Foreign Minister Theodore Pangalos. The two men discussed Australia's relations with the European Union, and ascertained they were at a very good level with respect to both the economic sector and political dialogue. The meeting was held in the context of the political dialogue between Australia and the EU. The two men discussed Australian exports and EU enlargement, particularly quotas toward the EFTA (European Free Trade Association) countries, as well as institutional matters and the "White Paper". A representative of the European Commission also attended the hour-long meeting. Mr. Evans leaves for Addis Ababa this morning. Athens, 18/1/1994 (ANA): President Constantine Karamanlis yesterday conferred with Premier Andreas Papandreou on results of his (Mr. Papandreou's) contacts with US President Clinton on the sidelines of the recent NATO summit in Brussels. The meeting was "very interesting and substantive" and included economic and other domestic issues, Mr. Papandreou told the press. Athens, 18/1/1994 (ANA): Visiting international mediators Lord Owen and Thorvald Stoltenberg yesterday completed talks with Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias on ways of ending the conflict in Bosnia. Shortly before departing, Lord Owen was asked what option Greece preferred for resolving the Skopje issue. The mediator replied that in his opinion, Greece preferred the procedure of direct contact, but did not rule out a U.N.-sponsored procedure. Commenting on Mr. Owen's statement, Mr. Papoulias said "that is Mr. Owen's assessment". Greece's position on the Skopje issue is well known, "we are waiting for examples of goodwill on the part of (Skopje President Kiro) Gligorov", Mr. Papoulias added. Mr. Papoulias said that the Skopje issue had not been discussed with Lord Owen and Mr. Stoltenberg. Athens, 18/1/1994 (ANA): A visit by Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias to the United States is considered "almost certain", government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said yesterday in reply to press questions. "What remains is the setting of the date", he added. Mr. Venizelos said Mr. Papoulias would also possibly visit the capitals of the countries involved in the Bosnia crisis. Athens, 18/1/1994 (ANA): Us General Army Staff Chief Gordon Sullivan will pay an official visit to Athens on January 19-20, at the invitation of his Greek counterpart. General Sullivan will meet with political and military leaders at the National Defence Ministry, visit military units and tour archaeological sites. Athens, 18/1/1994 (ANA): Alternate National Minister Yiannos Papantoniou will meet with Albanian president Sali Berisha in Tirana, tomorrow. Mr. Papantoniou, who begins a three-day visit to Albania today, will hold talks on the entire range of bilateral economic relations, including trade, co-operation in the sectors of agriculture and industry, and Greek private business investments in Albania, which are subsidised by the Greek State. The two sides will also examine prospects of developing co-operation in the banking sector (through credit facilities, Greek banking presence in Albania, and agreement on banking and transport, in conjunction with prospects of financing road works of common interest in the context of the European Union's INTERREG and PHARE programmes. Further, prospects of co-operation in the energy and hydro-economy will be discussed, as well as EU-Albanian relations and providing technical assistance to Albania at bilateral and EU level. Greece is also assisting Albania in institutional matters, e.g. providing training to Albanian Commercial Attaches. In addition, speeding negotiations for an agreement on avoiding double taxation will be discussed. Mr. Papantoniou is accompanied by Secretary General for International Economic Relations Y. Kandalepas and other officials. Athens, 18/1/1994 (ANA): National Defence Minister Gerasimos Arsenis yesterday met with visiting Armenian counterpart Vasken Sarkisian. The two ministers discussed international developments. Athens, 18/1/1994 (ANA): Alternate Foreign Minister Theodore Pangalos leaves today for Strasbourg to present the programme of the Greek presidency of the European Union to the plenary of the European parliament. During his stay in Strasbourg, Mr. Pangalos will meet with President of the European Parliament Egon Klepsch. On Thursday, Mr. Pangalos will fly to Finland for a series of contacts with the President and government officials on enlargement of the European Union. In the evening, Mr. Pangalos will arrive in Sweden for contacts with government officials and then to Norway before he returns to Greece. Athens, 18/1/1994 (ANA): Alternate Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos yesterday chaired the first session of the Interministerial Committee focusing on issues-related to European Union policies. Mr. Pangalos told the press that the committee also discussed the White paper on development, competitiveness and unemployment, the rights of the European Union citizen, immigration and illegal migration and the right to asylum, and issues related to the Maastricht Treaty. Yesterday's meeting was the first of a series to address Greece's Community policy and European Union issues. Athens, 18/1/1994 (ANA): The European Union Political Committee began a two-day meeting on the 12-member bloc's foreign policy and security, in Athens yesterday. Government sources said items on the agenda include the Yugoslav crisis, the situation in Russia and Middle East peace efforts. The meeting is chaired by Ambassador Pavlos Apostolides of Greece, which holds the rotating presidency of EU. Athens, 18/1/1994 (ANA): Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou said yesterday Greece had the right to drill for oil "anywhere it deems fit" in the Aegean, not merely within its own territorial waters. Mr. Papandreou said since the Aegean islands had a continental shelf each, as stipulated in the Geneva Treaty, "Greece has the right to drill anywhere it deems fit, not merely within its own territorial waters". Speaking after conferring with President Constantine Karamanlis, Mr. Papandreou said what Greece would actually do was another matter, adding Athens had no reason to exacerbate its relations with Ankara, as the latter had done "in a misleading effort" prompted by domestic considerations. Mr. Papandreou noted that the Aegean continental shelf had not been defined and, for that reason, Greece wanted the issue to be referred to the International Court of Justice at The Hague. The government said last Thursday it was exploring for oil in Greek territorial waters, in accordance with its sovereign rights. Turkish President Suleiman Demirel had said earlier that a dispute between would arise between the two countries, if exploration extended beyond Thassos island, and was carried out in parts of the continental shelf. Athens, 18/1/1994 (ANA): Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Vartholomeos, will visit Thessaloniki and other ten Greek cities in May, in his first tour of Greece since his accession to the Ecumenical Throne of Constantinople. Patriarch Vartholomeos made the announcement to a special committee headed by Thessaloniki mayor Constantine Kosmopoulos, who visited him recently Istanbul to seek support for work related to proclaiming Thessaloniki as Cultural Capital of Europe in 1997. The Patriarch recalled the indissoluble links connecting the Holy See to Thessaloniki, and pledged full support. He would also request monasteries on Mount Athos to participate with various precious relics to be displayed on a special stand next to those of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in an exhibition to mark the city's proclamation. Istanbul, 18/1/1994 (ANA - A. Kourkoulas): Circles close to the Ecumenical Patriarchate yesterday said a report in "Cumhuriyet" newspaper claiming firebombs had damaged the entrance to the building Sunday night was "absolutely untrue". The Ecumenical Patriarchate bears no signs of fire or damage, and officials at Phanar reassured the ANA no noise or explosion was heard Sunday night. Yesterday's report in "Cumhuriyet" said an unidentified person contacted Turkish newspapers on Sunday, saying "Islamic Reprisals Forces" (Islami Kisas Kuvvetleri) claimed responsibility for the nonexistent attack. The alleged attack on the Patriarchate was not reported in any other Turkish newspaper. The Ecumenical Patriarchate and Greek schools in the Phanar district have been targeted by vandals, recently writing threatening slogans on walls and, on at least two occasions, attempting arson. Moreover, unidentified persons desecrated the Greek cemetery in Neochori, Bosphorus, two months ago. The historic Phanar district has been flooded by immigrants from Anatolia and urbanisation has radically altered the city's character in recent years.