From: zarros@turing.scs.carleton.ca (Theodoros Sp. Zarros) Subject: News (in ENGLISH)- Wed, 26 Jan 1994 (Greek Press Office BBS, Ottawa). Athens News Agency Bulletin, Athens, 26/1/1994 (ANA): Greece remains firmly in favor of the continuation of talks for a settlement of the Cyprus problem and supports UN efforts for a solution, government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said yesterday. The UN Secretary General's special envoy on the Cyprus problem, Joe Clark, and his deputy Gustave Feissel arrive in Athens from Nicosia today following two days of talks with the Cyprus government and contacts with Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash. "Greece has always supported and continues to support UN efforts for a successful outcome to the dialogue and a settlement of the Cyprus problem", Mr. Venizelos said. He said that these positions would be conveyed to the two UN envoys during talks today with Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias. Mr. Venizelos reiterated a foreign ministry announcement issued on December 17, 1993 underlining that only through co-ordinated and effective pressure on Turkey from the UN Secretary Council and the international community could substantial progress be achieved in the Cyprus problem. If the Turkish Cypriot side fails to show good will, Mr. Venizelos said, it will be very difficult for any substantial progress to be made. The aim of the Greek Cypriot side, he continued, "is to safeguard the course of negotiations but unfortunately this does not depend on one side only". "The side with the force of arms which continues to occupy a large part of the territory of Cyprus is the Turkish side", the spokesman said. Turkey has occupied the northern third of Cyprus since invading the island republic in 1974. After Athens, Mr. Clark and Mr. Feissel will visit Ankara to conclude the present round of talks before returning to New York where they will present the results of their contacts to the UN Secretary General. Meanwhile in Nicosia Cyprus government spokesman Yiannakis Cassoulides said yesterday talks on the UN-proposed package of confidence building measures (CBM's) cannot start because the Turkish Cypriots continue to insist on their unacceptable demands put forward at the direct peace talks in New York last year. A letter from Cyprus President Glafcos Clerides will be sent as soon as possible to the UN Secretary General explaining the Greek Cypriot positions. Athens, 26/1/1994 (ANA): The government said yesterday that the methods used by the police in combating terrorism must become "sharper and more composite". Replying to press questions in the wake of Monday's assassination of former National Bank of Greece governor Michalis Vranopoulos, government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said that existing legislation was "adequate". The deadly 'November 17' terrorist group claimed responsibility for the attack in a proclamation sent to a private radio station. Mr. Venizelos declined to make any statement on the content of the proclamation, saying that "the government does not comment on the proclamations of terrorist organizations". Public Order Minister Stelios Papathemelis said later that the police had drawn up a list of people considered to be possible targets of terrorist attacks. He said the names of persons involved in the 1992 sale of the state-run Heracles General Cement Company to the Italian firm Calcestruzzi would be added to the list. In Monday's proclamation, November 17 said it had killed Mr. Vranopoulos for his role in the sale when he was governor of the National Bank. Mr. Papathemelis said that special security measures would be taken for Stephanos Manos, national Economy Minister at the time of the sale. In the proclamation, November 17 singled out Vranopoulos, Mr. Manos and former premier Constantine Mitsotakis, accusing them of sharing kickbacks amounting to three billion drachmas from the deal. Meanwhile, the police released descriptions of the gunman and his accomplice who carried out the attack against Vranopoulos and his driver, 38-year-old Nikos Grispos, who is in hospital in stable condition. The descriptions were provided by eye-witnesses to the killing and Vranopoulos himself shortly after the attack on the way to hospital. A police spokesman said that sketches would be made of the assassins on the basis of the descriptions. Meanwhile Government and political party officials, as well as hundreds of people shouting "death to the terrorists", swarmed the funeral yesterday of Michalis Vranopoulos. Athens, 26/1/1994 (ANA): Austrian Chancellor Franz Vranitzky arrives in Greece today for a one day visit focusing on talks with Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou, the government said yesterday. Government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said that Mr. Vranitzky, would also meet with President Constantine Karamanlis immediately after his arrival. Mr. Venizelos said that Mr. Vranitzky's talks with Mr. Papandreou would focus on issues relating to Austria's accession to the European Union. The Austrian Chancellor will also meet with Parliament President Apostolos Kaklamanis and Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias. He will be accompanied by Transport Minister Victor Klima who will have talks with Transport and Communications Minister Ioannis Haralambous. The two officials will discuss Vienna's relations with the European union and the transit of trucks with Greek products through Austria to and from countries of the European Union. Athens, 26/1/1994 (ANA): Foreign Under-secretary George Papandreou yesterday expressed satisfaction over his recent visit to Sweden where he had talks with the Swedish government and representatives of the Greek community. Mr. Papandreou told a press conference that his talks had focused on the course of negotiations concerning Sweden's accession to the European Union and the part played by the Greek presidency in the process. Together with Alternate Foreign Minister Theodore Pangalos, he said, they had briefed the Swedish government on Greece's positions on the Skopje issue and had asked Stockholm to exert pressure on Skopje President Kiro Gligorov to give concrete examples of his good will so that talks could resume. Mr. Papandreou announced that he would travel to Geneva next week to take part in the 50th UN conference on human rights. During his stay, he added, he would also have talks with representatives of the UN High Commission for Refugees and International Red Cross officials on the issue of refugees in the Balkan region. He said that he would also visit the Us in the first ten days of February to prepare the forthcoming visit of Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou scheduled for March. Athens, 26/1/1994 (ANA): A Joint Greek-Albanian Inter-ministerial Committee convened in Tirana between January 18-20 to discuss economic co-operation in the sectors of transport, investments and tourism. Alternate National Economy Minister Yiannos Papantoniou said the two sides agreed to the construction of two motorways with European Union financing. The one is the Ioannina-Kakavia- Avlone-Dures motorway and the other the Egnatia-Krystallopigi-Kap-Stica-Pogradec-Tirana-Dures motorway. Railroad linkage between Florina and Pogradec was also agreed. The Albanian side's plan in the tourism sector aim at developing tourism of a medium and high level in five selected tourist zones, four of which are on the Adriatic coast. The programme for creating rented rooms will be a continuation of a relevant programme financed by the Albanian national PHARE (1.2 million ECU's) which has already got underway in the Sarande and Gyrokastr regions. Both sides agreed to examine the possibility of combined tourism in the form of tourism packages. On the question of investments, Mr. Papantoniou said 16 investment plans were ratified in December representing invested capital amounting to 1.3 billion dr. Mr. Papandreou said a programme of economic co-operation with the Middle East and Palestine was also being promoted, adding that a PLO delegation would visit Athens on March 17-18 for talks on the issue. Referring to the Greek EU presidency, Mr. Papantoniou said the informal EU Council of Overseas Commerce Ministers would convene in Athens on February 4-5. Athens, 26/1/1994 (ANA): Germany's Deputy Foreign Minister Helmut Schaefer arrives in Athens today for a three-day visit for talks with government and political party officials, government sources said yesterday. They said the German official's visit was in the "framework of confirmation of the good climate prevailing in the relations between the two countries". Shortly after his arrival, Mr. Schaefer will attend an official lunch given in his honor by Foreign Under-secretary George Papandreou, with whom he will have a private meeting afterwards. In the afternoon Mr. Schaefer will have a meeting with main opposition New Democracy party leader Miltiades Evert. After the talks he will address a special event at the Hellenic Foundation for Foreign and Defense Policy (ELIAMEP). Tomorrow morning the German Minister will have successive meetings with Culture Minister Melina Mercouri, Parliament Vice President P. Kritikos, Interior Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos and Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias. At noon Mr. Schaefer will inaugurate the German Embassy's new building which is the focal point of his visit. Mr. Schaefer will also meet with Political Spring leader Antonis Samaras. In the evening, he will attend a reception given in his honor at the German Embassy and the following day will pay a visit to Vergina, northern Greece. He will leave Athens on Friday night.