From: zarros@turing.scs.carleton.ca (Theodoros Sp. Zarros) Subject: News (in ENGLISH)- Tue, 8 Feb 1994 (Greek Press Office BBS, Ottawa). Athens News Agency Bulletin, Brussels, 8/2/1994 (ANA - AFP): The European Union, outraged over the bloody weekend mortar attack in Sarajevo, grudgingly backed the use of NATO warplanes to lift immediately the Serb siege of the Bosnian capital. But the 12 EU members were still clearly divided over military action in the former Yugoslav republic and rejected French calls to give the Serbs an ultimatum to pull back their big guns from Sarajevo. A statement issued at a meeting of EU foreign ministers expressed "revulsion" at the shelling of Sarajevo's central market Saturday that killed 68 people and wounded some 200 in the worst incident of the 22-month conflict. It urged an early meeting of NATO and said "the aim should be to bring about the immediate lifting of the siege of Sarajevo, using all means necessary, including the use of air-power". NATO ambassadors yesterday discussed informally a request by UN Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali that the 16-member alliance authorize the use of its warplanes to bomb artillery emplacements around Sarajevo. They were expected to meet formally tomorrow and could approve attack plans for some of the 160 NATO warplanes already patrolling the Bosnian skies, diplomats said. But despite the EC statement here, Greece, the current president of the community, said it had not dropped its opposition to air-strikes which, if feared, could launch another war throughout the Balkans. "Other countries in the European Union are also worried about the possible results of air strikes", Greek Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias told a news conference on the first day of the two-day EC meeting. Spain, Denmark, and Portugal were among those cool to the idea. Mr. Papoulias said all 12 ministers agreed on the need to avoid doing anything to jeopardize peace negotiations. "We agreed nobody will be able to achieve anything through military action", he said. Mr. Papoulias and international mediator Lord Owen gave a joint press conference. "The European Union's Council of Ministers convened today to examine the problem of Bosnia-Herzegovina in a climate burdened by the recent events in Sarajevo. A coincidence of views was reached at the European Union's council of Foreign Ministers that there is no alternative solution to the Bosnia problem other than the EU's peace plan. It was agreed that there is need to maintain and dynamically promote the EU peace plan", Mr. Papoulias said. "We must seek co-operation and support from the US and Russia as well. We should not risk the plan's fate. We should not pursue any result with military means. The possibility of Sarajevo's demilitarization was also discussed. The issue of air strikes is a problem which lingers, whose chances and possibilities will be examined tomorrow at the level of NATO permanent representatives to enable an examination of the problem's military aspects", he added. Asked by a reporter whether or there was contrast in statements made by the minister yesterday that no one can achieve results through military means and the communiqui which explicitly refers to the use of air-power, Mr. Papoulias said there is no contrast or change in Greek positions, adding that the spirit that prevailed during the discussion was for saving the EU peace effort aimed at achieving results through negotiations. Mr. Papoulias said the Greek government does not believe that bombing can bring about a viable solution to Bosnia's problem, adding that the peace solution is a one-way course and this constitutes progress "since other forms of intervention would dissolve the peace plan". "In the event that the possibility of military intervention in Bosnia is considered, a decision by the UN Security Council is necessary, but it is an issue which has not yet been clarified", Mr. Papoulias said. Addressing a joint press conference, Lord Owen reminded that the source of the shell causing the death of 68 people in Sarajevo cannot be determined accurately, adding that grave complications exist concerning Sarajevo's demilitarization under UN control, but this constitutes the sole way of resolving the issue. Athens, 8/2/1994 (ANA): Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias said yesterday that Greece was opposed to any kind of military intervention in Bosnia, because such a move would signal all out-war in the region. Mr. Papoulias made the statement shortly before his departure for Brussels, to chair a European Union Ministerial meeting on the Yugoslav crisis. "Greece is opposed to any form of military intervention in Bosnia. We believe that such intervention will signal a Balkan conflict and, as a Balkan country, we are against it", he told reporters at the airport. Mr. Papoulias expressed the view that "things are not so pleasant", adding the hope that "cool-headed views will prevail" during the Brussels meeting. Asked whether or not he would face regarding military intervention in Bosnia, Mr. Papoulias replied: "I don't know, but the atmosphere surrounding the issue is very heavy". "I believe that the only solution is to push ahead with the European peace plan", Mr. Papoulias added. To a question on whether or not the Greek government would maintain its stand on an earlier position to close the Aktion air-base and withdraw Greek crews from NATO and AWACS units in the event of an air attack on Bosnia, Mr. Papoulias replied that "the Greek position is already known", but should fresh conditions develop "I hope we will not have to get to that point". "The Greek presidency of the EU will struggle to avoid reaching such at point", he said. He reiterated Athens' firm view that Balkan countries should not become involved in the event of military intervention. In a similar statement, conservative main opposition new Democracy party leader Miltiades Evert said his party was also opposed to air strikes against Bosnia. Speaking at the airport before leaving for Strasbourg, on the first leg of a tour of three European countries to promote Greece's national issues, Mr. Evert said that air strikes "will not solve the problem because they would have to be followed by intervention on land, which would be tantamount to an act of folly that could lead to all out conflagration in the south". Mr. Evert also described the Greek government as "paralyzed and incompetent", because it was simply "following events without, however, taking any action to avert the threat of establishment of US diplomatic relations with Skopje". In Strasbourg, Mr. Evert is scheduled to hold talks with European Parliament President Egon Klepsch today and European Commission President Jacques Delors tomorrow, before going on to Belgium and The Netherlands to confer with the Prime Ministers of those countries on Thursday and Friday respectively. Similar opposition to possible military action in Bosnia was voiced by conservative and leftist parties. Political Spring leader Antonis Samaras said any military action in Bosnia would be a "tragic mistake", and called on the government and other Balkan states to refrain from taking part. Orestis Kolozov political bureau member of the Communist party of Greece's (KKE) expressed the party's opposition to any military intervention in Bosnia. The Coalition of the Left and Progress called on the government to act as EU president to block attempts leading to military operations in Bosnia. It added that Greece should also "guarantee the abstention of all Balkan states in a possible military operation". Strasbourg, 8/2/1994 (ANA / P. Stangos): New Democracy party leader Miltiades Evert last night voiced his categorical opposition to any military intervention in Bosnia and involvement of Balkan countries. He challenged the "seriousness" of planning "made under the influence of impressions arising out of a tragic incident". Strasbourg, 8/2/1994 (ANA - P. Stangos): Perpetuating the situation in Cyprus is "monstrous", a "scandal" and constitutes a negative example for dealing with other European problems, President of the Council of Europe Catherine Lalumiere said after meeting with leader of the Coalition of the Left and Progress Nikos Constantopoulos. The Bosnian issue was also discussed, and Mr. Constantopoulos stated he supported the EU Greek presidency efforts to secure non-involvement of other Balkan countries in the conflict. His talks here yesterday with leaders of left-wing groups in the European Parliament included the possibility of co-operation in forthcoming Euro-elections.