From: zarros@turing.scs.carleton.ca (Theodoros Sp. Zarros)
Subject: News (in ENGLISH)- Tue, 15 Feb 1994 (Greek Press Office BBS, Ottawa).

Athens News Agency Bulletin, 

	Athens, 15/2/1994 (ANA): Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias
leaves today on a lightning visit to Belgrade for talks with
Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic, it was announced yesterday.
Mr. Papoulias told reporters the aim of his visit was to see
"how we can join forces with all European Union member states,
in order to safeguard peace in the region, which is going
through an extraordinary crisis".

	Meanwhile, government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said that
the purpose of Mr. Papoulias' visit was "self-evident, given
tension prevailing in the region and Nato's decision for
military action, and naturally the relevant ultimatum". He added
that "all efforts are focused on seeking an immediate, peaceful,
viable and lasting solution to the Bosnian problem".

	Asked if Mr. Papoulias was going to Belgrade in his capacity as
chairman of the EU Council of Ministers, the spokesman replied
that "the Foreign Minister has that capacity". Meanwhile, Mr.
Papoulias said in a TV interview that depending on the results
of his meeting with Serb President Slobodan Milosevic in
Belgrade, he intends to call an extraordinary European Union
Foreign Ministers' Council in order to avert NATO air strikes
against Bosnian Serbs.


	Athens, 15/2/1994 (ANA): Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias, in
his capacity as President of the EU Foreign Ministers' Council,
held a meeting yesterday with his visiting Albanian counterpart
Alfred Serekki to discuss relations between Albania and the
European Union. At a joint press conference, following the
meeting, the ministers stressed the good relations between
Albania and the European Union and Tirana and Athens.

	Mr. Papoulias said the European Union supported the course of
democratisation in Albania and the changes taking place in the
country. Mr. Serekki said Albania was going through favourable
times, since, after the Maastricht agreement, came the Greek
presidency of the European Union.

	Turning to the Skopje issue, Mr. Papoulias said the
UN-sponsored talks with the Former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia hinged on the neighbouring state's accepting a list of
Greek demands. "The resumption of dialogue with Skopje depends
on its acceptance of conditions set by Greece. In the event of a
refusal, we are faced with a suspension of the dialogue, as
Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou has stated", Mr. Papoulias
said.

	The Minister said the Greek government would have had no
"reservations toward Skopje had not the latter shown through its
constitution, its symbols or its propaganda, that it supported
circles that did not want stability and peace in the region". He
said Skopje could not talk about peace and stability in the
region when it had territorial claims on Greece's northern
province of Macedonia.

	The meeting took place on the eve of Mr. Papoulias' trip to
Belgrade for crucial talks with Serbian President Slobodan
Milosevic in a bid to avert NATO air strikes in Bosnia. Greece
has voiced strong opposition to military action in the former
Yugoslavia saying such a move could spark a Balkan war. It has
also called on other Balkan states, including NATO-ally Turkey
to refrain from taking part in a military operation in the
former Yugoslavia.

	On the issue of Nato's ultimatum to the warring factions in
Sarajevo last week, Mr. Serekki said the Albanian government
supported Nato's threat maintaining that the strict warning
would bring the warring factions to the negotiating table and
the aggressor out of the war-torn republic. "The government of
Tirana supports the strict NATO decision for Bosnia-Hercegovina.
It does not interpret the decision as a military operation but
as proof that the international community will solve the problem
and pressure the parties to sit at the negotiating table and
force the aggressor to retreat", Mr. Serekki said.


	Athens, 15/2/1994 (ANA): Greece will enter a new phase of
relations with Skopje, either through a fresh initiative of UN
Chief special mediator for Skopje Cyrus Vance, or a Greek
government initiative, Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias said
yesterday, in an interview with a Greek T.V. channel.

	Asked whether he had in mind a Foreign Ministry initiative, Mr.
Papoulias replied "That is what I mean". Mr. Papoulias also said
that depending on the results of his meeting with Serb President
Slobodan Milosevic in Belgrade, he intends to call an
extraordinary European Union Foreign Ministers' Council in order
to avert NATO air strikes against Bosnian Serbs.


	Brussels, 15/2/1994 (ANA - G. Daratos): The Belgian Foreign
Ministry yesterday gave clarification on a recent statement by
Belgian Foreign Minister Willy Claes that he intended to exert
pressure on Greece to force it to change its position on the
Yugoslav crisis dismissing related reports as "absurd" and
"ridiculous".

	"Mr. Claes said he would try to convince, not pressure, the
Greek government", an authorised Belgian Ministry source said
yesterday. "It would have been absurd and ridiculous", the
source said, adding that Mr. Claes would make an effort to
persuade the Greek government to alter its position on the
Yugoslav crisis during his visit to Athens on Thursday.

	The members of the Community Troika, Belgium, Greece and
Germany are meeting here on Thursday to prepare a communiqui on
the common positions of the 12 on the Bosnian crisis, which they
will present to the Russian Foreign Minister.

	In a statement to the Belgian T.V. channel RTL, Sunday, Mr.
Claes said the EU Presidency would lose credibility unless
Greece was pressured into giving priority to the Yugoslav
crisis. Maintaining that "Greece's position (on the Yugoslav
crisis) undermines the coherence of the position of the 12", Mr.
Claes said: "It is sad that Greece holds the EU Presidency,
which is threatened with losing credibility unless we pressure
Greece to give priority to the Yugoslav crisis".


	Athens, 15/2/1994 (ANA): Greece and Bulgaria will sign a
protocol on military co-operation for 1994, during the 3-day
visit of the Chief of the National Defence General Staff Admiral
Christos Lymberis to Sofia.


	Brussels, 15/2/1994 (ANA - K. Verros): Alternate National
Economy Minister Yiannos Papantoniou outlined the programme of
the Greek presidency during the first half of 1994 at an ECOFIN
council meeting yesterday, underlining that, despite the
prospect of some recovery in 1994, the European Union "is facing
a crisis which is continuing, and creates dangers for its
further course". "It is the result not only of circumstantial
developments, but also of long-term structural problems", he
said.

	Mr. Papantoniou added the Greek presidency's main concern in
the framework of the European Union's Council of Economy and
Finance Ministers (ECOFIN), is tackling unsettled matters
emanating from the implementation of the Maastricht Treaty and
its main pursuit is promoting initiatives and measures on
unemployment and increasing employment.


	Brussels, 15/2/1994 (ANA - K. Verros): Alternate National
Economy Minister Yiannos Papantoniou told a press conference
yesterday the Greek government will finally table the revised
convergence programme in late April for discussion by the
Council of Economy and Finance Ministers (ECOFIN) on June 6.
Speaking to reporters after an ECOFIN Council meeting, Mr.
Papantoniou said the move will come a week before
Euro-elections, as the new European Parliament and the European
Commission hopes that measures included in the programme will
lead to the "reversal of the very difficult state" of the Greek
economy.


	Athens, 15/2/1994 (ANA): Former Premier Constantine Mitsotakis
had a meeting with Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias at the
Foreign Ministry last night to brief him on the contents of a
telephone conversation he had Saturday with Serbian leader
Slobodan Milosevic. Following the meeting, Mr. Mitsotakis told
reporters he briefed Mr. Papoulias on "information I have
concerning the development of the issue, from the Serbian part
and, generally".

	According to sources, Mr. Mitsotakis had a lengthy telephone
discussion with Mr. Milosevic on Saturday who has requested the
former Prime Minister to mediate for a settlement of the
Yugoslav crisis. The request was also conveyed yesterday by
Ambassador Milan Milutinovic, the rump Yugoslavia's envoy to
Greece. After delivering Mr. Milosevic's message to Mr.
Mitsotakis, the Yugoslav envoy, was asked whether or not Mr.
Mitsotakis would accept the request, and he replied "I hope so",
but did not elaborate on details of the initiative.


	Athens, 15/2/1994 (ANA): Former Prime Minister Constantine
Mitsotakis will form his own political party, but sources close
to the former Prime Minister insisted that was out of the
question, press reports said yesterday.


	Athens, 15/2/1994 (ANA): The government said yesterday it had
no official information on reports that Cyrus Vance, the UN
special mediator for Skopje, would launch a fresh initiative to
settle differences between Greece and the Former Yugoslav
republic of Macedonia (FYROM). "The government is not aware of
any official information regarding the so-called intentions by
Mr. Vance to undertake such a specific initiative", government
spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said.

	The reported initiative was made known on Sunday by
conservative deputy Stavros Dimas on his return from Washington,
where he headed a New Democracy party delegation which held
talks with Mr. Vance. Mr. Dimas said: "Mr. Vance did not specify
the form or timing of the initiative".

	Mr. Venizelos called on Mr. Dimas to inform Foreign Minister
Karolos Papoulias "if he had a message (from Mr. Vance) to
convey (to the Greek government) or was under the impression
that Mr. Vance was planning such an initiative". Mr. Venizelos
reiterated that Greece's position on the Skopje issue remained
firm, once again calling on the neighbouring state to provide
tangible examples of good will.

	--- Members of the New Democracy party delegation, returning
from the US yesterday, where they promoted Greek national policy
issues, stated that the present government's decision to abandon
the dialogue with Skopje in the framework of the UN was a
mistake. The delegation met with Special Mediator Cyrus Vance
who reportedly seemed ready to undertake an initiative for a
resumption dialogue.