From: zarros@turing.scs.carleton.ca (Theodoros Sp. Zarros) Subject: News (in ENGLISH)- Thu, 17 Feb 1994 (Greek Press Office BBS, Ottawa). Athens News Agency Bulletin, Athens, 17/2/1994 (ANA): Greece has suspended the movement of goods to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) from its northern port city of Thessaloniki, on the grounds of continuing Skopje intransigence and provocations. Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou yesterday announced the decision, after a full Cabinet meeting, adding that "for humanitarian reasons" suspension would not include such items as foodstuffs and medical supplies. Mr. Papandreou also announced the closure of the Greek Consulate General in Skopje. According to diplomatic observers, the two measures are initial steps in a toughening government policy against the Skopjan regime, which continues to display intransigence, encouraged by recent decisions of European countries and the United States to establish diplomatic relations with it. Mr. Papandreou reiterated Greece would be prepared to enter into UN-sponsored dialogue with Skopje, provided it was conducted "on a candid basis", it was "substantive" and took note of Greece's attitude on the name issue. The Premier underlined Greece's demands that Skopje cease its hostile propaganda, stop using Greek symbols and remove sections of its Constitution indicating irredentist designs, were not conditions set by Greece simply to commence dialogue, but "self-evident obligations" for Skopje, stemming from international law. Mr. Papandreou said he did not wish to comment on the motives behind recent diplomatic recognition of Skopje by European countries and the US. He stressed, however, that the neighbouring state had misinterpreted those moves, as was evident in a letter sent by Skopje President Kiro Gligorov to President Bill Clinton. It is clear in the letter, Mr. Papandreou said, that Skopje does not appreciate the importance of normalising relations with Greece, and potential problems it is creating in such a sensitive region like the Balkans. The prime minister had earlier sent personal letters to opposition party leaders in which, according to informed sources, Mr. Papandreou sought support for the government's decisions. According to the same sources, the letter to main opposition New Democracy party leader Miltiades Evert also contains a list of measures which the government may subsequently have to take against Skopje. The letter was personally delivered by Under-secretary to the Prime Minister's Office Telemahos Hytiris, who told reporters after seeing Mr. Evert, Mr. Papandreou's visit to the US, scheduled for late April, would go ahead as planned. Mr. Papandreou stressed that a prerequisite for dialogue "which must be clearly understood by all" is that Skopje should give concrete examples of good will, as demanded by Athens. He said that the government had made its positions on the Skopje issue quite clear right from the outset, in a letter to the UN Secretary General and Security Council permanent members. Greece was and remains prepares to develop good-neighbourly relations and economic co-operation which would contribute to Skopje's prosperity, he said. "It was and remains ready to have the friendliest possible relations with Skopje. It was and remains ready to enter into UN-sponsored dialogue with Skopje", Mr. Papandreou said. Since Skopje joined the UN, he continued, and despite the fact that the previous (conservative) government had engaged in dialogue, the neighbouring state's intransigence and "fake" irredentism designs grew worse. "Since former Yugoslavia broke up", Mr. Papandreou said, "Skopje has not taken a single step toward moderation or prudence". On the contrary, he added, the Skopjans adopted a Constitution "with a strong 'liberating' note" and adopted Greek symbols such as the Star of Vergina which, until then, was completely unknown to them. Greece's constant aim is peace, Mr. Papandreou said. That is why Athens has demanded something which should be taken for granted, namely concrete examples indicating Skopje is willing to cease its hostile propaganda against Greece. "Those are not Greek conditions, but obligations for Skopje under international law", Mr. Papandreou said, adding that the Greek government had even stated that if those conditions were met, Athens could waive its objections to Skopje's accession to the CSCE. The Premier said that Skopje's intransigence had continued and, even deteriorated, following the recent decisions of European countries and the United States to establish diplomatic relations with it. Those decisions, he continued, were misconstrued by Skopje, which acquired a false impression that it could ignore its relations with Greece. As a member of the EU, NATO and the CSCE, Mr. Papandreou said, Greece was the principal guarantor of peace in the region, and had to take all necessary initiatives to that effect. On the other hand, it also has an obligation to ensure respect for international law, "particularly in the current, international conjecture". Government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos told reporters later that the measures against Skopje had the unanimous approval of the Cabinet and would take immediate effect. He added that they reflected not only the views of the government, but also of the overwhelming majority of the Greek people. The Prime Minister, he said, had decided on the measures after consulting with all ministers concerned. The spokesman said that the UN would be briefed, in a letter Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias would send to Secretary General Boutros Boutros Ghali. The Greek Consulate General in Skopje, he said, had already stopped operating. Mr. Venizelos told questioners goods excluded from the measures had been described by the Prime Minister adding, however, that if a special exception had to be made for heating oil, the issue would be dealt with by considering "type and quantity". Greece, he said, exercised its rights to national sovereignty, adding that it had carefully considered all the factors relating to the measures". He reiterated that Greece was running out of patience, stressing that "the government words mean business". Mr. Venizelos said that there was no need for a meeting of political party leaders at present. Immediately after Mr. Papandreou's announcement, Managing Director of the Public Petroleum Corporation Manolis Daskalakis said oil deliveries to Skopje through Thessaloniki port would stop. "Skopje will face a great oil supplies problem, due to its great dependence on imports through Thessaloniki. On the contrary, no such problem exists for Greece", Mr. Daskalakis said. Political Spring leader Antonis Samaras said his party would support the government move against the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, provided the "national battle is waged with consistency and seriousness at all levels". "We had called on the Prime Minister to choose between a battle or resignation. Today, he made a decision to fight (for the national issue)", Mr. Samaras said. Meantime, strong opposition was voiced by the hard-line communist KKE party and the Coalition of the Left and Progress (SYN). "A dialogue between Greece and Skopje can be built on mutual confidence building measures", KKE deputy Dimitris Koutsoubas said. "Five days before the NATO ultimatum expires, the government seems to be playing the game of the United States as today's decisions benefit plans of the US and powerful countries of the European Community to "Lebanise" the Balkans", he told news media. Nikos Konstantopoulos, President of Coalition of the Left and Progress (SYN), said the government's measures escalate tension in the Balkans and "transform Greece into an element of the Yugoslav crisis". "We disagree with the government's strategy, because at a time when the threats of war are visible, the government takes decisions that cause tension to escalate and add additional dangers", he said. Athens, 17/2/1994 (ANA): Main opposition leader Miltiades Evert said his conservative New Democracy (ND) party would support the government in its handling of the Skopje issue. "New Democracy is a national party and has the obligation to support a united national foreign policy of out country", Mr. Evert told a news conference. He said however he would request a meeting with the Prime Minister to discuss the details of his decision to bar the former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia from using the northern Greek port of Thessaloniki. Mr. Evert said he would question the effectiveness of the measures as well as the timing of the decision in the wake of developments in the former Yugoslavia. Meantime, former Prime Minister and ND leader Constantine Mitsotakis voiced opposition to the government's measures saying they would contribute Greece's further isolation from the West on its objections to international recognition of the neighbouring state. "The measures are untimely and ineffective as they essentially strengthen (Skopje President Kiro) Gligorov and further isolate Greece, whose role at this particular time should be directed towards the promotion of peace", Mr. Mitsotakis said. He argued that the measures added additional tension to the highly volatile region, threatened from developments in the war-torn Bosnia. Mr. Mitsotakis also accused the ruling socialist party of not informing the political parties on the planned decision. Skopje, 17/2/1994 (ANA / M. Vichou): The Skopje government yesterday issued a statement saying, among other things, that the measures adopted by the Greek government caused surprise and special concern. "Skopje has adopted a peaceful attitude on all issues relating to parts of former Yugoslavia not affected by war, and has been doing everything possible to settle international relations through dialogue and tolerance, the statement said. Washington, 17/2/1994 (ANA - D. Dimas): "We are looking into it and I don't have anything concrete on this", State Department spokeswoman Christine Shelly told a press briefing last night. "I certainly think I can say, generally speaking, that constructive relations between Greece and FYROM are certainly essential to regional stability, and we would certainly hope that every effort could be made to try to avoid any particular actions which might aggravate the situation or lead to some kind of increase in tensions", Ms. Shelly added. Replying to another question on Tuesday's rally in Thessaloniki, Ms. Shelly said "a demonstration took place in front of the US General Consulate in Thessaloniki which was attended by about 50,000 demonstrators to express their opposition to the recognition of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" by the US. Athens, 17/2/1994 (ANA): Russian Foreign Minister Andrei Kozyrev is due in Athens this evening for talks with the European Union troika, Foreign Ministry spokesman Constantine Bikas said yesterday. Mr. Kozyrev, will confer with EU Ministers' Council President, Karolos Papoulias, German Foreign Minister Claus Kinkel and Belgian Foreign Minister Willy Claes in the framework of political co-operation between Russia and the European Union. Tomorrow, Mr. Kozyrev will have a meeting with Mr. Papoulias on bilateral issues. After the meeting, he will inaugurate a photographic exhibition at the Russian Embassy, before departing for Prague. German Foreign Minister Claus Kinkel is due in Athens today for the European Union troika meeting of foreign ministers with their Russian counterpart Andrei Kozyrev, the German embassy announced yesterday. Mr. Kinkel will also meet with Mr. Kozyrev, for wide-ranging bilateral talks. Athens, 17/2/1994 (ANA): The government reiterated yesterday that it would abstain from any military operation in Bosnia. "In the case of air strikes over Bosnia, Greece will not become involved, directly or indirectly, in any form of military operation", Defence Ministry spokesman Lieutenant General Louizos Dermetzoglou said. "Under international regulations, the airports of a country are open only in the case of supply of help to any aircraft that is under danger", he explained. Mr. Dermetzoglou said Greece would only provide medical assistance, if requested.