From: tzarros@ccs.carleton.ca (Theodore Zarros) Subject: News (in ENGLISH)- Thu, 24 Mar 1994 (Greek Press Office BBS, Ottawa). Athens News Agency Bulletin, Papoulias' letter to SC: no Balkan troop deployment in Bosnia -------------------------------------------------------- United Nations, 24/3/94, (REUTERS/ANA - M. Georgiadou): - Greece told the Security Council yesterday it opposed including soldiers from Balkan countries in the UN peacekeeping force in former Yugoslavia, one day after the UN Secretary-General said he was prepared to accept Turkish troops. Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias wrote in a letter to the Security Council president that Greece feared, "for historical and political reasons, such participation might create strong local reactions and lead to an extension of the conflict". "Greece's consistent opposition to participation by Balkan countries in the UN Protection Force (UNPROFOR) in former Yugoslavia was shared by most other neighbouring states, he added. "I am writing this letter to you in order to confirm our opposition, in principle, to participation of troops from Balkan states. The ... demand of some countries to be allowed to participate in UNPROFOR increases our concern that motives other than purely humanitarian ones might be behind it," Mr. Papoulias wrote. Sources close to UN chief Boutros Boutros Ghali said that the Secretary General received Mr. Papoulias' letter and was "seriously considering its positions and concerns". Mr. Ghali recommended to the Security Council Tuesday that Turkey, which has offered about 1,000 soldiers, should be allowed to provide a contingent for the UN force in Bosnia, reversing a long-standing tradition that neighbouring countries, or those with historic involvement in a trouble-spot, should not provide UN peace-keepers. The Turkish Ottoman empire ruled much of the Balkans, including parts of former Yugoslavia, until the early years of this century. The offer of Turkish troops, welcomed by Bosnia's Moslem-led government, was expected to be accepted, Council President Jean-Bernard Merimee of France said Tuesday. UNPROFOR's present strength of more than 31,000 troops, military observers and police, includes over 14,600 in Croatia, more than 14,400 in Bosnia and some 1,050 in the former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia. Meanwhile in Athens, Foreign Ministry spokesman Constantine Bikas said that Mr. Papoulias' letter contained a specific reference to the fundamental principle that troops from neighbouring countries should not be deployed with UN forces in former Yugoslavia. Greece has stepped up diplomatic efforts to prevent possible deployment of peace-keeping troops from Balkan countries in Bosnia, stressing that in the event such efforts proved unsuccessful, it would reconsider its position on the Bosnian crisis. The letter, Mr. Bikas said, underlines that because of Turkey's presence in former Yugoslavia in the days of the Ottoman Empire, Ankara had historical ties with the region and, therefore, Turkish troops should not be sent. It also points out that Turkish troops currently occupy the northern part of Cyprus, a fact that conflicts with Turkey's intention to participate as a member of a peacemaking mission. Government spokesman -------------------- Athens, 24/3/94 (ANA): - Government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said Greece had not displayed any interest in sending troops to Bosnia, denying relative rumours yesterday. Government sources also dismissed such a possibility. Mr. Venizelos said Turkey should be barred from joining UN peace-keepers because it was still militarily occupying a third of Cyprus which it invaded in 1974 - thus tying up a UN peacekeeping force on the island. A National Defence General Staff spokesman yesterday said the armed forces were awaiting orders from the political leadership. A National Defence Ministry official, however, said the ministry followed developments, and would reconsider its position in the event Turkish troops were deployed in Bosnia. Opposition parties against sending Greek troops to Bosnia --------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 24/3/94 (ANA): - Opposition parties called on the government to avoid military involvement in Bosnia despite United Nations approval on deployment of Turkish forces in former Yugoslavia. Opposition leader Miltiades Evert opposed government considerations to send Greek troops to Bosnia, on the grounds soldiers might have to implement UN decisions that were likely to prove wrong for Greek national interests. "The battalion would have to follow orders from the United Nations, not those of the Greek Joint Chiefs of Staff. Therefore, an order could be given (by the UN) that may not concur with our national interests," he said. Greek presidency compromise proposal 'only basis for discussion' for EU enlargement ----------------------------------------------------------------- Brussels, 24/3/94, (ANA/Reuters): - "The Greek Presidency compromise proposal will serve as the only basis for discussion and the ultimate time for reaching agreement on voting rights during the informal Ministers' Council session in Ioannina this weekend", Council President Theodoros Pangalos said yesterday, before the Foreign Affairs and Security Committee of the European Parliament. The proposal, which was not accepted by the Ministers' Council due to British and Spanish objections, envisages that a blocking minority of 23 votes on Council decisions may only apply for a period of two months, after which 27 votes will be needed, maintaining the approximate 30% special minority principle that has always applied in every new enlargement of the Union. "We have come to a dead-end at a critical time. We look like an organisation that cannot make important decisions ... if we do not reach agreement in Ioannina, we will be in terrible crisis", Mr Pangalos told the Foreign Affairs Committee. The Ministers' Council president and Euro-MPs were sharply critical of Britain and, to a lesser degree, Spain over their opposition to maintain the 30% principle after enlargement. "The United Kingdom should take into account that when we speak of a United Europe, we do not only mean an economic and commercial Europe, but also a political Europe and a Europe of institutions," he said. Sir Fred Catherwood, a member of the British Conservative party now in power, urged the British Government to recognise "the folly" of rejecting the Greek compromise plan. If the voting row festered on, Catherwood said, Britain risked wrecking the membership chances of Norway, Sweden, Finland and Austria, whose voters would turn against the EU at referendums, he said. "Britain would thus lose three friendly Scandinavian countries, as also the friendship of Denmark," he added. Speaking on the Greek presidency initiative for the setting up of a "institution research and study" group, comprising representatives of governments and members of the European Parliament, Mr Pangalos said that an in-principle decision had to be taken now, to be ratified by the Corfu summit in June. The majority of member-states are in favour and, if everything goes as planned, the group can be operational by autumn", he added. EU acknowledges retortion measures 'a political issue' ------------------------------------------------------ Brussels, 24/3/94, (ANA/Reuters): - European Commission President Jacques Delors has written Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou acknowledging Greece's retortion measures against the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia is a political issue, government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said yesterday. Mr. Venizelos said the letter was 'positive, adding that if the retortion measures were seen as a political issue, there would be no question of Greece's being referred to the European Court on the matter. He stressed the Commission in principle accepted the Greek view that the measures constitute a political issue under Article 224 of the Treaty of Rome, as subsequently amended by the Maastricht Treaty. The matter would therefore be referred to the EU Council of Ministers. The Commission also called on the Greek presidency to raise the issue at the meeting of EU foreign ministers on Saturday in Ioannina, northern Greece. European Commissioner Hans van den Broek yesterday told reporters in Brussels that the issue should be raised at the Ioannina meeting. "Viewed from a legal aspect, Greece's retortion measures against Skopje run counter to European Union Agreements," Mr. van den Broek said, adding that since Greece felt the issue was political, it ought to raise it at the informal meeting. He noted, however, that the European Union, considered retortion measures illegal, as a safeguard for EU agreements. Mr. van den Broek said the EU also assumed responsibility to spare no effort in bringing the two sides together. Athens asks Turkish co-operation on Cyprus CBMs ---------------------------------------------- Athens, 24/3/94, (ANA/Reuters): - The government yesterday called on Turkey to display "the necessary spirit of co-operation" at ongoing talks on confidence-building measures for Cyprus. "The negotiations on confidence-building measures for Cyprus are at a delicate point", Foreign Ministry spokesman Kostas Bikas said. "The government hopes that the Turkish side will display the necessary spirit of co-operation. It should not be forgotten that agreement should be reached on confidence-building measures as soon as possible, as discussions cannot replace talks on the substance of the Cyprus problem", Mr. Bikas said. The latest round of UN-brokered peace talks are aimed at reuniting Cyprus which has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and occupied the northern part of the island-republic. Greece welcomes Croat, Serb talks --------------------------------- Athens, 24/3/94, (ANA/Reuters): - Greece yesterday welcomed talks aimed at resolving the conflict between Croats and Serbs in the region of Krajina, Croatia. "Greece welcomes the fact that after a long absence of communication between the Serbs and Croats of Croatia, they are meeting to discuss a solution to the thorny problem of Krajina, thanks to international efforts" Foreign Ministry spokesman Costas Bikas said yesterday. The spokesman said that the difficulties relating the issue were understood, adding the meeting would play a decisive role for "broader normalisation of relations between Croatia and Serbia, including the Bosnia crisis". "Greece hopes that on the basis of UN Security Council resolutions and with help from the international community, warring parties will find some form of solution," Mr. Bikas said. Greece-EU trade deficit reaches ECU 3.8 billion ----------------------------------------------- Brussels, 24/3/94, (ANA): - Greece's total trade deficit with its European Union partners stood at 3.8 billion ECU at the end of June 1993, according to a EUROSTAT report published yesterday. Greek dispatches (the term for inter-Community exports) recorded a 2.6% fall in the first half of 1993, as compared with the same period in 1992 (from 2.18 billion to 2.13 billion ECU), while arrivals (intra-Community imports) showed an 8% increase (from 3.19 billion to 3.36 billion ECU). Greece was the only EU country to record an increase in arrivals during the period under review. Tourism Minister holds talks in Moscow -------------------------------------- Moscow, 24/3/94, (ANA - D. Konstantakopoulos): - Tourism Minister Dionysios Livanos and Russian Transport Alternate Minister Nikolai Trach yesterday met on shipping and tourism issues. Mr. Livanos, visiting Moscow to attend the opening of the Moscow International Tourism Exhibition, yesterday delivered a speech on tourism, described as "the industry of the future and of orthodoxy" at the Russian Federation Tourism Academy. Today, Mr. Livanos is scheduled to sign a protocol agreement on tourism co-operation with his Russian counterparts. He will also meet with Culture Minister Yevgeni Sintorov. Sharp fall in current accounts deficit -------------------------------------- Athens, 24/3/94, (ANA/Reuters): - The current accounts deficit fell sharply to $697.8 million in 1993, from $2.07 billion in 1992, according to figures released by the Bank of Greece yesterday . Foreign exchange reserves reached a record $8.69 billion in 1993, against $5.5 billion on the previous year, the statement added. The current account deficit fell by $1,380 million dollars in the period under review, due exclusively to a narrowing of the trade deficit by 10.2 per cent. Invisibles surplus remained at 1992 levels. Total net movement of capital increased by 55.1 per cent over 1992, due to public sector net borrowing. On the other hand, net private sector capital inflow fell by 45.4 per cent. The drop was attributed to the negative variation of commercial credits, and a large increase in inflow of "other capital", resulting from anticipated drachma depreciation in the run-up to last October's national election.