From: tzarros@ccs.carleton.ca (Theodore Zarros) Subject: News (in ENGLISH)- Mon, 11 Apr 1994 (Greek Press Office BBS, Ottawa). Australian State Premier in Athens Athens, 11/4/1994 (ANA): State of Victoria, Australia, Premier Jeff Kennett arrived here Saturday at the invitation of Foreign Under-secretary George Papandreou with whom he will have talks today. EU rejects FYROM application as SSIE observer Brussels, 11/4/1994 (ANA-G. Daratos): The European Union yesterday rejected a Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) application for an observer status at the Agreement on Safety and Stability in Europe. According to sources here, FYROM wrote the Special Group of Representatives of the 12-member states in charge of drafting an Agreement on Safety and Stability in Europe (Balladur Plan), requesting observer status. The former Yugoslav Republic supported its request arguing it holds similar status at the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE). FYROM's application was rejected on the grounds that only CSCE members are allowed to participate in the Agreement on Safety and Stability in Europe. Sources also said the preliminary meeting of European countries which will draft the agenda of the first Convention of the Agreement on Safety and Stability in Europe, will be held in Paris on May 26-27. Gov't blames EU Commission of stoking Skopje intransigence Athens, 11/4/1994 (ANA): The government on Saturday criticised the European Commission for encouraging Skopjan intransigence, by referring Greece to the European Court of Justice over its trade sanctions against the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM). "European Commission initiatives sustain and encourage Skopjan intransigence, which has intensified in the past few days," government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos told a press meeting in Thessaloniki. "The Commission's initiatives," he added, "undermine its own political mission on the Skopje issue." Mr. Venizelos said the government hoped Greece's positions on all major issues, "whether they be national or other relating to the greater region" would be "clearly perceived and understood" at Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou's meeting with President Bill Clinton in Washington on April 22. Mr. Venizelos told questioners the Premier's "experience" from his first lengthy discussion with Mr. Clinton on the sidelines of a two-day NATO summit in January had been "positive", stressing the US President had listened to Mr. Papandreou's views care fully and "with great interest". The Premier's visit to Washington will be official , Mr. Venizelos said, and talks conducted at high diplomatic level. Commenting on UN mediator on the Skopje issue Cyrus Vance's efforts to find a solution to the dispute between Greece and FYROM, Mr. Venizelos said Mr. Vance would first have talks with Foreign Ministry General-Secretary Ambassador Christos Zacharakis to day, and then meet with the Skopje government representative. The meetings will be bilateral, not three-sided, the spokesman clarified. The spokesman said that Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias was in "direct touch" with Mr. Vance, and would have talks with him during Mr. Papandreou's forthcoming US visit. Meanwhile, Athens diplomatic sources said there was growing US interest in reaching a quick settlement of the Skopje issue. The sources added the US is trying to draw up a final framework for Greece and FYROM to agree on, before Mr. Papandreou's visit. Skopje: Arsenis confident EU will eventually come round National Defence Minister Gerasimos Arsenis yesterday expressed optimism that Greece's positions on the Skopje issue would finally be understood by its European partners. "This is the assessment I have made, after talking to foreign observers," Mr. Arsenis said. Underlining his impression that Greece's EU partners were beginning to change their views on the issue, Mr. Arsenis said he hoped that should lead "to a specific change in attitude." Greek communities safe in Burundi, Rwanda Athens, 11/4/1994 (ANA): All members of Greek communities in Bujumbura and Kigali are safe, consular sources in Burundi and Rwanda said Saturday. Thousands of persons were reported killed in Rwanda, in fighting between the Hutu majority and Tutsi minority tribes. Fighting broke out following the deaths of the Rwanda and Burundi presidents, when a plane bringing them back from regional peace talks in Tanzania, was hit by a rocket on Wednesday night. No postponement of Constantinople Patriarch's visit to Athens Istanbul, 11/4/1994 (ANA-A. Kourkoulas): Ecumenical Orthodox Patriarch Vartholomeos will visit Athens on May 19 as originally planned, a Patriarchate statement said in Istanbul yesterday. The statement stressed press reports alleging the visit was postponed at the Patriarchate's request, were "irresponsible" and lacked propriety. The reports, claimed the alleged postponement had been prompted by Islamist activities in Istanbul. Synaspismos condemns NATO air strikes Athens, 11/4/1994 (ANA): The Coalition of the Left and Progress (Synaspismos) party strongly condemned NATO's air-strikes against Serbian targets in an announcement last night. Expressing concern at the prospect of war escalating in the broader region of the Balkans, the party called on the government to take an initiative through the Presidency of the European Union. PM dismisses early poll report Athens, 11/4/1994 (ANA): Premier Andreas Papandreou yesterday dismissed a press report in an Athens daily yesterday, claiming an early election would be held in June. "I will not lead the nation to the polls, before the full four-year term is over", Mr. Papandreou said in a televised statement last night. Refuting the report as a mere figment of the imagination, Mr. Papandreou said "I have no reason to call an early election". According to the report, Mr. Papandreou intends to hold election in June, with the aim of securing 185 seats in Parliament, enabling PASOK to elect its own candidate to the Presidency. President Karamanlis's term expires in May 1995 and that of Parliament in October 1997. Under the Constitution, Parliament elects the President of the Republic and, to be elected, a candidate needs at least 180 votes in the first round. Otherwise, the House is dissolved and elections held. Mr. Papandreou described the report as "a somewhat ludicrous prophecy". Interior Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos also made a statement stressing the government was not interested in elections. Government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said the government would complete its four-year mandate, adding the press report did not tally with reality. "We are in the first six-month period of a four-year mandate and foreign and economic policy planning stretches across that (four-year) period", Mr. Venizelos said. Evert Main opposition New Democracy party leader Miltiades Evert commenting on a press report, yesterday said his party was ready for elections. "New Democracy is ready. They can call elections whenever they like", he said, describing the report as an "April fool" stunt.