From: tzarros@ccs.carleton.ca (Theodore Zarros) Subject: News (in ENGLISH)- Sat, 7 May 1994 (Greek Press Office BBS, Ottawa). Athens News Agency Bulletin, Algerian FM has talks with Papoulias, calls on PM -------------------------------------------------- Athens, 07/05/1994 (ANA): Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias and his visiting Algerian Counterpart Mohammed Salah Dembri held talks in Athens yesterday centring on furthering bilateral relations and Algeria's relations with the European Union. The Algerian Minister was also received by Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou. After the meeting with Mr. Dembri, Mr. Papoulias told reporters there was ground for further co-operation between Athens and Algeria. He also underlined Algeria's support on the Cyprus and Skopje issues. Mr. Papoulias accepted an invitation to visit Algeria, saying that it would be fixed through diplomatic channels. Mr. Debri, who arrived Thursday on a two day official visit, told the press he carried a message of friendship from the Algerian President to Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou . Mr. Debri, said that the Greek prime Minister was a symbol of a freedom and democracy fighter for the Algerian People. "Between Greece and Algeria there is friendship, understanding and a will for further development of their relations", he added. Turning to Algeria's relations with the European Union, Mr. Debri thanked Greece for its contribution to the development of EU-Algeria relations, calling Mr. Papoulias the "architect" of such co-operation. Papantoniou rules out introduction of new economic measures ----------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 07/05/1994 (ANA): National Economy Minister Yiannos Papantoniou yesterday ruled out the introduction of any new economic measures, adding that the economic policy currently in effect" will be strictly and consistently implemented". He was speaking to reporters after he was sworn-in, replacing George Yennimatas who died of lung cancer April 25. George Romaios was also sworn-in as Alternate Minister, in a ceremony before President Constantine Karamanlis. Mr. Papantoniou said the basic guidelines of the economic policy he would follow would remain those formulated by his predecessor. The Minister also said reducing the public sector deficit and inflation was a major goal of the government, which would also make every possible effort to support the development drive. President Clinton, PM discuss Skopje, Cyprus over phone -------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 07/05/1994 (ANA): Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou and US President Bill Clinton discussed the Skopje and Cyprus issues over the phone Thursday, according to a White House statement. The statement read: "President Bill Clinton spoke (Thursday) with Greek Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou regarding efforts to resolve issues relating to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Cyprus. The President expressed his hope that the differences between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia could be resolved quickly. The President underscored the importance of the UN negotiating process led by Cyrus Vance and supported by US Special Envoy Matthew Nimetz. The President and Prime Minister Papandreou agreed that the issue ought to be resolved promptly. President Clinton also expressed his support for the UN-sponsored Confidence-Building Measures in Cyprus which he said were the best hope of making progress on issues important to all parties". Venizelos denies NATO-SG claims, no meeting or agreement with PM on Skopje ----------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 07/05/1994 (ANA): Government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos yesterday described as fraudulent a document alleging that Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou had agreed to the establishment of a "free 'Macedonian' trade zone" on Greek soil, when he was leader of the main opposition, and had accepted the then proposed solutions on the name of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The document, shown in the course of a discussion programme on ANTENNA TV station, claims that the allegation was made by NATO Secretary-General Manfred Woerner on May 3, 1993. Mr. Venizelos said that at no time was there a Papandreou-Woerner meeting when the former was leader of the opposition. Venizelos: International law lays down rights of Greek minority in Albania -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 07/05/1994 (ANA): The rights of the Greek minority in Albanian are clearly determined by international law, and Albania is called upon to prove, through domestic legislation, that it accepts those rights, as mere declarations are not sufficient, government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said yesterday, commenting on a statement by Albanian President Sali Berisha to ANTENNA TV station that the Greek minority in his country enjoys rights that no other minority in the Balkans does. Mr. Venizelos stated that a very specific legal, administrative, police, and judicial practice must be formulated, and that the latest wave of arrests of ethnic Greeks neither creates the right climate nor provides the necessary guarantees for that. The Greek side does not accept the question of compensation for the property of the Albanian minority of Tsamides, who collaborated with the Axis powers during World War II, as an issue, added Mr. Venizelos. Meanwhile, Reuters quoted Berisha as saying that "we are for dialogue. The serious problems which exist between us (Albania and Greece) can undoubtedly be solved... But Albania has not found the same understanding from Athens". "I am worried about the future", he added. French FM asks Papoulias mediation over Bosnia hostages -------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 07/05/1994 (ANA): Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias said yesterday his French counterpart Alain Juppe had asked him to intervene in efforts for the release of French members of a humanitarian organisation held hostage in Bosnia. Mr. Papoulias said the request was made during a telephone conversation with the French foreign minister Thursday night. The Foreign Minister said he had spoken since with officials in Belgrade and Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic to help settle the issue, but gave no further details. "It is a serious issue which the Greek presidency of the European Union is making every possible effort to find a solution to," Mr. Papoulias said. He added that setting French peacekeepers free would contribute to normalising relations between France and Serbia. State Department given details of Albanian persecution of Greek ethnics ----------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 07/05/1994 (ANA): Albania is using tension over the Episkopi incident to further terrorise North Epirots and force them to flee to Greece, leaders of two major international organisations told US Under-secretary of State for European Affairs yesterday in Washington, D.C. Detailed descriptions of Albanian officials' persecutions of the Greek minority in the country were given to the US's Steven Oxman by Nicholas Gage and Menelaos Tzelios, respectively the presidents of the Pan-Epirus Association of America and the International Association for Protection of National, Religious and Language Rights. Mr. Gage and Mr. Tzelios also asked Mr. Oxman for his help to release jailed leaders of the Greek-Albanian Omonia Party. Two Albanian conscripts were killed in an April 10 attack on an army recruit centre in the Albanian border. Tirana blamed Greek commandos for the deaths, but Athens has flatly denied any involvement. Papoulias leaving for Luxembourg WEU meeting --------------------------------------------- Athens, 07/05/1994 (ANA): Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias will leave for Luxembourg tomorrow to attend the West European Union (WEU) Council of Ministers due to convene on Monday. Meanwhile, the 5th joint ministerial conference between the European Union and Gulf Co-operation Council countries (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates) will take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, today and tomorrow. The conference will be presided over by Saudi Foreign Minister Price Saud Al Faisal and Mr. Papoulias in his capacity as President of the European Union's Council of Foreign Ministers. Greece will be represented by the Foreign Ministry's Community Affairs Secretary-General Yiannos Kranidiotis. Talks will focus on issues of mutual economic and political interest and Foreign Ministers from both sides will exchange views on prospects of their co-operation, and be briefed on the course of issues of joint interest under way in the two regions (EU enlargement and relations between the EU and Russia and eastern Europe). Meanwhile, an announcement by the Foreign Ministry said the Greek government expresses its abhorrence over the unprecedented acts of violence and mass killings taking place in the civil war which broke out in Rwanda three weeks ago after the tragic deaths of the Presidents of Rwanda and Burundi. It also expresses profound concern for the state of thousands of refugees and displaced persons, including the danger of violence spreading to neighbouring countries. A statement by the Greek Presidency on behalf of the European Union on the situation in Yemen said the Community is watching the wave of violence which has broken out in the capital Sanaa with profound concern and made an urgent appeal to all parties concerned, calling on them to stop hostilities immediately and implement the spirit of the agreement reached between the two sides last February. City of London University to honour Ecumenical Patriarch --------------------------------------------------------- London, 07/05/1994 (ANA/L.Tsirigotakis): The "City of London" University administrators yesterday announced their intention to grant Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos the title of honorary professor of "divine power" during events marking the university's centenary celebrations. The Patriarch will be presented with the award at a special ceremony, to be held on May 31 at St. Paul's Cathedral in the presence of such distinguished personalities as the Prince of Edinburgh and the Archbishop of Canterbury, including Members of the House of Commons, scientists and academics.