From: tzarros@ccs.carleton.ca (Theodore Zarros) Subject: News (in ENGLISH)- Wed, 11 May 1994 (Greek Press Office BBS, Ottawa). Athens News Agency Bulletin, Olympic Airways rescue plan finalised, submitted to Commission -------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 11/5/1994 (ANA): National Economy Minister Yiannos Papantoniou and Transport Minister Ioannis Haralambous yesterday approved a four-year survival plan to revitalise Olympic Airways, which is to be submitted to the European Union for approval. The plan, drawn up after consultations with OA employees, envisages assumption by the government of the air-carrier's debts, totalling 491 billion dr. ($2 billion), a share capital increase of 53 billion Dr ($214 million) over 3 years, and early voluntary and compulsory retirement for 1,500 employees. A two- year freeze on pay and the elimination of the Tokyo and Chicago routes aim at reducing spending by 15% in 1994 and 30% in 1995. Personnel spending amounts to 50% of OA's expenditure, compared to an average of 30 to 35% in other European Union national carriers. "The spending cuts are considered absolutely essential to the airline's survival... If company results are positive in the first two years of the plan, the board will award pay rises in 1996 and 1997", a Transport Ministry statement said yesterday. Employees are also to concede 10 extra days of work without pay. Giving up Vergina star a 'goodwill step' - Venizelos ---------------------------------------------------- Athens, 11/5/1994 (ANA): Greece yesterday said that it would consider a step of good will, a possible decision by Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) to abandon use of the ancient Greek Star of Vergina on its flag. "Such a decision would be viewed as a good will step by Greece," government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos told the press, adding that "the government has not been informed officially or through any other special source that FYROM intends to change its flag, other than reports in the Belgrade press." Mr. Venizelos reiterated the government's desire for a speedy solution to the issue, adding that "this remains both a desire and a pursuit." Belgrade's daily "Politika" on Monday reported that FYROM would change its flag, replacing the Vergina Star with two birds drinking water from the "spring of life", a typical Skopjan characteristic as well as a religious symbol. The birds, according to "Politika", are drawn in gold on a red background. The newspaper said, the FYROM government would also announce removal of certain articles from its Constitution, which Greece says imply territorial claims against FYROM's neighbours. Mr. Venizelos said that, if implemented, such a FYROM government decision would be viewed by Greece as a good will step. He added that so far, the only development in the Skopje issue, was a meeting between Foreign Ministry Secretary-General Christos Zaharakis and UN Special Mediator for Skopje Cyrus Vance scheduled for tomorrow in New York. Mr. Venizelos told a questioner a possible meeting between Mr. Zaharakis with US President Bill Clinton's special Skopje mediator Matthew Nimetz should not be ruled out. In a reply to a press question on whether or not the government intended to go ahead with an agreement with FYROM providing for mutual border guarantees, Mr. Venizelos said such a proposal, although expressed many times in the past, was not sufficient. "Skopje should fall in line with the rules of International Law," he said. G. Papandreou leaves for Strasbourg, confident of Skopje settlement ----------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 11/5/1994 (ANA): Foreign Under-secretary George Papandreou yesterday expressed optimism for upcoming New York talks on the Former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia. "I hope that the talks will be positive and will contribute to the normalisation of relations between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia," Mr. Papandreou told reporters before leaving for Strasbourg to attend a Council of Europe ministerial conference. "Greece's interests are lin-ked with the survival of the former Yugoslav republic," he said. United Nations mediator Cyrus Vance and Greece's special envoy Ambassador Christos Zaharakis will meet in New York tomorrow as part of efforts to resolve the over two-year-old dispute. Greece to protest EU newsmen's accreditation lifting by Yugoslavia ----------------------------------------------------------------- Belgrade, 11/5/1994 (ANA-N.Georgiades): Greece - now holding the European Union rotating presidency - will make a demarche with Yugoslav Federal authorities in coming days to protest recent suspension of press accreditation to foreign journalists, it was announced yesterday. EU troika (Belgium, Greece, Germany) Charges d' Affaires in Belgrade conferred yesterday on the draft of the demarche. According to the Foreign Press Association, the Yugoslav authorities suspended accreditation of 16 of its members. Meanwhile the Greek Charge d' Affaires will meet with the Federal Government Vice President Zeilko Simitz in coming days, to convey a personal message by Greek Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias on the fate of 11 French human aid workers, held by Bosnian-Serb authorities. Evert leaves on Bulgaria visit ------------------------------ Athens, 11/5/1994 (ANA): Main opposition New Democracy leader Miltiades Evert leaves today for an official visit to Bulgaria, New Democracy party sources said yesterday. They said Mr. Evert would meet with Bulgaria's President Zhelu Zhelev, Prime Minister Lyuben Berov, Patriarch Maximos and other political officials. NATO commander calls on Defence U'Secretary, Armed Forces chief --------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 11/5/1994 (ANA): National Defence Under-secretary Nikos Kouris had a formal meeting yesterday with new Commander of Nato's forces in Southern Europe, Admiral Leyton Smith. Admiral Smith also met with National Defence General Staff, Admiral Christos Lymberis, before flying to Rome yesterday afternoon. Euroelectoral period opens Monday --------------------------------- Athens, 11/5/1994 (ANA): Interior Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos told reporters yesterday that the official pre-election period for the 1994 Euro-elections to be held in Greece on June 11 and June 12 for Greeks living in other European countries will start on Monday May 16. Mr. Tsohatzopoulos said the Presidential Decree will be published today, and the Inter-party Committee's work will begin at the Interior Ministry on Monday. He said 8,459,636 Greek citizens are eligible to vote in the Euro-elections (4,135,385 men and 4,324,251 women), 58,760 Greek immigrants in European Union countries, 479,000 in municipalities other than their place of residence (they may vote at their place of residence at will) and 682 citizens from other EU countries living in Greece. May 24 is the expiry date for party tickets to be registered. PM decides against appointment of caretaker ministers for Euroelections ---------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 11/5/1994 (ANA): Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou has decided not to have caretaker ministers appointed at the Interior, Justice and Public Order ministries and the Press under-secretariat for the Euro-elections, government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said yesterday. The fundamental element behind the decision was that Euroelections are not a national poll as in the case of general elections, he added. Another reason was that Greece was holding the European Union rotating presidency, Mr. Venizelos noted, and ministers were busy preparing various councils and other EU meetings, including a summit. Mr. Venizelos told questioners issues to be addressed by the ministerial councils could not be dealt with easily by a sole under-secretary, and the combination of a caretaker minister with a political under-secretary created more problems than it solved. Mr. Venizelos said there is only one comparable precedent, 1984 Euro-elections. But they did not constitute either tradition or an established right. Replying to a question on whether or main opposition New Democracy party leader Miltiades Evert had requested the appointment of caretaker ministers, Mr. Venizelos said Mr. Evert called Under-secretary to the Prime Minister's Office Antonis Livanis several days ago and raised the issue. Mr. Venizelos said President Karamanlis was advised of the Premier's decision who, he added, "had no such wish, will or involvement in the matter." Commenting on the issue, Mr. Evert said: "For the first time since the restoration of democracy, there is violation of the rule of replacing ministers, whose duties are linked directly to conducting the elections, by appointing non-party personalities instead. I denounce such morally unacceptable, suspicious and unreliable action by the PASOK government." Papathemelis: 'huge interests' behind drugs, free supply of substitutes under consideration ---------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 11/5/1994 (ANA): Public Order Minister Stelios Papathemelis said yesterday huge interests are involved in the international drug trafficking ring, adding that Greece has called on other European Union countries to agree to a single policy and adoption of measures in countries where drugs are produced. Speaking at a press conference, Mr. Papathemelis said there is a positive response, but interlocutors have not yet come to realise that Turkey and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) should be dealt a blow on this issue where two factories producing and processing heroin already exist. Recent drug-related deaths neither surprise nor panic security authorities, he said. Mr. Papathemelis provided data by which "mass" drug-related deaths occur frequently. The phenomenon occurred four times over the last five years with three deaths on the same day, viz. on September 9, 1989, September 13, 1989, March 15, 1990 and May 5, 1994. Two drug-related deaths in one day have occurred many times, he added. The authorities' main aim, he said, is combating organised drug trafficking groups and creating a protective umbrella around drug addicts' haunts to prevent access by traffickers. Mr. Papathemelis said that over the last three years 30 people died of drugs annually during the first five months, adding that security services confiscate three million sachets of heroin every year. Greece is no longer the cross-roads for drugs between European and Asian countries but Bulgaria instead, Mr. Papathemelis said. Meanwhile, Health, Welfare and Social Insurance Minister Dimitris Kremastinos said the government is considering providing addicts with free methadone or other alternatives. He said the task will be undertaken by the Organisation for Combating Drugs (OKANA) whose operation will start soon with the appointment of a general director. In a related statement, the main opposition New Democracy party accused the government of lacking a policy on this issue. PM, ministers considering drug-thwarting measures ------------------------------------------------- Athens, 11/5/1994 (ANA): Greece will enforce measures to combat drug use and trafficking after what it has been deemed by the press as a "drug plague" following the deaths of eight users in recent days. Government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said the government would announce its new measures in coming days. "The Prime Minister and ministers concerned are examining ways to cope with the problem," Mr. Venizelos told reporters. UNESCO head on Athens visit May 17 ---------------------------------- Athens, 11/5/1994 (ANA): UNESCO's General Director Frederico Mayor will visit Greece on May 17-18 for talks with Culture Minister Thanos Mikroutsikos focusing on the "Aegean" programme, some aspects of which may be placed under the United Nation's organisation auspices, it was announced yesterday. Mr. Mayor flies to Greece in response to an invitation by Culture Minister Melina Mercouri who died in March. During his stay, Mr. Mayor will visit Thessaloniki and the archaeological site of Vergina. He will also inaugurate the Balkan Women's Centre in Thessaloniki and attend a special ceremony at the Historical and Ethnological Museum, organised by the UNESCO International Council of Museums (ICOM) dedicated to the International Museum Day on May 1 7. Athens Europarliament conference ends -------------------------------------- Athens, 11/5/1994 (ANA) The two-day 10th Conference of the European Affairs committees of the European Parliament and the parliaments of European Union member states (COSAC) was yesterday concluded successfully in the Senate Room of Parliament. The European Parliament delegation, headed by Mr Craninho, Vice-President of the European Parliament, Mr Gil-Roberts, chairman of the Institutional Affairs Committee, and Mr Baron-Crespo, chairman of External Affairs Committee, issued a statement stressing the following: The European Parliament fully supported the reform of the internal regulation of COSAC, to allow participation of parliamentary observers from countries seeking accession in its sessions. Representatives of Norway, Austria, Sweden and Finland took part for the first time in the sessions of the European Affairs parliamentary committees. The European Parliament delegation stressed that prospective as well as future enlargements, of necessity entail institutional revision of the Treaty for functioning effectively and with transparency. It also pointed out that there is need for all national parliaments to intensify effective control of the executive. The following specific proposals were submitted to this end: - Establishment of a real priority of rules, allowing parliaments to focus activity on legislating work. - Full publicity to legislative decisions of the Council. - An obligation on the part of national governments to place all Community documents at the disposal of their respective parliaments. - Increased co-operation among national parliaments and the European Parliament, including Common External and Defence policies, as well as internal and justice matters. - Submission, every year, of the annual legislative programme of the European Parliament to national parliaments, if its application could be the subject of discussion by the latter in the context of COSAC. Opposition leader briefs FM on Albania trip ------------------------------------------- Athens, 11/5/1994 (ANA): Main Opposition leader Miltiades Evert yesterday briefed Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias on his recent trip to Albania and his forthcoming one to Bulgaria, at New Democracy party headquarters. Following their meeting, Mr Evert said he had drawn the Foreign Minister's attention to the dangers facing Hellenism in Cyprus and Northern Epirus and the unacceptability of Albania being financed by the European Union while not respecting the Greek minority's rights. Mr Papoulias, for his part, said he had briefed Mr Evert on the latest developments on the issue of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.