From: tzarros@ccs.carleton.ca (Theodore Zarros) Subject: News (in ENGLISH)- Fri, 27 May 1994 (Greek Press Office BBS, Ottawa). Athens News Agency Bulletin, Albania arrests more Greek ethnics, Greece calls off FMs meeting --------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 27/5/1994 (ANA): Greece said yesterday that the forthcoming meeting between the Greek and Albanian foreign ministers would not take place following further arrests of ethnic Greeks in the area of Dervitsani, Albania. At the same time, Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias has issued a stern warning to Albania concerning the latest arrests. Foreign Ministry spokesman Costas Bikas confirmed that the Greek ambassador to Tirana had advised the Albanian Foreign Ministry that the meeting between Mr. Papoulias and his Albanian counterpart, Mr. Alfred Sereqi, would not take place. Commenting on the arrests in Dervitsani, Mr. Bikas said that "such action is part of a broader attempt by the Albanians to terrorise the (Greek) minority and create conditions of panic and flight from their birthplace." A Foreign Ministry statement said: "Albanian acts bring to mind periods which have been condemned by the international democratic community." It added Athens would use "all legal means at its disposal to protect the Greek minority in the neighbouring country." According to police sources in Dervitsani, 14 ethnic Greeks were being sought, four of whom had been arrested yesterday. Mr. Bikas said that Greece had repeatedly expressed its views on the violation of the rights of the Northern Epirotes, which were already known both to the US government and competent international organisations. "Our position is that Albania's attitude on issues of education and religious rights of the Greek minority, as well as on other human rights issues, such as participation of ethnic Greeks in Albanian public life, is not consistent with Tirana's obligations within the framework of the CSCE and other international commitments," Mr. Bikas said. Greece, he continued, had repeatedly made its positions known internationally regarding the arrest of six members of the Greek minority political organisation "Omonia". "In this respect," Mr. Bikas said, "Athens does not share the views of the US State Department spokesman (Mike McCurry) as expressed in the press briefing he gave Tuesday." Mr. Bikas said that Greece's ambassador to Washington Lucas Tsilas had been instructed by the Foreign Ministry to lodge a demarche with the US Alternate Assistant Secretary of State. At the same time, Mr. Bikas continued, Foreign Ministry General Secretary Christos Zaharakis and director of the Ministry's Albanian Affairs Department Petros Angelakis, summoned the US charge d'affaires in Athens yesterday to brief him on Greece's positions concerning Albania. The Foreign Ministry, Mr. Bikas added, is already taking steps "to rally the competent international organisations and friendly governments" regarding Tirana's violation of the human rights of the Greek minority in Albania. The Ministry was also in "constant touch" with CSCE High Commissioner for ethnic minorities Max Van der Stoel, the spokesman said. In a related development, government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said that Mr. Papoulias was to contact UN Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali by telephone yesterday in order to brief him on the latest developments in Greek-Albanian relations. Mr. Venizelos reiterated that any improvement in relations depended on Tirana's respecting the human rights of the Greek minority. He said that the government would continue with the procedure of lodging protests and making representations with all international organisations as well as governments. The spokesman underlined that the improvement in Albania's relations with the European Union also depended on its respecting the rights of ethnic Greeks. Replying to press questions, Mr. Venizelos clarified that Greece's "strong reaction" to the arrests in Albania was due to their "unjustified and massive nature", as well as the fact that "the Albanian side has still not produced any evidence concerning the Episkopi incident". The spokesman was referring to the April 10 attack on a conscript training camp in southern Albania which sparked tension between the two Balkan neighbours after Tirana claimed Greek involvement. Greece has strongly rejected the Albanian claims. Evert cautions on possible conflict ----------------------------------- Athens, 27/5/1994 (ANA): Main opposition New Democracy party leader Miltiades Evert warned yesterday persecution of the ethnic Greek minority in Albania meant trouble over shaky relations between Greece and Albania. "Protection of the ethnic Greek minority in Northern Epirus is a vital issue for Greece. Persecution of its members could bring Greece and Albania into conflict," Mr. Evert told news media at a Foreign Press Association luncheon. Mr. Evert endorsed government accusations against Albania, saying Tirana was waging a campaign to terrorise and force the 300,000-strong ethnic Greek minority to flee hillside towns and villages in southern Albania. He attributed the "scheme" to Tirana's aspiration to form an integrated front with Albanians in the Serb-controlled region of Kosovo and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. "But such a plan could lead to a conflict in the Balkans," warned the New Democracy leader. Political Spring party leader Antonis Samaras said Greek-Albanian relations had reached the last straw and called on the government to take strong action. Mr. Samaras asked the government to bring the issue before international human rights organisations and block Community aid to Albania. Coalition of the Left and Progress issued an announcement calling on the government to react to Tirana's "fresh wave of provocations". "The escalation of persecutions against members of the ethnic Greek minority in Albania proves that the US State Department's official stance (Tuesday) encourages and sustains the provocations of Albanian nationalism," the announcement said. Relations between Greece and Albania have been strained since a cross-border attack on April 10 in which two Albanian soldiers were killed by what Tirana says were ethnic Greek separatist gunmen. Athens flatly denied the accusation. The Foreign Ministers of both countries met in Zurich earlier this month but made little headway in initial fence-mending discussions. Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias held the same position in a previous socialist government and successfully ended a technical state of war between the two countries, restoring relations to near-normal footing. He had planned to soon meet with his counterpart Alfred Sereqi on the Greek-Albanian front. Athens News Agency (ANA) reports from Ioannina, northern Greece, said 30 members of the ethnic Greek organisation "Omonia" had been arrested in the last 24-hours by Albanian police. "They have been taken to Gjirokastr and are being interrogated. No charges have been filed against them and police have not justified the reason for their arrest," the report said. It said the arrests had sparked panic among ethnic Greeks fearing persecution. Arrests began a week ago, when six ethnic Greeks were charged with espionage and fomenting separatism. All six are members of "Omonia", an organisation created after the collapse of Albania's Stalinist regime three years ago. Ecumenical Patriarch to receive London award -------------------------------------------- London, 27/5/1994 (ANA/L.Tsirigotakis): London's City University will award Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomaios an honorary doctorate in divinity here next Tuesday. Attending the ceremony at St. Paul's Cathedral will be about 350 distinguished personalities including the Duke of Edinburgh, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the heads of all foreign churches in England, members of the Houses of Lords and Commons, academics and diplomats. Greece reaffirms compliance with UN Yugo sanctions -------------------------------------------------- Athens, 27/5/1994 (ANA): Greece reiterated yesterday it respected UN resolutions imposing sanctions against former Yugoslavia, despite serious harm which they caused to the Greek economy. Replying to questions on a US House of Representatives recommendation, adopted by the competent subcommittee, calling for a reduction in US military aid to Greece, Foreign Ministry spokesman Costas Bikas said: "Despite the serious harm caused to the Greek economy by the embargo against former Yugoslavia, Greece respects the sanctions imposed by the United Nations. "This is self-evident, since no accusation made against Greece has been submitted to the CSCE co-ordinator concerned." Mr. Bikas also stressed that the trade sanctions imposed by the government as retortion measures against the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia on February 16 were "lawful measures which do not infringe international law and, therefore, do not violate the UN charter". Greece renews rejection of Turkish "terrorist training" claims -------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 27/5/1994 (ANA): The government yesterday once again rejected Turkish claims that Greece was allowing its territory to be used for the "training of terrorists who subsequently carried out attacks in the neighbouring country." Rejecting the claims, Foreign Ministry spokesman Costas Bikas charged that Turkey had recently launched "a campaign of slander" against Greece over alleged training of terrorists. "Such accusations," he said, "are completely unfounded, and are not conducive to establishing normal Greek-Turkish relations." "Greece," Mr. Bikas continued, "wishes to normalise relations with Ankara. However, such relations hinge on Turkey's attitude on the Cyprus problem, its respect for our sovereign rights in the Aegean and, of course, on its refraining from hurling ground less accusations against our country." PM calls for strong socialist presence in Europarliament -------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 27/5/1994 (ANA): Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou said yesterday PASOK attaches "great importance" to the Euro-elections, adding that "strengthening the socialists in the European Parliament is necessary owing to the fact conservatives have a majority." The upcoming Euro-elections were the main issue on the agenda of the ruling socialist PASOK party's newly-elected Executive Bureau's first meeting under the chairmanship of Mr. Papandreou. The issue of separating the body into Political and Executive Secretariats was postponed for a later date. Referring to the role of the Executive Bureau, Mr. Papandreou said all its members were equal and separation would take place for operational reasons, reports said. That was why the composition of the two new agencies would not be permanent and all Executive Bureau members participate in them alternately, the reports added. Cyprus "touchstone" in Greek-Turkish relations - FM spokesman ------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 27/5/1994 (ANA): Greek Foreign Ministry spokesman Kostas Bikas yesterday said the Cyprus problem was a problem of occupation by Turkey of 40% of the island-republic's territory, and the touchstone to Greek-Turkish relations. Noting that the Turkish government continued to display lack of political will on the Cyprus problem, Mr. Bikas said: "We believe, the United Nations' Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali's report, expected to be distributed in the next few days, will portray the facts." "This year marks 20 years of Turkish occupation (in Cyprus) and the International Community, should at long last, send a clear message to the Turkish side it will no longer tolerate such brutal violation of the basic rules of international law, now taking place in Cyprus," he added. Mr. Bikas said that, in contrast to Turkey's continuing unacceptable diversionary tactics, the Cypriot government had shown good will in practical terms, in the quest for a solution to the problem. Papoulias to meet Cypriot FM ---------------------------- Athens, 27/5/1994 (ANA): Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias will have a meeting tomorrow in Athens with his Cypriot counterpart Alecos Michaelides, Mr. Bikas said yesterday. He said the meeting would take place as part of regular consultations between Athens and Nicosia to exchange views on the latest developments in the Cyprus problem and discuss future prospects. PM: Drachma doing "extremely well", issue is closed ---------------------------------------------------- Athens, 27/5/1994 (ANA) Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou yesterday expressed satisfaction at the course of the drachma which is doing "extremely well." In a statement after a meeting of the ruling socialist PASOK party's Executive Bureau, he said assessments that the drachma is following a bad course are mistaken, adding that the issue of the national currency is closed. Mr. Papandreou said it was logical for a problem with high interest rates to arise, but it will be resolved in one or two weeks, and the market will resume normal operations. "The struggle might continue, but the outcome of the battle is set," Mr. Papandreou said. Asked whether or not Greece would follow European Commission suggestions in its economic policy, government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said yesterday the government has a clearly-defined framework in its economic policy which has already been announced and is being faithfully implemented. He told another questioner Commission reports were not binding on the government. Meanwhile, main opposition New Democracy party Deputy Stefanos Manos (a former National Economy Minister) told a press conference additional measures yielding one trillion dr. will have to be introduced to cope with the current crisis in the Greek economy. Mr. Manos said the measures should not be of a taxation nature only, but also focus mainly on continuing and completing privatisation of the Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation (OTE), casinos, the Spata airport and the electric power plant in Thisvi. Turning to the drachma and current interest rates, Mr. Manos said in the event the government does not succeed in restoring confidence in the national currency, the present crisis will prove to be only the tip of the iceberg. Mr. Manos opposed devaluation of the drachma, saying that such a decision is no solution, and that the government and the Prime Minister himself should intervene for problems to be dealt with.