From: tzarros@ccs.carleton.ca (Theodore Zarros) Subject: News (in ENGLISH)- Thu, 25 Aug 1994 (Greek Press Office BBS, Ottawa). Athens News Agency Bulletin, August 25, 1994 -------------------------------------------- * Premier: Greece bracing to protect minority in Albania * Journalists released * Papandreou-Evert meeting today * SYN Eurodeputy raises Tirana trial issue at Euro C'ttee * Premier to inaugurate TIF September 9 * Van der Stoel meets with Omonia leader * Trial: Athens Press Union protests to International Federation * Greece against artificial tension fomented by Turkish circles * HELEXPO upgrading package slated at Thessaloniki meeting * Pangalos announces Greek State Railways modernisation Premier: Greece bracing to protect minority in Albania ------------------------------------------------------ Athens, 25/8/1994 (ANA): Greece yesterday said it was preparing measures to protect the ethnic Greek minority in southern Albania. Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou yesterday said the government was ready to defend Greece's national interests and protect the ethnic Greek minority of Albania "using all means at its disposal." Speaking to reporters after conferring with President Constantine Karamanlis, Mr. Papandreou also expressed discontent at the stance adopted by Greece's allies on the ongoing trial of five leading members of the ethnic Greek political organisation "Omonia" in Tirana. He warned that "there is an answer" to each and every negative move by the Albanian government concerning the treatment of the Greeks of Albania, but declined to elaborate further. "Every hour and every day there may be provocations, but the types of response cannot be named," he said. Mr. Papandreou told questioners that, in general, he was not satisfied with the stance adopted by Greece's allies on the issue of the trial. Mr. Papandreou described his meeting with Mr. Karamanlis as "very serious and substantive". At the same time, government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos dismissed a newspaper report yesterday that Greece was considering closing its borders with Albania, saying the government had a duty to block entrance of would-be illegal immigrants. "The government has a duty to guard the borders and not allow illegal entry. The measures being taken are connected with maintenance of order and combating of crime," he said. The spokesman also announced that Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE) High Commissioner for ethnic minorities Max van der Stoel is due in Athens today for talks with the Foreign Ministry leadership. He added that the trial of the five ethnic Greeks in Tirana would be raised during talks. Mr. Venizelos declined comment on an offer of talks with Greece under international supervision made by Albanian President Sali Berisha Tuesday after meeting with Mr. Van der Stoel. "Mr. Berisha obviously made the statement (offer) while at a misapprehension as to the manner in which states operate in regard to international relations," Mr. Venizelos said. Replying to other questions, the spokesman said that the government did not intend to recall its ambassador to Tirana because the trial of the five "Omonia" members was still in progress. Albania Tuesday recalled its ambassador to Athens, Hysen Cabej, for consultations. Mr. Venizelos said that the Greek ambassador to Tirana had been instructed to lodge a strong protest with the Albanian government over the arrest Tuesday of three women journalists, two Greek and a Greek-Cypriot covering the trial in the Albanian capital. Five ethnic Greeks went on trial in Tirana last week, on charges of espionage and illegal possession of arms causing strained tension between the two Balkan states to mount. They are leaders of the ethnic Greek political organisation Omonia and were arrested after a fatal attack on an Albanian conscript centre in April which led to growing tension between the two Balkan neighbours. The trial, which entered its tenth day yesterday, was adjourned until Monday. Journalists released -------------------- Athens, 25/8/1994 (ANA): The two Greek journalists held by the Albanian authorities were released hours before President Constantine Karamanlis and Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou were scheduled to discuss deteriorating Greek-Albanian relations yesterday. The third, a Greek-Cypriot journalist/observer was expelled from Albania later yesterday. She arrived in Athens yesterday afternoon, and told the press she denounced the conditions under which the trial is conducted, criticising Albanian authorities for barring free access to the international press and observers. The three women journalists, Mary Tzora of Mega Channel private TV, Vassiliki Siouti of Flash private radio, and international observer Thekla Kittou, were arrested Tuesday night as they were coming out of the Greek Embassy in the Albanian capital. Government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos, in a post-midnight statement, yesterday, attributed the arrests "to the Albanian government's impasse over the trial, which has exposed it internationally, and intensified its nervousness, forcing it to increase provocation and errors". Calling for the immediate release of the three women, Mr. Venizelos said that the move was a "blatant insult to freedom of information". Papandreou-Evert meeting today ------------------------------ Athens, 25/8/1994 (ANA): Meanwhile, a meeting between Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou and Main Opposition New Democracy party leader Miltiades Evert is scheduled for today. The meeting, expected to focus on the Albanian issue, was set at the request of Mr. Evert, who also expressed the wish to have talks with Mr. Karamanlis, the ND announced yesterday. Commenting on Mr. Papandreou's statement yesterday, Mr. Evert said that "instead of putting the Greek people at ease the (Prime Minister's) statement engendered greater concern." In another development, Communist Party of Greece (KKE) Secretary-General Aleka Papariga told reporters, after meeting with New Yugoslavia Ambassador to Athens Milan Milutinovic, the Greek-Albanian crisis was part of a broader Balkan crisis. SYN Eurodeputy raises Tirana trial issue at Euro C'ttee ------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 25/8/1994 (ANA): Euro-deputy Alecos Alavanos of the Coalition of the Left and Progress (Synaspismos) party wrote a letter to President of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament and former EU Commissioner Abel Matutes on the issue of the "trial" at Tirana. Mr. Alavanos requests Mr. Matutes to include the issue of the trial of five leading members of the ethnic Greek minority "Omonia" party in Tirana on the agenda at the first meeting of the Political Commission of the European Parliament, which opens in Brussels next Monday. Premier to inaugurate TIF September 9 ------------------------------------- Athens, 25/8/1994 (ANA): The 59th Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF) which Premier Andreas Papandreou will inaugurate on Friday, September 9, is looked upon as an event of broader economic significance in the Balkans. National Economy Under-Secretary Ioannis Anthopoulos and HELEXPO president Vassilios Kourtesis yesterday gave reporters a composite profile of the 59th session of TIF which opens Saturday September 10 through Sunday September 19. Mr Kourtesis emphasised that a leading TIF characteristic is accrued commercial and technocratic orientation, as shown by the selection of the inaugural date one day earlier than usual, extending its duration to facilitate both the public and business participants. Both the inaugural ceremony and other events which the Premier and members of the government will attend, will be held at the new 2,500 capacity conference centre. The Prime Minister will deliver the traditional speech on the state of the economy Saturday evening, to be followed by a press conference Sunday noon. Over 3,000 firms from Greece and 41 other countries are participating. They include Egypt, Armenia, Bulgaria, France, USA, India, Israel, Italy, Canada, China, Colombia, Cyprus, Australia, South Africa, Hungary, Romania, Russia, Czech Republic, and Hong Kong. Mr Kourtesis referred to the comparative advantage enjoyed by HELEXPO and Thessaloniki, lying closer to new markets in the Balkans and central and eastern Europe, stressing HELEXPO aims at becoming a potent reflection of Greece's drive for economic and commercial expansion in those countries. He added that as part of this policy, HELEXPO had signed a co-operation agreement with the Plovdiv International Fair in Bulgaria, drawn up a text of co-operation with the Bucharest International Fair, and earmarked and paved the way for venues to establish the Interbalkan and Black Sea Co-operation Centre and the Interbalkan Chamber. Van der Stoel meets with Omonia leader ------------------------------------- Tirana, 25/8/1994 (ANA-M.Vihos): The right of the members of the ethnic Greek minority in Albania to learn Greek was raised in talks between Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE) High Commissioner for minorities Max van der Stoel and ethnic Greek political organisation Omonia leader Soteris Kyriazatis. Speaking to the press after his meeting with Mr. van der Stoel yesterday, Mr. Kyriazatis said the Commissioner told Omonia leaders "the decision of the Albanian cabinet (on the issue) is a step forward compared with the 1993 institutional regime, and a step backwards compared with the 1991 institutional regime." Sources said here yesterday that according to a new government decision, the issue would pass to the jurisdiction of regional governors appointed by the state. In 1991, the local administration was responsible for education matters concerning the minority. During that year, schools opened for the ethnic Greek minority in seven towns. In 1993, the matter was transferred to the Education Ministry resulting in the minority being deprived of its education privileges. The trial of the five ethnic Greek leaders of Omonia which opened in Tirana last week was also discussed at the meeting. The defendants are fighting charges of espionage and illegal arms possession. They were arrested after a fatal attack at a border conscript centre inside Albanian caused tension to rise between Greece and Albania. Tirana accused Athens of staging the attack, but the Greek government strongly rejected the charges. Four of the five defendants withdrew their confessions at the opening of the trial, saying they had been extracted under pressure and physical torture. Mr. Kyriazatis told the press that the talks with Mr. van der Stoel also focused on the issue of torture against the accused. He said the Commissioner noted that the issue had not been raised at a meeting with the accused during his previous visit to Tirana. Mr. Kyriazatis said Albanian President Sali Berisha promised Mr. van der Stoel that documents entrusted to the Commissioner on various occasion by the leadership of Omonia "will not be used as evidence at the trial." The trial was yesterday adjourned until Monday. Trial: Athens Press Union protests to International Federation -------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 25/8/1994 (ANA): A letter of protest has been sent by the Athens Journalist Union (ESHEA) to the International Journalist Federation in Brussels. ESHEA yesterday held an urgent meeting, after the arrests Tuesday of two female Greek journalists and one Cypriot, who were covering the parody-trial at Tirana, condemned the brutal way in which the three journalists were barred from carrying out their mission of informing the public. The letter said: "The arrests, deportation and all forms of intimidation toward journalists in Albania are daily occurrences, extend beyond the boundaries of domestic issues of a state and become a European problem. The International Journalist Federation, especially the European branch, should not remain indifferent in the face of such cases, which cause concern to the European organisations for human rights. Greece against artificial tension fomented by Turkish circles ------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 25/8/1994 (ANA): "Greece will not be lured into contributing to a climate of artificial tension being cultivated by certain official or semi-official circles in Turkey," government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said yesterday. The spokesman was commenting on a front-page report in the Turkish newspaper "Sabah" claiming that the island of Kastellorizo does not belong to Greece and that the issue should be discussed at some point in the future. "Greece's national sovereign rights are a fact," Mr. Venizelos said. HELEXPO upgrading package slated at Thessaloniki meeting -------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 25/8/1994 (ANA): Important decisions concerning the future of HELEXPO Thessaloniki International Trade Fair (TIF) were adopted at yesterday's meeting between National Economy Under-Secretary for external trade Ioannis Anthopoulos and HELEXPO officials in Thessaloniki. Mr Anthopoulos said the government aimed at establishing HELEXPO as a world trade centre operating throughout the year. A fundamental condition for HELEXPO's upgraded role was the creation of a modern hotel unit, lack of which is a serious problem facing Thessaloniki since the closing down of Macedonia Palace Hotel. The minister committed himself to promoting the opening of a 7-billion drachma HELEXPO exhibition centre in Athens, to be funded under the second Community Support Framework programme. An initial sum of 2.5 billion drachmas has already been secured for the project. Pangalos announces Greek State Railways modernisation ----------------------------------------------------- Athens, 25/8/1994 (ANA): Transport Minister Theodoros Pangalos yesterday announced the setting up of three Greek Railways Organisation (OSE) subsidiaries, as part of a 5-year modernisation programme. The subsidiaries are: - Tourist Development Services (to include the launching of luxury 'Orient Express'-type coaches on the Athens to Thessaloniki line, with journey time reduced to 4.20 hours from six at present). - An assets recording service. - A projects management company, to deal with the use of funds (EU and national). An innovation is introducing insurance cover for all OSE passengers. Mr Pangalos said OSE was outdated, adding there was now a prospect for creating a modern railway using a sum of 560 billion dr. from state and EU funds. Journey time between Athens and Thessaloniki is expected to be reduced to 3.40 hours after the opening of the Lianokladi-Domokos tunnel. The minister also announced the upgrading of lines to Chalkida and Corinth into commuter services, the latter journey taking 30 minutes.