From: tzarros@ccs.carleton.ca (Theodore Zarros) Subject: News (in ENGLISH)- Fri, 30 Sep 1994 (Greek Press Office BBS, Ottawa). Athens News Agency Bulletin, September 30, 1994 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * Papoulias ready to meet with Albanian FM, only if ethnics released. Europarliament requests release * Europarliament: release ethnics immediately * FM confers with Iraqis, Palestinians after NATO meeting * Turkish Aegean warnings "unimportant", Venizelos says * Turkish trawler intercepted in Greek waters, skipper arraigned * Public Order Minister, US envoy confer on joint effort against terrorism * Gov't tables urgent bill for new Acropolis museum * Greece on Black Sea environmental initiative * Ecumenical Patriarch receives EU official * Army chief on US visit * Health Ministry directive on travelling to India * "Guards of the Aegean" military exercise in October * Consensus, understanding at NATO meeting, Arsenis * Vance meets with FYROM FM, wants talks resumption after elections Papoulias ready to meet with Albanian FM, only if ethnics released. Europarliament requests release ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ United Nations, 30/9/1994 (ANA/M.Georgiadou): Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias said yesterday he was ready to meet with Albanian counterpart Alfred Sereqi, if the recently convicted five members of the ethnic Greek minority Omonia organisation, on charges of espionage and illegal firearms possession, were released. In a statement yesterday, following a meeting with US Secretary of State Warren Christopher, the Foreign Minister said he had reiterated this position to the American official, and also discussed Greek-Turkish relations, and the Cyprus problem. Meanwhile in Strasbourg, the European Parliament yesterday endorsed a resolution calling for the immediate release of the five ethnic Greeks jailed in Albania. "The release of the convicted men is not a prior condition, it is restoration of justice. I am willing and ready to meet with Mr Sereqi after the release. But I cannot do it before those men go home", Mr. Papoulias said. Commenting on a proposal by Omonia officials for an immediate start to dialogue with the Albanian government, without preconditions, Mr Papoulias said: "Omonia officials, the elected members of the Greek minority, whom I hold in esteem and respect, have certain views. The Greek government has stated its position from the start, and is holding fast to it... We do not reject dialogue. But we are saying that (Omonia president) Mr Kyriazatis's colleagues should be released from prison". Asked whether or not Mr Christopher had exerted pressure for a meeting with Mr Sereqi, Mr Papoulias replied negatively. Turning to Greek-Turkish relations, Mr Papoulias said he had briefed the head of the State Department on the his meeting with Turkish counterpart Momtaz Soysal. He added that "the extension of Greek territorial waters in the Aegean to 12 miles is an inalienable right of the Greek government. When this right will be exercised is at Greece's discretion. This is a permanent position". Mr Papoulias yesterday also had a half-hour meeting with US Assistant Secretary for European and Canadian Affairs Richard Holbrook. He stated afterwards the meeting had been very good, and that he had informed the American official about Greek national issues and the new effort for peace in Bosnia. He added that talks would soon continue in Athens, in the context of Mr Holbrook's tour of the region. Europarliament: release ethnics immediately ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Strasbourg, 30/9/1994 (ANA-M.Savvas-P.Stangos): The European Parliament yesterday endorsed a resolution calling for the immediate release of the six ethnic Greek leaders of the Omonia organisation, convicted by a Tirana court and jailed on charges of military espionage and illegal possession of weapons. According to the resolution, the trial of the Omonia members was political, regardless of an eventual penal guilt of the defendants, while the procedure itself did not provide the necessary rights for the defence. The resolution expresses concern over Greek-Albanian relations, attributing further strain to Albanian government provocation. It calls upon Albania to immediately release the six ethnic Greeks, noting that such release would be seen "as an act to facilitate commencement of constructive dialogue with the Greek government, and lead to the lifting of reservations by the (European Union Foreign Ministers') Council for an immediate release of the first part of the EU financial aid to Albania..." The resolution calls on the EU Council and the Commission to pressure the Albanian government to fulfil its obligations to the European Union, and step up democratisation procedures in the neighbouring country. In a previous debate, European Parliament Vice President Paraskevas Avgerinos (PASOK) requested the intervention of the European Parliament to achieve peaceful co-existence in the Balkans. The ethnic Greek minority in South Albania, he said, "should enjoy a status of equal rights and have all such rights respected..." "The whole procedure followed by the Albanian authorities has flouted and violated all concepts of justice," he added. Another Greek Eurodeputy, Takis Lambrias (New Democracy), told the House the Tirana trial aimed at "terrorising the ethnic minority and stifling acceptable political activity." Taking the floor, Greek Eurodeputy Alecos Alavanos (Coalition of the Left) called for the release of the ethnic Greeks, "so that the European funds to Albania may be unblocked." Greek Eurodeputy Katerina Daskalakis (Political Spring) drew attention to the political character of the trial saying that "human rights are not a bilateral issue." Greek-Albanian relations plunged to an all time low after a Tirana court convicted and handed down jail sentences on five ethnic Greeks, on charges of spying for Greece and illegal arms possession. Another trial convicted a sixth Omonia leader on a charge of illegal possession of weapons. Greece said the trial was intended to terrorise its ethnic Greek minority in Albania, estimated at 300,000, and retaliated by blocking European Union funds to Albania. The Greek government also called on the international community to exert pressure on Tirana to release the Greek Omonia leaders and requested the European Union to show solidarity and put its common foreign policy to test. SYN leader heads breakthrough mission to Tirana ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Athens, 30/9/1994 (ANA): Coalition of the Left and Progress (Synaspismos) leader Nikos Constantopoulos left yesterday for a three-day visit to Albania, for talks with the Albanian leadership and the leaders of the Omonia ethnic Greek political organisation. Mr. Constantopoulos opened the round of meetings by conferring with the President of the Albanian Parliament and political party leaders. He said the meetings were held in a climate of sincerity and mutual interest, and focused on establishing common ground for starting talks in a bid to de-escalate current tension in Greek-Albanian relations. Such common ground appears to be the security and respect for borders, as provided for in the Helsinki Accord and the principles of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE), the policy of the implementation in deed of the CSCE principles for both countries, and the concept that minorities and economic refugees should serve as a bridge of friendship and co-operation, rather than a source of conflict among peoples. As common ground between the two countries, the political leaders and Mr. Constantopoulos also considered the legal safeguard of employment both for economic refugees and immigrants, as well as the concept that extreme and extremist views from both side s should not be allowed to substitute for or undermine foreign policy of the states at the expense of stability and co-operation between the peoples. The concept that safeguard of the ethnic Greek minority rights in a developing Albania and the legal safeguard of the Albanians working in Greece should serve the interests of the two peoples, was also regarded as common ground for talks. Mr. Constantopoulos said the meetings noted the necessity of "a climate of rapprochement and dialogue to de-escalate tension and seek solutions - through negotiation - to all problems." Before leaving Athens, Mr. Constantopoulos told reporters his visit was aimed at seeking conditions which would allow opening dialogue between the two countries, and culminating to a climate of rapprochement between Greece and Albania. "We are interested," he said, "in building substantive dialogue, without terms or prior conditions, by taking into consideration the real problem of safeguarding ethnic Greek minority rights." FM confers with Iraqis, Palestinians after NATO meeting ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ United Nations, 30/9/1994 (ANA-M.Georgiadou): Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias participated in a NATO conference early yesterday and later held separate meetings with his Palestinian and Iraqi counterparts. Before meeting US Secretary of State Warren Christopher, Mr. Papoulias attended a European Union troika (Greece, Germany and France) meeting with Mr. Christopher. EU member-state foreign ministers were due to meet Russian Foreign Minister Andrei Kozyrev at the offices of the Russian delegation late yesterday afternoon. Moreover, Mr. Papoulias met the Prime Minister of Bosnia-Herzegovina Mr. Siladjic who briefed him on his positions on developments in the Bosnian crisis. Diplomatic circles stressed the importance of Greek senior officials contacting all parties involved in the Bosnian crisis to facilitate Greece's effort to help resolve the crisis. Mr. Papoulias also met with his Romanian counterpart on Wednesday for talks on issues concerning the further development of bilateral relations, vertical motorways linking northern Greece, Thrace and Macedonia with Ukraine and Russia through Bulgaria an d Romania. They also discussed the question of financing bridges on the Danube by European banks and, in general, they reviewed the very good relations existing between Greece and Romania. Turkish Aegean warnings "unimportant", Venizelos says ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Athens, 30/9/1994 (ANA): Greece yesterday snubbed as unimportant, warnings by Turkish Foreign Minister Mumtaz Soysal that extension of Greece's territorial waters in the Aegean would constitute an unfriendly act towards Turkey. "The government attaches no importance to Mr. Soysal's statements," government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said. Ankara has repeatedly warned that expansion of Greece's territorial waters in the Aegean could lead to war. Mr. Venizelos criticised the timing of Mr. Soysal's remarks, made a day after he met with Greek Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meeting, in a bid to defuse recent tension between Turkey and Greece. "The meeting focused on efforts to avoid statements that cause... tension in relations between the two nations," Mr. Venizelos said. According to an ANA dispatch from Istanbul, the Turkish Minister told the 'Turkish Daily News' that "there is every possibility for a peaceful settlement of Greek-Turkish differences in the Aegean." Mr. Soysal said he had discussed the Aegean issue with Mr. Papoulias. "Both sides maintain their positions on the issue," Mr. Soysal told the newspaper. Turkish trawler intercepted in Greek waters, skipper arraigned ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Athens, 30/9/1994 (ANA): A Turkish trawler was intercepted Wednesday near the island of Kos for violating Greek territorial waters, Harbour Authorities said yesterday. The "Rastgee" was spotted by a coastal military post. A Coast Guard vessel rushed to the area and notified the Turkish crew of the violation, asking for their shipping papers. But the trawler sped off in the direction of Alikarnassos, forcing the Greek coast guard vessel to fire warning shots. The trawler stopped and was escorted to Kos harbour, the authorities said. Skipper, Das Imrahim, 49, and the two other crew members - Hassan Bensaglam, 34, and Ilgin Ali, 30 - apologised, and told interrogators they had entered Greek territorial waters "not to fish, but because we had lost our bearings". They were to appear yesterday before a Public Prosecutor. Public Order Minister, US envoy confer on joint effort against terrorism ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Athens, 30/9/1994 (ANA): Public Order Minister Stelios Papathemelis and US Ambassador to Athens Thomas Niles held protracted talks yesterday on ways of combating terrorism. Mr. Papathemelis said talks focused on reviewing ways to combat terrorism, and of handling drug trafficking and combating organised crime. Mr. Papathemelis and Mr. Niles also discussed the procedure for specially trained CIA and FBI agents at the US station in Athens to participate in the struggle against terrorism. Mr. Papathemelis and Mr. Niles also reached agreement on the degree US agents will participate in fighting terrorism in Greece. Police sources said this would reactivate an earlier agreement between the previous New Democracy government and the US station of CIA and FBI agents in Athens. Mr. Niles made no statement after the meeting. Gov't tables urgent bill for new Acropolis museum ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Athens, 30/9/1994 (ANA): The government yesterday tabled a bill in Parliament paving the way for a new Acropolis Museum to house the 2,500-year-old Parthenon Marbles. Culture Minister Thanos Mikroutsikos, who tabled the bill setting up the "New Acropolis Museum Organisation", said it "paves the way for implementing an urgent national project". The bill, to be voted on in the next few days under the Urgent Procedures House Regulations, would enable the Organisation to assign all relevant or preliminary studies to various agencies, and implementation of any project or activity until the completion of the actual construction of the Museum, to undertake projection of the Museum's construction in Greece and abroad, and to sign programmes or other contracts with Greek or foreign agencies for implementing individual stages of the project. The Museum, construction of which is included in the Delors-II package, will have a budget of 20 billion drachma. Greece on Black Sea environmental initiative ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Athens, 30/9/1994 (ANA): Greece is undertaking initiatives for environmental conservation in the wider Black Sea area, Environment, Town Planning and Public Works Under-Secretary Elizabeth Papazoe announced yesterday. Mr. Papazoe said the initiatives concerned protection of the coastal zones, protection of the marine environment from pollution, energy conservation, and increasing awareness and training on environmental issues. The Ministry would collaborate with universities, research agencies, the private sector and environmental organisations in this effort, she said. The initiatives would be financed by the European Union PHARE and TACIS programmes, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP, in which Greece participates with 5 million dollars), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Black Sea Co-operation group. Greece, current chairman of the 11-nation Black Sea Co-operation group, has called a meeting of the group in Athens in March 1995 on environmental issues, the findings of which would be ratified by the group's Foreign Ministers at their April 1995 meeting in Athens. The other members are Albanian, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Turkey and the Ukraine. Ecumenical Patriarch receives EU official ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Istanbul, 30/9/1994 (ANA-A. Kourkoulas): Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos received Jerome Vignon, head of the European Union's Prospect Planning Group, at the Fanar yesterday. He was accompanied by Group members Marc Luyckx and Panos Lembesis. The European Commission, and its present President Jacques Delors in particular, have shown special interest in the Ecumenical Patriarchate and its role in shaping present-day Europe. "Orthodoxy and the Ecumenical Patriarchate constitute axes of reference and unity in Europe, unity for which we have struggled for centuries," the Ecumenical Patriarch said in an address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg on April 19. He had stressed that the concept of the European Union could not merely be a concept of economic or political co-operation, but was "an effort at cultural unity, namely an effort to give meaning to human relations." Army chief on US visit ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Athens, 30/9/1994 (ANA): Army General Staff Chief Lieutenant-General Costas Voulgaris will pay an official visit to the United States October 1 to 8, at the invitation of his US counterpart General Gordon Sullivan. General Voulgaris will hold talks with Mr. Sullivan on bilateral issues and visit training centres and formations to examine issues concerning Greek army weaponry. He will also speak at the National Defence University on "the stabilising role played by Greece in its region." Health Ministry directive on travelling to India ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Athens, 30/9/1994 (ANA): The Health Ministry has issued a travel directive for those travelling to India, because of the spread of a plague epidemic. Sanitation services in ports and airports will be instructed to apply measures envisaged by the International Sanitation Regulation for the plague, and travellers will be issued with relevant leaflets upon departure and arrival. The World Health Organisation has, nevertheless, not recommended vaccination of the population against the disease yet, but travellers who cannot put off trips to India are advised to avoid areas where incidents have been reported. If they cannot avoid such areas, they are advised to carry antibiotics in the event of illness. Travellers who may present symptoms such as cough or fever within six days of returning from India, are advised to see a doctor immediately. Meanwhile, the official bulletin of the World Health Organisation, dated September 23 reported 170 cases of cholera, including 5 deaths, in Kossovo and Gorazde, in the former Yugoslavia. "Guards of the Aegean" military exercise in October ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Athens, 30/9/1994 (ANA): A national exercise code-named "Guards of the Aegean" will take place in the Aegean between October 2-8. The purpose of the exercise, including all services, will be to train Greek Armed Forces in joint and amphibious operations. A NATO exercise code-named Dynamic Guard will take place during the same period. Greece will not participate in the exercise because basic preconditions concerning Greece's national sovereign rights, such as not including Lemnos in planning and not submitting flight plans of NATO aircraft to the civil aviation service, were not satisfied. This endangers the safety of flights in the Athens Flight Information Region (FIR) which falls under Greece's responsibility. Consensus, understanding at NATO meeting, Arsenis ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Athens, 30/9/1994 (ANA): Following the first session of the informal NATO Defence Ministers' meeting in Seville yesterday, Greek Defence Minister Gerasimos Arsenis expressed the opinion that a climate of consensus and understanding between NATO and the UN is currently being formed for the promotion of a peace plan for Bosnia through diplomatic and political, not military, means. Mr Arsenis also stated that the Alliance is concerned about security problems in the Mediterranean posed by the upsurge of Islamic fundamentalism. He is due to speak today on the role of NATO in the Partnership for Peace plan in the Balkans and the role Greece can play as a member of the alliance in the pacification of the region. Vance meets with FYROM FM, wants talks resumption after elections ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ United Nations, 30/9/1994 (ANA-M.Georgiadou): Cyrus Vance, UN special mediator on relations between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), yesterday met FYROM Foreign Minister Stevo Crvenkovski who briefed him on the situation in the region and "discussed steps to be taken in the future", UN Secretary-General Boutros Ghali's spokesman Joe Sills told a regular press briefing yesterday. Mr. Vance, he said, told him he looks forward to a continuation of negotiations "as soon as possible" immediately after elections are held in FYROM (next month). According to diplomatic sources, US Secretary of State Warren Christopher held 30-minute talks with Mr. Crvenkovski on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on Wednesday. The sources said Mr. Christopher reiterated the Clinton administration's position that the US will not exchange diplomatic missions until differences between Greece and FYROM are resolved. Moreover, Mr. Christopher said separate talks between FYROM and Athens with Mr. Vance should be speeded up after the elections in FYROM. Mr. Christopher also reiterated that the US considers the continuing stalemate as dangerous and a threat for hostilities spreading in the southern Balkans.