From: tzarros@ccs.carleton.ca (Theodore Zarros) Subject: News (in ENGLISH)- Tue, 20 Dec 1994 (Greek Press Office BBS, Ottawa). Athens News Agency Bulletin, December 20, 1994 ---------------------------------------------- (Apo to Ellnviko Grafeio Tupou kai Plnroforiwv, Ottaba, Kavadas E-Mail Address: grnewsca@sympatico.ca) * Premier says Serbian proposal for tripartite confederation 'not yet examined' * Greek veto on EU-Turkey customs union a 'clear message' to EU partners * German statement * Venizelos * Loose confederation 'utopian for the present', Popovski says * GSEE meets with FYROM unions * Imprisoned ethnic Greek five call for continued pressure on Berisha * N.Y. Times * Russian natural gas supply expected in 1996 * Evert * Halkidiki casino agreement announced * Central bank relaxes foreign exchange controls * Greek farmers see rise in real income * Retail sales index up 13.9 per cent Premier says Serbian proposal for tripartite confederation 'not yet examined' --------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 20/12/1994 (ANA): Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic yesterday invited Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou to consider a long-standing Serbian proposal to form a loose Balkan confederation between Athens-Belgrade-Skopje. "The future of this region depends on the development of good relations between Athens, Skopje and Belgrade," Mr. Milosevic said. Mr. Papandreou said he told Mr. Milosevic the idea was "a pioneering, interesting proposal" but that it had not yet been examined. Mr. Milosevic arrived yesterday for a one-day working visit. Mr. Papandreou said that the Serbian president "offered some interesting thoughts" on the issue of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The Greek premier said that he had discussed a wide range of issues with Mr. Milosevic concerning prospects for peace in the Balkans. "At the present time, President Milosevic is playing the most important role in efforts for peace in the region. This is not only my view but also the view of the twelve EU member states," Mr. Papandreou said. Mr. Milosevic said that Serbia would do everything possible to "quickly settle issues still open to the benefit of all sides for the normalisation of relations in our region". He thanked Mr. Papandreou, the Greek government and people for their "considerable support and assistance during this deep crisis". "With its stance, Greece has helped correct the distorted picture which many had of us, of Yugoslavia, and helped the whole world understand events in their true dimension," he said. Mr. Milosevic said that Serbia and Greece had "almost identical" or "very similar" views on all the main issues concerning the region. Replying to questions, Mr. Papandreou reiterated Greece's position that any withdrawal of UN peacekeeping troops from Bosnia at the present time would be "an irresponsible act which would open the way for a massacre (in Bosnia) and a spread of the conflict". Mr. Papandreou said he was concerned that "certain countries were preparing for the possibility of withdrawal". Mr. Milosevic also met with main opposition New Democracy party leader Miltiades Evert on developments in the region, the Bosnia crisis, the Greek-Skopje dispute and the loose confederation proposal. Following the meeting, Mr. Evert told the press his party "be it in office or in opposition, always employs all possible means to find peaceful settlements to these problems." Mr. Evert stressed that "irrespective of the party in office, Greece will always work in this direction." On the Skopje issue, Mr. Evert said the dispute was mediated by the United Nations and Greece would "listen carefully to every useful observation." On Mr. Milosevic's proposal for a confederation, the ND leader said that all Balkan countries should instead gain accession to the European Union. Former prime minister and honorary ND president Constantine Mitsotakis said he supported Mr. Milosevic's efforts to find a peaceful settlement. He said he had extensive talks with the Serbian president on the entire spectrum of Balkan-related issues. After meeting with Mr. Milosevic, Political Spring party leader Antonis Samaras said the Serbian leader's proposal "is interesting but should be thoroughly examined." Communist Party of Greece Secretary-General Aleka Papariga said her party was in favour of inter-Balkan co-operation in the economic, cultural, trade and political sectors. Coalition of the Left and Progress representative Fotis Kouvelis expressed the view that President Milosevic could exert pressure on Skopje President Kiro Gligorov to abandon his intransigent stand. Greek veto on EU-Turkey customs union a 'clear message' to EU partners ------------------------------------------------------------- Brussels, 20/12/1994 (ANA - P. Pantelis, F. Stangos, V. Demiris): Greece maintained its veto on a customs union agreement that would open the EU market to Turkish goods at yesterday's EU-Turkey Association Council, in a move that Foreign Under-Secretary Yiannos Kranidiotis said meant Greece had "a stronger bargaining position". "I believe that, with our stance, we have strengthened Greece's bargaining position and linked the customs union with the beginning of negotiations for Cyprus' entry to the European Union," Mr. Kranidiotis told reporters after the meeting. "We have sent a clear political message ... (And) there is a strong likelihood, if not certainty, that a satisfactory answer to the demand for the setting of a date concerning the negotiations for Cyprus's admission will be obtained," he said. "I am optimistic we will achieve our aims and that our problems and demands have been understood. "I believe that we will find solutions favourable to our interests within the EU, and we will allow the customs union". The Association Council met to discuss the customs union despite a European Parliament resolution last week saying that negotiations on the agreement should stop and the meeting postponed. Mr. Kranidiotis set out and expanded on Greek reservations during the meeting, linking them to the Cyprus issue, Turkey's stance towards Greece, and respect for human rights. Europe's concern for democracy and human rights, Mr. Kranidiotis said, means "that if Turkey does not respect these, it will not become a member of the European family." He forecast that the incoming French EU presidency would reconvene the Association Council in early March. "I estimate that the moment will coincide with the re-examination of Cyprus's application for entry. Our aim is for the two issues to be examined simultaneously, because in practice they are linked, both in time-frames and politically," he said. Sources in Brussels said that French Foreign Minister Alain Lamassoure told his counterparts in the Union that unless progress was made on the issue of the EU-Turkey agreement, the French EU presidency did not intend to raise the issue of a Cyprus EU accession. Mr. Kranidiotis praised the zeal, skills, competence, and speed shown by German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel in the promotion of issues tackled by the Ministers Council. German statement ---------------- Brussels, 20/12/1994 (ANA): After the EU-Turkey Association Council, the German EU Presidency released a statement on behalf of the other 14 EU member-states, voicing the Union's "profound anxiety" at the absence of progress in the Cyprus problem. "The EU's stance on this matter is well-known and we are waiting for Turkey's contribution towards its resolution," the statement said. "We underline once more that the present situation in Cyprus is unacceptable and that any solution for Cyprus should guarantee the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and unity of the Cyprus republic, according to the relevant UN resolutions including Resolution 939/94 of the Security Council and the high-level agreements. "Any solution should also guarantee the respect and exercise of human, political and individual rights of all Cypriots without discrimination or restriction. "The strict observance of human rights is a crucial element in the process of developing even closer ties with European institutions." On the matter of the eight Kurdish deputies sentenced to jail by an Ankara court recently the statement said: "We would like to point out that the performance of Turkey in the field of democracy, human rights and the rule of law show marked shortcomings compared with the situation in the member states and that Turkey must apply fundamental international standards in this field. "The Union is especially concerned with the sentences against freely-elected parliamentarians. "The EU is directing an appeal to Turkey to work for the immediate release of the Kurdish parliamentarians". The statement added that Turkey's response to activity by the separatist Kurdish Workers Party "must be conducted within the framework of respect for human rights and the rule of law". President of the Council of Ministers, German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel, in a joint press conference with Turkish Foreign Minister Murat Karayalcin, said that in order to achieve customs union Turkey should contribute to the resolution of a number of issues such as Cyprus, the Kurdish MPs and the state of human rights. These issues, he said, did not constitute preconditions for the signing of the agreement which must be completed regardless of developments in these issues. Referring to Greece's veto, Mr. Kinkel said Athens should consider whether putting obstacles in the way of the customs union was appropriate when the other 14 members had agreed. In Nicosia, meanwhile, Cyprus Foreign Minister Alecos Michaelides said that the postponement of the discussion on customs union gave the incoming French EU presidency "time to think clearly". Venizelos --------- Athens, 20/12/1994 (ANA): The Greek government yesterday dismissed statements by Turkish Prime Minister Tansu Ciller that Ankara would not concede to Athens' demands, saying they were intended for domestic consumption. "The government will not follow up on the tone of Ms Ciller's remarks... which are intended for domestic purposes," government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said. On Sunday, Ms Ciller said: "I have only two things to say to that Greek who vetoes our entry to the EU: don't be afraid of our friendship but fear our animosity". Loose confederation 'utopian for the present', Popovski says ----------------------------------------------------------- Skopje, 20/12/1994 (ANA - M. Vihou): Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) Socialist Party President Kiro Popovski yesterday deemed a long-standing Serbian proposal for a loose confederation of Greece, Serbia and FYROM a "present utopia but a feasible future prospect." Mr. Popovski was speaking to reporters after a meeting with Greek Coalition of the Left and Progress party leader Nikos Constantopoulos. During the meeting Mr. Popovski made a proposal for the creation of "a Balkan Benelux," and stressed the necessity for the free flow of ideas and the free movement of goods and peoples in the Balkans. Mr. Constantopoulos, visiting Skopje for a round of talks with political leaders, conveyed his party's proposal for a forum of left political forces in the Balkans. He stressed the need for dialogue, communication and exchange of views between the two political parties. Mr. Constantopoulos and Mr. Popovski agreed on the necessity for direct dialogue between Athens and Skopje. Athens imposed trade sanctions as retortion measures against Skopje in February, to force the neighbouring republic change its name, remove ancient Greek symbols from its flag, and amend its constitution's preamble expressing irredentist designs against Greece's northern province of Macedonia. Mr. Constantopoulos also held a meeting with Skopje Foreign Minister and Vice-President of the Liberal party Stevo Crvenkovski. Following the meeting, Mr. Constantopoulos said he agreed with Mr. Crvenkovski on the necessity for direct, unconditional talks in the framework of mediation efforts by the United Nations and other international fora to find a settlement to the Greek-Skopje dispute. The two men also agreed to draft a policy of principles in relations between the two countries, which would include the inviolability of borders, non-involvement in domestic affairs of the other country, mutual respect of the existence and entity of both countries, and consideration of the common European future of the Balkan peoples. GSEE meets with FYROM unions ---------------------------- Athens, 20/12/1994 (ANA): The Governing Board of the Confederation of Workers of Greece (GSEE) held a meeting yesterday with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) trade union confederation to discuss the exchange of technical expertise and establish co-operation between the two trade union leaderships. The meeting, organised by GSEE, was held at request of the FYROM trade union confederation. The meeting will continue today. Imprisoned ethnic Greek five call for continued pressure on Berisha ----------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 20/12/1994 (ANA): Five ethnic Greek members of the political organisation Omonia, currently incarcerated in Albanian jails on charges of espionage and weapons possession, yesterday asked a solidarity group to continue to exert pressure on Albanian President Sali Berisha to release them. "If there is no initiative then hopes for our release will fade away in the following weeks," the five said in a letter to the Northern Epirots Solidarity Committee, based in Greece. "We doubt whether we will be able to survive if we have to serve our sentences, because we are ill and exhausted," they said. They noted in the letter that they were innocent and that all international human rights organisations had deemed the trial "a parody." The five were arrested on charges of espionage, illegal possession of arms and high treason after an attack on an Albanian conscript centre near the Greek border in April this year left two soldiers dead. Tirana accused Athens of waging the attack, but Greece flatly denied the charges. The charges of treason were later dropped. Greece denounced the trial's political character, calling it a "parody" of justice and saying it was intended to intimidate the estimated 300,000 ethnic Greeks living in Albania, mainly in the south. The five were originally sentenced to between six to eight years imprisonment but an appeals court later marginally reduced the sentences. Greece blocked EU macroeconomic financial aid to Albania on the grounds of the country's poor human rights record but later withdrew its veto as a "goodwill" gesture and called on the Albanian government to take the initiative and release the five. Albanian President Sali Berisha has repeatedly said the only body able to release the five are the Albanian courts. N.Y. Times ---------- New York, (ANA - M. Georgiadou): The New York Times yesterday laid the blame for bad relations between Athens and Tirana squarely at the door of Albanian President Sali Berisha. An article by Henry Kamm said there were traditionally friendly relations between the Greek and Albanian peoples and that "close to the Greek borders, no one says a bad word against Greece". The article said Berisha's stand towards the ethnic Greek minority was "unacceptable" at a time when Greece was providing jobs for many Albanians and thus assisting the beleaguered Albanian economy. Russian natural gas supply expected in 1996 ------------------------------------------- Athens, 20/12/1994 (ANA): Russia will begin supplying Greece with natural gas in 1996 following the signing yesterday of a bilateral agreement, nine years after the initialling of the original accord. Yesterday's signing followed talks here between a Russian delegation headed by vice-premier and Minister for International Commercial and Economic Relations Oleg Davidof and Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias and Industry, Energy and Technology Minister Kostas Simitis. Mr. Davidof, who arrived in Athens yesterday, also had talks with Alternate National Economy Minister George Romaios and Alternate Industry, Energy and Technology Minister Christos Rokofyllos. "Greek-Russian relations are developing with particularly good prospects and will be sealed by the successive visits of Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou to Moscow and the Russian premier to Athens," Mr. Papoulias said. Describing yesterday's signing as "an important day" for Greek-Russian relations, Mr. Papoulias said that a study was underway for an oil pipeline to run from Russia, through Bulgaria, to Greece. An initial agreement was signed last June in Moscow after talks between Mr. Papoulias and Russian President Boris Yeltsin and was included in a protocol of co-operation between the two countries signed September 1. Yesterday's talks between the Greek and Russian delegations also focused on the construction of an alumina plant and the possibility of exporting Russian electrical power to Italy via Greece. Mr. Davidof said that Moscow was dedicated to the principles of friendship and co-operation between the two peoples and expressed gratitude to Greece for its contribution to preparations for the signing of the wide-ranging co-operation agreement between the European Union and Russia. He also underlined Greece's "daily" support for Russia on European issues in general. Mr. Simitis said that "two decisive steps" had been taken yesterday, referring to the natural gas agreement and the effect it will have on the development of the Greek economy. The first step, he said, was taken with the signing of yesterday's agreement, which effectively clears obstacles which had arisen concerning the construction of a power generating station in northern Greece using natural gas. The second step, he continued, was the confirmation of an agreement that a large part of the money to be paid by Greece for the natural gas will be used to develop commercial relations between the two countries. Mr. Simitis said that much of the money would be used to finance the purchase of Greek products and the activities of Greek companies in Russia. The construction of the natural gas pipeline has advanced considerably, Mr. Simitis said, expressing the hope that it will be completed by the end of the year and the first gas supplied to Greece towards the end of 1996. Evert ----- Athens, 20/12/1994 (ANA): Main opposition New Democracy party leader Miltiades Evert yesterday met with Mr. Davidof to discuss bilateral relations. Mr. Evert told reporters after the meeting that ties with Moscow have always been very good and expressed the hope that they will further improve in the future. Halkidiki casino agreement announced ------------------------------------ Athens, 20/12/1994 (ANA): Tourism Minister Dionysis Livanos and president of the Casino Magic Company Mr. M. Ferguson yesterday announced details of a provisional agreement reached for the operation of the casino in the Sithonia Hotel, in Porto Carras in Halkidiki. The casino will be wholly renovated with an initial work-force of 500, expected to increase in the following years. The operating company will make a down payment of 1 billion drachmas to the state, and 3.7 billion annually thereafter, with an additional 1.5 billion going to local government. The complex will include a 1800-seat conference centre, to be completed in a five year period. Central bank relaxes foreign exchange controls ---------------------------------------------- Athens, 20/12/1994 (ANA): The Bank of Greece has announced a number of measures liberalising foreign exchange controls. The main changes involve the abolition of the obligation on the part of the banks to check the authenticity of transactions, the abolition of the compulsory importation and conversion into drachmas of foreign exchange within a specific period, and the ability to use deposits and the product of investments abroad at will. Natural and legal personalities will have to inform the central bank, for statistical purposes, of transactions of sums greater than 2,000 ECU, if a domestic banking institution is not involved. Foreign exchange for student monthly allowances and for trips abroad has also been raised to 2,000 ECU. Greek farmers see rise in real income ------------------------------------- Brussels, 20/12/1994 (ANA- P. Pantelis): Farmers' income increased 10 per cent in real terms in Greece, France, Spain, and Portugal this year, 9.4 per cent in the Netherlands, and 2.9 per cent in Denmark, the latest bulletin of Eurostat says. The only countries where farmers' real income decreased were Italy (-7.6 percent), and Luxembourg (-0.9 percent). The average for the European Union was a 5.7 percent increase. A major contributing factor in this year's rise has been the 10.3 per cent rise in agricultural subsidies, following the revision of the Common Agricultural Policy. Retail sales index up 13.9 per cent ----------------------------------- Athens, 20/12/1994 (ANA): The total value of retail sales increased 13.9 per cent in September, compared to the same month last year. The increase was due to a rise of 9.7 per cent in the foodstuffs index, 23.5 per cent in the clothing and footwear index, 18.9 per cent in the furniture - household equipment index, and 11.1 per cent for other goods.