From: "Greek Press Office BBS, Ottawa" Subject: A.N.A. Bulletin 11/1/95 Athens News Agency Bulletin --------------------------- (Apo to Ellnviko Grafeio Tupou kai Plnroforiwv, Ottaba, Kavadas E-Mail Address: grnewsca@sympatico.ca) * PASOK tables motion dropping charges against Mitsotakis, ministers * Delphi sends EU a 'pithy' message on self-knowledge * Evert meets with Beilin in Jerusalem on regional issues * Papoulias meets with PLO official * Arsenis visits Germany * Egypt, Greece agree on closer defence co-operation * Vartholomeos begins Ethiopian visit * Greece: continuing trade sanctions on FYROM dependent on developments * FYROM press denies secret meetings * One of four ethnic Greeks to retain US attorney at appeal hearing * Gov't maintains wants improvement in relations with Tirana * 18 Albanians picked up trying to enter Greece illegally * Greece third in industrial production * Orthodox Church office in Brussels officially opened PASOK tables motion dropping charges against Mitsotakis, ministers -------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 11/1/95 (ANA): Greece's ruling Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) tabled a motion in parliament yesterday calling for the suspension of criminal proceedings against conservative former prime minister Constantine Mitsotakis and two of his closest ministers. "With this proposal, PASOK leaves the past behind," the party's parliamentary group secretary Dimitris Beis said after tabling the proposal with House Speaker Apostolos Kaklamanis. The motion calls for discontinuation of the proceedings against Mr. Mitsotakis on charges of morally instigating a scheme to have the phones of his political opponents tapped between 1988 and 1991 and of allegedly receiving kickbacks in the sale of a state-owned cement company. It also calls for a new law for the accountability of ministers, a new law on party finances as well as constitutional revisions. The suspension proposal also applies to former conservative industry and finance ministers, Andreas Andrianopoulos and Ioannis Paleokrassas respectively, who were charged with complicity in the sale of Greece's largest state-owned cement company AGET-Heracles. The three men, indicted by parliament last June, are scheduled to stand trial before a Special Supreme Court later this month. Mr. Kaklamanis said the motion would be debated on Monday and two separate secret votes would be taken, one on each case. The proposal is signed by Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou and 31 socialist party members, including 27 members of the Cabinet. In his New Year's message, Mr. Papandreou called on PASOK deputies to drop all charges against Mr. Mitsotakis and the two former ministers, saying it was in the country's interest. Mr. Papandreou said in a newspaper interview last week that he was determined to go ahead with the suspension of legal proceedings against his political arch-rival in order to end dissension so that the country could focus more on menacing external problems. He said his decision had been met with "broad popular consent" although it had "come as a surprise to certain persons", and described as natural the reactions sparked by his controversial decision. Several PASOK deputies have criticised the move to drop the charges and said they would abstain or vote against the motion. Mr. Papandreou's initiative has also been sharply criticised by opposition parties. The main opposition New Democracy party said in an announcement that it remained "uncompromising regarding moral issues" and would vote down the motion. "New Democracy desires the full investigation, by justice, of pending issues," the announcement said. The Political Spring also reiterated yesterday that it would vote against the proposal. Coalition of the Left and Progress party leader Nikos Constantopoulos said his party was against suspension of proceedings. Delphi sends EU a 'pithy' message on self-knowledge --------------------------------------------------- Athens, 11/1/95 (ANA): When troubled or ambitious citizens of the ancient world travelled to the Oracle of Apollo at Delphi the priestess Pythia would provide them with advice that was profound but cryptic. Today, Delphi has been reduced to a one-oracle and two-street town but its inhabitants continue to aspire to their past. Members of the Delphi municipality have sent incoming European Commission President Jacques Santer a painting depicting Greece at the centre of the universe basking under the rays of civilisation, history, philosophy and democracy. The painting, entitled "Know thyself", is the work of Avgeris Kanatas and represents a small portion of Greece's contribution to European civilisation, the Delphi municipality said in a statement. It said copies of the work would be sent to all members of the European Parliament as a "response" to a French proposal to scratch the Greek language from the European Union's list of official working languages. French European Affairs Minister Alain Lamoussoure announced the proposal on the eve of France's assumption of the six-month rotating EU presidency, sparking a strong reaction from Athens and leading European academics. Mr. Lamoussoure said the move to limit the EU's working languages from nine to five would ease cross-translation problems caused by the Union's enlargement from 12 to 15 members. Evert meets with Beilin in Jerusalem on regional issues ------------------------------------------------------- Jerusalem, 11/1/95 (ANA): Main opposition New Democracy party leader Miltiades Evert arrived in Israel yesterday for a three-day official visit and talks with the Israeli leadership. His visit comes soon after that of Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou to Syria and Jordan which the Greek premier described as "very successful", expressing the belief that "the (Middle East) peace negotiations are progressing on solid ground". Mr. Evert met yesterday with Israeli Alternate Foreign Minister Yossi Beilin to discuss problems in the region. "It is time to undertake a role in this region," Mr. Evert told reporters. Sources said that Mr. Beilin described Greece's role in the Middle East peace process as "positive," and stressed the need for furthering ties between the two countries. The sources said Mr. Beilin requested that Greece intervene to broaden the spectrum of co-operation between Israel and the European Union. Tomorrow Mr. Evert will hold talks with Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. While in Israel he will also meet with Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, party representatives and the Mayor of Jerusalem. He called on Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem Diodoros and toured the Holy Sites in Jerusalem. Mr. Evert will further visit high-technology installations in various parts of Israel. Papoulias meets with PLO official --------------------------------- Athens, 11/1/95 (ANA): Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias met visiting Palestine Liberation Organisation's Foreign Relations head Farouk Kaddoumi at the Foreign Ministry yesterday. Hour-long talks focused on the state of the Palestinian issue in the light of latest developments. Mr. Kaddoumi will leave for Damascus today. Arsenis visits Germany ---------------------- Bonn, 11/1/95 (ANA - P. Stangos): Defence Minister Gerasimos Arsenis' official visit to Germany kicks off today with talks with counterpart Volker Ruhe. The visit, awaited with special political interest by the German side, includes tours of the installations of the Howald Werke and DASA (a Daimler-Benz subsidiary) defence industries in Kiel, Hamburg, Neuburg, and Munich. According to a German Defence Ministry statement, the agenda of the talks includes "issues relating to the evolution of NATO and the Western European Union, and through the spectrum of relations with Russia, the situation in the Mediterranean and the former Yugoslavia", as well as issues of bilateral and multilateral relations and co-operation in the armaments sector". Sources close to the ministry consider that the subject of Yugoslavia will include the two countries' provision of military cover to a possible withdrawal of UN peacekeepers from Bosnia. The same sources made it clear that the German side is interested in promoting sales of military equipment to Greece, especially in view of the termination of the granting of NATO military aid and surplus equipment from Germany to Greece, Turkey and Portugal as of the end of 1994. Other sources consider that the Howald shipyards are keen to sell a new type of submarine, while Greece is mainly interested in obtaining spare parts. A German Defence Ministry official explained that the decision to terminate the granting of NATO military aid is linked to the political repercussions of the use of such aid by the Turkish armed forces against Kurdish autonomists. Mr. Arsenis is to speak twice to audiences including experts influential to the formation of German foreign policy, on the subject of "The Balkans in our time: a challenge to international politics". The speech will be delivered at the German Foreign Policy Society (publishers of the Europa Archiv review) in Bonn, and at the Institute of Peace Research and Political Security of Hamburg, founded by the architect of Willy Brandt's Ostpolitik, Egon Barr. Egypt, Greece agree on closer defence co-operation -------------------------------------------------- Athens, 11/1/95 (ANA): Visiting Egyptian Joint Chief of Staff Lieutenant-General Esalam Mohamed Attia Halaby held talks yesterday with his Greek counterpart Admiral Christos Lymberis and agreed to promote closer defence co-operation between the two countries. Defence Ministry sources said the two military heads voiced strong support for a military accord to include joint exercises and co-operation in the defence industry. "The accord will provide for the execution of joint aeronautical exercises, co-operation between the defence industries of both countries particularly in the field of maintenance equipment and mutual assistance in training and other technical issues," Admiral Lymberis told reporters after the meeting. General Halaby also met with Defence Minister Gerasimos Arsenis to discuss the details of the agreement which will be signed in Athens later in the year during a visit by the Egyptian defence minister. The Egyptian military chief told reporters he considered "positive" a proposal by Mr. Arsenis calling for the creation of an international observers force in the Middle East, saying it would contribute to stability and peace in the region. General Halaby is scheduled to visit archaeological sites and Greek military installations before returning to Cairo tomorrow. Vartholomeos begins Ethiopian visit ------------------------------------ Istanbul, 11/1/95 (ANA- A. Kourkoulas): Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos is beginning a 10-day visit to the Church of Ethiopia today, returning a visit by Patriarch Pavlos of Ethiopia in December 1993. An Orthodox Patriarchate statement yesterday said the dialogue between the Orthodox Church and other ancient Eastern Churches, including the Ethiopian, is on a very satisfactory course. Greece: continuing trade sanctions on FYROM dependent on developments --------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 11/1/95 (ANA): Greece said yesterday that the duration of its trade sanctions against the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) would depend on the development of the Skopje issue. Government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said that when the issue of the embargo is brought before the European Court, it would provide an opportunity for Greece to put forward its arguments. Mr. Venizelos said that the Greek trade embargo against FYROM had helped to "re-position" the Skopje issue and had "armed" Greece with "an important subject of dialogue". Greece imposed the embargo against FYROM in February last year in a bid to press Skopje into changing its name, flag and constitution. FYROM press denies secret meetings ---------------------------------- Skopje, 11/1/95 (ANA - M. Vichou): The newspaper Nova Makedonia yesterday denied recent reports claiming representatives of the foreign ministries of Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) were conducting direct, official or secret contacts. "Neither secret negotiations nor official talks have been held with Greece," the newspaper said, invoking official sources in FYROM. The newspaper said the reports may mirror the wishes of certain people but at this phase in relations between the two countries, pervaded by the embargo, "there is no suitable ground for efforts to achieve a rapprochement between views." "However, contacts are possible after the lifting of the embargo. The 'Republic of Macedonia' is willing to continue the dialogue on all issues immediately after the embargo is lifted, except for those capable of ruffling the country's sovereignty, stability and independence. It is understood that such a dialogue can take place in the framework of the UN and with mediation by Mr. Matthew Nimetz," the newspaper said. One of four ethnic Greeks to retain US attorney at appeal hearing ----------------------------------------------------------------- Tirana, 11/1/95 (ANA): Albanian authorities are reported as having given a positive response to a request by Theodore Bezianis, one of four ethnic Greeks jailed for alleged espionage, that a US attorney handle his case before the Supreme Court. The Albanian news agency ATA reported that the Supreme Court's response to Mr. Bezianis -- who is also a US citizen -- was positive, on the understanding that the American lawyer merely assist the defendant's Albanian counsel, and the case should be hear d in Albanian only. The ATA dispatch added that the case of the four defendants will be heard by the Supreme Court shortly. Gov't maintains wants improvement in relations with Tirana ---------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 11/1/95 (ANA): The government said yesterday that it continued to desire an improvement in relations with neighbouring Albania. Asked to comment on statements Monday by Albanian President Sali Berisha who proposed dialogue and the signing of an accord with Greece, government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said: "The steadfast desire of the Greek government is the improvement of Greek-Albanian relations." The spokesman said that Greece had already taken important steps in this direction and was now waiting for "concrete and tangible" moves from Albania. "The government," Mr. Venizelos added, "did not ascertain such moves in Mr. Berisha's statements". Greece recently lifted its long-standing veto blocking a first instalment of 15 million Ecu of European Union macroeconomic aid to Albania as a gesture of goodwill to Tirana. Relations between Greece and Albania worsened last year when five ethnic Greeks, all leaders of the ethnic Greek organisation, Omonia, were jailed in September for between six and eight years for spying for Athens and possession of arms. Mr. Berisha on Christmas Eve pardoned one of the ethnic Greeks, but recently said he would not release the others. 18 Albanians picked up trying to enter Greece illegally ------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 11/1/95 (ANA): Eighteen Albanian illegal immigrants crammed into a small speed boat were picked up by Panama-flag vessel Lena II about 25 nautical miles Northeast of Corfu, police said yesterday. They said the group was taken to Corfu but did not indicate whether they would be deported back to Albania. Greece third in industrial production ------------------------------------- Brussels, 11/1/95 (ANA - V. Demiris): Greece held third place in industrial production in the European Union between July-September 1994 compared to the April-June period in the same year. Italy had a 3.4 per cent increase in industrial production in the above period, Spain 2.8 per cent and Greece 2.1 per cent. According to the Eurostat bulletin issued in Brussels yesterday, the increase in Greek industrial production in the third quarter of 1994 was due to a 10 per cent increase in the production of durable goods and a 2.3 per cent increase in the production of capital goods destined for the production of consumer goods. EU averages were 1.6 per cent and 1.7 per cent respectively. The increase in industrial production in the EU amounted to 1.7 per cent in the July-September period compared to the previous quarter. Orthodox Church office in Brussels officially opened ---------------------------------------------------- Brussels, 11/1/95 (ANA -V. Demiris): The Orthodox Church's Representative Bureau to the European Union was inaugurated by the Orthodox Bishop of Belgium Panteleimon yesterday, in the presence of former EU Commissioner Ioannis Paleokrassas, the Greek ambassador to NATO and Greek Euro-MPs. Mr. Paleokrassas conveyed a message from outgoing European Commission president Jacques Delors, who welcomed the setting up of the bureau.