Subject: Athens News Agency Bulletin, February 1, 1995 Topic: ana --------------------------------------------- (Apo to Ellnviko Grafeio Tupou kai Plnroforiwv, Ottaba, Kavadas E-Mail Address: grnewsca@sympatico.ca) * European Court begins hearing on Greek trade sanctions on FYROM, case will be a test of limits of national sovereignty, Greece says * International Chamber of Commerce confident about world economic outlook * Romaios * Greek archaeologists leave for Egypt to examine alleged tomb of Alexander * US State Dep't call for respect of human, minority rights 'welcome', Greece says * Turkish consul meets with Evros prefect * Papaconstantinou, Cetin among Ipecki winners * Amnesty sends Berisha missive on ethnic Greek four * ND deputy appointed to Council of Europe body * Ministerial meeting discusses justices' tax issue European Court begins hearing on Greek trade sanctions on FYROM, case will be a test of limits of national sovereignty, Greece says ---------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 01/02/1995 (ANA): The European Court begins its session today on the legality of Greece's trade sanctions against the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), in what the government said would be a test of "the limits of EU state national sovereignty". "The main issue at tomorrow's European Court hearing is not Greece's economic sanctions against Skopje, but the limits of foreign policy and consequently the limits of each European Union member state's national sovereignty," government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said. The sanctions were imposed as retortion measures to FYROM's insistence on using the name 'Macedonia', incorporating an ancient Greek symbol in its flag and retaining sections in its constitution indicating irredentist designs against Greece, after simultaneous negotiations at the United Nations and the European Union failed to come up with a solution to the dispute. Mr. Venizelos said that even EU members which disagreed with the Greek embargo were in a quandary over the issue, since any decision against Greece could create serious problems, particularly in view of the intergovernmental conference next year at which relevant decisions are expected to be taken. "Despite the fact that the rationale of the European Commission's referral of the case to the European Court was the claim that the EU or a member state had incurred a loss as a result of the Greek sanctions, no evidence has yet been produced to substantiate such loss," Mr. Venizelos said. The spokesman reiterated that the embargo had harmed Greece economically and the decision had been taken to serve the political aspect of the measure. Asked if the political gain had been worth the economic cost, Mr. Venizelos replied in the affirmative, adding that the Skopje issue had been "re-positioned" and FYROM had been reminded of the importance for it of a "preferential" relationship with Greece. The hearing at the European Court in Luxembourg today is recourse lodged by the European Commission on April 6, 1994 on the Greek embargo against FYROM. Today's hearing will be held in camera and Greek arguments will be set out by international law professors Krateros Ioannou, Vassilis Skouris and Stelios Perrakis. On behalf of the Commission, and given that Greek jurists working for its legal service have refused to set out its arguments, it is not yet known which Greek-speaking jurist will undertake representation. According to court regulations and as was the case in the discussion on provisional measures, the hearing will be held in the language of the country against which the recourse has been made, meaning in Greek. The European Commission will invoke article 225 in that Greece's retortion measures against FYROM resulted in the adulteration of terms of competition in the common market which sustained an economic loss. The European Court rejected an injunction lodged by the Commission on the trade sanctions last June. The Commission went to the court in April asking for an emergency interim ruling. During the discussion on injunctions against Greece, the Commission's legal service, while invoking harm caused to Community interests as a result of the Greek embargo, failed to prove this with specific reports or recourses by European companies. On its part, Greece will invoke article 224 of the Maastricht Treaty and will have to prove that it had the right to take the measures on February 16, 1994, due to "a serious internal disturbance of public order and the event of war or serious international tension which constitutes a threat of war or for the preservation of peace and international security." Greece maintains it has caused no loss but if there is any loss it has been incurred by the Greek economy. Moreover, it has not blocked shipments of foodstuffs, medicines and oil to FYROM. Clauses emanating from articles of the treaty invoked by the two sides are being implemented for the first time and it is difficult for one to foresee the way with which European judges will interpret them. Interpretation of the articles will constitute a precedent also capable of influencing the revision of the Maastricht Treaty. International Chamber of Commerce confident about world economic outlook ---------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 01/02/1995 (ANA): "The International of Commerce (ICC) is more confident about the world economic outlook than it has been for many years," Rahmi Koc, president of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) said here yesterday. Addressing a conference hosted by the Greek National Committee of the ICC marking the International Chamber's 75th anniversary and the Greek committee's 70th anniversary, Mr. Koc attributed this optimism to strong indications that the western industrialised world was pulling out of recession and to the successful conclusion of the Uruguay Round which enabled the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to start on schedule this year. "We have not had such good news in many years," Mr. Koc said. All nations would benefit from the expansion of trade that the Uruguay Round agreements will bring, and Greece, a trading nation heavily reliant on shipping and tourism was no exception since the removal of barriers to the flow of capital and goods would especially benefit those two sectors, Mr. Koc said. "Since Greece is a leading nation in trade and commercial services, it will draw particular benefit from the successful outcome of the Uruguay Round negotiations," he said. The benefits for the world economy "are enormous", he explained, citing GATT economists' estimations that global income will be 500 billion dollars greater in the year 2005 because of improved market access. "The GNP of the European Union is estimated to grow by 164 billion dollars... more than twice the figures put out earlier by GATT, the World Bank and the OECD, as it takes into account the effects of economies of scale and improved conditions of competition." "We are moving into a world in which national boundaries lose significance as a global economy takes shape," Mr. Koc said, stressing that this fact should not be forgotten, especially by countries like Greece and Turkey. Both Greece and Turkey "are at pains over privatising their telecoms monopolies," Mr. Koc noted, expressing hope that "this year we will manage to untie the knot". He expressed belief that infrastructure improvements carried out with the help of the EU would be of vital importance to Greece. "Port and airport improvements, extension of motorway systems, and energy projects, all will help to promote growth and competitiveness as well as improving trans-European networks." Mr. Koc said that "one of the most exciting projects" in his opinion, was the Via Egnatia motorway from Igoumenitsa to the Greek-Turkish border and beyond, a road link which would ultimately join Europe and Asia. As for the ICC, it "must take credit for exerting continuous pressure for a successful conclusion of the Uruguay Round; and we will do our utmost to give the same support to the WTO. In this we will rely heavily on the backing of Greek business through our Greek National Committee". He said the months ahead were of "utmost importance" as the new director-general of the WTO would be elected to succeed interim director Peter Sutherland. He warned member governments "not to lose precious time with a prolonged and debilitating period of uncertainty about its (WTO's) leadership". The Paris-based ICC, established in 1919, represents 130 countries, with a membership of 7,500 companies and business organisations. Romaios ------- Athens, 01/02/1995 (ANA): Addressing the conference, Alternate National Economy Minister George Romaios said that following the upgrading of GATT, Greece had the opportunity to considerably increase its influence in the countries of eastern and central Europe which, he added, were seeking Greek support at a political and technical level. On the benefits for Greece from the Delors II package, Mr. Romaios said that GDP would increase by 3.3 per cent during the period 1994-1999, while private investments would rise by 1.8 per cent, creating 50,000 new jobs. Main opposition New Democracy party deputy and former national economy and finance minister Stephanos Manos urged the abolition of state monopolies particularly in the sectors of energy production, telecommunications and higher education. Mr. Manos attributed the restricted growth of the Greek economy to the huge public debt and the oversized state, proposing as a solution systematic efforts to use private capital in sectors which have traditionally been financed by the public sector. Greek archaeologists leave for Egypt to examine alleged tomb of Alexander --------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 01/02/1995 (ANA): A team of Greek archaeologists will leave for Egypt on February 13 to visit the desert site where excavations may have revealed the tomb of Alexander the Great. The decision to send the team was announced yesterday by Culture Minister Thanos Mikroutsikos, who said that the archaeologists would collaborate with the Egyptian Antiquities Organisation. The decision follows the discovery by a Greek team, headed by archaeologist Liana Soulvatzi, earlier this month of ancient tablets reportedly providing evidence that Alexander is buried at the Siwa oasis in Egypt's Western Desert, 50 miles east of the Libyan border. Alexander died in 323 BC in Babylon at the age of 33. He is believed by many historians to have been buried in Alexandria, the Mediterranean port city which he founded. Yesterday, the director of the Culture Ministry's Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities Department, Yannis Tzedakis, spoke by telephone with the chairman of Egypt's Supreme Antiquities Council, Abdu-Halim Noureddin who visited the excavation site on Sunday. Mr. Noureddin described the excavations being conducted as "very important", but said that the Macedonian tomb being excavated "cannot be identified with certainty with the grave of Alexander the Great". He told Mr. Tzedakis of two stone tablets dating back to 290-280 BC, the time of Ptolemy I, Alexander's deputy in Egypt, which he was unable to read because the inscriptions were in Greek. Mr. Noureddin also spoke of a small temple dedicated to Zeus Eternal, a god identified with Alexander. US State Dep't call for respect of human, minority rights 'welcome', Greece says --------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 01/02/1995 (ANA): Greece said yesterday that a US State Department call for governments in the region to respect human and minority rights was "welcome". "Greece, which respects these rights, as it has often demonstrated, welcomes this call," government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said. In a written reply to a question on the sentence handed down on a Moslem cleric in Greece during a regular press briefing, the State Department called on "all governments in the region, and the government of Greece in this particular case, to follow internationally respected standards of human rights in their handling of minority issues". "The issue of the treatment of ethnic minorities in this region of the world is especially sensitive," the statement said. Moslem cleric Mehmet Emin Aga was jailed for ten months last Tuesday after refusing to appeal the conviction or pay off his sentence. A Greek court had found him guilty of unlawfully assuming the title of Mufti. Under Greek law, the government has the right to appoint the Moslem minority's two Muftis from a list of candidates submitted by community leaders, in line with prevailing practice in most Moslem countries. Replying to questions yesterday on the issue, government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said that the term used by the State Department was "ethnic" and not "national" minority as reported by some news agencies. "The word 'ethnic' is a term of an ethnographic nature which does not indicate any reference to a specific state," Mr. Venizelos said. "If the word was used literally, then there is no problem. Otherwise, clarifications must be sought and diplomatic representations will be made, if necessary, " he added. On the US call for governments in the region to respect human and minority rights treaties, Mr. Venizelos said that "Greece, which respects these rights, as it has often demonstrated, welcomes this call." He added that Greece also respects even more "detailed" treaties such as that of Lausanne, "(the non-respect of which by Turkey) has reduced the Greek Orthodox minority of Istanbul to nothing." "With respect to this treaty," Mr. Venizelos underlined, "the (US) call should be addressed elsewhere". Turkish consul meets with Evros prefect --------------------------------------- Athens, 01/02/1995 (ANA): The Turkish Consul General of Komotini Hakan Okcal met yesterday with the Prefect of Evros, George Dolios, who briefed him on local issues and the prefecture's priorities for the region's development. During the meeting, both officials expressed the common desire and will to broaden co-operation in all sectors in a spirit of peace, friendship and dialogue. Papaconstantinou, Cetin among Ipecki winners -------------------------------------------- Athens, 01/02/1995 (ANA): Former foreign ministers of Greece, Michalis Papaconstantinou, and of Turkey, Hikmet Cetin, former Greek caretaker prime minister Ioannis Grivas, and veteran left-wing politician Leonidas Kyrkos, are among the recipients of the bi-annual Abdi Ipekci awards on the promotion of Greek-Turkish friendship, due to be announced today. The two foreign ministers are to receive the award for their moderation, goodwill, and good faith exhibited during their terms in office. Mr. Grivas and Mr. Kyrkos will be honoured for their participation and positive contribution to the 1993 award ceremony in Istanbul. Amnesty sends Berisha missive on ethnic Greek four -------------------------------------------------- Athens, 01/02/1995 (ANA): International human rights group Amnesty has reiterated its concern to Albanian President Sali Berisha over the violation of right of four ethnic Greeks imprisoned on charges of espionage and weapons possession to a fair trial and the lack of strong incriminating evidence. The statement also points out that the convicted individuals were tried on the basis of a penal code that is soon to be revised. The four will soon have their appeal heard. Meanwhile, the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin reported yesterday that attorney Peter Manikas, of the Institute for international Human Rights at De Paul University, will lodge an appeal and defend one of the four, Theodoros Bezianis, an American citizen, who was not allowed to call witnesses in his defence during the trial last summer. Manikas told the Bulletin that his client's rights, according to the European Convention of Human Rights, were violated. ND deputy appointed to Council of Europe body --------------------------------------------- Athens, 01/02/1995 (ANA): Main opposition New Democracy deputy Aristides Pavlides was elected Vice-President of the economic and development affairs committee of the Council of Europe, during a vote yesterday held within the framework of the Council's parliamentary assembly. Mr. Pavlides was proposed for the position by the European People's Party presidium. Ministerial meeting discusses justices' tax issue ------------------------------------------------- Athens, 01/02/1995 (ANA): A ministerial meeting yesterday tackled the controversy regarding the equitable tax treatment between justices and Members of Parliament. The issue was sparked by last week's endorsement by Supreme Court justices of a Council of State ruling, reducing their pay-as-you-earn taxable income by 50 per cent, on the basis of equity with law-makers. The Finance Ministry has refused to implement the ruling, threatening to withhold payment of justices' salaries. The Supreme Court, in a countermeasure, has threatened to order the arrest of civil servants implementing the ruling. Justice Minister Giorgos Kouvelakis stated after the meeting that there was no internal government dispute, and advised a lowering of tones. Press Minister Evangelos Venizelos said the issue did not pit the government against the justices, but the justices against the constitution and the law. He added it was "a paradox for justices to rule on their own financial affairs", and stated the government fully backed Finance Minister Alexandros Papadopoulos, and intended to introduce relevant measures in the very near future. The Union of Public Prosecutors, in protest against the government's decision not to implement the ruling, have decided to abstain from duty today, describing the threat to withhold salaries as surpassing practices applied by dictatorial regimes in the past.