Greece said yesterday it had rejected a request by German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel to lift trade sanctions on the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM).
"Greece has showed in many ways its good will in search for a solution (to the Athens-Skopje difference)," Alternate Foreign Minister George Mangakis said. "But this (the lifting of sanctions) is absolutely impossible". His comments were made to Mr. Kinkel during a meeting held on the sidelines of the Luxembourg EU Foreign Ministers Council.
Mr. Kinkel had requested that Greece temporarily lift the retortion measures it imposed against Skopje in February last year, "in a bid to facilitate (Skopje President Kiro) Gligorov to participate in talks aimed at finding a solution to the problem." Direct talks between Athens and Skopje were set to begin last week under the auspices of UN mediator Cyrus Vance but were postponed when Skopje did not reply. Greece said it was ready to participate.
The clearest and most recent example of Greece's goodwill was when "we immediately accepted the proposal by UN negotiator Cyrus Vance" to start mediated talks on April 6, Mr. Mangakis said. "Skopje's stance and their retractions constitute a clear example of their reluctance to find a settlement."
Mr. Kinkel arrived in Skopje yesterday, meanwhile, for his first visit to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. In the first visit by a German minister since relations were established in 1993, Mr. Kinkel expressed reservations at the possibility of an early settlement in Skopje's rift with Athens.
Mr. Kinkel immediately had discussions with his Macedonian counterpart Stevo Crvenkovski, before meeting President Kiro Gligorov. He told reporters that he was not carrying any proposals for a solution to the Athens-Skopje dispute, expressed "reserved optimism" that the "time has come for progress in the following talks in New York at the mediation of (UN Skopje mediator Cyrus) Vance."
Mr. Kinkel called upon FYROM and Greece to settle their differences "which will benefit their interests and contribute to stability in the region." Noting Germany's "solidarity" with Greece, Mr. Kinkel said that his government could not however support Greece's retortion measures against Skopje, which he considered to be "wrong."
Mr. Kinkel refused to comment at the opinion of a legal adviser to the European Union's Court of Justice who said that Greece's trade sanctions against FYROM did not violate European Union law, stressing the fact that it was non-binding.
Greece imposed economic sanctions as retortion measures against FYROM a year ago to force it to change its name, remove ancient Greek symbols from its flag and change the preamble of its constitution expressing territorial designs against Greece's northern province of Macedonia.
A deputy of Canada's ruling Liberal Party said here yesterday that "despite pressure", Ottawa would not change its position on the issue of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) and recognise it under the name of 'Macedonia' unless Skopje sorted out its relations with Greece.
The assurance was given by MP Ted McWinney, who is also a university professor of international law, during a meeting with Macedonia-Thrace Minister Constantine Triarides. Mr. McWinney expressed the view that the present problems in the Balkans were a hangover from disputes in the past and could only be resolved through dialogue and co-operation.
According to a ministry statement, Mr. McWinney praised the Greeks of Canada, saying that they were "successful, industrious and creative and contribute to Canada's prosperity". Mr. Triarides called on Canadian businessmen to take advantage of the possibilities afforded by Thessaloniki and Macedonia for economic and commercial co-operation with the countries of the Balkans, eastern Europe and the Black Sea.
Labour Minister Ioannis Skoularikis yesterday expressed optimism at the prospects for lower levels of unemployment following the release of Manpower Employment Organisation (OAED) figures showing a steady drop in the number of unemployed.
According to OAED, 7.6 per cent of the country's total work-force was registered as unemployed in March this year, compared with 8.1 per cent the previous month and 8.2 per cent in March 1994.
Mr. Skoularikis described the drop as "considerable", given that a drop of even 0.1 per cent in other European countries is considered to be good news. He also announced a package of measures to combat unemployment, providing for subsidies to companies hiring unemployed persons in new jobs.
The number of jobs to be subsidised under the 26-billion-drachma programme amounts to 33,000. Subsidies of between 3,200-5,200 drachmas per day will be provided for a period of nine months. The scheme applies only to full-time jobs, Mr. Skoularikis said, because the Labour Ministry does not want to encourage part-time hiring which currently accounts for five per cent of employed persons.
Companies which have dismissed staff in the last six months will not be entitled to participate in the programme. A further three programmes, costing 10 billion drachmas, aim to subsidise unemployed persons wishing to become self-employed professionals. The three programmes are expected to subsidise a total of 12,600 jobs over the next two years. Persons qualifying for participation will also be entitled to take part in training programmes.
German Defence Minister Volker Ruehe arrived yesterday at the all-male monastic community of Mt. Athos, northern Greece, on a scheduled private two-day visit, accompanied by his Greek counterpart Gerasimos Arsenis. The two ministers declined to reply to questions on the subject of their talks, saying only that they would be discussing "general issues related to NATO".
Mr. Ruehe said that his visit to Greece was totally unconnected with yesterday's visit to Skopje by German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel. He described as "positive" German mediation efforts on the dispute between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) and expressed the hope that they would bring results. The two ministers will spend the night in a monastery on Mt. Athos.
Greece yesterday signed the European Agreement on Illicit Traffic by Sea, a new Council of Europe legal instrument implementing, within Europe, Article 17 of the United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (the 1988 Vienna Convention).
The agreement will come into force after being ratified by three member states. It has already been signed by Italy and the United Kingdom. Ambassador Antonios Exarchos, permanent representative of Greece to the Council of Europe, signed the agreement in the presence of Daniel Tarschys, Secretary-General of the organisation.
The annual US-Greece High Level Consultative Committee ended in Rhodes yesterday. The Greek delegation, composed of representatives from the national defence and foreign ministries, was headed by National Defence Under-Secretary Nikos Kouris and the US delegation by Assistant Secretary of Defence for International Security Affairs, Dr Joseph Nye.
The session focused on all issues on the agenda concerning co-operation between Greece and the US and the state of security in the region. The Industrial Co-operation in the Defence Sector Group is due to convene today.
Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias will meet with his newly-ap-pointed Turkish counterpart Erdal Inonu on the sidelines of the meeting of Black Sea Economic Co-operation group foreign ministers due to open in Athens on Friday. Confirming the contact, government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said it would be a "re-acquaintance" meeting.
Replying to questions, Mr. Venizelos said that there was "no particular problem" at the present time in Greek-Turkish relations but, rather, a problem in Ankara's relations with the European Union.
Mr. Venizelos made the statement in response to questions on whether the visit to Greece last weekend of US Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs, Richard Holbrooke, and the ongoing visit of US Assistant Secretary of Defence for International Security Affairs, Dr. Joseph Nye were related to Greek-Turkish relations.
Greek singer Nana Mouskouri, who speaks and sings fluently in six languages, says Britain is being selfish in blocking a European Union plan to help translate books written in lesser-known EU languages. "I was really very surprised. I think its very selfish," Ms Mouskouri told Reuters at the European Parliament, of which she became a member last July.
"They have a language that's very well exported. They export their books easily," she said in an interview, adding that the British attitude lacked elegance and generosity.
Britain has poured cold water on the EU's 34-million-Ecu ($44-million) Ariane programme to promote reading, translation and distribution of books and plays. Ms Mouskouri acted as parliamentary rapporteur for the five-year plan, giving her maiden speech to the assembly last week.
Britain told a meeting of EU culture ministers last week the programme focused too much on translation and the need for it had not been proved. "Why the emphasis on supporting translation?" Britain's Baroness Trumpington said.
Ms Mouskouri said the ease with which English is translated had left a European culture market largely dominated by English products. She said a market "flooded over from English products whether its music, books or TV" showed the need of EU aid to help other cultures flourish. "It's not normal that they dominate certain markets... Isn't it time to make something European?" she said.
"I love Britain, I have sung there and made many television programmes. But I do also know.... the people there really would like to know what's happening elsewhere," she said.
Earlier this year she challenged French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe over a reported French plan to reduce the number of EU working languages to five, which would have effectively made lesser-known languages like Greek second-class languages. Faced with a flood of criticism, France, the current EU president, dropped the idea.
Former Public Order Minister Stelios Papathemelis will be ordered to testify in connection with allegations that he has information on the notorious November 17 terrorist group, judicial sources said yesterday.
Athens prosecutor George Koliokostas ordered an investigation following statements by the former minister that he had "knowledge and specific facts" that could lead to the arrest of members of the elusive urban guerrilla group.
Judicial sources did not say when Mr. Papathemelis would testify. November 17 has killed 20 Greeks and foreigners since 1975. In March, the Marxist-Leninist guerrillas attacked a top private Athens television station with two anti-tank grenades, causing extensive damage but no injuries.
Meanwhile a meeting scheduled to be held yesterday between Public Order Minister Sifis Valyrakis and Mr. Papathemelis, to discuss a report prepared by the former minister on the issue of terrorism, has been cancelled.
Announcing the meeting earlier in the day, Mr. Valyrakis said that he would ask Mr. Papathemelis to give him all the information he had about terrorism. He added that Mr. Papathemelis' request for a meeting with Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou, in effect going over the head of the present public order minister, as well as with main opposition New Democracy party leader Miltiades Evert, was a mistake.
Earlier, government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos rejected Mr. Papathemelis' request for a meeting with Mr. Papandreou and called on him to hand over his report to Mr. Valyrakis. "Afterwards," the spokesman said, "it will be decided if a meeting between the former public order minister and the premier is warranted."
Mr. Papathemelis said in a statement Monday that the report contained his personal assessments on the issue of terrorism, adding that the information it contained was also at the ministry and the competent state services. He had previously stated that he wanted to meet with Mr. Papandreou and Mr. Evert to deliver evidence to them related to contacts he had had and information he had collected on certain aspects of terrorist activities in Greece.
In his latest statement last night Mr. Papathemelis expressed regret that "such a clear and simple issue tends to become a show in bad taste." "As I have repeatedly and persistently said, all evidence regarding terrorism can be found in the competent service. I thought it was my obligation and political duty that after 18 months of handling an issue of major national importance and priority to give the prime minister a report of facts and appreciations on the issue," he added.
Meanwhile, New Democracy spokesman Vassilis Manginas said that Mr. Evert was "awaiting with interest" the information which Mr. Papathemelis wished to convey. In another development, the Coalition of the Left and Progress party issued an announcement yesterday saying that "the battle against terrorism is too serious a matter to be humiliated by unimpressive gestures and disputes between PASOK officials."