Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou yesterday outlined the directions for the creation of a "PASOK of the 21st century", urging unity and solidarity within the ruling party. Addressing a joint meeting of PASOK's Central Committee and Parliamentary Group, Mr. Papandreou said that the decisions to be taken at the party's forthcoming Panhellenic conference must make PASOK "a modern, democratic institution, open to society, a force for progress and socialist perspectives".
He described the "PASOK of the 21st century" as having an "Helleno-centric nature which co-exists with our European orientation". "We shall preserve our national character and participate in international competition, having before us open challenges. We declare the progressive and socialist nature of our Movement," the premier said.
He stressed that what he described as "the autonomy of politics" should be institutionally safeguarded against private interests attempting to dominate politics and society. He added that modernisation alone does not constitute political ideology. "If modernisation disclaims its social and democratic nature, it leads to a loss of social support," he said. The prime minister said: "I am present and master of the game." "Those regarding the post-Papandreou period as a post-PASOK period shall be disappointed," Mr Papandreou added.
Mr. Papandreou also spoke of the need for the "reunification of all PASOK forces" to fight for the "democratic rebirth" of the country. Personal views and the right to a different opinion are respected, he said, stressing however "the creation of organised groups where the party base functions with proponents, representatives and guarantors cannot be tolerated in PASOK".
Mr. Papandreou used four words to describe the principles for the formation and operation of PASOK: "democracy, unity, solidarity and efficiency". "When a decision has been taken and announced," he said, "it is not acceptable for confusion to be created by the statements of party cadres which provide abundant food for the opposition press and enable TV channels to present party cadres as being in constant conflict with each other, even on issues where there is no substantial disagreement." "Our movement is not and will never be the total of personal ambitions and strategies of individual and conflicting fields or social forces," Mr. Papandreou added.
The prime minister turned down a proposal by veteran left-wing politician Leonidas Kyrkos for the establishment of a federation between PASOK and the Coalition of the Left and Progress. "I've never seen (feasible) the possibility of a party federation," he said.
Former European affairs minister Theodoros Pangalos and former EU commissioner Vasso Papandreou, who in the past have expressed criticism over PASOK policies on a number of issues, will address the conference today. Industry Minister Costas Simitis, who will also address the conference today, said before the opening that PASOK was "marginalised and active citizens do not participate in it."
Asked to comment on Mr. Simitis' statement, PASOK Secretary Akis Tsohatzopoulos said that "since 1989 (the party) has given us the '93 victory (elections) and a successful course to this day which we all are aware of."
Political Spring party spokesman Notis Martakis later criticised the prime minister of resorting to "his favourite tactic of disorienting public opinion." "The Greek people is waiting for the government to provide answers and solutions to piled up problems and not (to provide) overly used slogans," he said.
The Communist Party of Greece (KKE) accused Mr. Papandreou of "demagogy and pseudo-socialism aimed at covering up for the antipopular policy of the government." "The only answer from the people should be the intensity of struggle to fend off the onslaught of Capital and the government which expresses it, for the overthrow, in the end, of conservative policy," an announcement said.
Coalition of the Left and Progress leader Nikos Constantopoulos said the prime minister spoke "in the absence of reality and with indifference to what Greeks live and see." Referring to the Kyrkos proposal, Mr. Constantopoulos said the Coalition of the Left and Progress "will never become the supplement to and support of a wrong and damaging policy," adding that the party disagreed with ruling PASOK's policy which it regarded as "failed and irresponsible."
Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou told Black Sea foreign ministers meeting in Athens yesterday that Greece attributed great importance to the Black Sea Economic Co-operation pact (BSEC).
The grouping, he told delegates at an official dinner last night, "plays an extremely important role for the promotion of economic development and co-operation and political understanding among our countries." BSEC member-states "cover a region of great importance, a region which lies before the challenges of our time."
Mr. Papandreou stressed the "positive role of regional co-operation", which "apart from its economic or developmental objective, aimed at consolidating peace and stability in the region." "Today's (yesterday) and tomorrow's (today) meetings, as well as the contacts which will take place on the sidelines, will constitute an important step in the course of the BSEC and a better understanding between our countries.
"Greece will continue the efforts for the completion of the goals and substantial ambitions of the BSEC. "The Thessaloniki-based Black Sea Commerce and Development Bank has an important role to play in the materialisation of the action programmes," he said. "Our country, in its capacity as member state of the European Union will continue its efforts to secure resources needed to implement the action programmes through EC special programmes," he added.
Replying to press questions on his way to the dinner, Mr. Papandreou said Greece expected "peace and progress," as the outcome of the 5th BSEC meeting. President of the Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos will address the BSEC foreign ministers meeting which starts today.
On the sidelines of today's conference, foreign ministers of the countries affected by the international embargo on the former Yugoslavia will meet. These countries are Bulgaria, Romania, Albania, Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, Armenia and Greece. A tripartite meeting will also take place on the sidelines of the BSEC conference, between the foreign ministers of Greece Bulgaria and Russia to discuss a trans-Balkan pipeline that will bring Russian crude oil closer to western markets.
Following Mr. Stephanopoulos' address this morning, Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias is scheduled to chair a foreign ministers' meeting to discuss the promotion of co-operation between the BSEC countries on a wide range of issues. The BSEC meeting yesterday focused on furthering co-operation in a number of sectors. Senior officials of the eleven member-countries stressed the importance of developing the Black Sea energy market and closer co-operation in energy-related programmes.
They also discussed the possibility of linking power networks and decided to set up an ad hoc committee of experts to examine the idea, which will meet in Romania before the end of the year. Russia called for the more direct involvement of the energy ministers of the eleven countries in 1995-96 and the speeding up of procedures for linking energy networks on the basis of a specific timetable.
An action programme was also adopted for the same two-year period aimed at protecting the Black Sea from pollution, while officials stressed the need for closer co-operation between the BSEC and international environmental organisations. In the sector of science and technology, it was decided to set up a "Science Fund" and "Science Council", while the organisation's secretariat was instructed to contact international organisations to secure an exchange of experience and assistance in raising funds.
Satisfaction was expressed regarding progress to date in the sector of communications and telecommunications, while the BSEC officials agreed that there was plenty of room for closer co-operation in the sector of agriculture and the farm industry. The officials also underlined the importance of avoiding double taxation as a major factor in attracting investments to the region.
On this point, the BSEC's Business Council urged more tangible results in the economic and investment sector and praised the Greek side for successfully promoting the establishment of the Black Sea Bank.
The Turkish general secretary of the Business Council said that the bank project was a "shining exception" compared to other sectors in which there had been very little progress in co-operation between the organisation's member-countries.
Yesterday's meeting also ascertained the need to strengthen tourism in the Black Sea region by simplifying present procedures such as visa requirements, particularly for tourist groups and businessmen.
House Speaker Apostolos Kaklamanis told a visiting Albanian parliamentary delegation yesterday that Greek-Albanian relations were "now on a course of optimism and security". During the meeting with the Albanian Parliament's External Affairs Committee, Mr. Kaklamanis also stressed the need for the complete safeguarding of the rights of the Greek minority in Albania and the "correct handling" of the problem of illegal Albania n immigrants in Greece.
Earlier, the Albanian delegation had talks with their Greek parliamentary counterparts. The delegation also told Foreign Under-Secretary Grigoris Niotis yesterday that Greek Albanian relations can and must improve in answer to the need for stability and peace in the region.
Mr. Niotis said such an improvement was a matter of priority for Greek foreign policy, and recent goodwill gestures were evidence of prospects for substantial progress. He also emphasised that respect for the human rights and freedoms of the Greek minority in Albania is the issue which will determine the pace and quality of relations between the two countries. Mr. Niotis yesterday also met with visiting Alternate Georgian Foreign Minister Malkmaz Kakavadze and discussed bilateral issues.
Meanwhile, Albanian Agriculture Minister Hassan Halili had talks yesterday in Thessaloniki with the general secretary of the Macedonia-Thrace Ministry, Nikos Afendoulidis. The talks focused on the forthcoming visit to Tirana of a large business delegation from northern Greece which will be headed by Afendoulidis.
The visit comes in the wake of positive developments in Greek-Albanian relations following the recent visit to Tirana by Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias. Mr. Halili is in Thessaloniki with a delegation of professors from Albanian universities at the invitation of the American Farm School for a series of seminars within the framework of the "Tempus" programme on agricultural cultivation issues.
Manolis Theodorakis, the man who attacked three Communist Party (KKE) candidates for the European Parliament with a knife during an election rally in Thessaloniki last June, was yesterday sentenced to a total of 15 years and 3 months in jail by a court in the northern town of Kilkis. His co-defendant, Evangelos Rados, charged with complicity in the crime, was acquitted. Theodorakis was also fined 250,000 drachmas.
The three candidates -- Vassilis Efraimidis, Michalis Spyridakis and Yiannis Theonas -- were slightly injured in the attack. Theodorakis himself had to be operated on for removal of the spleen after being badly beaten by the crowd.
The attack had sparked speculation that Theodorakis, a long-time resident of Berlin, might have been connected with extremist right wing organisations. Yesterday, the public prosecutor dismissed this view, and expressed the opinion he had been driven by his own excessive sense of patriotism.
Bulgarian army chief Lieutenant-General Iliev Zakarin said on the last day of a three-day official visit yesterday that Greek-Bulgarian relations were presently at a very good level. "During my visit to Greece, we assessed relations between the two countries which in the present phase are proceeding very well.
"Last year we participated in a staff exercise without troops, 'Borders '94', and this year a company of Bulgarian troops will take part in an exercise ... in the Peloponnese, with the code-name "New Spirit '95", which shows that our relations are developing very well and constantly broadening," General Zakarin said.
General Zakarin left Athens at noon and visited the 3rd Army Corps before touring Thessaloniki's Archaeological Museum which houses the treasures of the royal tombs of Vergina. During his stay in Athens, General Zakarin had talks with the political and military leadership of the National Defence Ministry.
President Kostis Stephanopoulos yesterday told 10 leaders of Moslem communities in Thrace, northern Greece, that observance of the law ensured equality before the law and the state for all Greek citizens.
Mr. Stephanopoulos spoke of the need for all citizens "to uphold the law and respect court decisions", as well as "to avoid provocative acts committed in bad faith which create problems where no real problems exist". The Moslem representatives congratulated Mr. Stephanopoulos on his recent election to the presidency.
The Thessaloniki industrial zone will be fully supplied with Russian natural gas by the end of the year, it was announced yesterday. Public Gas Corporation (DEPA) spokesman Kostas Arvanitidis told a two-day energy seminar in Thessaloniki that natural gas would be available to the northern Greek capital for household use by the end of 1997.
Construction of a pipeline to supply Russian natural gas to Greece, via Bulgaria, began in July 1992. The 510-kilometre main pipeline runs from Promachones near the Greek-Bulgarian border through Thessaloniki, Larissa, Volos and Athens and is linked to a previously existing Russian-Bulgarian pipeline.
Last December, Greece and Russia signed an agreement for supply of 50 billion cubic metres of Russian natural gas over a 25-year period. A study on "The penetration of natural gas in the wider Thessaloniki area" was presented at the seminar, organised by the Central Macedonia division of the Technical Chamber of Greece.
The study showed that northern Greece would have natural gas available for use earlier than the rest of the country due to its geographical position. The project supplying natural gas to the wider Thessaloniki area could serve as a regional pilot programme, the report said.
According to a market research report contained in the feasibility study on the natural gas distribution network for the wider Thessaloniki area, the industries of the region were building the necessary infrastructure to use natural gas, while commercial consumers such as hotels, hospitals and restaurants had also expressed interest.
Approximately 490 kilometres of the 510-kilometre central high-pressure pipeline have been completed to date, while DEPA has tendered ancillary works which are currently under construction, such as the medium and low pressure networks branching out from the main line to bring the natural gas to the various cities.
The European Union has approved funds covering approximately 40 per cent of the total project costs, estimated at 1.5 billion Ecu. The use of natural gas, a comparatively less expensive fuel than others in current use, is expected to considerably raise the competitive capacity of Greek industry.
Other benefits expected to accrue include positive effects on the environment, development of new industrial products, and a continuous flow of Greek exports to the Russian market to pay, on the basis of offset agreements, for the largest part of the natural gas imported from that country.