Intense diplomatic activity on the Yugoslav crisis is underway this weekend at the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi where Greek Foreign Affairs Minister Karolos Papoulias will meet his Russian counterpart Andrei Kozyrev today. The Russian Foreign Minister will also meet a US envoy tomorrow to discuss developments in the former Yugoslavia.
Mr. Kozyrev will brief Mr. Papoulias on a five-point peace plan unveiled Thursday by Russian President Boris Yeltsin after his talks with Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic, as well as on a proposal by Mr. Yeltsin for a tripartite summit on Bosnia with the participation of Bosnian President Alija Izetbegovic.
US President Bill Clinton's national security advisor, Anthony Lake, held talks yesterday in Paris, London and Bonn on the Yugoslav crisis. The United States is seeking support for a peace initiative from the other members of the so-called Contact Group on ex-Yugoslavia. Contact Group members are Britain, France, Germany, Russia and the United States.
Meanwhile, in Washington yesterday, President Clinton vetoed a bill that would force him to end American compliance with a UN-imposed arms embargo on Bosnia, stating such a decision would escalate the already explosive Balkan conflict and involve US troops.
Greece yesterday called on the European Union to send urgent humanitarian aid to Serbian refugees fleeing a Croatian offensive in Krajina.
Foreign Ministry Balkan Affairs director Dimitrios Kypreos delivered a letter to the Spanish charge d'affaires for the Spanish Foreign Minister and president of the EU's Council of Ministers, Javier Solana, from Greek Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias on the question of the Krajina refugees.
Mr. Papoulias referred to the tragic situation resulting after a mass exodus of Serbian refugees from Krajina and to the prompt dispatch of humanitarian aid by Greece. Mr. Papoulias called on the EU to display necessary solidarity and provide, as a whole, humanitarian aid for the refugees' survival. He also called on the European Council president to urgently take all necessary actions to mobilise the EU for this purpose.
Another Hellenic Air Force C-130 military transport plane with humanitarian aid for Krajina refugees arrived in Belgrade yesterday. The plane landed in the afternoon because approval to fly over Bulgaria was delayed. The next humanitarian aid flight has been scheduled for tomorrow.
Meanwhile, a co-ordinating committee established in Thessaloniki to collect humanitarian aid for Serb refugees announced yesterday that its number one priority was to dispatch tranquillisers and sent psychologists, neurosurgeons, orthopaedic surgeons and paediatricians.
The committee, formed Thursday, is made up of the Prefect and Mayor of Thessaloniki, Constantine Papadopoulos and Costas Kosmopoulos, as well as the president of the Local Union of Municipalities and Communities, Grigoris Hatzisavvas.
Hospitals and clinics in the Thessaloniki Prefecture will collect necessary medical aid with the co-operation of the prefectural health and welfare committee, which will co-ordinate the medical mission to Serbia as well as transportation of the injured if necessary.
The committee will also work with the Panhellenic Medical Association and organisations such as "Doctors without Borders" and "Doctors of the World" in order to find medical volunteers. Greece has already flown more than 100 tonnes of medicine, foodstuffs and clothing to Belgrade this week for the Serbian refugees.
Serbian Orthodox Patriarch Pavle addressed a letter of thanks to Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou yesterday for humanitarian aid offered by Greece to Krajina refugees. The Serbian Patriarch expressed his gratitude for the prompt dispatch of Greek aid to the huge throngs of suffering Krajina refugees and called for a continuation of the aid, pointing out that the refugees' drama would continue.
The letter, addressed on behalf of the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Serbian people, cited the speed with which both qualitative and quantitative aid was sent to the suffering refugees from war-torn Serb Krajina, before any other country did so.
The Serbian Patriarch underlined that the refugees' drama in many ways was reminiscent of the tragedy experienced by Hellenism in Asia Minor in 1923 and Cypriot Hellenism in 1974. Pavle said that in all cases, either concerning Greeks or Serbs, only the perpetrators of the inhuman and hideous crimes differed, while moral accomplices coincided absolutely.
Serbian Commerce and Tourism Minister Georgi Siranovic said the "Serb people recognise the large and unique support of the Greek people in their struggle, as well as their humanitarian aid. Relations between the two peoples are becoming stronger through the ordeal of war."
Mr. Siranovic made his statements in the northern Greek city of Kavala on Thursday, where he arrived at the invitation of Kavala Mayor Lefteris Athanasiadis.
Referring in an interview on the situation in former Yugoslavia, he said "many Europeans believe the war has spread to Serbia and as a result, foreigners are afraid to come for tourism, while tourist agencies in Europe receive additional insurance from those travelling through Yugoslavia."
Mr. Siranovic said after a UN-imposed embargo is lifted, commercial relations between Greece and his country will develop even more. He said any contacts should occur now to prepare for the post-embargo era.
Archbishop of North and South America Iakovos arrived yesterday in Athens from where he'll travel to his native island of Imvros for celebrations marking the feast of the Virgin Mary on Tuesday.
In statements upon his arrival, Archbishop Iakovos said "the tragedy and catastrophe which continues in Bosnia" was causing him great concern.
"President Clinton sent his number one National Security Adviser Anthony Lake and State Department Political Affairs Under-Secretary Peter Tarnoff to have talks with the British and French governments, and afterwards to go to Bosnia and present a plan.
"I don't know the contents of the plan, but a few days ago I received a telegram from the Patriarch of Serbia Pavle, describing the terrible situation, and I sent a telegram, not sharply worded but nevertheless serious in tone, to President Clinton reminding him that those considered by many to be world leaders should save the planet, and that the planet cannot be saved by words but by peaceful intervention where blood is being shed, where the fire of war is destroying property and human life," he told reporters.
Archbishop Iakovos also expressed concern that the conflict in the former Yugoslavia may spread. "What worries me is that the conflict might spread and that the Croats will not readily agree to terms because they are being strengthened by the Catholics of Europe and particularly the Germans, who were never our friends," he said.
The Archbishop will arrive today in Alexandroupolis, before travelling to Istanbul and then to Imvros. Ecumenical Orthodox Patriarch Vartholomeos, who is also from Imvros, will be on the island at the same time as Iakovos. After Imvros, Archbishop Iakovos will visit Rhodes, Chios and Symi before returning to New York via Athens.
Replying to press questions on the possibility of his stepping down, Archbishop Iakovos said that after 36 years in office he had "many things to clear up" and any succession would not take place before the end of next July.
A court yesterday accepted a petition by Angelos Kokavesis requesting his conditional release. Mr. Kokavesis is currently detained as one of eight alleged members of the Liberation Front of Northern Epirus (MAVI).
The 36-year-old man is one of eight alleged MAVI suspects accused of jeopardising the country's peace and intent to murder, following an attack on an Albanian army post at Episkopi last year, in which two Albanian soldiers were killed. Police found seven Kalashnikov assault rifles at the home of Mr. Kokavesis' uncle in Pallini earlier this year, which authorities said were from the Albanian camp.
Although the court acknowledged that evidence existed corroborating the charge against Mr. Kokavesis of illegal possession of weapons with intent to commit a crime, it accepted that he has steady employment and a clean criminal record.
Coalition of the Left and Progress (Synaspismos) party leader Nikos Konstantopoulos met yesterday with the Albanian and Yugoslav ambassadors as well as the Spanish charge d' affaires to discuss latest developments in the Balkans.
Speaking to the press after his string of talks, Mr. Konstantopoulos urged the government to establish a think tank to review and chart peace initiatives for war-torn Bosnia. He also called for a meeting of party leaders to assess repercussions from the situation in the former Yugoslavia.
President of the Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos will arrive on the sacred island of Tinos on Tuesday to attend celebrations marking the feast of the Virgin Mary and to commemorate the 55th anniversary of the torpedoing of the Hellenic Navy cruiser "Elli" by an Italian submarine.
Aug. 15 is national and religious holiday in Greece. On Tuesday evening, Mr. Stephanopoulos will attend a reception marking Armed Force's Day at the installations at Agios Andreas, near Nea Makri.
The second World Conference of expatriates from Chios began Thursday and will end tomorrow. The event is being held at the Chios Homeric Cultural Centre with 150 delegates from the world's Chiot community. The government was represented by Minister to the Aegean Antonis Kotsakas and Foreign Under-Secretary responsible for Expatriate Hellenism Affairs Grigoris Niotis.
Inaugurating the conference, Mr. Kotsakas conveyed warm greetings from Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou, saying he viewed the conference with special sensitivity since he was born on Chios and had been an expatriate for decades. The premier also underlining that the Aegean was a sea of peace and that all its inhabitants were determined to keep it that way.
Greece ratified the European convention on protection of an individual from use of his personal information through informatics technology, according to an announcement by the Council of Europe in Strasbourg yesterday.
The convention, effective Dec. 1 in Greece, has already been ratified by 16 Council of Europe countries.
The text prohibits (unless specific judicial guarantees exist) the collection and use of "sensitive" personal information such as race, participation in a political party, health, religion and an individual's sexual life. The convention also gives the individual the right to investigate contents of electronic "files" concerning him and make necessary corrections.
The Bulletin will not be published Monday and Tuesday due to the Feast of the Assumption religious holiday. The next edition will appear Wednesday, Aug. 16.