Disagreement between Greece and Albania over the issue of Tirana's promise of schools for the ethnic Greek minority led to a temporary deadlock in talks between Greek Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias and his Albanian counterpart Alfred Serreqi yesterday.
The signing of an agreement on the seasonal employment of Albanians in Greece was also postponed.
Mr. Serreqi disagreed with a proposal by Mr. Papoulias for the operation of Greek schools and counter-proposed that the Greek language be taught at existing Albanian schools.
Earlier yesterday he held talks with President Kostis Stephanopoulos, President of Parliament Apostolos Kaklamanis and main opposition leader Miltiades Evert.
Mr. Serreqi arrived in Athens Thursday on a two-day visit.
Despite their insistence on their positions, the two foreign ministers expressed the hope that obstacles would be overcome and their countries would reach an agreement.
Both Mr. Papoulias and Mr. Serreqi referred to President Kostis Stephanopoulos' impending visit to Tirana (the date has not yet been set), expressing the hope that during the visit or by the time it is paid the problem will be resolved.
Statements by the two ministers indicated that the disagreement will not affect the recent improvement in relations between the two countries.
Mr. Papoulias attributed the failure of talks to the Albanian side's "tight-hearted position", while Mr. Serreqi let it be understood that he would not back down on his positions, at least at this stage.
The two ministers met again briefly last night after Mr. Serreqi cut short the morning discussion to consult his government.
Mr. Serreqi said his government had the political will for a positive development in relations between the two countries and would make efforts to overcome difficulties in sectors where the views of the two countries differed.
He conceded that difficulties existed but added that there was nothing substantive that could not be resolved. He said obstacles concerned the educational system, adding that his government was determined to implement its decisions both in the legal and real frameworks based on European standards.
Albania's European integration was a political priority, Mr. Serreqi said and, referring to disagreements over the educational issue, added that "problems are being prolonged for resolution."
"The Albanian government has secured the possibility of education for the minority up to third-stage education and not only in regions where the minority traditionally lives but in other cities as well," Mr. Serreqi said. He said that according to Albanian law private schools could also be established.
Mr. Serreqi dodged a question on whether he had accepted the Greek request for the opening of three Greek schools, insisting that schools operated for minority children, evidently referring to existing schools which provide a few hours of teaching in the Greek language.
He clearly let it be understood that he looked forward to President Stephanopoulos' visit to Tirana, saying that preparations were being made for the meeting between the two presidents.
Mr. Serreqi said he hoped for a solution to the problem and the signing of a friendship and co-operation agreement, adding that his government had a positive attitude towards facilitating Greeks wishing to visit Albania, namely providing a visa for multiple arrivals and departures.
Criticizing what he termed the Albanian side's "tight-hearted position", Mr. Papoulias said he had hoped that solutions would be given to certain pending issues, adding that the Greek government had a steadfast position on issues of education and worship concerning the minority.
Saying there was disagreement over the educational issue, Mr. Papoulias said "where there is no cost there should have been an agreement" and disclosed that Greece looked forward to the talks President Stephanopoulos would have in Tirana.
Replying to a remark that US presidential adviser George Stephanopoulos had in essence announced beforehand that there would be no progress on the education issue this year and that progress would be achieved during Albanian President Sali Berisha's visit to the US, Mr. Papoulias said the issue of education belonged to the cycle of human rights and that the Greek government would not budge from this position.
Mr. Serreqi had one hour of talks at noon with Parliament President Apostolos Kaklamanis after which the Albanian foreign minister declined to make any statement.
Mr. Kaklamanis told reporters that they had discussed relations between the parliaments of the two countries and had impressed upon Mr. Serreqi the importance for Greece of the issue of education and the children of the ethnic Greek minority.
"It is an issue of vital importance for the further improvement of relations between the two countries," Mr. Kaklamanis said.
Asked about the views of the Albanian side on the same issue, Mr. Kaklamanis replied:
"Mr. Serreqi has his views. However I remained with the impression that he will take into consideration what I told him in the final decisions to be taken by the Albanian government, given that the new school period is beginning."
Mr. Serreqi was also received yesterday by President of the Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos for talks on Greek-Albanian relations and developments in the Balkans.
In another development, main opposition New Democracy leader Miltiades Evert yesterday said it was in the interests of both Greece and Albania to improve their relations, and warned that Greece would not accept any policy that harmed the human rights of the ethnic Greek minority in that country.
Speaking to reporters after a meeting with Mr. Serreqi, Mr. Evert said he told his interlocutor that Greece had a "direct and vital interest" in the issue of the ethnic Greek minority in Albania.
He said he told Mr. Serreqi that "Greece will not accept any policy that harms the human rights of the Greeks of Albania", and put forward three specific issues: the abolition of visas for Greeks visiting Albania; the establishment of ethnic minority schools; and the unhindered functioning of the Orthodox Church of Greece.
The ND leader said it was "inconceivable" that "in a country that wishes to enter Europe there should be no schools in which the Greek minority children can be taught the Greek language and education".
Mr. Evert stressed the necessity "for the Orthodox Church of Albania to be able to function" and called for the return of its property. He said Mr. Serreqi "made promises", but added that "time will tell to what degree these promises can be materialized".
He said it was in both countries' interests to improve their relations, adding that major prospects existed for the development of joint industries and tourism.
Mr. Evert reiterated his proposal for the signing of an agreement by all the Balkan countries recognizing existing borders, noting that "the Albanians accept the proposal despite the well-known problems in Kosovo".
He added that Romania, Bulgaria and Croatia had also accepted the ND proposal, and expressed conviction that the tragedy in the former Yugoslavia was heading toward its conclusion and "finally, the states of former Yugoslavia too will be able to enter into such a procedure."
Mr. Evert said the United Nations, the European Union or even the United States should take the initiative to advance this proposal, adding "from the moment the borders are ensured and there are no threats, I believe that all the problems, even the minority and Christianity problems, will find their solutions".
Earlier yesterday, New Democracy press spokesman Vassilis Manginas said that Athens' request for the establishment of three Greek schools at Aghii Saranda, Gyrokastr and Delvino was "the least" which the Albanian side should accept.
Mr. Manginas added that Albania "must understand that Greece does not play around with these issues".
Political Spring party spokesman Notis Markakis said that regardless of whether a hitch had occurred in Greek-Albanian consultations yesterday, the Tirana government "must allow the operation of Greek schools in line with international rules."
Last night, New Democracy called on President Kostis Stephanopoulos to cancel his scheduled state visit to Tirana.
"It is not possible for the President of the Republic to travel to Albania given the Albanian government's present position," spokesman Vassilis Manginas said.
Accusing the government of not having prepared with "due care and seriousness" for today's talks, he said the president could not "bear the burden of unsuccessful handling".
"It seems that the Albanian government has not realized the importance of Greek-Albanian relations, otherwise there is no justification for its negative stance issues relating to respect for human rights," he said.
Political Spring called on the government to denounce to all international organizations the "Albanian logic of (former Communist dictator Enver) Hoxha which insists on not respecting even the most elementary human right of education".
It blamed the government's handling of the issue of leading to the breakdown in talks.
National Defense Minister Gerassimos Arsenis was optimistic yesterday that political initiatives aimed at ending the Bosnian war would prevail as, later in the day, the United States announced the foreign ministers of Bosnia, Croatia and the Yugoslav Federation had agreed to peace talks in Geneva next week to seek an end to the Balkan war.
Mr. Arsenis said he expected political initiatives to gain "the upper hand in the next hours or days", during his address earlier yesterday at a conference on international relations and European security on the island of Corfu.
Later, he told a private radio station that "Bosnian Serb commander Ratko Mladic is ready to withdraw his heavy weapons from around the besieged capital Sarajevo."
"According to our information... General Mladic has agreed to abide by United Nations' preconditions to withdraw the heavy weapons from around Sarajevo," he said.
The political initiatives will "prompt us to pay particular attention to the consultations on the peace plan for the region", he told the Corfu conference.
"Greece is actively participating in all these activities," he added.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias said his Yugoslav counterpart Milan Milutinovic, with whom he spoke yesterday, had reported "the climate was good" and that progress had been noted in talks between Serb President Slobodan Milosevic and Assistant US Secretary of State Richard Holbrooke.
A foreign ministry announcement said Mr. Papoulias also spoke at length yesterday with his Russian counterpart Andrei Kozyrev on developments in former Yugoslavia and that the views of Athens and Moscow coincided with regard to the situation in former Yugoslavia. "The hope was also expressed that there would soon be positive developments in the peace process," the announcement added.
Mr. Papoulias and Mr. Kozyrev also discussed bilateral relations and set the date for the Russian foreign minister's visit to Thessaloniki on September 8-9.
Speaking at the conference on "European security and the Yugoslav crisis", organized by the Panteion University's Institute of International Relations, on the island of Corfu, Mr. Arsenis said that if positive results arose on the Bosnia crisis, "then we must directly see (to) the issue of the comprehensive security of Europe".
Replying to press questions, Mr. Arsenis said that a prospective solution of the Bosnia crisis would not necessarily lead to a "magical solution of the problems in the region".
The Kosovo province remained a problem, he said, but added that the problems could be solved with respect for borders and human rights.
Mr. Arsenis also referred to the role Greece should play in the development of the Balkans and proposed the creation of a regional council for Balkan development comprising all the Balkan countries and a representative of the European Union.
Such a council would meet two to three times a year and operate at foreign minister level. It would coordinate the national efforts on economic, transportation and telecommunications programmes.
Mr. Arsenis said such a dynamic would create the necessary infrastructure for "the development of an economic sub-system of southeastern Europe, which is called the Balkans, incorporated in the economy of the European Union".
At the same time, there could be greater networking of the Balkan states on matters of defense co-operation at bilateral or multilateral level, he said.
Asked if this proposal was a government initiative, Mr. Arsenis said that, as a member of the government, he would table the proposal in the Cabinet so that it would become a government initiative.
Speaking at the same conference, Political Spring party leader Antonis Samaras expressed pessimism at developments in the region, saying that the international community should change its anti-Serbian attitude.
"A bad peace can start a new war," he added.
Mr. Samaras also said that European Union's defense policy should not depend on the United States.
Meanwhile, in Athens, main opposition New Democracy party spokesman Vassilis Manginas lashed out against the government yesterday, saying "It is not in a position to actually play any intermediary role in the tragic developments in the broader Balkan region."
Coalition of the Left and Progress leader Nikos Constantopoulos said the shelling should come to an end and the negotiations for a peace settlement should be reinforced.
Mr. Constantopoulos urged the government to assume "diplomatic and political activities" for the finding of a settlement to the problem.
Government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos told reporters yesterday the government had not been officially briefed on the United Nations report on the deadly bombing of the Sarajevo market on Monday, for which the Bosnian Serbs have been held responsible.
He also said that the Greek government has dealt with such issues in a reserved and guarded manner, and condemns such actions as the attack.
He added that Greece was in constant contact with Russia, Serbia, and European Union countries, in an effort to contribute to the finding of a peaceful solution, for which it was guardedly optimistic.
_________________________________________ The Bulletin would like to make o clarification regarding the item entitled "Serreqi, Papoulias discuss bilateral issues, Bosnian developments" on page 3 of Friday's edition.
Regarding the paragraph beginning "Belgrade has begun resettling large number of Serb refugees", the sentence does not refer to large number of Serb refugees being resettled in Kosovo, but rather to the large numbers of refugees fleeing the Krajina enclave.
The numbers of Krajina Serb refugees being resettled in Kosovo are insignificant, as previously reported by the Bulletin.
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Polish Deputy Premier and Agriculture Minister Roman Jagielinski is due to arrive in Greece on Monday to sign a protocol providing for co-operation in the agricultural sector.
During his stay, Mr. Jagielinski will have talks with National Economy Minister Yiannos Papantoniou and members of parliament.
All proposals for a resolution of the Cyprus dispute are examined on the assumption that the United Nations Organization provides the basic forum for the issue, government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said yesterday, commenting on US House of Representatives Foreign Relations Committee chairman Ben Gilman's proposal for a summit meeting in which the US, Greece, Turkey, and Cyprus would participate.
Mr. Venizelos said that in the case of Cyprus, the crucial criterion was that a solution of the problem had to be based on UN resolutions. No proposal has been submitted in a comprehensive and mature manner to date, he added.
The orchestrated attack by Germans, Austrians and Danes against Greek airports and air traffic control systems is due to expedience and economic interests, Federation of Civil Aviation Unions (OSYPA) President Christos Alevizopoulos said yesterday.
His categorical denial came after Danish pilots criticized safety at Greek airports, supporting German claims that flight conditions in the country are "catastrophic".
Mr. Alevizopoulos was firm in his claim that flights were being conducted with absolute security, both regarding processes and the readiness of available means, in accordance with the requirements and regulations of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and other international organizations.
On the question of flight security, the Civil Aviation Service has never received either written or oral reports or complaints from pilots' organizations or other international organizations on the quality of services provided.
At present a modernization programme for the country's air navigation system and the widespread modernization of Greek airports as part of the European Civil Aviation Committee's international programmes EATCHIP and APATSI are in full swing.
He said he believed the attack on Greek airports and the country's air navigation system, particularly at this time, had other aims.
The Union of Civil Aviation Pilots' board announced:
"Greek pilots flying with Olympic, internationally recognized as one of the safest airline companies in the world, with no loss of aircraft over the past 20 years and no loss of a jet in its history, only have to underline the unjust and impassioned character of the above statements. In parallel, they assure Greek and international public opinion that flights in Greek airspace are absolutely safe."
It said questions were raised by the intention of foreign colleagues to harm Greek tourism at a time when the Spata airport appeared to have been undertaken by a German company which would profit from its exploitation.
According to assessments by ICAO, Olympic Airways holds fifth place in flight security. In addition, only two accidents have occurred at Greek airports over their 50-year history and they were due to mistakes by pilots from eastern and African countries .
An AFP dispatch from Copenhagen said yesterday that Danish pilots had joined their German colleagues in criticizing flight conditions in Greece.
German pilots have complained about unsatisfactory communication in the air and insufficient safety checks of baggage and passengers on the ground.
"I can nod in agreement with much of the criticism from the Germans," said Scandinavian Airlines System's (SAS) flight chief Per Lock.
But Lock said he did not think passengers flying to and from Greek airports were in any danger.
The Athens First Instance Court yesterday ruled in favor of the government's writ against the Union of Air Traffic Controllers asking that two three-hour work stoppages planned for 6-9am and 5-8pm today be declared abusive and illegal.
The controllers are asking for administrative autonomy from the Civil Aviation Authority.
Experts are examining the black box of the Russian-built Antonov-26 military transport plane which crashed into a field near Thessaloniki international airport last night to establish the causes of the accident.
The plane, belonging to the Mali air-force, was en route from the Ukrainian capital of Kiev to Tunis, when the pilot told the Thessaloniki air control tower that it had run out of fuel and requested permission for an emergency landing.
Airport officials said radio contact was lost soon after the call for help and the plane disappeared from the radar screen moments later.
The crash killed the plane's two pilots and four passengers, who, authorities have tentatively concluded from documents found at the site, were high-ranking officers.
Industry, Energy and Technology Minister Costas Simitis yesterday said a stable and long-term economic policy should be Greece's first priority in view of developments in the world economy and also in order to face its own structural problems.
In his message marking the 60th Thessaloniki International Fair, which will be published in a special TIF edition, Mr. Simitis also called for drastic changes in the structure and operation of the Greek economy and for a change of attitude from social partners.
He added that Greece should adjust to the changing needs and demands of the internationalization of the economy.
Mr. Simitis said competitiveness was a key word for the Greek economy, industry and trade.
He said competitiveness of the Greek enterprise should also be assisted by long-term entrepreneurial programmes.
He stressed the contribution of the Thessaloniki International Fair to the promotion of Greece's economic activity, adding that Thessaloniki should play a significant role as "a trade and industrial crossroads between the European Union and the countries of the Balkan peninsula."
Thessaloniki emerging as Balkans financial centre, Triarides says - Macedonia-Thrace Minister Constantine Triarides said yesterday he was convinced that Thessaloniki would emerge as the financial centre for the Balkan region.
"It is a common feeling that Thessaloniki is being transformed into the finance centre of the Balkans and that the Thessaloniki International Fair, with its long history and rich activities, has a lot to contribute to this development," Mr. Triarides said in his message marking the 60th Thessaloniki International Fair.
"The government's decision to support and speed up the procedures for Balkan and Black Sea co-operation, while setting a priority for the development of Thrace and Macedonia, signals HELEXPO's new perspective on this new challenge which lies ahead," he s aid.
Thessaloniki Mayor Constantine Kosmopoulos also referred to new perspectives for the Fair and Thessaloniki in his message yesterday.
Noting that Thessaloniki will be 1997 European Cultural Capital, he said "the International Fair is called upon to deal with additional obligations and make full use of the opportunities."
The New Democracy party yesterday released a set of 20 proposals, contained in its government programme, "giving special emphasis on the composition and functioning of the government, the redefinition of the function of the state, the strengthening of local administration, respect of citizens' rights, the fight against bureaucracy, and the strengthening of mechanisms of control and transparency at all levels".
The proposals concerning the functioning of government include the restriction of the number of ministers to a maximum of 17, the abolition of the posts of alternate ministers, the setting up of an autonomous Environment Ministry, a coordinating ministerial secretariat for European Union issues, and positions of permanent undersecretaries of Foreign Affairs, Education, Public Administration, and Budget, with parallel, constitutionally-established National Councils for Foreign Affairs, Economic and Social Affairs, Education, and Public Administration.
Proposals regarding the administrative sector include a reduction of the number of administrative regions, a definition of the limits of the state sector, the setting up of an autonomous body of ombudsmen and a constitutionally-established position of a Civil Service Commissioner for the promotion of transparency in public life, the protection of citizens' rights, and the fight against corruption and abuse of power.
Other proposals concern the setting up of a parliamentary committee for the exact execution of the budget and procedures for the selection of the heads of public utilities with specific criteria, and for a five-year term.