Press and Media Minister Telemahos Hytiris said maintenance of the right of veto on issues of vital interest to a member-state and the European Union's major issues was of top priority for Greece at the informal EU Majorca summit.
EU leaders attending the summit, convened for a high-level discussion to prepare for the 1996 intergovernmental conference to revise the Maastricht Treaty, will cover all problems entailed in the EU's institutional reform based on the "intermediate report" submitted by the so-called Consideration Committee.
On the question of a common European currency, Mr. Hytiris said Greece supported the observance of convergence criteria for Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) but favored the position that the social dimension, and more specifically the issue of employment, should be jointly considered as a parameter.
Mr. Hytiris said Greece ruled out the possibility of "different speeds" for groups of EU countries and supported the enlargement of democracy but on the basis of institutional equality and transparency. "There are no big or small countries at institutional level. As far as we are concerned there are equal member-states of the EU," he added.
He said Greece agreed on the question of EU enlargement (the prospect of central and eastern European countries joining the EU was the factor activating the institutional reform undertaking), stressing the need for special attention on the fulfillment of necessary conditions by interested countries and considering the accession of Cyprus and Malta to the EU as an essential start to this process.
Mr. Hytiris stressed Greece's agreement to the deepening of Common Foreign Policy and Security Policy, but said guaranteeing the EU's external borders and displaying solidarity among its member-states was a basic ingredient. "The taking of decisions with a majority vote is acceptable for purely Community issues but maintaining unanimity on issues concerning the vital national interests of a member-state is absolutely essential," he said.
On the question of the EU's institutional bodies, Greece rejects the abolition of the rotating six-month EU presidency by all member-states and maintains that each member-state should continue to send a commissioner to the European Commission.
Earlier, Mr. Hytiris told Greek reporters Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou intended to brief EU leaders on the interim agreement reached between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM). "The prime minister will find a suitable moment, either during talks or during tonight's dinner, to raise the issues of national interest," he said.
Referring to exhortations made to the prime minister by main opposition New Democracy party leader Miltiades Evert to raise national issues at the informal Majorca summit, Mr. Hytiris said "every prime minister raises national issues when he is abroad."
Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos yesterday urged scientists and theologians to pool their forces and tackle environmental problems threatening the earth's eco-system. "Theology and science ought to be partners in this work. Science saves faith from fantasy and faith generates the energy for a new world," Vartholomeos said.
He made the statement onboard a cruise-ship hosting a week-long floating symposium of world-class environmentalists, scientists and theologians. The "Revelation and the Environment" symposium, convened under the aegis of England's Prince Philip II and the Patriarch, signals the start of efforts by the Orthodox Church to draw the attention of its 300 million faithful to environmental dangers.
"We are assembled on a kind of latter-day ark. We seek your expert counsel so that Orthodoxy worldwide can better contribute to the common front being forged by scientists, environmentalists and theologians," Vartholomeos said. "As we begin our voyage the ship faces us with ... a truth we need to bring to our thinking about the future of the world. Should there be a leak in steerage or distress in any part of the ship, the passengers in first class will not for long escape the consequences," he said.
Heading 15 primates around the world, Vartholomeos called for a full-house attendance. It is the second time ever the Church's primates have been called together; 12 are in attendance.
The vessel made its way from Piraeus, to Istanbul and is now en route to the Aegean island of Patmos which is celebrating the 1,900th anniversary of St. John's writing of the Apocalypse.
"It seemed appropriate to celebrate this anniversary with a conference about our common home. St. John's vision is of a united human family," Vartholomeos said.
Attending the conference are US Undersecretary of State for Global Affairs Timothy Wirth, Executive Director of the United Nations Environmental Programme Elizabeth Dowdeswell, founder and chairman of Turkey's Marine Protection Association Rahmis Koc, founder of the World Wide Fund for Nature (formerly the World Wildlife Fund) Luc Hoffman, president of the European Council for Environmental Law Alexandre Kiss and world class expert on environmental public policy Norman Meyers.
Pope John Paul II, currently on an Africa tour, is represented by the Vatican's environmental spokesperson Cardinal Roger Etchegaray. The Church of England has sent the Right Reverend Richard Chatres, Bishop of Stepney while leading representatives of many other denominations are also in attendance. In Ephesus, the first stop of the tour, guests will visit Saint John's tomb and ancient monuments on the site.
Meanwhile, in a symbolic gesture to show the universal significance of environmental protection, the Patriarch, along with Patriarch Theoctistos of Bucharest, Archbishop Dorotheos of Czechoslovakia, Archbishop Ioannis of Finland and Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana, Thursday attended a reception marking the establishment of the Turkish organization for the protection of the sea environment, TURMEBA. TURMEBA Chairman Rahmi Koc held a reception and dinner for the guests of the Symposium at the Ciragan hotel.
George Livanos, President of HELMEPA, the Greek marine environment protection organization which has served as a model for TURKEBA, also attended the reception, which triggered strong reactions on the part of the nationalist Islamic press.
"I plead to everyone, on behalf of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, and me personally, not to degrade or exploit events (marking the 1900th anniversary of the vision of the Apocalypse) for any reason or any expedience," Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos said on board the ship.
Vartholomeos said "events have a clearly religious character" and called upon all to "respect the sanctity of the anniversary, the sanctity of Patmos, and the sanctity of the events."
Patriarch Vartholomeos also refuted Greek press reports that he was entangled in a dispute with Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou and his wife Dimitra Liani-Papandreou over the organization of events. "There is no such problem," he said. "No letters have been sent, and I face no such problem with the prime minister or Mrs. Papandreou," he said.
In Athens yesterday, government spokesman Nikos Athanassakis refuted the reports. "There are no such letters," Mr. Athanassakis said, adding that relations between Mr. Papandreou and Vartholomeos were excellent.
Mr. Athanassakis said an ND announcement to the effect that there had been such letters was "unfortunate."
Coalition of the Left and Progress leader Nikos Constantopoulos, expressed regret that the message of the symposium, the threat to the environment, had been marginalized.
Eighty-six government coalition and independent deputies yesterday submitted their final proposal to the Parliament President of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Stojan Antov, concerning the new flag of the state, as required by the recently-signed interim accord with Greece. The flag features a golden sun, with eight widening rays, against a red background.
Mr. Antov said the issue would be tackled by the Constitutional Commission, and the final decision would be adopted by Parliament on October 5.
Meanwhile, president of the Skopje Chamber of Commerce Dusan Petrevski, stated yesterday that increasing numbers of Greek businessmen are flocking to Skopje "with sincere intentions of cooperation on a permanent basis and at a higher level".
He noted interest in "joint ventures, representation in third markets, and utilization of productive potential," although he sensed "a certain degree of reserve, due to reactions by the opposition". It was also reported that a delegation of the Skopje Chamber of Commerce will soon visit Greece.
The Greek language will be included in graduation lessons in secondary school education in regions populated by the Greek minority as of this year.
A school in the Dervitsani region has a Greek Literature Department attended by 33 Greek minority pupils this year out of a total of 133 attending the academy. The Greek language is taught at schools in the region together with English and French. One more school will be opened in Dervitsani in the future.
Forty students at the Egrem Kambel University, double the figure last year, are attending the Greek Literature Faculty.
Eighty-five per cent of Greek language teachers at Albania's educational establishments are university graduates.
Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias, who is due to arrive here Sunday, will have an extensive round of contacts with his counterparts from various countries next week on the sidelines of events marking the 50th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations Organization. The meetings will take place within the framework of a series of working luncheons which the foreign ministers of the European Union traditionally host for their counterparts from other countries annually on the occasion.
US Secretary of State Warren Christopher has been invited to Monday's luncheon, and Russian Foreign Minister Andrei Kozyrev on Tuesday.
Prior to Friday afternoon, when Mr. Papoulias is scheduled to speak at the UN General Assembly, he will hold bilateral meetings with 14-17 of his counterparts, mainly from the Balkans, the Arab world and the European Union. He will meet his Yugoslav and Albanian counterparts, Milan Milutinovic and Alfred Serreqi on Tuesday, and, possibly, the new Turkish foreign minister -who has yet to be named -on Friday.
Due to the unsettled political situation in Turkey, the Friday meeting is expected to be "simply routine, if it takes place at all", diplomatic sources said.
The government yesterday stood by its decision to seize property owned by former king, Constantine Glucksburg, despite a proposal at the Supreme Court to override relevant legislation.
"If a monarchy ruled the country then there would be a royal estate, but there is no king and therefore no royal property," government spokesman Nikos Athanassakis said.
Supreme Court Prosecutor Athanassios Sioulas Thursday branded as unconstitutional a law bringing the ex-king's property into the hands of the state.
The law, passed in April last year, gives the state ownership of the Mon Repos summer palace on the island of Corfu, forest land in Tatoi, north Athens, and tens of acres in Polydenri, northern Greece. Mr. Sioulas voiced his argument before a Supreme Court hearing on a suit brought by the trust managing the former royal estate. The court will rule on the issue in early October.
In an announcement yesterday, the Coalition of the Left and Progress said the issue of the royal property "is historically and politically resolved", thus there is no need to further stir up the issue.
The armed forces exercise code-named "Parmenion '95" was successfully concluded yesterday after being carried out in two phases.
One part, conducted in the Aegean Sea and on the island of Hios, was watched by National Defense Minister Gerassimos Arsenis, National Defense General Staff Chief Admiral Christos Lymberis, Navy General Staff Chief Vice-Admiral Ioannis Stangas, Air Force General Staff Chief Athanassios Zoganis, Fleet Chief Vice-Admiral Leonidas Palaiogiorgos and Supreme Military Command of the Interior and the Islands (ASDEN) Commander Dimitrios Spyridon.
The other part was held in the Evros region in the presence of National Defense Undersecretary Nikos Kouris, Macedonia-Thrace Minister Costas Triarides and Army General Staff Chief Lieutenant-General Costas Voulgaris.
Referring to the exercise, Mr. Arsenis said it showed the high morale, the fighting fitness and the high level of readiness of the armed forces.
He reiterated that Greece wished to live in peace and cooperation with all peoples but was not prepared to negotiate its inalienable national rights.
Asked to comment on the present government crisis in Turkey, Mr. Arsenis expressed the hope political unrest in Turkey would subside and conditions of cooperation would be created between the two countries.
On the question of the foreign ministers of the two countries meeting in New York, Mr. Arsenis called it "an acquaintance meeting", adding that "I do not think we should have high expectations."
Commenting on developments in Bosnia, Mr. Arsenis expressed optimism that a political solution would be found to the problem and said that Greece would favor a peace plan mutually acceptable to and agreed upon by all the parties involved.
Mr. Kouris congratulated participants in the exercise and underlined the readiness and fighting fitness of the armed forces.
Referring to the government crisis in Turkey, Mr. Kouris said there was no indication of a change in policy in Turkey, adding that its policy was set out by the diplomatic and military establishment and did not change with changes in government.
Replying to a questioner on a statement by US President Bill Clinton on relations between Greece and Turkey, Mr. Kouris referred to Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou's statement in Thessaloniki that "we will not discuss or negotiate our sovereign rights."
The National Defense General Staff announced yesterday that a scheduled large-scale military exercise code-named "Filippos-95" will take place between September 25-29 as part of the armed forces' annual training programme.
The purpose of the exercise is to train staffs and units in conditions of modern warfare and promote cooperation among the armed forces' services.
Army and air force units will participate in the exercise, while reserve officers and servicemen will be called up for training. The exercise will be carried out in the region of central Macedonia. ANA
The government spokesman yesterday condemned scuffles between demonstrators and US sailors stopping at Corfu on their way to duty off Bosnia late Thursday night.
Demonstrators, chanting anti-American slogans, scuffled with sailors from the US aircraft carrier "America" and guided-missile cruiser "Normandy", late Thursday night, as they tried to push through a line formed by the sailors. "The government condemns yesterday's incidents," government spokesman Nikos Athanassakis said.
The spokesman said that protest demonstrations were "free to take place within the framework of the law", adding that "the American vessels were docked legally."
Hundreds of demonstrators blocked Thessaloniki's seaside Nikis boulevard for two hours last night, in front of the American consulate, shouting slogans against NATO involvement in Bosnia. The demonstration was organized by the local branch of the Committee for International D�tente and Peace.
The Greek authorities have been excluded from the international defense industry and policy exhibition IDEF '95, organized in Ankara, according to Greek embassy representatives.
The embassy's military attaches and the Greek ambassador were not invited to the event, contrary to customary practice, and two Greek journalists wanting to visit the exhibition were accepted with great difficulty, it was added.
The IDEF '95 exhibition is attended by 191 companies from 39 countries. The Turkish armed forces expect to receive four million dollars from the exhibition which will be used for the "Armed Forces Support Foundation."
The European Parliament yesterday adopted a report by PASOK Eurodeputy Giorgos Katiforis on regulations concerning the financial derivatives products (mainly futures and options).
The report recommends that the European Commission proceed to the codification of the whole mesh of voluntary arrangements concerning the financial derivatives market, examine whether they are being observed, and if necessary, institute arrangements of an obligatory character.
Mr. Katiforis also points out that neither the regulatory framework, nor the supervisory framework, not even accounting rules, have kept pace with the expansion of the derivatives market in the past 10 years. He cited the collapse of the British bank Barings earlier in the year as a result of speculation in the derivatives market, and the inability of public supervisory authorities, but also the financial institutions themselves to control the actions of traders.
On the whole, the report favors a flexible regulatory context as an antidote to the excesses of private competition, and expresses the hope that a single worldwide arrangement may be agreed, as the only guarantee for the proper operation of the derivatives markets.
Meanwhile, Athens Stock Exchange (ASE) president Manolis Xanthakis and the members of a team or specialists who have been working on the introduction of financial derivatives in Greece for about a year, yesterday presented their proposals at a press conference.
After discussion with interested parties, the proposals will be submitted to the National Economy Ministry for formulation of the final draft bill that will be tabled in Parliament.
The Xanthakis report proposes the establishment of two new institutions, the Athens Derivatives Exchange, a subsidiary in which ASE will hold a controlling stake, and the Derivatives Transactions Clearing Company, a subsidiary in which the ASE will hold a minority stake, which will guarantee the proper operation of the futures and options market.
Initially, the market will operate on the basis of a 'Derivatives Index', comprising 25-35 shares of high trading volume.
Agriculture Minister Theodoros Stathis yesterday told a press conference that the latest decisions of the EU Cotton Management Committee were "unacceptable," and that Greece had sent a strong demarche to the Community. Mr. Stathis said the Committee had made "arbitrary" decisions, against Community regulations.
His comments came as cotton growers in the cities of Larissa and Karditsa protested the latest policies. The growers rallied in the streets and lined up tractors at all city entrances, seeking cotton price increases, cheaper fuel and the establishment of a farmers' record.
Yesterday, the head of the Greek delegation to Brussels Dimitris Christodoulou, visited the competent EU commissioner to protest the committee's decision.
In statements Thursday Agriculture Ministry officials said that cotton producers "should not worry about the new European policy on cotton." "The latest decisions by the EU Cotton Management Committee, due to misinterpretations, have caused cotton producers to worry about the prices and their payment. The real situation, though, remains as it was before," they were quoted as saying.
Mr. Stathis said he had requested that the European Commission bring the issue to the Council of Ministers meeting in Brussels on Monday. "We will try to have the issue reconsidered by the competent management committee," Mr. Stathis said.
In an effort to soothe farmers' fears, the minister said that "independently of the committee's decisions, the farmers income will not be reduced as against last year's levels. "In many cases, the prices will even increase," the minister said.
Main opposition New Democracy party leader Miltiades Evert yesterday expressed concern over the developments, saying the party had already spotted these problems facing farmers.
Mr. Evert said that "the commitment by the government that the Community decisions will comply with the farmers' interests have actually been proven as moving in the opposite direction." "The situation bears dangers," Mr. Evert said. "If farming land is abandoned this will result in unemployment which will be borne by the big cities and surpass the 15 per cent margin," he added.
"There are solutions," Mr. Evert said. "We call upon the government to proceed to their implementation." He said the party had agreed on certain initiatives on the issue but refused to elaborate because disclosure "will not only harm the interests of farmers who do not have the means to react, but also because the national interest calls for (silence)".
In statements later, government spokesman Nikos Athanassakis said ND's statements that the party supports farmers' protests constituted a "provocation." "The farmers are well aware of the kind of support they had by the ND during the period 1990-93," he said.
Political Spring party spokesman Notis Martakis said the party supported the cotton growers' cause, accusing both the ruling PASOK and the main opposition ND of "inability to defend the rights of the Greek farmers."
The Coalition of the Left and Progress also held the government responsible for the problems facing the cotton growers.
General Confederation of Agricultural Associations (GESASE) President Yiannis Pittas called on the government "to try with the farmers to change the unfavorable conditions of the new status for Greek cotton."
Outgoing ruling party PASOK Central Committee Secretary Akis Tsohatzopoulos met with visiting president of the Cyprus Socialist Party (EDEK) Vassos Lyssaridis on recent developments in the protracted Cyprus issue yesterday.
The Press and Media Ministry announced yesterday that Dimitris Pantazis was the new Secretary-General of the ministry. Mr. Pantazis is a Supreme Court barrister and was prefect of Samos (1982-85) and Achais (1985-88) and general director of the public order ministry.