Voice of America, 9 May 1996 (1 of 2)

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From: The Voice of America <gopher://gopher.voa.gov>

CONTENTS

[01] CLINTON / GREECE (L) BY DEBORAH TATE (WHITE HOUSE)

[02] CLINTON-STEPHANOPOULOS (S ONLY) BY DAVID BORGIDA (WHITE HOUSE)

[03] STEPHANOPOULOS O'NITE (S ONLY) BY DAVID BORGIDA (WHITE HOUSE)

[04] U-S / GREECE O'NITER (S-O) BY DEBORAH TATE (WHITE HOUSE)

[01] CLINTON / GREECE (L) BY DEBORAH TATE (WHITE HOUSE)

INTRO: PRESIDENT CLINTON HAS RENEWED HIS APPEAL TO GREECE AND TURKEY TO RESOLVE THEIR DIFFERENCES PEACEFULLY. AT A NEWS CONFERENCE AFTER TALKS WITH GREEK PRESIDENT CONSTANTINOS STEPHANOPOULOS, MR. CLINTON SAID IMPROVED RELATIONS BETWEEN THE TWO NATO ALLIES WOULD BENEFIT THE REGION IN SIGNIFICANT WAYS. V-O-A WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT DEBORAH TATE REPORTS.

TEXT: AFTER MEETING WITH GREEK PRESIDENT STEPHANOPOULOS, PRESIDENT CLINTON SAID HE REMAINS DEEPLY CONCERNED BY RECENT TENSIONS BETWEEN GREECE AND TURKEY OVER AN ISLET IN THE AEGEAN SEA.

U-S MEDIATION IN THE DISPUTE NARROWLY AVERTED HOSTILITIES BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES EARLIER THIS YEAR.

BUT PRESIDENT STEPHANOPOULOS THURSDAY SPOKE OF RENEWED TURKISH THREATS AGAINST GREECE. HE SPOKE THROUGH A TRANSLATOR.

THERE ARE THREATS OF WAR AGAINST GREECE. I HOPE THESE THREATS WILL BE WITHDRAWN SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE. BUT IF THEY ARE NOT WITHDRAWN, ESPECIALLY IF THESE THREATS MATERIALIZE, GREECE HAS THE POSSIBILITY OF DEFENDING ITSELF VERY EFFECTIVELY.

MR. CLINTON URGED THAT DISPUTES BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES BE RESOLVED PEACEFULLY. IT IS AN APPEAL, HE NOTED, THAT HE MADE TO TURKISH PRESIDENT SULEYMAN DEMIREL EARLIER THIS YEAR.

MR. CLINTON SAID IMPROVED RELATIONS BETWEEN THE TWO NATO PARTNERS COULD HAVE A MAJOR IMPACT ON THE REGION.

IF TURKEY AND GREECE COULD RESOLVE THEIR DIFFERENCES, THE POTENTIAL THAT THEY HAVE OF WORKING TOGETHER TO STABILIZE THE SITUATION IN THE BALKANS, TO PROMOTE A EUROPE AT PEACE AND NOT TORN ASUNDER BY ETHNIC AND RELIGIOUS CONFLICTS, TO BUILD A BETTER FUTURE FOR ALL OF US -- IS STAGGERING.

MR. STEPHANOPOULOS CALLED ON TURKEY TO RESOLVE ITS DIFFERENCES WITH GREECE AT THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE IN THE HAGUE. IT IS A POSITION THE UNITED STATES SUPPORTS.

BUT TURKEY HAS CALLED FOR DIRECT TALKS WITH GREECE WITHOUT CONDITIONS -- A PROPOSAL GREECE HAS REJECTED.

MR. STEPHANOPOULOS THURSDAY REPEATED HIS COUNTRY'S OPPOSITION TO SUCH TALKS, SAYING THEY WOULD HAVE NO CHANCE OF SUCCESS.

PRESIDENT CLINTON PLEDGED THAT THE UNITED STATES WOULD CONTINUE TO WORK IN ANY WAY IT CAN TO MAKE THE AEGEAN REGION A MORE PEACEFUL PLACE. BUT IN RESPONSE TO A REPORTER'S QUESTION, HE RULED OUT THE IDEA OF A SUMMIT OF REGIONAL LEADERS TO RESOLVE GREEK-TURKISH ISSUES -- AT LEAST FOR NOW.

MR. CLINTON DID EXPRESS HOPE THAT THE UNITED STATES THIS YEAR COULD REVIVE EFFORTS TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE OF CYPRUS -- AN ISLAND IN THE MEDITERRANEAN DIVIDED INTO GREEK AND TURKISH ZONES.

LATER THURSDAY, PRESIDENT CLINTON HOSTS A STATE DINNER AT THE WHITE HOUSE IN HONOR OF PRESIDENT STEPHANOPOULOS. (SIGNED)
NEB/DAT/GKT/MMK
09-May-96 3:18 PM EDT (1918 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[02] CLINTON-STEPHANOPOULOS (S ONLY) BY DAVID BORGIDA (WHITE HOUSE)

INTRO: PRESIDENT CLINTON IS MEETING WITH VISITING GREEK PRESIDENT CONSTANTINOS STEPHANOPOULOS AT THE WHITE HOUSE AT THIS HOUR TO DISCUSS A VARIETY OF SUBJECTS, INCLUDING GREEK-TURKISH TENSION. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT DAVID BORGIDA REPORTS THE GREEK PRESIDENT RECEIVED A WARM WELCOME TO THE WHITE HOUSE DESPITE DREARY WEATHER IN THE NATION'S CAPITAL.

TEXT:

IN HIS OFFICIAL WELCOME TO PRESIDENT STEPHANOPOULOS AT A WHITE HOUSE SOUTH LAWN CEREMONY, PRESIDENT CLINTON CITED THE IMPROVING U-S GREEK BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP.

THE STRENGTHENING OF OUR RELATIONS IN RECENT YEARS HAS PAVED THE WAY TO CLOSER COOPERATION TO THE BENEFIT OF OUR OWN PEOPLE AND ALL THE WORLD.

PRESIDENT CLINTON SAID AMERICA LOOKS TO GREECE TO BE A FORCE OF PEACE AND STABILITY.

THE TWO ARE DISCUSSING GREEK-TURKISH TENSION, CYPRUS -- THE MEDITERRANEAN ISLAND DIVIDED INTO SEPARATE GREEK AND TURKISH SECTORS -- AS WELL AS THE INTERNATIONAL FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM. PRESIDENT CLINTON CONVEYED HIS CONDOLENCES TO THE GREEK PEOPLE FOR THE RECENT TERRORIST ATTACK IN CAIRO WHICH KILLED 17 GREEK CITIZENS.

AFTER THEIR MEETING, THE TWO LEADERS HOLD A JOINT NEWS CONFERENCE, AND LATER PRESIDENT CLINTON PLAYS HOST TO HIS GUEST AT A STATE DINNER. (SIGNED)
NEB/BORG/RAE
09-May-96 11:11 AM EDT (1511 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[03] STEPHANOPOULOS O'NITE (S ONLY) BY DAVID BORGIDA (WHITE HOUSE)

INTRO: PRESIDENT CLINTON MET GREEK PRESIDENT CONSTANTINOS STEPHANOPOULOS AT THE WHITE HOUSE THURSDAY AND THEN HOSTED A STATE DINNER FOR HIS GUEST. IT WAS ALL A RATHER PREDICTABLE DAY FOR THE TWO LEADERS. BOTH REAFFIRMED THE IMPORTANCE OF THE U-S GREEK BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP, AND THE NEED TO EASE GREEK-TURKISH TENSION. BUT AS V-O-A'S WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT DAVID BORGIDA REPORTS, THERE WAS ONE UNUSUAL FEATURE OF THE DAY .

TEXT: IN A STRICTLY UNSCIENTIFIC SURVEY, NO ONE AT THE WHITE HOUSE COULD RECALL THE LAST TIME A VISITING PRESIDENT OF ANOTHER COUNTRY HAD THE SAME LAST NAME AS ONE OF THE AMERICAN PRESIDENT'S MOST INFLUENTIAL AIDES.

GREEK PRESIDENT STEPHANOPOULOS AND GREEK-AMERICAN CLINTON DOMESTIC ADVISER GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS WERE IN THE WHITE HOUSE OVAL OFFICE WITH PRESIDENT CLINTON THURSDAY WHEN PRESIDENT CLINTON WAS ASKED IF THE TWO WERE RELATED.

I ASKED GEORGE THIS MORNING IF THERE WERE ANY RELATIONS BETWEEN HIMSELF AND THE PRESIDENT. HE SAID HE HAD BEEN SEARCHING FOR ONE, DESPERATELY, BUT HE HADN'T YET FOUND IT. HE WAS STILL HOPING TO FIND ONE.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS --WHOSE FATHER IS AN OFFICIAL IN THE GREEK ORTHODOX CHURCH-- MADE NO PUBLIC COMMENTS AT THE MEETING. HE HAS BEEN ONE OF THE PRESIDENT'S MOST LOYAL AND MOST VALUED STAFF AIDES, DATING BACK TO THE 1992 PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN. BUT INTERESTINGLY, HE HAD NEVER ATTENDED A STATE DINNER BEFORE, THAT IS, UNTIL THURSDAY. (SIGNED)
NEB/BORG/PT
09-May-96 4:42 PM EDT (2042 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

[04] U-S / GREECE O'NITER (S-O) BY DEBORAH TATE (WHITE HOUSE)

INTRO: PRESIDENT CLINTON MEETS WITH GREEK PRESIDENT CONSTANTINOS STEPHANOPOULOS AT THE WHITE HOUSE LATER TODAY (THURSDAY) TO DISCUSS RECENT TENSIONS BETWEEN GREECE AND TURKEY. THE TWO LEADERS WILL HOLD A NEWS CONFERENCE AFTER THEIR TALKS. V-O-A'S WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT DEBORAH TATE REPORTS.

TEXT: PRESIDENT CLINTON'S MEETING WITH GREEK PRESIDENT STEPHANOPOULOS COMES A MONTH AFTER HE MET WITH GREEK PRIME MINISTER CONSTANTINE SIMITIS AND OFFERED U-S ASSISTANCE IN RESOLVING DISPUTES BETWEEN GREECE AND TURKEY.

U-S OFFICIALS SAY IT IS AN OFFER MR. CLINTON IS EXPECTED TO RENEW ON THURSDAY.

TENSIONS BETWEEN THE TWO NATO ALLIES HAVE BEEN A SOURCE OF CONCERN FOR THE CLINTON ADMINISTRATION.

EARLIER THIS YEAR, U-S MEDIATION HELPED AVERT HOSTILITIES BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES DURING A DISPUTE OVER AN ISLET IN THE AEGEAN SEA.

OFFICIALS SAY MR. CLINTON AND MR. STEPHANOPOULOS ARE ALSO EXPECTED TO DISCUSS THE SITUATION REGARDING CYPRUS, AN ISLAND IN THE MEDITERRANEAN DIVIDED INTO GREEK AND TURKISH ZONES.

OTHER ISSUES ON THE AGENDA INCLUDE BILATERAL ECONOMIC TIES, INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS TO CRACKDOWN ON TERRORISM, AND THE NATO PEACEKEEPING MISSION IN BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA. (SIGNED)
NEB / DAT / BD/PT
08-May-96 9:18 PM EDT (0118 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America

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