From: tzarros@ccs.carleton.ca (Theodore Zarros) Subject: News (in ENGLISH)- Sat, 26 Feb 1994 (Greek Press Office BBS, Ottawa). Athens News Agency Bulletin, PM replies to Delors letter on Skopje measures ----------------------------------------------- Brussels 26/02/94 (ANA) - European Union President Jacques Delors yesterday received a letter from Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou giving a political justification for the Athens decision last week to take a string of retortion measures on Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM). Alternate Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos had earlier briefed European Commissioner Hans Van den Broek on the contents of the letter, during a meeting to draft the agenda of the Ministers' Council debating yesterday the enlargement of the European Union. The reply to European Commission Jacques Delors' letter, sent on Tuesday, on Greece's retortion measures on FYROM, was conveyed by Foreign Under-secretary George Papandreou, who left for Brussels yesterday, the government spokesman said. Spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said Mr. Papandreou's reply "is on a strictly political level". As to the legal issues raised by Mr. Delors in his letter, the Prime Minister "refers (Delors) to a note of the Greek government, which it will submit to the European Commission". He said the two levels were "clearly distinct from each other". The retortion measures taken by the government (against Skopje) "are of a political nature, and founded on a political setting, and certain economic or customs repercussions were inevitable in practice". However, he explained, the rationale behind the measures was not commercial, economic or customs-oriented, but political. Replying to a statement by Foreign Affairs Commissioner Hans van den Broek that the Greek measures against Skopje left no room for rapprochement between the two sides Mr. Venizelos said it was the neighbouring state that was continuing with its intransigence. He said Skopje's stance "had forced Greece to take measures relating to access to the port of Thessaloniki and the closure of its consulate in Skopje". Mr. Venizelos said it was logical for Mr. van den Broek, a representative of the European Commission, to be concerned over adherence to Community legality, and conceded that Greece was focusing on the political aspect. The spokesman reiterated Greece's position on the issue, saying it was prepared to lift recent measures against Skopje provided the neighbouring state presented tangible examples of goodwill. "Greece is prepared to lift the measures against Skopje provided (President Kiro) Gligorov and his government offer tangible examples of good will towards the Greek demands and participate in dialogue under mediation by (UN special envoy) Cyrus Vance," Mr. Venizelos said. "Skopje should have acted in the spirit of international legality and not raised an issue by adopting the star of Vergina .. and a constitution fostering irredentist tendencies", he added. Commenting on statements by US Secretary of State Warren Christopher that it was not proper for Washington to pressure Skopje to bow to measures imposed by Greece, he said: "Greece enjoys the overwhelming advantage of acting as guarantor of stability and security in the region". "It is only too well-known who is actually acting as a destabilising element in the region," he added. Asked whether or not government diplomatic action on the part was required in light of Mr. Christopher's reference to FYROM as "Macedonia", the spokesman said: "The United States itself has recognised Skopje as 'FYROM' and it has held off establishing diplomatic relations (with Skopje)". Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Under-secretary George Papandreou who left yesterday for Brussels to convey Prime Minister's reply to Mr. Delors' letter, told reporters that the United States "will play some role in developments on the Skopje issue." He stressed that the effectiveness of the retortion measures taken by Athens against FYROM "cannot be assessed now, but only in the long run". Mr. Papandreou will represent Greece at the second special European Union General Affairs Council on enlargement, to be chaired in Brussels by Alternate Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos. The negotiations with the four candidate countries for EU membership - Sweden, Norway, Finland and Austria - are stated for completion before March 1. Karamanlis-Papandreou meeting soon ---------------------------------- Athens, 26/02/1994 (ANA) - President Constantine Karamanlis and Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou agreed to meet again in a few days, at yesterday's swearing-in ceremony of Finance Minister Alexandros Papadopoulos and Finance Under-secretary Nikos Kyriazidis. Mr. Papadopoulos, 44, an attorney and former Deputy Finance Minister, is a socialist MP since 1989. "My appointment implies no change in policy," Mr. Papadopoulos told the press after the ceremony. Priorities include stepping up legislative work, primarily the taxation bill, servicing the public debt which will be handled by Under-secretary Kyriazidis and improving the ministry's structure to enable it cope with modern requirements. Mr. Kyriazidis, is former Greek representative to the International Monetary Fund, and member of the Greek committee which negotiated Greece's membership to the European Community. Hungarian FM in Athens talks ---------------------------- Hungarian Deputy Foreign Minister Janos Martonyi arrived in Athens yesterday for a one-day visit to seek the government's support in his country's application to join the European Union. Mr. Martonyi had talks yesterday with Foreign Ministry Secretary General Christos Zacharakis. Mr. Martonyi left for Hungary later yesterday. Grek-German EU talks on border security, other issues ----------------------------------------------------- Athens, 26/02/1994 (ANA) - Public Order Under-secretary Costas Geitonas and Secretary General Evangelos Rongakos had talks with German Interior Under-secretary Kurt Schelter yesterday, on the security of the European Union's external borders, drug trafficking, illegal immigration, refugees and Europol. The meeting, held in the framework of the Greek EU Presidency and bilateral contacts, was also attended by other government officials. Germany will assume the EU rotating presidency in July. French Parliament Speaker in Athens ----------------------------------- Athens, 26/02/1994 (ANA) - Phillipe Seguin, president of the French Parliament is due in Athens Monday on a two-day visit, at the invitation of his Greek counterpart Apostolos Kaklamanis, government sources said yesterday. Mr. Seguin in scheduled to meet with Premier Andreas Papandreou, Mr. Kaklamanis, and party leaders. Hurd, Arsenis to confer ------------------------ Athens, 26/02/1994 (ANA) - Defence Minister Gerasimos Arsenis will meet with British Foreign Secretary Douglas Hurd on Monday. Greece voices own, EU condemnation of 'hideous crime' at Hebron ---------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 26/02/1994 (ANA) - Greece, current holder of the rotating European Union (EU) presidency, yesterday condemned the massacre of at least 52 Arabs by a Jewish settler in a Hebron mosque yesterday at dawn. "Greece strongly condemns the abominable murder of innocent people in Hebron, unsuspectingly exercising their religious duties", a Foreign Ministry statement said. A "hideous act against Palestinians should not halt the current peace process," the statement added. Government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said the "Greek government expresses its strong concern over the Hebron incident, which could halt the entire peace effort", in the region. He said the "Greek government and the Greek presidency of the EU expressed the hope that this peace effort will continue". A Coalition of the Left and Progress (SYN) party statement condemned the "mass massacre in Hebron" and called on the Israeli government to "take strict measures against al those responsible for it." The Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) later called on the Israeli government to "bring fanatic Jewish settlers to their senses" after 'the massacre of 48 Arabs in a Hebron mosque early yesterday'. In a statement, the PLO Diplomatic Representation in Athens expressed fear that the incident could torpedo Middle East peace efforts, and called on the international community to condemn and pressure Israel in accepting a multinational force to protect Palestinians in the occupied territories. Parliament sets Pontos genocide commemoration day -------------------------------------------------- Athens, 26/02/1994 (ANA) - Parliament on Thursday declared May 19th a national day in memory of the genocide of 350.000 members of Pontian Greeks by Turkey, between 1916 and 1924. The deputies also decided to produce a book collecting evidence and eyewitness accounts by diplomats serving in Pontos at the time. They also voted to establish a new town in Evros to be named Romania. Belgian Armed Forces chief in Athens military talks --------------------------------------------------- Athens, 26/02/1994 (ANA) - Chief of Belgium's Armed Forces General Staff Lieutenant General Josef Charly is due in Greece for four days of talks with his Greek counterpart Admiral Christos Lymberis and other army officials on bilateral issues, Monday. General Charly will visit the special forces training centre and the flagship, Tuesday and fly home on Thursday. Merkouri has another lung operation, recovering well ---------------------------------------------------- New York, 26/02/1994 (ANA/AFP) - Culture Minister Melina Merkouri was reported recovering well in an intensive care unit at New York's Memorial hospital yesterday, after another operation for lung cancer, the second within a week. Doctors decided to operate a second time Thursday after detecting bleeding related to an operation, earlier on in the week, to remove a small malignant tumour from her right lung. Bosnian children due in Greece today ------------------------------------- Athens, 26/02/1994 (ANA) - Five hundred and twenty children from Bosnia will arrive in Greece today to be hosted by municipalities throughout the country. Delegates of Thessaloniki Municipality will meet the children at the Eidomeni border checkpoint. They will be offered lunch at the Aristotle University student club, and attend a special event at a cinema with music and dancing and the distribution of gifts. The group will spend the night at a Thessaloniki hotel and leave for Athens by coach tomorrow. From Athens, they will divide into groups and each go to the municipality that will host them.