From: tzarros@ccs.carleton.ca (Theodore Zarros) Subject: News (in ENGLISH)- Tue, 8 Mar 1994 (Greek Press Office BBS, Ottawa). Athens News Agency Bulletin, Melina home today, nation in deep mourning ----------------------------------------- Athens, 8/3/1994 (ANA): The body of Melina Mercouri who died Sunday in New York will be flown back to Greece today. The funeral service will be held at Athens Metropolitan Cathedral. She will be accorded full prime ministerial honours. Ms. Mercouri's body is expected to arrive at 14:15 local time at Athens international airport, where the entire Cabinet and delegations from Parliament, political parties, the Church and other organisations will pay their respects. The motorcade will drive through the main thoroughfares of Athens on its way to the Cathedral chapel where Ms. Mercouri will lie in state for the public to pay final tribute until Thursday. The funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday. Burial will take place in the family vault at the Athens First Cemetery. The Transport and Communications Ministry announced yesterday its decision to issue a commemorative series of stamps in memory of Ms. Mercouri "in order to carry the message of her activities and character to Hellenism" all over the world. Meanwhile, the Culture Ministry announced that in lieu of a wreath, "Melina's friends" could deposit money into a special National Bank of Greece account for the construction of the new Acropolis Museum. The Ministry said that the Acropolis Museum was "Melina Mercouri's great dream. She yearned for its completion so that it should house the Parthenon marbles (for whose return from the British Museum) she struggled passionately all these years". EU Commission ------------- Brussels, 8/3/1994 (ANA): Meanwhile in Brussels, the European Commission expressed condolences to Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou and to Melina Mercouri's life-time companion Jules Dassin over the "loss of this great artistic and radiant political personality who has done so much for political and artistic freedom". French President Francois Mitterrand sent a message of condolences to Premier Andreas Papandreou. Socialist International President Pierre Mauroy sent a similar message to Mr. Papandreou. Also from Brussels, Coalition of the Left and Progress Eurodeputy Michalis Papayiannakis yesterday proposed that a most prestigious European Union cultural activity be named after Melina Mercouri. Mr. Papayiannakis made his proposal in writing to the European Union Foreign Ministers Council's President Theodoros Pangalos, the President of the European Parliament Egon Klepsch and the EU Commissioner responsible for cultural issues Zodo Deus. Meanwhile a conference held Sunday and Monday in Brussels, themed "Women and Europe - prospects for 2.000", decided to dedicate to Melina Mercouri a conference to be held in Thessaloniki on May, 16-17 on "Women for Europe and Europe for Women". The conference's decision was made known to the press by Education Under-secretary Maria Arseni. Clerides: Cyprus mourns Melina Mercouri --------------------------------------- Nicosia, 8/3/1994 (ANA/CNA): Hellenism was in mourning after the death of Melina Mercouri, the world-famous actress and Greek Minister of Culture, President Glafcos Clerides said in a letter to Greek Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou yesterday. Mr. Clerides expressed "deep sympathy" and condolences to Ms. Mercouri's family "on behalf of my government and the Hellenism of Cyprus, for which Mercouri felt special love, and fought for its freedom". All Greek Cypriot television stations paying tribute to Ms. Mercouri Sunday evening focused on her leading role in a 1975 women's march against Turkey's 1974 invasion and occupation of the island's northern third. Primate of Greece in hospital ------------------------------ Athens, 8/3/1994 (ANA): Archbishop of Athens Serapheim was admitted to the Athens Popular Hospital's University clinic for a check-up at noon yesterday. Mr. Serapheim has been treated for respiratory problems in the past. Medical tests are due to start today and results will be announced in two days. The Archbishop's admission was decided for further tests, after doctors failed to agree on medication to be administered. German FM congratulates Pangalos on handling of EU enlargement -------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 8/3/1994 (ANA): German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel has sent a letter to Alternate Foreign Minister Theodore Pangalos congratulating him on his handling of recent European Union enlargement negotiations. 'I would like to congratulate you and the Greek presidency for its success to date. I appreciate the multi-sided duties which weigh on your shoulders. I appreciate our close personal collaboration and hope that it will continue throughout your presidency and after it", Mr. Kinkel told Mr. Pangalos in the letter, contents of which was made public yesterday. As European affairs minister of Greece, current holder of the rotating EU presidency, Mr. Pangalos recently presided over tough negotiations that concluded in full membership terms for Finland, Sweden and Austria. Greek Eurodeputy tables 'Free Kurd deputies' motion ---------------------------------------------------- Athens, 8/3/1994 (ANA): Coalition of the Left Euro-deputy Alecos Alavanos has asked for the immediate release of seven Kurdish members of parliament from Turkish jails, in a draft resolution tabled before the European Parliament. The resolution, to be discussed next Thursday, condemns the lifting of the parliamentary immunity of the Kurdish deputies and the involvement of the Chief of the Turkish General Staff in the affair. The charges faced by the deputies concern crimes of opinion, refer to speeches made in public and are in no way connected to terrorist activities, says Mr Alavanos in his resolution. US Under-secretary to meet with PM --------------------------------- Athens, 8/3/1994 (ANA): US European Affairs Under-secretary of State Stephen Oxman is due in Athens at noon today, not yesterday as originally scheduled, according to a Foreign Ministry announcement. Mr. Oxman will arrive at 3 p.m. and hold talks with Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou at 9 p.m. Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias' meeting with Mr. Oxman has been cancelled as the Foreign Minister will be in Brussels today, to brief Greece's European Union partners on results of his Middle East tour on efforts made by the EU and the Greek government for continuing peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians. Reports say Mr. Papoulias will confer with European Commission President Jacques Delors on the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM). He will then leave for Strasbourg and then visit Geneva to meet with UN special mediator for FYROM Cyrus Vance on Thursday. Clinton to receive Iakovos, Greek Americans ------------------------------------------ Washington, 8/3/1994 (ANA/D.Dimas): Archbishop Iakovos of North and South America and a large group of prominent Greek-Americans will meet with President Clinton to discuss the Skopje issue, at the White House tomorrow. The delegation will reportedly ask the President to continue 'holding back' the establishment of diplomatic relations with the FYROM until differences with Greece acquire some negotiable form. They will insist Skopje must make certain 'good will gestures'. According to reports, the establishment of diplomatic relations between Washington and Skopje has been 'delayed' due to President Clinton's 'personal intervention'. "Mere words" not enough, concrete proof needed from Skopje ---------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 8/3/1994 (ANA): Mere statements by Skopje that it is willing to satisfy Greece's demands are not sufficient for Athens to lift its trade restrictions against the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), the government said yesterday. "Mere statements are not concrete examples (of good will)", government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos told a questioner. Mr. Venizelos added retortion measures remained in effect and were being "stringently" enforced, adding that they would be lifted as soon as Skopje provided concrete examples of good will as demanded by Athens. Greece insists that FYROM amend sections of its Constitution indicating irredentist designs, cease its hostile propaganda and stop using national Greek symbols before resuming dialogue with the neighbouring state under UN auspices. The spokesman described a statement yesterday by European Commission President Jacques Delors criticising the retortion measures, as "a very general statement referring to the solidarity between EU member states, to which Greece also attaches great importance". The Commission President, Mr. Venizelos continues, "has a general opinion about the measures against Skopje which he set out in his letter to Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou". He said that Greece had already replied to Mr. Delors' positions. Delors cautions Greece over Skopje retortion measures ----------------------------------------------------- Brussels, 8/3/1994 (ANA): "Greece will have to exercise care in regard to the measures it has taken at the expense of the small Republic of 'Macedonia', they are not acceptable, "European Commission President Jacques Delors said in an interview with "Europe 1" radio network. "Europe is founded upon family spirit that demands a mentality and a behaviour which other countries had forgotten at the beginning of the Greek Presidency. Now, it is Greece that has forgotten it, and it should therefore retract. In a family there are disagreements, but there are also things which are not done", Mr. Delors said. "Greece should be careful. For example, the measures of the embargo taken at the expense of the small Republic of 'Macedonia' are unacceptable", Mr. Delors added. Samaras reaction ---------------- Athens, 8/3/94 (ANA): Pol. A (Political Spring) party leader Antonis Samaras reacted strongly to Mr. Delors' Statement. "Mr. Delors has no right to make decisions alone. He has exceeded the limits of his role, by using owner's language in dealing with an equal partner", he said. Census call for Greek ethnics in Skopje --------------------------------------- Athens, 8/3/94 (ANA). Greek teachers yesterday urged for a census to be conducted in the Former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia, saying their were strong indications of a sizeable Greek minority in the neighbouring state. "The number of Greeks living in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia are estimated at 250,000" said Maria Pavlidou-Vassiliades, a researcher at the Centre for Greek Minority Studies. Academics attending a one-day conference in Thessaloniki, northern Greece, said the Greek minority in the neighbouring state included native Greeks, political refugees from Greece and Vlachs. They said the minority was dominated by about 150,000 Vlachs who live in the areas of Monastir, Krousovo, Doirani and Skopje, capital of the neighbouring Balkan republic. Archaeologists said recent excavations proved a strong influence of Hellenism in Upper Macedonia, which covers most of the former Yugoslav republic's current territory. Greece has been at odds with the Former Yugoslav republic for the past two years, accusing it of usurping the historically Greek name of "Macedonia" and adopting ancient Greek symbols as national emblems. Athens says the moves conceal territorial designs on Greece's northern province of Macedonia.