From: tzarros@ccs.carleton.ca (Theodore Zarros) Subject: News (in ENGLISH)- Sat, 4 Jun 1994 (Greek Press Office BBS, Ottawa). Athens News Agency Bulletin, Papoulias Moscow talks: Identity of views on all issues ------------------------------------------------------- Athens, June 4, (ANA): Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou's visit to Moscow in autumn will add a "crowning touch" to further development of Greek-Russian relations, Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias said yesterday. Speaking to reporters on his return from a three-day official visit to Moscow, Mr. Papoulias said both sides viewed prospects for development of bilateral relations as "hopeful." He said there had been identity of views on all issues discussed, both in talks with his Russian counterpart Andrei Kozyrev and with President Boris Yeltsin. Mr. Yeltsin assured Mr. Papoulias that if everything was ready for the signing of a co-operation accord between Russia and the European Union, he would visit Corfu at the time of the EU summit meeting. Mr. Papoulias said that the problem of former Yugoslavia had been discussed, adding that at the next round of peace talks in Geneva, "the positions of Greece and Russia will facilitate the course towards peace and a settlement of the problem." According to an ANA dispatch from Moscow, responding to a question on the fate of the Greek-Russian initiative on the Bosnian crisis, Mr. Papoulias said he had discussed the issue at length with Mr. Kozyrev and Mr. Yeltsin. Before leaving Moscow, Mr. Papoulias told ANA a "more sophisticated" Greek-Russian initiative would be presented at another Geneva-type of meeting. He added Greece and Russia held identical positions on the question, but they had to work on better ways of expressing them. Turning to other issues, Mr. Papoulias stressed great response had been shown by his Russian counterpart and Patriarch Alexios to issues such as the ethnic Greek minority in Albania and Christian Orthodox living in Albania, as well as the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Istanbul. He told the press that another issue pushed ahead included the natural gas and petroleum pipe-line projects. Mr. Papoulias also said the Greek Merchant Marine Ministry as well as Greek shipowners should also move toward implementing Russian-Greek agreements on shipping co-operation. "Relations with Russia are constantly improving," Mr. Papoulias said, adding: "I believe Greek enterprises realise the potential of this vast country." According to sources, Mr. Papoulias' meeting with Mr. Yeltsin was deemed successful, especially as the Russian President is known for not being particularly accessible to visiting foreign ministers. Greece wants EU Cyprus accession talks commitment -------------------------------------------------- Athens, June 4, (ANA): Greece hinted yesterday that it might block European Union enlargement procedures if the Community failed to undertake a clear commitment on the commencement of negotiations with Cyprus for the island-republic's accession. "The Greek presidency is of the opinion that the commitment undertaken by the Community to study the Cyprus dossier in order to proceed towards enlargement should constitute an element of Community developments as a whole," Alternate Foreign Minister Theodore Pangalos told reporters. "That is, not only will there not be any further enlargement if procedures for Cyprus' accession do not commence and are concluded, but it might also be difficult for other Community developments to proceed, if those things which we have committed ourselves to doing are not done," Mr. Pangalos added. "Of course," he said, "we understand that there should be balanced progress forwards. We have an intergovernmental meeting coming up. A reasonable position would be for negotiations to commence in the first half of 1995, and be concluded after the close of the intergovernmental meeting, particularly with regard to institutional aspects of Cyprus accession." Mr. Pangalos told questioners the EU-appointed observer at UN-brokered Cyprus peace talks, Serge Abou, would submit a report on developments in the Cyprus problem to the Council of Ministers on June 13. "Perhaps then there will be a discussion as to whether or not the issue will be raised at the Corfu summit," Mr. Pangalos said. Cyprus has remained divided since Turkish troops invaded and occupied the northern third of the island in 1974. "The aggressor, the invader, the party which has committed the wrong, the international criminal, must not be vindicated and the victim further punished," Mr. Pangalos said. "Membership (in the EU)," he added, "will be extended to the sole internationally recognised Republic of Cyprus. It will cover all issues and Cyprus will be an equal partner in the Union with regard to all matters." PM reviews all issues, no FYROM recognition if 'Macedonia' used ---------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, June 4, (ANA): Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou yesterday told ET-1 TV that Greece will not recognise the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) if the republic's name includes the term "Macedonia." Mr. Papandreou also said Greece would lift the embargo only after Skopje removes the Star of Vergina from its flag and alters the preamble to its Constitution which implies territorial claims against Greece's northern region of Macedonia. He said he hoped for a solution to problems with Skopje before the neighbouring republic's elections next November, adding the UN Secretary-General's report was positive, encouraging continuation of talks with the UN's mediator Cyrus Vance and US President Bill Clinton's special assistant on Skopje, Matthew Nimetz. Referring to recent provocations by Albania, Skopje and Turkey, the Prime Minister said it could not be claimed that they had joined in causing problems systematically, but there were signs of common co-operation and understanding among them, judging by the example of Albania. "We want peace and an open-door policy with Albania," he said, "but the Greek minority's human rights should be respected absolutely. It is clear that (Albanian President Sali) Berisha provokes a much more powerful country, like Greece, which has both political and diplomatic means to make its presence felt." Mr. Papandreou acknowledged tension between the two countries seemed to have eased, although he called such calm "temporary." He said Greece's biggest foreign policy problem at the moment were its relations with Turkey. The Skopje and Albania problems do not threaten Greece militarily, he added. Referring to reports that the United States wished a Greek-Turkish dialogue, the Prime Minister said that Greece was not prepared to enter into dialogue on Turkish claims against Greece. Mr. Papandreou also said results of the European Union common foreign policy and European solidarity "are not good." The European Union's Balkan policy was responsible for the current tragedy in former Yugoslavia, he said. "And this is not the only example," he added. "Each member-state fights for its own interests, trying to establish its own zones of influence," he said, "and thus bringing a small country like Greece to a difficult position by referring it before the European Court. "We were offered no sense of solidarity by our partners," the Premier stressed. He added Greece turned to Europe for solidarity while also seeking excellent relations with the USA, the only superpower in the world. Mr. Papandreou also said Mr. Ghali's remarks in his report on the Cyprus issue had been positive, having so openly pinned blame for the first time where it belonged: on Turkish-Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash and Turkey. However, it was necessary to see which way the next step would be. Mr. Papandreou repeated that after the Corfu Summit, there would be a reshuffle, but it would be selective, not sweeping. Ghali Skopje report 'brief, formal, descriptive' ----------------------------------------------- Athens, June 4, (ANA): The government yesterday described the report of UN Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali on the issue of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) as "brief, formal and descriptive". Government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said that the report set out the problem and refers to the initiative of UN mediator Cyrus Vance. The fact that the report states that Mr. Vance's initiative should continue is important, Mr. Venizelos said, adding that reference to Greece's measures against Skopje was made "in passing and does not reflect the substance of the issue". Meanwhile, speaking to reporters on his return from Moscow, Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias declined to comment on the contents of the report. Mr. Papoulias said that he would have talks with Mr. Vance on the Skopje issue in New York next week. Replying to questions on the arrival here next week of US President Bill Clinton's special envoy on the issue of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Mr. Papoulias said he was "not certain that Matthew Nimetz will be bringing anything new to Athens at the present time". He said that Mr. Nimetz was making efforts by having talks and "sounding out" both sides. Athens insists that the former Yugoslav republic change its name and flag, and amend the preamble of its Constitution, saying they imply territorial designs against Greece's northern province of Macedonia. Greece appalled : Turks torture Kurd to say given terrorist training ----------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, June 4, (ANA): Greece yesterday accused Ankara of waging "a campaign of slander using unsubstantiated accusations", following revelations by a Kurd imprisoned in Turkey. In an interview with SKY television, the Kurd said that he had been tortured in prison to falsely claim he had received terrorist training in Greece. Government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos charged Turkey with systematically trying to export its domestic problems, adding that Greece would not contribute to the creation of tension. He called on Turkey to act likewise and rejected Turkish accusations that Greece was allowing its territory to be used by members of the Kurdish Workers Party (PKK) for training purposes. Greece, he reiterated, was completely open and accessible to mass media "unlike other countries". "We are appalled to ascertain that prisoners are brutally treated as a means of forcing them to make confessions for the purpose of unacceptable propaganda," the spokesman said. Albanian TV claims Greek press counsellor spreads falsehoods ------------------------------------------------------------ Tirana, June 4, (ANA - M. Vichou): Tirana state television accused Greek Embassy press counsellor Christos Failadis of spreading disinformation, in a commentary Thursday night. The commentator accused the Greek media of disinformation in referring to "the alleged arrests of dozens of ethnic Greeks", adding that "the Greek government fosters propaganda of this kind for internal electoral reasons." Referring to Mr. Failadis, the commentator said "he widely circulates press releases bearing the Greek Embassy seal. It appears that his holiness Failadis has assumed responsibilities of a news agency to not only disinform Athens but international organisations as well." "Mr. Failadis is not interested in statements by official Albanian authorities which are accurate and substantiated, stating the number of those arrested as being six and charged with violating the laws of the Albanian state," the commentator said. "Spreading false information is incompatible with the status of a diplomat and runs counter to international rules on diplomatic relations between states," he added. "Be as it may, the mist of false information will disperse one day and the signature of Mr. Failadis and the seal of the Greek Embassy will be exposed as being abusive. In this case, all we can say is: May God forgive them: those who want to sow hostility among neighbouring peoples, including the two most ancient peoples in the Balkans, Albanians and Greeks," the commentator said. Referring to the commentary, analysts in Tirana said: "the pluralism of information from the Greek Embassy's press office proves irksome to Albanian TV commentators who seem to lack elementary logic. Greece cannot endorse Albanian oppression of Greek ethnics-Papoulias ----------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, June 4 (ANA): " Greece said yesterday it could not act as an "accomplice" to Albania's violation of human rights of the ethnic Greek minority in the neighbouring country. Asked by reporters on his return from Moscow talks if Greece intended to again veto European Union aid to Albania, Mr. Papoulias replied: "Veto is not part of Greek-Albanian relations. But Greece has an obligation, as a European Union member, to make it clear to Albania it cannot violate the human rights of the Greek minority whenever and in whatever manner it pleases, while concurrently seeking closer relations with Europe and seeking Greek help for such relations. Tirana must come round to understanding this." Meanwhile, government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said US Assistant Secretary of State for Europe Steve Oxman's recent statement might be considered as positive "in the sense that it was an improvement on an earlier statement by State Department spokesman Mike McCurry". Mr. McCurry had said that there was no sufficient evidence to support the view that the rights of the Greek minority in Albania were being violated. Mr. Venizelos told questioners the climate of tension and insecurity being cultivated by Tirana violated the human rights of the Greek minority in Albania. Pangalos, EU Social Affairs Commissioner prepare issues for Corfu summit --------------------------------------------------------- Athens, June 4, (ANA): A meeting between Alternate Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos and Social Affairs Commissioner Padraig Flynn discussed yesterday in Athens a spate of social issues to be discussed at the Corfu European Union summit on June 24-25. Describing the meeting as "very constructive", Mr. Pangalos said it mainly focused on tactics to be pursued at the Summit by the Social Affairs Council. " Mr. Flynn promotes the issue of social protection of the work force, an issue which greatly interests the Greek government," Mr. Pangalos said. " Mr. Flynn is a very good friend to Greece," he added. Mr. Pangalos said directives concerning social issues such as equal opportunities for women, protection of youth, and trade unions were close to conclusion. " Some of these (directives), which for many years have been a nuisance to the Community, have now escaped from deadlock. We will be successful," he said. "But political pressure should be exerted, however, on other, more important issues which certain countries have difficulties in solving," Mr. Pangalos added. "It is more or less my role to contribute to the solution of such problems," he said. Mr. Flynn also held a meeting with Labour Minister Evangelos Yiannopoulos centring on labour and financial matters to be discussed at the Corfu Summit. Mr. Flynn will address the Summit and put forward a package of proposals to be included in the White and Green Papers on fighting unemployment, triggering growth and improving competitiveness. Mr. Yiannopoulos expressed satisfaction at the meeting. Mr. Flynn stressed there had been excellent co-operation with Mr. Yiannopoulos and other Greek officials, noting their "determination for the success of the Corfu Summit and fight unemployment" and "goodwill in co-operating on the White Paper." KKE candidates stabbed during Thessaloniki rally ------------------------------------------------- Thessaloniki, June 4, (ANA): Three Communist Party of Greece (KKE) candidates for European Parliament elections were stabbed at a pre-election rally in Thessaloniki late last night. The attacks occurred at 10:35 p.m., shortly after KKE candidate Yiannis Theonas finished a speech to supporters. Mr. Theonas and another candidate, Vassilis Efraimidis, were on the verge of bidding their supporters farewell. An approximately 50-year-old man holding a flower bouquet in his hand climbed up from the front row of the podium. While embracing Mr. Theonas the man stabbed him in the thigh, shouting: "Bloody communists, you will die." From the back of the podium, a young man appeared, stabbing Mr. Efraimidis. In the confusion which followed, a third KKE candidate, Michalis Spyridakis, was also stabbed in the leg. The three men were carried to the hospital where they were treated. The three are out of danger. Government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos firmly condemned the attack saying that the government was determined to defend normal conditions for the campaign and guarantee the respect of democratic institutions.