From: tzarros@ccs.carleton.ca (Theodore Zarros) Subject: News (in ENGLISH)- Fri, 16 Sep 1994 (Greek Press Office BBS, Ottawa). Athens News Agency Bulletin, September 16, 1994 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * Parliament votes former PM, ex-ministers to stand trial for corruption * Papoulias: government firm on Skopje issue * Papoulias leaves for UN assembly meeting * "Macedonians, Greeks of the North" exhibition in Danish capital * Fresh Albania provocation: Tirana asks Athens reduce embassy staff Parliament votes former PM, ex-ministers to stand trial for corruption ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Athens, 16/9/1994 (ANA): Greece's 300-seat parliament late last night voted to indict former Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis and two of his ex-ministers on charges of corruption. Conservative deputies of the New Democracy party abstained from voting and walked out of the House. A total of 152 members of Parliament voted in favour of Mr. Mitsotakis' facing trial for breach off public faith in the 1992 sale of the state owned AGET Heracles cement company to Italy's Calcestruzzi cement producers. A total of 162 lawmakers voted in favour of Mr. Mitsotakis' indictment for receiving over 22 million dollars in kick backs to expedite the sale. A total 160 voted in favour of the former prime minister standing trial for dereliction of duty, and a total of 159 voted in favour of his indictment for infringing the law on ministers' responsibility. Mr. Mitsotakis is accused of receiving a $20,5 million bribe in the 1992 sale of the state AGET Herakles cement company to Italy's Calcestruzzi when he was prime minister. In a highly-tense speech before the vote, Mr. Mitsotakis said he was the victim of political vendetta by the ruling socialist party. It is the second time Parliament votes to refer the 74-year-old former premier to stand trial before a special tribunal. In June, Parliament voted for his indictment for involvement in a scheme to tap the phones of his political foes while in office. Parliament also voted to indict Andreas Andrianopoulos, a former industry minister, and Ioannis Palaiokrassas, a former finance minister, who is now a European Commissioner for the Environment, on charges of breach of faith, dereliction of duty and violating the law on ministers' responsibility. The Heracles sale had been dogged by allegations of scandal since the state-owned Greek National Bank emerged as a surprise bidder. A special investigating all-party committee which decided this month to propose to Parliament that Mr. Mitsotakis and his two ex-ministers stand trial by a special court, said that former AGET vice president Nikos Georgiadis and businessman Iraklis Mathiopoulos were accomplices in the scandal and asked for their prosecution. A 20-member Parliamentary committee, recommended that Mr. Mitsotakis should be tried on charges of breach of faith, taking bribes and morally instigating the scandal by receiving kickbacks. The scandal concerns the 1992 sale of the state-owned AGET Heracles cement company to Calcestruzzi, of the Italian Ferrucci Group, for 225 million dollars. Papoulias: government firm on Skopje issue ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Athens, 16/9/1994 (ANA): Greece yesterday said it remained firm in its positions on the Skopje issue. Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias told reporters in Thessaloniki that the Greek government maintained its firm position on the Skopje issue. He said, however, that he was anticipating developments in the issue after elections in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM). The Foreign Minister added he hoped that a solution would be found to the issue, saying that he would be meeting with UN Mediator for Skopje Cyrus Vance, after elections in FYROM which are to be held shortly. He said, however, he was cautious as to whether or not Skopje President Kiro Gligorov would be willing to make concessions. Greece imposed trade sanctions as retortion measures against FYROM last February, in an effort to fight Skopje intransigence. Greece insists that Skopje change its name, remove the ancient Greek symbols from its flag and amend its constitution which contains expansionist designs against Greece. "The issue must be settled to the benefit of the Greek interests", Mr. Papoulias said. Commenting on press reports claiming Skopje appeared willing to remove the Greek symbols from its flag, he added: "Press reports should be confirmed on the negotiations table". Papoulias leaves for UN assembly meeting ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Athens, 16/9/1994 (ANA): Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias leaves for New York on Sunday at the head of a delegation to the UN General Assembly on September 26, Foreign Ministry spokesman Costas Bikas said yesterday. On the sidelines of the Assembly sessions, Mr. Papoulias will have talks with his European Union counterparts as well as with the Foreign Ministers of non-EU countries. Mr. Bikas said that Mr. Papoulias would also have talks with the UN special envoy on the issue of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) Cyrus Vance. Meanwhile, Mr. Papoulias departed yesterday for Thessaloniki, where he will meet with Bulgaria's Regional Development Minister Christo Totev. Mr. Bikas said that the two ministers would discuss bilateral and regional issues, including the oil pipeline from the Black Sea to Greece. "Macedonians, Greeks of the North" exhibition in Danish capital ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Copenhagen, 16/9/1994 (ANA): An exhibition titled "Macedonians, the Greeks of the North and the era of Alexander the Great" was inaugurated at the Danish National Museum yesterday and was crowned with success despite heavy rain and low temperatures. The inauguration ceremony was held in the museum's lecture hall in the presence of many dignitaries and scientists. Greek parliamentarians, museum directors, archaeologists and scientists attended the ceremony. Fresh Albania provocation: Tirana asks Athens reduce embassy staff ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Athens, 16/9/1994 (ANA): In a fresh provocation yesterday Albania asked Greece to trim the number of administrative at the Greek embassy in Tirana from 11 employees to eight. ANA sources said the Foreign Ministry was assessing the Albanian move while the government was preparing reaction. Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias told reporters that no Tirana provocation would cause the government to change its position on Greek-Albanian relations. "No fresh provocation by the Berisha regime will make us divert from the lime laid down on Greek-Albanian relations", he said. "We face with determination and judgement (its new provocation) and the measures we have taken are understand our message", Mr. Papoulias said. "The new provocation is a result of confusion which has overcome Mr. Berisha because of constant deterioration in the domestic situation (in Albania)", he added. Meanwhile, government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos told reporters American interest in Greek-Albanian relations was "declared and continuous", adding that Athens welcomed Washington's interest. He did not comment on the contents of U.S. President Clinton's letter to Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou, saying Mr Papandreou would send a reply letter. Stressing that release of the five ethnic Greeks sentenced to jail on espionage charges remained the hot issue for Athens, Mr. Venizelos suggested that the government would welcome a pardon by the Albanian government. Greek-Albanian relations plunged to an all-time low after a Tirana court handed down sentences of between six to eight years on five ethnic Greeks accused of spying for Greece and illegal possession of weapons. Athens has condemned the trial terming it a political fabrication aimed at intimidating its ethnic minority in South Albania, and retaliated by blocking European Union aid to Albania and beefing up land and sea border control. Greece also ruled out dialogue with Albania on the grounds of absence of good will in the neighbouring country and failure to release the five ethnic Greeks. At the same time, Athens called for international pressure on Tirana to release the five Greeks, and requested the European Union to show solidarity with Greece. Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias said Greek-Albanian relations were "critical". "The Greek government remains unswerving in its (insistence on) respect of the rights of the reporters earlier yesterday in Thessaloniki. Meanwhile, an ANA dispatch from Istanbul yesterday said Albanian President Sali Berisha had a telephone conversation with Turkish President Suleyman Demirel, during which he asked for Turkey's help in view of further tension in Greek-Albanian relations. According to ANA an announcement of the Turkish President press office said Mr. Berisha sought Turkey's guarantees in regard to Greece. Commenting on this new development, Mr. Papoulias said that if such a conversation really did take place, then it means that "the Albanian government turns to those inciting tension in Greek-Albanian relations". Asked whether or not Greek-Albanian relations would be further strained following recent developments, Mr. Papoulias said: "I don't want to believe it, but (on the other hand) we are ready to face any situation. In another development, main opposition New Democracy party leader Miltiades Evert yesterday had a meeting with the President and the Secretary General of the ethnic Greek political organisation, Omonia. Following the meeting, ND foreign affairs analyst, Christos Iacovou, told reporters talks between Mr. Evert and the Omonia officials focused on developments in Tirana. Mr. Iacovou said Mr. Evert sent a letter to the Prime Minister Wednesday on his views and proposals in the issue of Greek-Albanian relations. Meanwhile, the International Press Federation lodged a demarche with Albanian President Sali Berisha over the arrests, detention and expulsion of Greek journalists and cameramen covering the trial in Tirana or based there as foreign correspondents. In his letter to Mr. Berisha, the Federation's Secretary General, Aydan White, stressed that freedom of the press should always be respected despite tension between the governments of Greece and Albania. "Pressmen should have the right to report the facts in Albania", Mr. White wrote in his letter.