From: tzarros@ccs.carleton.ca () Subject: News (in ENGLISH)- Wed, 21 Sep 1994 (Greek Press Office BBS, Ottawa). Athens News Agency Bulletin, September 21, 1994 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * Papathemelis: 500 mil. dr. reward to fight terrorism * US in close touch with Greece, Tirana to ease tension * US, Greek defence ministers discuss Balkans, NATO defence * EU Cyprus observer in Athens * France, Germany ask Greece resume dialogue with FYROM * Arsenis: Greece key to solution not part of Balkan problem * Turkey, FYROM rake profits from drug trafficking * Parliament appoints 12-judge panel to try former PM * Phone tapping: prosecutor orders Gryllakis arrest * Venizelos reaffirms Greece wants good relations with Turkey * Black Sea group two-day Athens meeting * Papantoniou: 1995 salaries, wages above inflation indexation Papathemelis: 500 mil. dr. reward to fight terrorism ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Athens, 21/9/1994 (ANA): Greece said yesterday it would post a 500 million drachma reward for information that could lead to putting an end to terrorist activity in Greece, following Monday's bomb attack on a police bus which killed a senior police officer and injured ten persons. Extreme-left Revolutionary Popular Struggle (ELA) group yesterday claimed responsibility for the attack. "We hope the reward will help gather information that will lead us to the ruthless, cold blooded murderers," Public Order Minister Stelios Papathemelis said. "A package of measures against terrorism is in preparation, and includes a half billion drachma reward for information leading to the terrorists," Mr. Papathemelis told a news conference. He said a new task force would be formed to fight terrorism, while the existing anti-terrorist squad would be enforced with specialists and new equipment. Mr. Papathemelis said Greek police were in touch with European and US police forces, but refrained from commenting on whether or not foreign intelligence services would be called in by Athens to assist in anti-terrorism operations. He said, however, that Germany had agreed to provide Greece access to information on international terrorism. In an eight-page letter to the Athens daily Eleftherotypia, Revolutionary Popular Struggle (ELA) said it had bombed the bus because police were "the local agents of the CIA" -- the US Central Intelligence Agency. The terrorist group vowed policemen would be a constant target, noting it would "strike in future, without warning, forces of suppression (police ... regardless of sex or age." Monday's bomb attack wrecked a police bus when it stopped in the suburb of Perissos to pick up police and civilian personnel. Apostolos Velios, a senior police officer, was boarding the bus when the bomb was set off by remote control. He died of his wounds in hospital shortly afterwards. Another police officer lost his left eye. The message from ELA, which appeared in the 70's with bomb attacks on foreign businesses, also claimed responsibility for letter bomb attacks earlier this year against the German Goethe Institute, the French Institute, the European Union offices and the Belgian embassy. US in close touch with Greece, Tirana to ease tension ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Washington, 21/9/1994 (ANA-D. Dimas): Washington yesterday said it kept close touch with the governments of Greece and Albania in an effort to ease tension between the two Balkan neighbours. "We remain in direct contact with the leaders of Albania and Greece," a high-ranking US official said yesterday, voicing concern over growing tension in the relations between Greece and Albania. "(The situation) could become dangerous but we want to help resolve it," Assistant Under-Secretary for European Affairs R. Halbrook (phonetic spelling) told the House Sub-Committee on European Affairs. The US official said US policy on the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) remained unchanged, and the Clinton Administration would not proceed to the establishment of full diplomatic relations with FYROM before Greece and its neighbours resolved their differences. Handling the Skopje issue "requires great attention and close deliberations with our NATO allies in Athens." US, Greek defence ministers discuss Balkans, NATO defence ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Washington, 21/9/1994 (ANA-D. Dimas): Developments in the Balkans and the upcoming meeting of NATO defence ministers in Seville were discussed at a meeting between National Defence Minister Gerasimos Arsenis and his US counterpart William Perry yesterday morning. "Mr. Perry will prepare a proposal on Nato's future and I will make a proposal on 'Partnership for peace' in south-eastern Europe, which primarily concerns the Balkans," Mr. Arsenis said. "We discussed ideas which could be examined by defence ministers in Seville," he added. Asked whether or not Greek-Albanian relations had been discussed together with a past proposal for joint exercises between the US, Greece and Albania, Mr. Arsenis said "we also discussed the issue of joint exercises in the Balkans in general, but not specifically with Albania. We discussed Greek-Albanian relations, of course. For my part I tried to make Greek positions understood, and I believe I am satisfied that Mr. Perry has understood Greek positions." "What I can say is that the American side has understood that relations between Greece and Albania cannot improve unless the attitude of the Berisha regime toward Greece changes," Mr. Arsenis said, replying to a question on whether or not pressure was being exerted by the US on the question of the trial (of ethnic Greeks in Albania). "We discussed all Balkan issues, not just the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM)," Mr. Arsenis added. Asked to comment on whether or not he had noticed concern over the issue of Greece's extending its territorial waters from six to 12 miles and eventual tension with Turkey, Mr. Arsenis said "talks included issues concerning security in the region, including Greek-Turkish relations. I had the opportunity to state Greek views on those issues." Mr. Arsenis also said that his American counterpart invited him to pay an official visit to the US early next year. EU Cyprus observer in Athens ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Brussels, 21/9/1994 (ANA-G. Daratos-M. Savvas): European Union observer for the Cyprus problem Serge Abou will visit Cyprus early October, it was announced yesterday. Before going to Cyprus Mr. Abou will visit Greece for three days of talks with Foreign Under-Secretary Yiannos Kranidiotis and other officials. He is scheduled to arrive in Greece on October 6. Mr. Abou's visit to Cyprus will be held as part of contacts in view of a new report on a solution to the Cyprus problem. Well informed sources yesterday said the Community observer will compile and submit his report before expiry of the current European Commission mandate in December. Mr. Abou's report will provide one of the basic texts for a review of a Cyprus EU accession on January 1995 by the European Union. Meanwhile, President of the Cyprus Parliament Alexis Galanos arrives today in Brussels on a two-day visit to the European Parliament. Mr. Galanos will meet with Greek Eurodeputies as well as leaders of political groups to co-ordinate efforts for the promotion of the Cypriot application for a EU accession. Mr. Galanos' visit coincides with procedures for the establishment of a new European Union-Cyprus Mixed Parliamentary Committee. Greek Foreign Under-Secretary Yiannos Kranidiotis discussed the issue of a Cyprus accession to the European Union during talks in Luxembourg, last week, with Prime Minister Jacques Santer. Mr. Santer will succeed European Commissioner Jacques Delors who will retire his post at the end of the year. France, Germany ask Greece resume dialogue with FYROM ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Paris, 21/9/1994 (ANA-O. Tsipira): France and Germany yesterday called on Greece to resume dialogue with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), in a joint bid aimed at mediating the dispute between the two neighbours. German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel told the press yesterday that he and French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe had written Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias requesting his return to the negotiations table for a new round of talks with FYROM, after October elections in the neighbouring state. Mr. Kinkel was speaking at a joint press conference with Mr. Juppe on the common policy followed by the two countries in Central and Eastern Europe. The Franco-German initiative was agreed on between Mr. Kinkel and Mr. Juppe on the sidelines of an informal foreign ministers meeting in Germany earlier this month. Commenting on the latest tension between Greece and its northern neighbours, Mr. Kinkel said everyone (in the EU) was preoccupied "with growing tension (between Greece) FYROM and Albania" and wanted a quick solution to "such phenomena." Mr. Kinkel said the Franco-German initiative was an effort in that respect. Greece insists that FYROM remove the term Macedonia from its name, eliminate the ancient Greek symbols from its flag and change the preamble of its constitution containing expansionist designs against Greece's northern province of the same name. The Greek government last February imposed trade sanctions as retortion measures against FYROM in a bid to fight Skopje intransigence. Arsenis: Greece key to solution not part of Balkan problem ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Washington, 21/9/1994 (ANA-D. Dimas): Greece is not a part of the Balkan problem but the key to its solution, National Defence Minister Gerasimos Arsenis said yesterday in an address to Georgetown University's Centre of German and European Studies on the issue of "The Balkans in our era". "Greece does not constitute part of the problem, but, instead, the key to a solution of the problem (in the Balkans) and can play an important role by becoming the focal point of economic and social development in the region, including military co-operation in the framework of Nato's programme 'Partnership for peace'," Mr. Arsenis said. "What usually happens, is an error in equating Greece with the other countries in the region", Mr. Arsenis said, adding that Greece was a partner of the West in an effort aimed at the recovery of the former eastern countries which, however, should show adherence to democratic principles. The Balkan problem "is a European issue with international dimensions", he said, adding that this was also apparent by US involvement -apart from European powers- with a geopolitical dimension. "However, neither German nor US Balkan policy is clear," Mr. Arsenis said, adding that what is necessary "is a co-ordinated policy coupled with long-term strategy." "The big powers should avoid the temptation of creating spheres of influence, because this puts up countries in the region against each other and leads to destabilising conditions," Mr. Arsenis said. Replying to a question on the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Mr. Arsenis said "Greece is the only country interested (in the region) in the survival of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, but this country should abide by certain rules." Referring to Albania, Mr. Arsenis said "the human rights of the (ethnic) minority should be respected" and that "one cannot expect the (Albanian President Sali) Berisha regime to constitute a constructive and stabilising power in the region." "A peaceful solution to the Balkan problem during the present transitional period entails endorsement of four basic policy lines in elaborating international policy: existing borders should not be changed, solutions should be found through political negotiations instead of military force, solutions should be acceptable to the countries involved and, finally, there should be strict adherence to democratic rules and human rights, and leaders choosing to govern differently should be ruled out as partners, " Mr. Arsenis said. Mr. Arsenis also indicated that peace in the Balkans greatly depended on "creating a powerful regional market including Albania, the new countries in former Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Romania and Greece." "Greece is going ahead with the economic and commercial unification of this market and the promotion of NATO initiative for 'Partnership for peace in south-eastern Europe'," Mr. Arsenis said. Turkey, FYROM rake profits from drug trafficking ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Athens, 21/9/1994 (ANA): Public Order Under-Secretary Sifis Valyrakis said yesterday Turkey and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) were countries profiting from drug trafficking. Mr. Valyrakis was replying to a question by main opposition New Democracy party Deputy George Sourlas. Mr. Sourlas had said there were signs of countries profiting from drug trafficking, noting that whereas a drug trafficker could be dealt with, it was difficult to confront a state. Mr. Valyrakis said the police were trying their best to maintain border control, but owing to its geographic position, Greece stood inescapably at the cross-roads of large-scale drug trafficking.. Mr. Sourlas cited reports that two heroin factories were operating in FYROM and their output was channelled to Greece and other countries. He requested authorities to take action on the matter. Mr. Valyrakis revealed 153 kg of hashish, 33 kg of heroin and 8.5 kg of cocaine had been confiscated to date. Parliament appoints 12-judge panel to try former PM ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Athens, 21/9/1994 (ANA): Parliament yesterday appointed a 12-member special panel of judges to try former prime minister Constantine Mitsotakis and two of his ministers over alleged kickbacks in the sale of a state cement company to an Italian firm. Also on trial are two Greek businessmen, Nikos Georgiadis and Iraklis Mathiopoulos. The names of the judges, as well as six alternate members, who were selected at random, would be submitted to Vassilis Kokkinos, president of Greece's supreme court (Areios Paghos), by Parliament president Apostolos Kaklamanis, together with the names of the parliamentarians who will act as prosecutors in the case. Mr. Kokkinos was the presiding judge in a special court set up by Parliament in 1989 that tried and acquitted current Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou on embezzlement charges. The five are being tried following a recommendation by a 20-member parliamentary committee endorsed by the 300-member House on September 15. 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. Mr. Mitsotakis, 75, who is accused of receiving a 20.5 million dollar bribe, has denied all charges. The other two former cabinet members charged are former industry minister Andreas Andrianopoulos and former finance minister Ioannis Paleokrassas, Greece's current European Commissioner on the environment. The two men, according to the committee report, are charged with breach of faith. Mr. Kokkinos, parliament sources explained, will have to appoint a special investigating magistrate from among the members of the Special Court to carry out an inquiry before the trial. Phone tapping: prosecutor orders Gryllakis arrest ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Athens, 21/9/1994 (ANA): A Greek state prosecutor ordered the arrest of a retired general yesterday after he failed to testify in a wiretapping scandal in which former prime minister Constantine Mitsotakis has been charged. General Nikos Gryllakis, charged last year with instigating a plot to tap the phones of dozens of politicians from 1988 to 1991, has gone into hiding since June, and has said in telephone interviews that he fears for his life if he appears in public. General Gryllakis, who served as Mr. Mitsotakis's security chief, was also charged with forging papers and documents to help in the illegal wiretapping. He faces up to 30 years in jail, if convicted. Parliament, in which the Socialist PASOK party holds a clear majority, voted in June to put Mr. Mitsotakis on trial in connection with the wiretapping case. Venizelos reaffirms Greece wants good relations with Turkey ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Athens, 21/9/1994 (ANA): Government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos reiterated yesterday Greece wished improvement in Greek-Turkish relations, and accused the Turkish side of trying to create an artificial climate of tension between the two countries. "Greece wishes improvement in Greek-Turkish relations, but such an improvement could not mean dialogue on unilateral Turkish demands," Mr. Venizelos told reporters at the airport on his return from Cyprus, after concluding a four-day visit to the island-republic. Referring to Sunday's incident in which five Turkish trawlers had been forced back with warning shots after entering Greek territorial waters and Ankara's reaction , Mr. Venizelos said Turkey was "trying to create an artificial climate of tension." Black Sea group two-day Athens meeting ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Athens, 21/9/1994 (ANA): Members of the Black Sea Economic Co-operation (BSCE) group will hold a two-day meeting in Athens beginning today. Greece currently holds the rotating presidency of BSCE. The meeting will take place with the participation of the International Secretariat of the BSCE country-members as well as delegations from Albania, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Moldavia, Romania, Russia, Turkey and Ukraine, and delegations from countries and organisations participating in the BSCE as observers. Observers to the meeting are Poland, Tunisia, Slovenia, Israel, Egypt, the BSCE Business Council and the Black Sea International Club. On the sidelines of the Athens meeting, the Moldavian Economy Under-Secretary will sign the BSCE Trade and Development Bank foundation agreement. The Bank will be based in Thessaloniki. The agreement has been signed so far by Greece, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Turkey and Georgia. Papantoniou: 1995 salaries, wages above inflation indexation ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Athens, 21/9/1994 (ANA): Salary increases above the inflation rate will be given in 1995, National Economy Minister Yannos Papantoniou said yesterday. He was replying to questions prompted by Monday's approval of the Greek economy's Convergence Plan by the European Union's Council of Economy and Finance Ministers (ECOFIN) in Brussels. Mr. Papantoniou said no additional measures would be taken by the government, adding that the targets for 1995 included containing inflation at 7 per cent by the end of that year, with salary and pension increases above the inflation rate. This year, he added, the public sector deficit would be contained at 12.5 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and at 10.1 per cent in 1995. Mr. Papantoniou denied reports that the Convergence Plan had been approved "subject to conditions", adding that what applied to other EU member-states would also apply to Greece. He said that international organisations, including the International Monetary Fund, which had been pressing the government to adopt additional measures had been convinced that such measures were no longer necessary. "The (ECOFIN) Council stressed the importance of establishing a budget for 1995 which fully conforms to the objectives and targets of the Convergence Plan, and to do so whatever the out-turn for the 1994 budget," a final communique distributed to the press after the meeting said. Greek growth forecasts set in the revised 1994-99 convergence programme were "realistic", the conclusions said. Industry and Trade Minister Costas Simitis told reporters in Athens yesterday that "the Convergence Plan of the Greek economy with the remaining European Union economies must be consistently and firmly implemented.