From: tzarros@ccs.carleton.ca (Theodore Zarros) Subject: News (in ENGLISH)- Mon, 7 Nov 1994 (Greek Press Office BBS, Ottawa). Athens News Agency Bulletin, November 7, 1994 --------------------------------------------- * Albanian referendum: Venizelos reminds Tirana of obligations to world community * Good relations still Athens' aim * Caputo calls for release of imprisoned ethnic Greeks * Arsenis cautions Turkey: "No one will tell Greece when or how to extend waters" * Belgium defence minister, delegation in Athens talks * Orthodox Archbishop of America pledges full backing over Anastasios issue * Culture Minister writes UK envoy about alleged damage to Acropolis marbles * New AGET owners donate Acropolis museum cement * Cholera: All raw, shell fish imports from Albania halted Albanian referendum: Venizelos reminds Tirana of obligations to world community --------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 07/11/1994 (ANA): Albanian voters went to the polls yesterday to vote in an unprecedented referendum on a new draft constitution to replace the old communist model in force since 1976, amidst immense criticism by a number of opposition parties which said it gave too much power to President Sali Berisha. The 300,000 members of the ethnic Greek Community in Albania rejected the referendum in protest against Article 7 which threatens the position of Archbishop Anastasios of the Orthodox Church of Albania. Anastasios, a Greek national appointed by the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, faces a threat of being forced out of his diocese by Article 7 of the draft constitution, which stipulates heads of religious communities should be Albanian citizens and have lived in the country for at least 20 years. Anastasios will be forced out, if the referendum ends with a "yes" vote, Albanian officials told the French News Agency AFP yesterday. "There is no ambiguity, or possible discussion. If the constitution is adopted, he (Anastasios) will have to go," said Edouard Selami, president of the ruling Democratic party. Anastasios told reporters the offending draft article was "absurd and contradictory." "The article provides for religious freedom and, at the same time, imposes on a community criteria regarding the choice of their leaders. It is not a question of the person, but of religious freedoms which are at stake," he was quoted by AFP as telling the press. "It is sad to find that this constitution is, regarding religious freedom, less liberal than that of ... the first communist constitution of 1946," Anastasios said. Anastasios' departure will further sour already frosty relations between Greece and Albania over the rights of the ethnic Greek minority in Albania. Athens has repeatedly called on Tirana to allow ethnic Greeks living in the southern parts of the country to carry out their religious activities without hindrance. In Athens, government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos declared that "respect of human rights and religious freedoms" was "Albania's obligation toward the international community." "Albanian authorities should soon realise that they cannot sacrifice their country's international obligations or the prospects of Greek-Albanian relations for the sake of domestic expediency," Mr. Venizelos said. "They should also bear in mind there are certain issues and moves which the international community considers extremely provocative," the spokesman added. Article 7 of the draft constitution also prompted stern reaction from opposition parties in Greece. In a letter to Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou yesterday, main opposition New Democracy party leader Miltiades Evert asked for the imposition of specific measures against Albania. Noting all problems and dangers emanating from Tirana's foreign policy in its relations with Greece, Mr. Evert criticised the government for following a policy which lagged behind events in Greek-Albanian relations. Addressing his party central committee, Coalition of the Left and Progress president Nikos Constantopoulos said the Berisha regime persisted in its policy of provocation. Referring to Article 7 in Albania's draft constitution, Mr. Constantopoulos said it violated the rights of the ethnic Greek minority and pursued the persecution of Archbishop Anastasios. A Political Spring (Pol.An) party statement yesterday said "the Greek government must call upon international organisations and the European Union to make it clear that even if the referendum should end in a yes vote, forcing Archbishop Anastasios out of his diocese would not be tolerated by the international community." Good relations still Athens' aim -------------------------------- Athens, 07/11/1994 (ANA): Meanwhile on Saturday, the government spokesman said that Greece would welcome any action that would improve strained Greek-Albanian relations reiterating its willingness to resume a dialogue with Tirana. "Greece welcomes any action that will improve Greek-Albanian relations and, naturally, favours resuming dialogue with Tirana," Mr. Venizelos said at his regular press briefing in Thessaloniki. Asked to comment on possible developments in Greek-Albanian relations after the referendum, Mr. Venizelos replied: "Matters of religious freedom concern all religious communities and, consequently, the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania." He said Greece, as a neighbouring country "is interested in any matter concerning the Orthodox Church in Albania to such extent as the church provides religious services responding to the needs of Greeks in Albania who, apart from being an ethnic minority, also form a religious group." Reports from Tirana said that the Albanian regime was planning to replace Archbishop Anastasios with an Albanian national. Caputo calls for release of imprisoned ethnic Greeks ---------------------------------------------------- Athens, 07/11/1994 (ANA): Italian Foreign Under-Secretary Livio Caputo Saturday called for easing tension between Greece and Albania, noting release of five ethnic Greeks jailed by the Tirana regime would be a step forward in defusing the crisis in relations between the two neighbouring countries. "We should all act to defuse this tension and, naturally, the release - in one way or another - of the five (ethnic) Greeks would be a step towards restoring smooth relations (between the two countries)," Mr. Caputo said Saturday, after talks with his Greek counterpart in charge of European Affairs Yiannos Kranidiotis. The five ethnic Greeks were convicted and sentenced to prison terms ranging from six to eight years, on espionage and illegal arms possession charges. An appeals court slightly reduced the sentences. In an interview with an English-language Turkish daily recently, Albanian President Sali Berisha admitted that "proper procedures were not followed in the trial," adding that such procedures "do not rank among the best in Albania, and should be improved." Mr. Berisha did not rule out the possibility of amnesty to the five men, adding this was a "privilege of the Albanian parliament." Mr. Caputo and Mr. Kranidiotis held talks on the sidelines of a two-day visit here of Italian President Oscar Luigi Scalfaro, the first by an Italian head of state in 14 years. Mr. Kranidiotis said that the talks had also focused on bilateral relations, the crisis in the Balkans, the Cyprus problem and Greek-Turkish relations, as well as a wide range of European issues in light of the European Council summit in Essen, Germany, next month. Asked to comment on strained relations between Athens and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Mr. Caputo said his country supported mediation efforts by UN special envoy Cyrus Vance "and we hope they will be successful." He said the problem had not been included in the talks with Mr. Kranidiotis, but noted the issue was also part of a "mediation effort by France and Germany." Arsenis cautions Turkey: "No one will tell Greece when or how to extend waters" ---------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 07/11/1994 (ANA): National Defence Minister Gerasimos Arsenis has reiterated Greece has the right to extend its territorial waters to 12 miles, cautioning nobody could tell Athens when or how that should be done. Speaking at the end of a large-scale exercise code-named "Parmenion" near Lesvos island, opposite the Turkish coast, the National Defence Minister said: "Extension of our territorial waters to 12 miles is a right of both the Greek nation and the Greek people. No one can indicate (to Greece) where, how or when this option should be exercised." Mr. Arsenis added it was the "responsibility of the armed forces to support such options, and "Parmenion" confirmed they could effectively provide such support. He noted the nation "today is facing manifest dangers", reiterating that Greece "is a peace-loving country that wishes to live in peace and co-operation with its neighbours." The National Defence Minister cautioned the message beamed by "Parmenion" was that Greece "will not accept insults to its national dignity", adding Greek armed forces "stand ready to fully carry out their duty and effectively parry any move." Belgium defence minister, delegation in Athens talks ---------------------------------------------------- Athens, 07/11/1994 (ANA): Belgian Defence Minister Leo Delcroex is due in Greece today, at the head of a delegation, on an official visit at the invitation of National Defence Minister Gerasimos Arsenis. Mr. Delcroex and his group will confer with the National Defence Minister and Armed Forces officials. He will also tour military installations and factories. The delegation returns to Belgium November 9. Orthodox Archbishop of America pledges full backing over Anastasios issue ----------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 07/11/1994 (ANA): Foreign Under-Secretary for Greeks Abroad Gregoris Niotis met Saturday with Archbishop of North and South America Iakovos, briefing him on results of his recent tour of Greek communities in South America and the "very satisfactory conclusions" he had drawn on "the state of Hellenism in North, South and Central America". The Archbishop referred to the important presence of Hellenism in all Latin American countries, and the efforts made by the Greek community in the United States on national issues. Turning to the situation in Albania, Mr. Iakovos referred to the issue of Archbishop Anastasios, and the Berisha regime referendum, noting "we will stand by Archbishop Anastasios' side both as Greeks and Orthodox, the wonderful work he has accomplished, his patience and diplomacy in all acts or words. Above all, we will focus efforts on preventing enforcement of Paragraph 4 of article 7 of the Albanian Constitution submitted to a popular referendum." The controversial paragraph lays down that the Archbishop of the Orthodox Church should be an Albanian national by birth, and have spent the past 20 years in Albanian. The Archbishop also referred to "President Clinton's assurance that he would be the Chief Executive's special envoy to Albania this month, or early December." Culture Minister writes UK envoy about alleged damage to Acropolis marbles ----------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 07/11/1994 (ANA): Culture Minister Thanos Mikroutsikos yesterday wrote the British Ambassador inquiring whether or not any damage had been caused to the Parthenon Marbles kept at the British Museum. Mr. Mikroutsikos' letter to Ambassador Oliver Miles was prompted by reports that some of the exhibits showed signs of damage recently. An Athens daily has reported a number of Assyrian exhibits and frescoes had suffered damage from dampness. Mr. Mikroutsikos added that if reports were accurate, Greece would be willing to place at the disposal of the British Museum a team of Acropolis conservation experts to co-operate in restoration efforts. New AGET owners donate Acropolis museum cement ---------------------------------------------- Athens, 07/11/1994 (ANA): Once Greek now Italian-owned AGET-Iraklis cement company announced Saturday it would donate all the cement needed to build the new Acropolis museum. Mr. Massimo Jiudici, chairman of the once Greek-state owned firm sold to Italy's Calcestruzzi in 1992, told a press conference that the company was making the donation in memory of late actress-politician Melina Mercouri, who had launched the campaign to build the museum while she was culture minister. "By this decision, our company wishes to express its participation in the effort to build the Acropolis Museum, which is of particular significance to western civilisation as a whole," Mr. Jiudici said. Mr. Jiudici made the announcement in the presence of Mercouri's husband, film and stage director Jules Dassin, who heads the Melina Mercouri Foundation. He also announced that his company would launch a campaign in Italy, to rally support for the return of the Parthenon Marbles now kept at London's British Museum, by setting up a Foundation of the Friends of the Acropolis Museum. At the same time, the company intends to exhibit its valuable collection of paintings and sculptures by Greek artists. The exhibition will be held all over Greece. Army leader on Spain visit -------------------------- Athens, 07/11/1994 (ANA): Army General Staff Chief Lieutenant-General Constantine Voulgaris leaves Athens today, on a six-day official visit to Spain at the invitation of Lieutenant General Jose Faura Martin, his Spanish counterpart, it was officially announced Saturday. General Voulgaris reciprocates a visit by the Spanish Army General Staff chief in June last year. He will meet with Spanish Defence Ministry political and military leaders, and have talks with General Martin. General Voulgaris will also visit the Infantry Academy, military units and war factories, the statement added. Cholera: All raw, shell fish imports from Albania halted -------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 07/11/1994 (ANA): Greece Saturday ordered a ban on raw and shell fish imports from neighbouring Albania, following the recent outbreak of cholera in the neighbouring country. An Agriculture Ministry statement said the ban was a "precautionary step", and part of a series of emergency measures already taken by the Health and Welfare Ministry introducing "intensified health inspection" at border crossings. The Ministry also described as " both unjustified and exaggerated, a reported uproar over raw fish consumption in Greece", noting there were no grounds for concern, since "strict supervision" had been ordered on all local raw and shell fish. Although no case of cholera has been reported in Greece, fears of contamination have led to a significant fall in fish and oyster sales in the Greek market over the past few days, following the epidemic in Albania and a number of cases reported in the Adriatic port of Bari, Italy.