Athens News Agency Bulletin --------------------------- (Apo to Ellnviko Grafeio Tupou kai Plnroforiwv, Ottaba, Kavadas E-Mail Address: grnewsca@sympatico.ca) * Convention on sea rights tabled in parliament for ratification * Greece pays tribute to Auschwitz victims, ambassador lays wreath * Skandalides briefs premier on party funding c'tee * EU centre to be based in Thessaloniki * Tudjman receives new Greek ambassador * Niotis opens Hellenic Cultural Foundation office in London * Juppi: efforts for customs union continue, concern over human rights in Turkey prevails * Papoulias to visit Slovakia soon * Tsohatzopoulos stresses common US, Greek interest in stability in Mediterranean, southern Europe * Canada honours Greek community's contribution * ELTA pays tribute to the late Melina Mercouri * GSEE supports Skaramangas workers in opposition to shipyard sale * AGROTICA to begin February 1 Convention on sea rights tabled in parliament for ratification -------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 28/01/95 (ANA): Parliament is set to ratify the Law of the Sea convention, giving Greece the right to extend its territorial waters from six to 12 miles, in the next few days. The Law of the Sea convention, which took effect on November 16 last year, caused what the government called "artificial tension" between Athens and Ankara late last year, when Turkey said any such move in the Aegean would be cause for war. Athens said it did not intend to extend its territorial waters at the time but stressed that it was its sovereign right to do so at its discretion. The draft bill was tabled Thursday by the government. Main opposition party, New Democracy, said the government was dragging its feet on the issue and accused it of "incompetence and unreliability", recalling a statement by government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos on November 16 last year saying the government was ready and in a few days' time would table its proposal in Parliament for ratification. ND called on the government to hold a parliamentary debate first because ratification of the convention constituted an issue of great importance for the country. "If (ND leader) Mr. Evert's known meddlesome advisers and he personally had carefully watched international developments on this issue they may have understood that now is the appropriate time for the convention's ratification," Mr. Venizelos said in response to the opposition's charges. Mr. Venizelos said the parliamentary debate was an important opportunity provided it was utilised to set out national positions and strengthen the domestic front and not serve the opposition's "petty political party expediencies". The convention on sea rights has also been signed by the US. Australia extended its territorial waters on November 16, 1994, and Germany followed suit on January 1 this year. During the debate the country's political forces are expected to confirm the steadfast Greek position that extending territorial waters to 12 miles is an inalienable right and it will be up to Greece to decide when to make its move on the issue. Greece pays tribute to Auschwitz victims, ambassador lays wreath ---------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 28/01/95 (ANA): Greece said today that it honoured the memory of the victims of the Auschwitz concentration camp after Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias cancelled plans to attend commemoration events following the Polish government's insistence on raising the flag of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. "The Greek government honours the memory of the dead of Auschwitz and our ambassador in Poland has laid a wreath in memory of the victims," government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said, adding that the government had faced "a serious dilemma" over the issue. Mr. Papoulias called off his visit after the Polish government insisted on raising the flag of the former Yugoslav republic, which bears an ancient Greek symbol and is at the centre of a row between Athens and Skopje. "The symbol is Greek and has been stolen," a foreign ministry spokesman said Thursday. Mr. Venizelos said the foreign minister's abstention from the events was considered possible to "safeguard the goals of our foreign policy". He said the Polish government's decision was "unfortunate". Athens insists that Skopje remove the symbol from the flag, change its name and the preamble to its constitution indicating territorial designs on the northern Greek province of Macedonia. A Political Spring announcement released yesterday paid tribute to the memory of the victims of the Nazi genocide. "The holocaust of Auschwitz is a grievous historical event and it is the duty of all of us to honour the memory of the victims of the Nazi genocide," party representative Akis Gerontopoulos said. "The leaders of the people must be led by example so that the sacrifice of the thousands of victims of Auschwitz can be vindicated as we enter the 21st century," he added. More than 50,00 Greek Jews, mainly from the port city of Thessaloniki, lost their lives at Nazi concentration camps in eastern Europe during the Nazi occupation of Greece during the second World War. Papantoniou meets with business, finance experts at Davos --------------------------------------------------------- Davos, Switzerland, 28/01/95 (ANA): National Economy Minister Yiannos Papantoniou yesterday met with high-ranking political and finance officials at the World Economic Forum in Davos to discuss issues concerning the course of the Greek economy as well as general international economic trends. Mr. Papantoniou also met with European and US business representatives who are interested in investing in Greece. The agenda of the four-day World Economic Forum, entitled "An invitation to beyond development", which began Thursday, includes relations between rich and poor countries, actions to stabilise capital markets in former communist countries, European Union prospects and the priorities for the new World Trade Organisation. Skandalides briefs premier on party funding c'tee -------------------------------------------------- Athens, 28/01/95 (ANA): Interior Minister Costas Skandalides yesterday briefed Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou on the course of the inter-party committee on political party funding. "The prime minister ordered that this procedure continue quickly," the minister told reporters after the meeting. Mr. Skandalides said they also discussed the issue of decentralisation. EU centre to be based in Thessaloniki ------------------------------------- Athens, 28/01/95 (ANA): The European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP) administrative council decided to move the centre's base from Berlin to Thessaloniki, during a meeting held in Berlin yesterday. The relocation will be completed by September 1 this year. The CEDEFOP is the first European Union organ to establish itself in Greece. Tudjman receives new Greek ambassador ------------------------------------- Athens, 28/01/95 (ANA): President of the Republic of Croatia Franjo Tudjman on Thursday received the credentials of the new Greek ambassador to the Republic of Croatia Constantine Yerocostopoulos, according to a press release from the Croatian embassy in Athens yesterday. "In a short speech marking the occasion, Mr. Yerocostopoulos spoke about the age-old contacts and proximity existing between the two countries and their peoples. He also stressed that Greece was the first EU member country to sign an economic co-operation agreement with Croatia as an independent state," the announcement said. The Croatian president spoke of the positive developments in the relations between Croatia and Greece and the high level of understanding Greece has been showing towards Croatia. Referring to the issue of the termination of the UN forces presence in Croatia, Mr. Tudjman reiterated his country's commitment to a peaceful reintegration of the Croatian occupied territories, as well as to normalising the relations between Croatia and Serbia, in the best interests of all the countries in the region. Niotis opens Hellenic Cultural Foundation office in London ---------------------------------------------------------- London, 28/01/95 (ANA - L. Tsirigotakis): Foreign Under-Secretary for Greeks Abroad Grigoris Niotis inaugurated the Hellenic Cultural Foundation's London office on Thursday night. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mr. Niotis said the centre would constitute a focal point for the big Greek community's variety of activities in London and a "point of reference" for all expatriate Greeks who show admirable vitality in promoting the "networks of Hellenism." "Such multiple activities make us feel proud and function as bridges of friendship and co-operation between the British and Greek people," Mr. Niotis said. The centre also includes an exhibition titled "From Penteliko to the Parthenon", containing 25 plans by Manolis Korres and refers to the transport of materials from the Penteliko mountain to the Acropolis and methods used to transport the huge marble blocks used in building the temples and buildings of the Parthenon. The ceremony was attended by foreign ministry representatives, the mayor of London, Greek community leaders and Political Spring party leader Antonis Samaras who is currently visiting London. Juppi: efforts for customs union continue, concern over human rights in Turkey prevails -------------------------------------------------------------- Washington, (ANA - D. Dimas): The French EU presidency is still concerned at the state of human rights in Turkey, despite efforts to effect a customs union between the country and the EU, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppi said yesterday. "The EU feels concern at the state of human rights in Turkey and we have told Turkey quite clearly how we feel on the matter," Mr. Juppi said at a press conference to mark his arrival in the US capital for the traditional round of meetings of the assumption of the EU presidency. Mr. Juppi said the customs union was a matter which "has been under discussion for many years without, unfortunately, being concluded." The customs union between Turkey and the EU was put on hold late last year when Greece vetoed the agreement, arguing that it could not go ahead without a simultaneous setting of a date for talks on Cyprus' entry to the 15-member bloc. Talks early in the year under the aegis of the French presidency agreed on a formula which links a date for entry talks with the customs union. "The French presidency will do all it can to remove the deadlock," Mr. Juppi said. He said ways to do this were being examined and "without wanting to go into details of the talks, I can say I believe coming weeks might produce possibilities for real progress in establishing a customs union between Turkey and the EU." "We do not wish to close the door to Turkey," he said, adding, however, that he was concerned at religious fanaticism there. Papoulias to visit Slovakia soon -------------------------------- Athens, 28/01/95 (ANA): Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias has accepted an invitation by his Slovak counterpart Juraj Schenk to visit Bratislava in the next few days. The invitation was extended by Slovak ambassador to Athens Jan Valko during his meeting with Mr. Papoulias to discuss bilateral relations, which the two called "excellent". The exact date of the visit will be set through diplomatic channels. Tsohatzopoulos stresses common US, Greek interest in stability in Mediterranean, southern Europe -------------------------------------------------------------- Chicago, 28/01/95 (ANA - M. Georgiadou): PASOK Central Committee Secretary-General Akis Tsohatzopoulos told the Foreign Relations Council Thursday night that both Greece and the United States are equally concerned about the promotion of stability in south-eastern Europe and the eastern Mediterranean, and are steadily co-ordinating policies towards this end. "Greece views regional problems, including, of course, that of Cyprus, through this spectrum. The Cyprus problem is part of the problem of instability in the Eastern Mediterranean and a crucial factor in the normalisation of Greek-Turkish relations," he said. "Turkey's stance on Cyprus, on issues of democracy, human rights, and the 17 million Kurds prevents it from becoming a modern European state... Today, a new prospect for the solution of the Cyprus problem has been opened up, through the procedures of the European Union and the application, in the whole of the island, of democratic principles and freedoms which apply in all EU countries." Mr. Tsohatzopoulos also stressed the most crucial role undertaken by Greece today "at the geopolitical cross-roads of three continents, between East and West, North and South, in the region of the eastern Mediterranean, which is of tremendous strategic and economic importance... "In this context, Greece, a democratic country of political and economic stability at the tip of the Balkan peninsula, is an important European 'outlet' in the Eastern Mediterranean... "In a world of increasing interdependence and internationalisation, Greece's traditional character as a cross-roads not only continues to provide the key to the understanding of the position of the Balkan region in the regional balance of power, but, additionally, the restoration of the unified economic area in the region significantly boosts the country's strategic and economic significance." Cyprus' Socialist EDEK party leader Vassos Lyssarides, who also spoke at the Foreign Relations Council, said "Cyprus desperately needs the help of the European Union and the US, so that efforts towards a solution of the problem are put on a right track again". He pointed out that efforts, so far, have failed because they have been wrongly based on "an inter-communal dialogue which leads nowhere". "The problem is not one of inter-communal dispute, but of invasion and occupation," he said. Canada honours Greek community's contribution --------------------------------------------- Montreal, 28/01/95 (ANA - J. Fragoulis): Montreal's Greek community has received the highest award for 1994 from the government of Canada, a token of acknowledgement of its outstanding participation in the course and development of the nation. The award was handed to the president of the community by Immigration Minister Sergio Marki at a special ceremony in Ottawa. "The participation of the Greek community in the development and course of this nation was, and is, an honour for Canada," he said. ELTA pays tribute to the late Melina Mercouri --------------------------------------------- Athens, 28/01/95 (ANA): The Greek Post Offices (ELTA) yesterday announced the issue of a new series of stamps entitled "A year without Melina Mercouri". The stamps will be sold for one year from March 6. ELTA has also introduced a special postmark for use by local administration. Stamping of mail will be effected on January 30 from 08.00 until 14.00. Philatelists interested in receiving an imprint of the stamp should hand in or send their objects before January 30 to the Philatelist Central Office at Aiolou 100. GSEE supports Skaramangas workers in opposition to shipyard sale ---------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 28/01/95 (ANA): The General Confederation of Workers of Greece (GSEE) said yesterday it was opposed to the privatisation of Hellenic Shipyards-Skaramanga for which international tenders have already been invited. At a meeting attended by the GSEE board of administration and representatives of the Skaramanga workers' union (Triena) and the Panhellenic Federation of Metal Workers (POEM), speakers from the three trade union organisations stressed the importance of Skaramanga Shipyards for the economy, defence and the modernisation of production in Greece. The shipyards is the biggest shipbuilding and ship-repair yard in the eastern Mediterranean. A resolution unanimously adopted by GSEE, Triena and POEM, said that the shipyards should remain under state control. Triena is pushing for a solution under which the state would hold 51 per cent of shares, with the remaining 49 per cent being bought by a company to be set up by the workers. The recently-published invitation to tender has requested offers for a majority block of up to 100 per cent of the shares of the shipyards. In November, the European Commission stood firm in its position that the shipyards should be privatised, after giving repeated extensions to the government, and that calls to tender be published by the end of last year, otherwise the issue would be taken to the European Court. The resolution also urges investment as part of a programme to streamline and modernise the shipyards, while acknowledging that concessions would have to be made with respect to wage demands and vested trade union rights in order to safeguard the competitiveness of the company. In order to press their demands, the trade union organisations plan to hold a rally in Piraeus, most probably on February 9, and set up a "Shipyard Rescue Committee" with the participation of representatives of trade unions and local municipalities and a number of distinguished personalities. AGROTICA to begin February 1 ---------------------------- Athens, 28/01/95 (ANA): The 11th AGROTICA agricultural exhibition will be held at the HELEXPO Thessaloniki International Trade Fairgrounds, February 1 through 5. HELEXPO President Vassilis Kourtesis told a press conference yesterday that this year's exhibition will have over 1,000 participants.