NEWS IN DETAIL

International community must move on Albanian crisis

Replying to questions, Papandreou clarified that Greece fully respected international rules and international law and its actions would be in this direction.

He also stressed that the ethnic Greek minority in Albania should not become embroiled in the crisis ''because at the moment there is no problem''.

Papandreou reiterated Greece's position that the borders of all Balkan countries should be fully respected, saying that this was the basis of Greek foreign policy.

The Dutch EU presidency yesterday accepted Athens' proposals for action in connection with the situation in Albania while the EU Working Group on the Balkans will convene tomorrow, a foreign ministry announcement said.

Earlier, Papandreou received the Dutch Ambassador to Athens.

He said his talks with the envoy had focused on the crisis in Albania since the Dutch presidency of the European Union was coordinating EU efforts to defuse the situation in the neighbouring country.

Villages in southern Albanian populated by ethnic Greeks were under fire from armed gangs during the night, according to a report from the ANA's correspondent in Gjirokaster.

Around 2 am last night, four carloads of Albanian attacked the village of Vryssera, Dropoli, just one mile from the Greek border, using various guns and hand grenades. They broke windows and destroyed warehouses owned by ethnic Greek merchants (Vryssera is populated solely by ethnic Greeks), before moving on to Georgoutsati, five miles from the border, where they repeated the destruction and looted two stores.

Meanwhile, the customs post of Kakavia on the Greek-Albanian border is deserted this morning, indicating that all trade in Albania is at a standstill, since southern Albanians' warehouses are all essentially in Greece.

In Sarande, a taxi driver, Mufit Santousi, 32, was killed by roving gangs early this morning, as he was driving two passengers to Kakavia. Political parties and local authorities in Sarande yesterday asked President Sali Berisha not to send army units into the town, saying they themselves would restore order.

Sarande and Delvino are under the control of demonstrators, while calm appears to have been restored in Gjirokaster this morning.

The Greek-Albanian border was quiet this morning, with only 94 Albanians being arrested by Epirus police for illegally entering Greece within the last 24 hours, according to an ANA dispatch from the northern town of Ioannina.

However, fire from automatic weapons was heard throughout the night on the Albanian side of the border. The Albanian government has declared the Kakavia border post a military zone, although the post has been kept open.

In Gjirokaster, four tanks have taken up positions around the town, where groups of gunmen drove around firing from Kalashnikov rifles. The town's population stayed off the streets after sunset.

In Delvino, rioters broke into two army camps and made off with a large number of weapons.

Another two people were killed during the night in Vlore, while there have been unconfirmed reports that university students there have called off a hunger strike. The same sources say that tanks and army units are moving towards the town, where the situation remains out of control and tens of thousands of Kalashnikov rifles have found their way into the hands of rioters.

No newspapers were published in Tirana today, as censorship has become extremely tight and the issuance of the special printing licences required is being deliberately delayed. State television reported that 20 people had been arrested in army and police raids and many weapons confiscated, although no details were given.

There were frequent blackouts during the night in Tirana itself, while hundred of armed, uniformed men patrolled the streets making searches of cars, even those with diplomatic registration plates. Road blocks have sprung up both inside the city and on roads leading into it.

So far there has been no reaction from opposition parties to the re- election of Sali Berisha to the presidency, since the opposition newspaper Koha Yon has been destroyed by fire.

Earlier yesterday, Foreign Undersecretary Yiannos Kranidiotis said Greece's proposal envisaged an ad hoc meeting of the EU Working Group on the Balkans and an emergency meeting of the EU's Political Committee to discuss the crisis and propose measures to d efuse the tension. He added that Athens had also proposed that a special report be compiled by the ambassadors of the EU's 15 member-states in Tirana.

In addition, the foreign ministry announcement stated that the meeting of the EU Political Committee has been scheduled for Thursday. The committee will also discuss the ambassadors' report.

Meanwhile, Alternate Foreign Minister George Papandreou said that Greece proposed a few days ago a meeting in Athens of the Royamont Group for stability in the Balkans, comprising the foreign ministers of the EU, the US, the Balkan nations and Russia,to discuss the situation in Albania.

The alternate minister said no extra precautionary measures would be taken at Greece's borders, since those already in place were considered sufficient to contain illegal immigration.

Mr. Kranidiotis, commenting further on the crisis in Albania, advised Albania's ethnic Greeks to keep calm, noting that there had not been any attacks against the community, nor had there been any increased movements of people towards the Greek border.

Turk drug smuggler wounded in shoot-out

During the incident, which took place late Monday night, an accomplice of the Turk was slightly injured and just over 3 kilos of heroin seized.

Police also arrested the alleged Greek accomplice of the two Turks, Dimitris Delchanidis, 47.

Drug squad officers, posing as dealers, had previously contacted Delchanidis who arranged a rendezvous with the two Turks.

Police surrounded the area in which the transaction was to take place and asked the two Turks to give themselves up, but the latter drew revolvers and began shooting.

One Turk, identified only as Ergan, 32, was shot twice in the stomach and is being treated in hospital in Didymoticho, while his accomplice was shot in the hand but managed to cross the Evros river back into Turkey.

Delchanidis has been taken to police headquarters in Thessaloniki.

Defence industry focuses on quality upgrade

Speaking at a conference on "Armaments programmes and their role in industrial development", held by the Technical Chamber of Greece and the General Armaments Directorate, Tsohatzopoulos observed that concentrating on Greek-made equipment had not been as effective as expected. Within the next few days, he added, a report by a committee set up to study the country's defence industry would be issued.

The Minister opposed the arms race between Greece and Turkey, saying it was not the way to meet Greece's defence needs. He proposed a qualitative improvement of Greece's weapons systems as a means to secure defence.

Finally, Tsohatzopoulos committed himself to undertaking an intitiative next autumn to attract the participation of foreign organisations in defence industries.

"We are beginning to implement a new arms programme, and if we plan the next steps carefully we'll be able to achieve the results we want," he said.

'The Economist' to host conference on Greek economy

The conference will be focusing on Greece's economic convergence programme, trade and industrial policy, the major infrastructure works, the government's privatisation programme and the role of the Greek banking system.

Issues will also be discussed concerning Greece's foreign policy and the country's economic relations with the other Balkan countries and Asian states.

Among those who have been invited to speak at the conference are Prime Minister Costas Simitis, main opposition New Democracy party leader Miltiades Evert, Democratic Social Movement (DHKKI) leader Dimitris Tsovolas, Coalition of the Left leader Nikos Konstantopoulos, Athens Mayor Dimitris Avramopoulos, ministers, deputies, bank governors and Greek businessmen.

Striking teachers request new meeting with minister

Teachers' representatives met with Education Undersecretary Ioannis Anthopoulos and asked for another meeting with Education Minister Gerasimos Arsenis.

Mr. Anthopoulos assured striking teachers that he would convey their request to the minister, who was expected to return from abroad late last night.

OLME's administrative council was due to meet last night in order to decide whether it would submit proposals during today's teachers general meetings, to be held throughout the country, for the stike to continue for the eighth consecutive week.

Teachers are to take the final decision today, and it will be ratified tomorrow during the general meeting of local union presidents, due to be held in Athens.

Special border patrol units in Evros announced

Mr. Romeos, who made the statement at the border checkpoint of Kipoi during his two-day tour of the prefecture, said excellent cooperation exists between police and the military in guarding the border and tackling the problem of illegal immigration. He said the aim of his ministry is to have the new units manned by local residents.

Referring to the problem posed by illegal immigration in general, Mr. Romeos said it was serious, adding that he arrived in Evros to discuss the issue with responsible services, and primarily police officials, as well as to take measures to crack down on illegal immigration.

He said his ministry spends 300 million drachmas a year to hire vehicles to deport illegal immigrants and a further 1.5 billion drachmas a year alone in spare parts for equipment, primarily vehicles.

Romania welcomes Greek investment

Romanian Youth and Sports Minister Sorin Stanescu told a conference on opportunities for Greek businesses in Romania that this economic programme included a wide-ranging plan to privatise state-run organisations in all economic sectors.

Mr. Stanescu said the Romanian economy was well on the way to deregulation with restrictions on trade being abolished, pricing interventions being cut back and new incentives being developed in the property market for foreign investors.

These positive reforms, he added, were confirmed by the expected signing this year of economic agreements between Romania, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the European Union.

Vessels fined for sea pollution

Another fine of 1,300,000 dr. was imposed by Thessaloniki port authority on Vladislav Ptukhin, master of the Russian tanker "Lenaneft", for infringing regulations relating to loading the ship.

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(M.P.)

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