Epilogh OMRI Daily Digest II, No. 42, 28 Feb. 1995
Epilogh OMRI Daily Digest II, No. 42, 28 Feb. 1995 [**]
Ta nea ths hmeras, apo to OMRI:
OMRI DAILY DIGEST
No. 42, Part II, 28 February 1995
SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE
- DEMIREL'S VISIT TO SARAJEVO IS OFF. International media reported on 27
February that Turkish President Suleyman Demirel's trip to Sarajevo was
canceled after Bosnian Serb forces refused to guarantee his safety. This
is what happened in July when Demirel wanted to visit the besieged
Bosnian capital; and the problem came to the forefront again on 25
February, when unidentified gunners hit an aircraft carrying Demirel's
advance party. Turkish Television carried a report suggesting, however,
that Demirel himself is still ready to go to Sarajevo but that the UN
prevented him, giving reasons such as "the pilots won't fly" or "this is
a no-fly zone." He nonetheless went ahead with plans for visiting
Zenica, where Turkish UNPROFOR troops are stationed, and Croatia. As the
anticipated date of Demirel's arrival neared, sniper fire increased in
Sarajevo, leaving four wounded in the most recent outburst, according to
the BBC's Croatian and Serbian Services on 28 February. Turkey maintains
excellent relations with both Bosnia and Croatia, but most Serbs regard
it as the heir to their traditional Ottoman enemy. -- Patrick Moore,
OMRI, Inc.
- COUNCIL OF EUROPE HUMAN RIGHTS GROUP IN ZAGREB. Croatian media on 27
February reported that the Subcommittee on Human Rights of the Council
of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly opened a two-day session in Zagreb.
The meeting is part of a process to review how well Croatia meets the
standards of the Council, which it is anxious to join. The Croatian
authorities prepared a tight program for the participants, who have some
tough questions of their own about minority rights and freedom of
expression. -- Patrick Moore, OMRI, Inc.
- DIPLOMATIC FOCUS ON BELGRADE. Nasa Borba on 28 February reported that
Miltiadis Evert, a leader of Greece's conservative opposition party New
Democracy, was due to arrive in Belgrade the same day and for the second
time this year. The report, citing Greek press accounts, observes that
Evert's visit appears linked to "international diplomatic efforts at
averting conflicts" throughout the former Yugoslavia. Meanwhile, Reuters
on 27 February reported that representatives of the international
Contact Group will meet in Paris on 1 March "to review what seems to be
a grim situation" throughout the former Yugoslavia. British Foreign
Secretary Douglas Hurd also said that Contact Group representatives
would be in Belgrade on 1 March for another round of talks with Serbian
President Slobodan Milosevic. -- Stan Markotich, OMRI, Inc.
- BULGARIAN NUCLEAR REACTOR SHUT DOWN. Bulgaria has shut down Reactor
No. 1 at the Kozloduy nuclear power plant for five months, Radio Sofia
reported on 27 February. Officials will check the reactor's safety
standards while it is switched off. Reactor No. 1, which was built in
1974, is the oldest of Kozloduy's four reactors. AFP cited State Energy
Committee head Nikita Shervashidze as saying that the safety standards
are judged insufficient and that the reactor may be shut down for good.
It was modernized in 1991 and 1992, at a cost of $16 million, under
pressure from the International Atomic Energy Agency. The nuclear power
plant at Kozloduy supplies between 30-40% of Bulgaria's total energy
needs. -- Stefan Krause, OMRI, Inc.
- GREECE SAYS ITS POSITION ON EU-TURKEY CUSTOMS UNION IS UNCHANGED.
Greece will continue to veto a customs union between the EU and Turkey,
Reuters reported on 27 February. European Affairs Minister Georgios-
Alexandros Mangakis said that Greece has "exhausted its good will" and that
its "position will not change." He indicated, however, that Athens will
agree to negotiations, saying it "does not want a cancellation [of a EU-
Turkey meeting] but a solution." Mangakis was cited by AFP as saying
that "things are difficult, but the road is not closed." Greece links
its agreement on the customs union to a specific timetable for
membership talks between the EU and Cyprus. Prime Minister Andreas
Papandreou told a private television channel that the opening of those
talks constituted the "essential question" for the lifting of Greece's
veto, AFP reported. EU officials will meet on 1 March in a last effort
to reach a compromise, before France--currently presiding over the EU--
decides whether to call a meeting between the EU and Turkey for 6 March.
French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said he will call the meeting only
if the 15 EU members reach an agreement on the customs union. -- Stefan
Krause, OMRI, Inc.
[As of 12:00 CET] Compiled by Jan Cleave