From: Thanos Tsekouras Subject: Athens News Agency Bulletin 17/06/1993 Date: Fri, 18 Jun 93 03:27:50 GMT Istanbul, 17/6/1993 (ANA - A. Kourkoulas) Foreign Minister Michalis Papaconstantinou arrived in Istanbul yesterday to attend a meeting of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Pact. Mr. Papaconstantinou was due to attend a dinner given by Turkish President Suleyman Demirel later yesterday for the foreign ministers of the Pact member-states. Apart from Turkey and Greece, the meeting is being attended by foreign ministry representatives from Albania, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Armenia, Georgia, Moldavia, Romania, Russia, Ukraine and the general director of the European Reconstruction and Development Bank Ioakim Ianke. On the sidelines of the meeting today, held to approve decisions taken in the past 12 months by lower-level working groups, Mr. Papaconstantinou is expected to hold talks with his Turkish counterpart Hikmet Cetin. Before leaving for Istanbul, Mr. Papaconstantinou told reporters at the airport that Greece could significantly contribute to the development of the Black Sea countries. "Our country has the best prospects to do so as it is the only EC-member state participating in the Black Sea Cooperation Pact", Mr. Papaconstantinou said. Greece received an invitation to join the organisation in May 1992. Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis, who signed the cooperation convention, said that Greek participation was symbolic of EC interest in the initiative. "Greece has great experience in shipping, commerce, industry, tourism and banking and it can contribute to the development of relations between the Black Sea countries and Europe", Mr. Papaconstantinou added. The minister said the government was pursuing the establishment of the Black Sea Development Bank in Thessaloniki. Turkey has suggested Istanbul as the base, while Romania has put forward Bucharest and Bulgaria Sofia. Mr. Papaconstantinou said he will also hold talks with a number of his counterparts on the sidelines of the Black Sea Cooperation meeting, including a meeting with the foreign minister of Georgia. He said he would also meet with Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos. With regard to Skopje and President Kiro Gligorof's recent statement on the existence of "Macedonian Minorities" in Greece, Mr. Papaconstantinou said that "such a Macedonian minority does not exist in Greece. Mr. Gligorof should look for it elsewhere". Mr. Papaconstantinou said such a minority existed only in Mr. Gligorof's imagination. As concerning the deployment of 300-strong US force on the borders between Skopje and Serbia, the minister said the troops would support the UN forces in the region and help monitor the embargo against Serbia. --- Black Sea Economic Cooperation Pact foreign ministers are also expected to discuss the operation of a permanent secretariat for the body, along with the work of the trade and development bank. Turkey hands over the presidency of the organisation to Bulgaria on July 1. Also in Istanbul this week are representatives of the first session of a Black Sea parliamentary assembly, created last March, and grouping parliamentarians from the same members of the cooperation council, with the exception of Bulgaria and Greece, who is participating as an observer. Turkish President Suleyman Demirel told the assembly yesterday that cooperation among Black Sea nations had moved forward since last year's summit in Istanbul. "Black Sea economic cooperation was only a project a year ago. Today it has established its construction site", he said. "Black Sea cooperation means wealth, peace and stability in a painful region in the new world order". Composed of deputies from the member nations, the parliamentary assemly is only a consultative body. But it can propose legislation to the parliaments of member countries. During the meeting, which ends Friday, the assembly will vote on its charter and elect a president. Greek representative Lazaros Efremoglou warned yesterday that there was a danger the Black Sea Cooperation concept deviating into a costly and cumbersome mechanism. Copenhagen, 17/6/1993 (AFP) A senior UN official in the observer mission in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia confirmed yesterday press reports that there had been numerous violations of the UN embargo against Serbia and Montenegro through the FYROM. "Sanctions are like a torn sleeve, they are not very effective", said Major K.B. Hansen, the Danish deputy chief of the UN Nordic battalion. According to a report published in the Danish daily "Berlinske Tidende" between 1,400 and 1,700 trucks and up to 20 rail convoys cross the border during the night between FYROM and Serbia every week. Swedish, Norwegian and Finish soldiers forming the 700-strong Nordic contingent which mans 19 checkposts along the border, have reported a definite increase of illegal traffic. "The number of heavyweights crossing the frontier is on a mounting scale", Major Hansen confirmed, adding "FYROM is very dependent on exports and does not, therefore, carry out strict control over such consignments". Athens, 17/6/1993 (ANA) Turkey needs an international "push" in order to come forward to contribute to a just and viable solution of the Cyprus problem, President Constantine Karamanlis said yesterday. He was speaking during the presentation of the credentials of the new Cypriot Ambassador to Greece Charalambos Christoforou. "Mr. Karamanlis stressed the need for the exercise of international pressure on the Turkish side in order to abandon its negative stance and contribute to a just and viable settlement of the Cyprus problem", an official announcement issued in Nicosia said. The president recalled his long involvement in the Cyprus problem, which started with the 1959 negotiations which led to the 1960 independence of the island from Britain. "The case of Cyprus is synonymous with his long political life and that is why he will always continue to be interested and strive for Cyprus", the announcement quoted Mr. Karamanlis as saying. --- President Constantine Karamanlis also yesterday received in succession the new Ambassadors for Albania Hussein Selahudin Tsambey, Ukraine Boris Ivanovic Kornienco and Luxembourg Jean Dondeliger. The ceremony was attended by Foreign Undersecretary Goerge Papastamkos and the Presidency of the Republic Secretary General Ambassador Petros Molyviatis. Athens, 17/6/1993 (ANA) Chief of Staff of the German Armed Forces General Klaus Naumann arrives here today for a three-day visit at the invitation of his Greek counterpart, national defense ministry sources said yesterday. During his stay, they said, General Naumann will hold talks with the political and military leadership of the national defense ministry and is also scheduled to tour military units and archaeological sites. Athens, 17/6/1993 (ANA) Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis and his Spanish counterpart Felipe Gonzalez will press for efforts to resolve economic difficulties in Europe at next week's European Community summit in Copenhagen, a Greek government spokesman said yesterday. The decision was taken during a telephone conversation between the two premiers yesterday, government spokesman Vassilis Manginas said. "They discussed certain issues that the summit will focus on and agreed to a common stance to boost efforts aimed at the resolution of the problems in the European economy", he added. The two-day summit, beginning on Monday, will focus on progress reports by economic and finance ministers on the EC growth initiatives, future EC relations with central and eastern Europe, the Yugoslav crisis, as well as the implementation of the Maastricht treaty. Athens, 17/6/1993 (ANA) Harbour police arrested three Turks and 31 illegal Iraqi immigrants after an exchange of fire off the coast of Mytilene on the island of Lesvos early this morning. The three Turks were ferrying the illegal migrants to the Greek island when they tried to ram the harbour police patrol boat after it fired warning shots. Two of the Turks were wounded in the ensuing exchange of fire and taken to Mytilene hospital. The third as arrested together with the 31 Iraqis. Foreign Minister Michalis Papaconstantinou later expressed hope that the incident would not affect relations between Greece and Turkey. "It is common incident, but we are trying, together with Turkey, to stop this phenomenon (of illegal refugees)", he told reporters at the airport before leaving to Turkey to attend a meeting of the Black Sea Cooperation Pact. Mr. Papaconstantinou called on Ankara to take "stricter measures" to block refugees from illegally fleeing to Greece. Athens, 17/6/1993 (ANA) One of the most beautiful churches in North Epirus, the Church of the Taxiarchs in the village of Gorantsi, was utterly destroyed yesterday as a result of a fire that started for unknown reasons. Residents in the village spoke of arson by persons unknown, while Albanian authorities - whithout having made any official announcement whatsoever - attribute the fire to lightning during a storm. The villagers yesterday cleaned the church of the charred remains and plan to hold a mass in the ruins on Sunday, to which Christians from nearby villages have been invited. A special account for the speedy restoration of the damages has been opened at the National Bank of Ioannina, in which all Greeks who wish to help may make a deposit. The number of the account is 359/367169/4. Athens, 17/6/1993 (ANA) The basis for closer cooperation in the military sector between Greece and Kuwait was laid during the meeting held between the countries' defense ministers yesterday afternoon, according to National Defense Minister Ioannis Varvitsiotis who said his talks with his Kuwait counterpart were conducted in a cordial and friendly atmosphere. Kuwati Defense Minister Sheikh Ali Al Salem Al Sabbah recalled that some time ago officials from his country visited Greece to plan and examine closer cooperation between the two countries. Mr. Varvitsiotis said that the Greek military contingent of 400 men will leave for Kuwait around the end of September to be included in the UN peacekeeping force stationed in the country to supervise the border line between Kuwait and Iraq which has been deliniated by the UN. The meeting between the two defense ministers was attended by Defense Undersecretaries Ioannis Stathopoulos and Spilios Spiliotopoulos and the country's armed forces leadership. Mr. Varvitsiotis and Sheikh Al Sabah exchanged commemorative plaques at the end of their meeting. Athens, 17/6/1993 (ANA) Chief of the Spanish Army General Staff General Pagueres Hernandez will arrive Friday on an official seven-day visit to Athens, at the invitation of his Greek counterpart, Lieut. General Dimitris Kapravelos. During his stay in Greece the Spanish General will be received by the political and military leadership pf the national defense ministry. He will also visit units and archaeological sites. Athens, 17/6/1993 (ANA) The Spanish training vessel for naval cadets "Juan Sebastian De Elcano" will arrive in Piraeus tomorrow in the context of its annual training cruise for naval cadets, an announcement by the Spanish embassy has said. The public will be allowed to visit the vessel on Friday, June 18 from 4 to 8 p.m. [Copied by Thanos Tsekouras]