Subject: News I - Mon, 23 Aug 1993 From: zarros@turing.scs.carleton.ca (Theodoros Sp. Zarros) Athens News Agency Bulletin, August 23, 1993 ============================================ Nicosia, 23/8/1993 (ANA - G. Leonidas): US President Bill Clinton reiterated the United State's support for United Nations peace efforts on Cyprus and blamed Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash for the breakdown in the UN-sponsored talks in the US president's bimonthly report to Congress on the Cyprus issue, released August 19. Mr. Clinton also called on the Turkish Cypriot leader to accept a package of UN-proposed confidence-building measures and urged Turkey to use its influence with Mr. Denktash to accept the package. The last round of UN-sponsored talks broke down after the Turkish Cypriot leader refused to accept the UN-proposed confidence building measures. In his report, the US president reiterated the "strong support" of the United States for the UN Secretary General's efforts to find a solution that would be "acceptable and equally beneficial to both communities" on Cyprus. Describing the UN-proposed confidence-building measures as "balanced" and "scrupulously fair", Mr. Clinton said the package offers substantial benefits to both sides and must be accepted as a means to improve the atmosphere for a just viable solution on Cyprus. The measures "constitute a historic opportunity not only for the Turkish Cypriot community but for all Cypriots and it would be tragic if this opportunity for progress (in the UN-sponsored peace talks) was lost", the US president wrote in his report. "It is time for all the interested parties to build upon the significant progress made by the UN Secretary General and resolve the problems which have been outstanding for a long time", Mr. Clinton said. United Nations, 23/8/1993 (ANA - M. Georgiadou): Ambassador George Papoulias, Greece's special envoy to the Skopje talks met yesterday with the UN Secretary General's special representative, Cyrus Vance, to convey the government's views on resolving outstanding differences between Greece and the former Yugoslav republic. "I conveyed the views of the Greek government and reiterated Greece's support for Mr. Vance's mission (end expressed the desire) for a positive outcome", Mr. Papoulias told reporters after the hour-long meeting. "The discussion with Mr. Vance centred on the procedures for the talks, which will begin following our preliminary meeting today. After hearing our views, Mr. Vance said he would meet tomorrow (Monday) with the Skopje delegation. He will submit certain questions to them and will secure certain answers and then communicate with us again regarding the next step", the Greek envoy added. The UN Secretary General's special representative began a round of talks on August 11 aimed at resolving the differences between Greece and Skopje within the framework of UN Security Council Resolution 845. He is expected to hold another meeting today with Skopje's deputy prime minister and acting foreign minister, Stevo Cervenkovski. Mr. Papoulias said that Mr. Vance's meeting with the Skopje delegation would indicate how the talks would proceed. The Greek envoy said he had briefed Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis and Foreign Minister Michalis Papaconstantinou on his talks with Mr. Vance and was awaiting further instructions from Athens. Asked whether the UN envoy still planned to visit Athens and Skopje at the end of the month for talks with the heads of both government, Mr. Papoulias the trip was "still on the agenda" but that the date would depend on the outcome of the talks in New York. "From our side, we reiterated to Mr. Vance that he is always welcome in Greece at any time", he added. Athens, 23/8/1993 (ANA): Four truckloads of Greek humanitarian aid arrived in Serbia late Saturday after being denied transit permission for two days by the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, government officials said yesterday. The aid convoy carrying food and medical supplies was accompanied by a 20-member delegation from the Greek Orthodox Church of Crete. Citing procedural problems, Skopje had denied the trucks passage for two days despite the fact that permission for the shipment of food and medical supplies had already been granted by the United Nations. Foreign Ministry Secretary General, Ambassador Christos Zacharakis, on Saturday contacted the UN Sanctions Committee in an effort to secure the right of passage for the aid to Serbia.