From: zarros@turing.scs.carleton.ca (Theodoros Sp. Zarros) Subject: News (in ENGLISH)- Sat, 11 Dec 1993 (Greek Press Office BBS, Ottawa). Athens News Agency Bulletin, Dec. 11, 1993 Brussels, 11/12/93 (ANA - S. Liarellis - K. Verros). Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou yesterday said the Greek government supported, to a large extent, proposals by European Commission President Jacques Delors on boosting growth and tackling unemployment. Addressing the European summit morning session, Mr. Papandreou said there was no magic solution, pointing out that unfavourable developments could be reversed. "Growth cannot be an aim in itself, but competitiveness should improve", he said, stressing the need for economic recovery provided burdens were not piled onto the working class. Mr Papandreou said Greece had tabled a memorandum outlining its positions primarily on growth, competitiveness and employment, adding "the fact that the citizens of Europe increasingly attribute the crisis, unemployment and stagnation to the Community's operation, should be taken into serious consideration". Mr Papandreou supported the need for utilising the domestic market, calling for specific measures to relieve small and medium-size firms. However, he said, maximum possible social consensus was required for Europe's economic recovery to be achieved. "European economy can grow once again and obtain a new perspective, otherwise the European Union's very existence will be challenged", Mr Papandreou said. "We need an active policy on employment, with emphasis on upgrading the human chapter, education and training aimed at gradual convergence on common models at Union level, with emphasis on measures for the long-time unemployed, young people, women, marginal groups and novel types of work primarily developing at a local level", Mr Papandreou said, adding that the Community's contribution would be decisive. Mr Papandreou said Community action in the employment sector was irretrievably linked to boosting the social dimension of the unification process. He added speedy measures should be taken on the principle of assistance, to implement the chart of the fundamental rights of the working classes, and promote proposals and measures to combat all forms of social exclusion, poverty and marginalisation. "Recession should be promptly addressed and a medium-term strategy be shaped to maintain growth. Therefore, boosting investments was required with support for the drive to lower interest rates", he said. Mr Papandreou further stressed the need to orientate the Community's action on improving the European economy's competitiveness, adding that improvement could be based on a short-term aspect placing the cost of adjustment on the working classes. In his afternoon address, Mr Papandreou said "our view on elaborating member states' macroeconomics policies is that they should correspond to the particularities of each country's economy", adding that "we believe that reduction of interest rates should constitute the motivating power for recovery". He further said actual salaries should be linked to productivity and "they should not develop at the expense of the working class, particularly in certain countries which have gone through a long period of austerity". Mr Papandreou held separate meetings yesterday with French President Francois Mitterrand and German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, on the sidelines of the European Summit. The Prime Minister raised the Skopje issue in private talks with Mr Mitterrand, Under-secretary to the Prime Minister's Office Telemahos Hytiris said. He was not aware whether or not Mr. Papandreou raised the issue also with Mr Kohl, he added. Mr Hytiris told the press, the Prime Minister had described the meeting with Mr Mitterrand as "very good climate". Mr Hytiris also told the press that at yesterday's EU leaders' luncheon, Mr Papandreou delivered an address to Russian President Boris Yeltsin, on behalf of the Twelve. Athens, 11/12/93 (ANA).- Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos yesterday called on the European Union to send Skopje the right message, and exert their influence on Greece's neighbouring state to abandon its intransigent stance. Referring to recent consultations among European states to establish diplomatic representations in Skopje, Mr. Pangalos said such moves "have caused major disappointment in Greece". "We believe such moves shatter trust and solidarity between us", Mr Pangalos told a EU Foreign Ministers' meeting in Brussels yesterday. He added a more moderate policy on their part (EU) might allow Greece to show understanding for their willingness to improve relations with Skopje. Reiterating the government's position not to accept a Skopje name carrying 'Macedonia,' Mr. Pangalos said it would offend public feeling in Greece, and run counter to the attitude of the majority of Greek political parties. "But there are other issues too, besides the name, creating conflict in our relations with Skopje", he added, referring to Skopje's use of ancient Greek symbols and territorial designs against Northern Greece. Mr. Pangalos said relations between the two countries should be normalised, as this is would lead to stability in the region. "Normalisation of relations between our two countries would be to the benefit of all, but it could be made possible only if Mr Gligorov were persuaded to abandon his provocative stance, and reconsider his government's positions", he said. Making clear that defusing tension between the two countries was the only way to establishing peace in the region, Mr Pangalos told the EC ministers that "any other move, which does not take into consideration this reality, will not contribute to stability". Brussels, (ANA).- Main opposition New Democracy party leader Miltiades Evert called on Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou to raise the issue of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) at the European summit, in Brussels yesterday. Commenting on the FYROM issue at the end of the European Peoples Party (EPP) conference, Mr Evert said: "It is necessary for us to bring the issue to the Community, since the government and Mr. Papandreou have closed the door to the UN with the letter to Mr. Boutros Ghali. Therefore, we are bringing up the issue again, and hope Mr. Papandreou will lay it before the European summit. The government should raise the tone of its voice, just as we have raised ours". Referring to the Cyprus issue, Mr Evert said he told his counterparts that Turkey's association with the EC should be linked to progress on settling the question, calling on the Community to provide guarantees for the independence and territorial integrity of the island-republic. On Mr. Evert's initiative, an EPP political resolution stressed EC-Turkish relations would proceed to the extent human rights were respected and democratisation promoted in Turkey. Athens, 11/12/93 (ANA) - "Greece is always offering and willing to offer its good services to bring peace and stability in the Balkans", government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said yesterday, commenting on reports relating to the "postponement or cancellation", of the warring Yugoslav leaders were to have in Thessaloniki or Chalkidiki. "I would not call the fact the meeting was not held either postponement or cancellation", Mr. Venizelos said, adding efforts by the co-chairmen of the conference, Lord Owen and Thorvald Stoltenberg continue. Bonn, 11/12/93 (ANA - P. Stangos) - Tension in Greek-German relations came to and end, and Alternate Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos' statements concerning Germany was now a "closed issue", a diplomatic source in Bonn said yesterday, in the wake of a statement by German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel that "... there is no obstacle to constructive co-operation between Greece and Germany within the framework of the 'troika' in the European Union." The source referred to two events: Mr Kinkel's private meeting with Mr. Pangalos in Brussels yesterday, during which - according to press reports - Mr Pangalos "made clear his regrets for his statements regarding Germany during the course of a lecture he had given" underscoring Greece's interest for close co-operation on the one hand, and German government spokesman Dieter Vogel's statement that Chancellor Helmut Kohl "does not intend to request an official apology from the Greek side", on the other. Washington, 11/12/93 (ANA - A. Podimata) - Foreign Under-secretary George Papandreou yesterday met with U.S. President Bill Clinton's adviser George Stefanopoulos and Democratic Party Senator Paul Sarbanes as part of his round of meetings in the U.S., to pave the way for Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou's upcoming visit. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Mr Stefanopoulos said discussion had been "very good", adding "it concerned all matters of interest to Greece". "We discussed the prime minister's visit to the United States next year, and the meeting U.S. President Bill Clinton will have with Mr. Andreas Papandreou in Brussels in January", he said. Mr Stefanopoulos added the message conveyed to him by Mr George Papandreou stressed the need for continuing Greece's good relations with the United States, stressing this was also desired by the United States. Mr. Papandreou said he conveyed the prime minister's message to Mr. Stefanopoulos, relating to a political will for joint handling of many problems in the region. "We discussed everything, both in the Balkans and the region in general. Response from George Stefanopoulos is always positive, as at present. He has repeatedly expressed concern for matters of direct interest to Greece, such as the Cyprus question and the issue of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM)" Mr. Papandreou said. Senator Paul Sarbanes said relations between Greece and the United States should proceed in a positive and constructive direction as they are at present. Commenting on his meeting with Mr Sarbanes, Mr. Papandreou said it focused on the Cyprus issue and Turkish occupation of part of the island-republic, now in its 20th year, the FYROM issue and the question of the Greek ethnic minority in Albania. "The Greek and U.S. governments have common interests and values in all these matters", Senator Sarbanes said. Mr Papandreou also conferred with State Department Political Affairs Under-secretary Peter Tarnof on "substantive" Balkan and bilateral issues. According to an ANA report, Mr Tarnof and Mr Papandreou also discussed details of the two forthcoming meetings between prime Minister Andreas Papandreou and U.S. President Bill Clinton, one in his capacity as European Union president, and the other at bilateral level "We very much look forward to co-operation with the Greek government ... especially during the first half of '94 when Greece will hold the European Union presidency, during which, as is natural, Greece and the United states will have a special relation", Mr Tarnof said. Mr. Papandreou also drove to the Pentagon for a courtesy call on U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman, General John Shalikashvili, to whom he handed a message by National Defence Minister Gerasimos Arsenis, expressing the Greek government's desire for closer co-operation both with the U.S. and NATO. Mr. Papandreou told the press overall Balkan problems were discussed and matters of special Greek interest, such as NATO headquarters in Larissa.