From: "Theodoros Sp. Zarros" Subject: News (in ENGLISH)- Fri, 14 Jan 1994 (Greek Press Office BBS, Ottawa). Athens News Agency Bulletin, Athens, 14/1/1994 (ANA): Public sector workers will receive a 5 per cent salary increase as of January 1 and another 5 per cent increase as of July 1, according to the 1994 incomes policy announced yesterday. National Economy Minister George Yennimatas said the difference between anticipated inflation and actual inflation would be made up for in a supplementary "corrective" salary increase at the end of the year. He said the incomes policy would not apply to public utilities and organisations (DEKO), as the government did not intend to interfere in the free negotiations on collective bargaining agreements. Mr. Yennimatas further announced unemployment benefits would increase by 30 per cent, while persons with special needs would receive 20 per cent increases, that would be paid out of state budget's reserves. Incomes policy would also not apply to other insurance/pension funds such as TEBE (merchants' fund) and TSA (drivers' fund), which set increases according to their own financial means. Mr. Yennimatas denied press reports of losses in workers' real income due to inflation. He attributed the tight incomes policy to the repercussions of a "huge budget deficit" and high inflation, adding workers' income had suffered a "drastic reduction" in the preceding four-year period. Mr. Yennimatas said he had agreed to an ADEDY (Civil Servants' Supreme Administrative Council) proposal to set up an ad-hoc committee on salary strategy from 1995 onwards, aiming at "upgrading salaries on the basis of fundamental criteria". Shortly before introducing the incomes policy, Mr. Yennimatas met with representatives of ADEDY and the General confederation of Greek Labour (GSEE), that argued increases were not sufficient. GSEE begins negotiations with employer organisations on Monday, on a new national collective bargaining agreement for the private sector. Commenting on the government's incomes policy, New Democracy leader Miltiades Evert reiterated his proposal for a 12 per cent increase for public sector workers. Mr. Evert criticised the government for allocating a 70 billion dr. fund to reorganise transport, and "another 150 billion dr. annually as a payroll for 60.000 public sector workers". Political Spring (POL.A) Party leader Antonis Samaras, said the government was continuing the incomes policy of New Democracy. "It is a policy that forcibly removes national wealth from those who are not wealthy, civil servants, pensioners, low income brackets", Mr. Samaras said. "The government is obsessed with the budget deficit and unable to formulate a new economic policy that will lead the economy out of its present crisis", he added. Coalition of the Left and Progress President Nikos Constantopoulos criticised the government describing its polity as "unfair, sweeping and an obstacle to development". Athens, 14/1/1994 (ANA): Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias will hold a round of talks with senior Australian, French and Albanian officials within next month, government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said yesterday. Mr. Papoulias will open the round with his Australian counterpart Gareth Evans who arrives in Athens Monday. Discussion will focus on bilateral, regional and international issues, and details on further co-operation between Australia and the EU. Mr. Papoulias will meet with his French counterpart Alen Juppe in Athens on February 3, and chair a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels five days after. Albanian Foreign Minister Alfred Sereki is due in Athens on February 14, for talks with Mr. Papoulias on "efforts to broaden co-operation between Albania and the European Union", government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said. Athens, 14/1/1994 (ANA): "There is no change in the government's stance concerning the presence of US troops in Skopje", government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said yesterday. When the despatch of troops had been decided on, a carefully worded statement by PASOK, then main opposition party, contained certain reservations, as the party had not been sufficiently briefed on the matter, he added. Athens, 14/1/1994 (ANA): New Democracy leader Miltiades Evert met with a 15-member US Congress delegation yesterday, on relations between the US, Europe and Greece, and other issues including Skopje and Cyprus. Mr. Evert said the meeting had been constructive, adding Greek-American relations will were growing deeper by the day. Speaking on behalf of the US delegation, Ambassador Benjamin Aizenschdadt said "the United States were committed to defending Greece's full territorial integrity". The Skopje issue was basically linked with this region and, as a NATO partner, the US was committed to safeguard the territorial integrity of Greece including that of all other countries in the area, Mr. Aizenschdadt said. "The US believe that Skopje's operation as an independent and sovereign entity in the region is invaluable. We keep 300 in Skopje as warning to any threat. We are pledged (to defend) not only these states, but all states in the region", he added. Athens, 14/1/1994 (ANA): The Greek government said yesterday it was conducting oil explorations within Greek territorial waters, in accordance with its sovereign rights. "Greece exercises its sovereign rights as it deems best, just as any other country does", government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said. He said on-going Greek oil explorations were being conducted in the Thasos region in the northern Aegean, within the range of Greek territorial waters. Mr. Venizelos' clarification followed a statement by Turkish President Suleyman Demirel, saying a dispute between the two neighbouring countries would arise if explorations extended beyond Thasos, to include sections of the Aegean Sea continental shelf. Commenting on Turkey's reported intent to challenge Greek sovereignty of the Aegean islands, Mr. Venizelos reiterated such an event "will mean direct or indirect challenge of the United Nations Charter, international treaties, and CSCE (principles)". Athens, 14/1/1994 (ANA): A reception at the Maximos Mansion, hosted by Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou, was held last night for members of the 42nd US-European Union Interparliamentary Committee. Welcoming his guests, Mr. Papandreou said "the Greek presidency will work towards the strengthening of relations between Europe and the US", adding the thought it, "positive for Europe and Greece that President Clinton and the US are working for the strengthening of the European Union". Co-presidents of the Interparliamentary Committee, Mr. Donalds and Mr. Lantos, wished the Greek Presidency success. Republican Congressman, Benjamin Gleeman, told the press it was not likely the US would initiate diplomatic relations with FYROM given opposition in Congress. Mr. Gleeman also expressed support for Cyprus. Earlier, the American Congressmen, led by US envoy to the European Union Stuart Eirenstat, visited the Defensce Ministry for briefings on Greek defence policy, NATO and Greek-US relations. They were greeted by Defence Minister Gerasimos Arsenis. Athens, 14/1/1994 (ANA): Yugoslav peace mediators David Owen and Thorvals Stoltenberg arrive in Athens Sunday, for talks on the Yugoslav crisis with the government currently presiding over the European Union, Foreign Ministry spokesman Costas Bikas said yesterday. The mediators would brief Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias on current efforts to find a peaceful solution to the civil war in Bosnia, the spokesman added. Athens, 14/1/1994 (ANA): One of the highlights of the Europarliament's first session of 1994, to be held in Strasbourg towards the end of the month, will be presentation of the Greek presidency's programme by Alternate Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos. Mr. Pangalos will address the chamber on Wednesday and answer questions by members of the House. The Chamber will also address a series of such other issues as European nationality as defined in the Maastricht Treaty, and the Common Transport Policy. Athens, 14/1/1994 (ANA): The Greek Presidency will focus its efforts on creating the right environment in order to make of unemployment a minor issue from a major one, in the next five years, Alternate Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos said yesterday. "From the rule, as it happens to be now, unemployment shall become the exception", Mr. Pangalos told a conference on "Life and Labour in the Common Market of the European Union". The conference was organised by the Athens branch of the "House of Europe". "The Greek presidency will also promote the "White Paper" on competition, development and unemployment", Mr. Pangalos said. Athens, 14/1/1994 (ANA): A group of socialist deputies of the ruling PASOK party tabled a proposal in Parliament yesterday, asking the House to set-up a special committee to investigate phone tapping allegations against former Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis and his daughter, former Culture Minister Dora Bakoyanni. The proposal was signed by 59 of PASOK's 170 lawmakers controlling the 300-member Parliament. Mr. Mitsotakis and Ms. Bakoyanni are allegedly involved in an illegal phone-tapping scandal from 1988 to 1991. A state prosecutor report to Parliament last month said that during the three-year period there had been "repeated violation of telephone calls, of discussions, of use of information and tapes obtained in illegal ways. The report was issued after a probe ordered by the ex-Premier last spring, after a former employee of the state-run phone company (OTE) said he had systematically bugged the phones of Mr. Mitsotakis' rivals. The employee, Christos Mavrikis, said he tapped the phones under the orders of Mr. Mitsotakis' security chief Nikos Grillakis, a retired army general. In a brief statement Wednesday, Mr. Mitsotakis, 74, denied the accusations saying the case was politically motivated. "The issue does not touch me. I have nothing to fear ... If there is a proposal to set up a committee, then I will appear before it, and reveal all sides of this sad plot", he said. According to the proposal, Mr. Mitsotakis is charged with six offences, including violation of duty, concealing a crime, use of information gathered through illegal means, and harbouring a criminal. Ms. Bakoyanni is accused of complicity, harbouring a criminal, and violating her duties as minister. Parliament is expected to hold a secret vote on the proposal at a plenary session by January 28. If the proposal is accepted by a House majority, a 12-member preliminary investigating committee will be set up comprising seven PASOK deputies, three from New Democracy and one of each from Political Spring (POL.A) and Communist Party of Greece (KKE). Establishment of a special committee will mark the first step towards lifting the parliamentary immunities of Mr. Mitsotakis and Ms. Bakoyanni. An announcement by the PASOK parliamentary group said the move was "not motivated by any spirit of retaliation, but followed an in-depth study of the prosecutor's report". "The procedure will be dealt with in the same spirit", the statement added. Coalition of the Left and Progress President Nikos Constantopoulos supported PASOK's proposal to set up a special committee to investigate phone-tapping allegations against Mr. Mitsotakis and Ms. Bakoyanni.