From: tzarros@ccs.carleton.ca (Theodore Zarros) Subject: News (in ENGLISH)- Tue, 1 Mar 1994 (Greek Press Office BBS, Ottawa). Athens News Agency Bulletin, Greece, UK: Shooting down of Serb aircraft should not affect peace drive ----------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 1/3/1994 (ANA) - Greece and Britain said yesterday that the shooting down of four Serb aircraft by NATO jet fighters should not affect recent drives for peace in war-torn Bosnia. "It is our common conviction that however unpleasant and difficult the incident may be, it should not upset the peace process", Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias said. His visiting British counterpart Douglas Hurd told reporters after talks with Mr. Papoulias: "The incident should not affect the efforts many are making - the European Union, America and Russia, others - to build on the improvement in recent weeks and work towards a settlement in Bosnia and a relief of the sufferings of its people". Mr. Hurd conceded that "information on the incident was not yet clear", but said "the NATO aircraft that knocked down the Serb jet fighters were implementing a policy on no-fly zones". "Although some facts are not yet clear, it is clear to me that NATO aircraft that knocked down the Serb jet fighters were implementing a policy on no-fly zones". "Although some facts are not yet clear, it is clear to me that NATO is carrying out a published policy as regards the no-fly zone; a policy covered by UN Security Council resolution 816. This is, therefore, not a new policy but the application of an existing and well justified policy", he said. The British Foreign Secretary said he conveyed his opinion to Russian special envoy Vitaly Churkin during a telephone conversation earlier in the day. He said he was expected to speak to Russian Foreign Minister Andrei Kozyrev later. Mr. Hurd said there was no "settled Russian reaction" and refused to speculate on the motives of the Bosnian Serb violation of the no-fly zone. "I don't want to speculate on the motives of those who broke the no-fly zone rules. I think it's fairly clear what happened", he added. Mr. Papoulias said the Greek side was in the process of gathering information on the incident, adding that there was an open-line between Athens, Belgrade and Zagreb. "The Greek positions are well known. We are gathering information on the incident and we are in contact with Moscow ... Zagreb and Belgrade to get a clear picture of what happened. But it is too early to speak of anything. What we believe is that the incident, which is very serious, should not upset peace efforts", Mr. Papoulias said. Mr. Hurd later told a press conference that "the NATO action was taken, pursuing a policy which has been announced for many months and is covered by Security Council Resolution 816, namely that armed planed should not ever fly Bosnia and the four planes were shot down in response to that polity". Underlining that there was no new policy, he described the NATO action as "the vigorous application of a policy of which everybody knew". Mr. Hurd said that there was no reason why yesterday's incident should "frustrate or interrupt" the peace process in Bosnia. Noting that he had been in touch with Moscow and "others have been in touch with the Serbs", Mr. Hurd said that the "first reaction" had been "a measured one". "I don't think that they have reached a settled reaction as yet", he added. Asked why NATO has decided to actually shoot down aircraft this time, despite the fact that there have been numerous violations of the no-fly zone over Bosnia in the past, Mr. Hurd replied: "This was the first time that there was a unit of armed aircraft in operation. Six planes is different in quality from a helicopter". Mr. Hurd said he could not be sure that the incident would have no effect on the peace process. "I am not saying that the peace process is now irreversible. I am just saying that it is possible that we are at the beginning of the end of this nightmare". "There will be no military victory in Bosnia", Mr. Hurd said, "so there has to be a freely negotiated settlement". The negotiated peace has to begin with a substantial Serb withdrawal, he said, adding that the Serbs themselves acknowledged that they were occupying "more land than can be justified". Mr. Hurd was informed of the incident during talks with Defence Minister Gerasimos Arsenis but declined to comment to reporters before beginning on talks with his Greek counterpart Karolos Papoulias. Hurd calls for Greece, FYROM dialogue to settle differences ----------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 1/3/1994 (ANA) - British Foreign Secretary Douglas Hurd yesterday advocated for Greece's dialogue with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) to resolve their differences. Mr. Hurd arrived in Athens late Sunday for talks with the Greek government on European Union issues and relations between Greece and FYROM. Branding as "illegal" Greece's decision to bar FYROM from using the northern Greek port of Thessaloniki as retortion measures against Skopjan intransigence, Mr. Hurd said: "We understand the anxieties and concerns of Greece ... but they do not, in our opinion, justify Greek measures which harm the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The measures are in our view illegal and harm the reputation and authority of Greece", Mr. Hurd said. "We believe the measures should be removed", he said after talks with his Greek counterpart Karolos Papoulias on the Yugoslav crisis and the Greek presidency of the European Union. Mr. Hurd also had a meeting with Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou and Defence Minister Gerasimos Arsenis. The British Foreign Secretary said Greece and the neighbouring Balkan republic had to resume United Nations sponsored talks to resolve their dispute. Greece insists that the use of the term "Macedonia" applies only to its northern province of the same name and accuses Skopje authorities that their use of the term implies territorial designs against this Greek northern province. Athens insists the former Yugoslav republic amend its constitution, remove a Greek symbol from its flag and cease hostile propaganda against Greece as preconditions for a resumption of UN dialogue. "We believe there should be negotiations, discussions quickly. The machinery for this exists and we hope that was ways will be found to reactivate this machinery and bring it to use again, quickly", Mr. Hurd said. "Greece is entitled to security, and security rests on settled frontiers which everyone accepts. This I believe is the heart of the problem between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. "We can make this frontier solid so that everybody believes in it. Then the other questions will come easier to handle", Mr. Hurd added. Speaking later at a press conference, Mr. Hurd said that the British position on the Skopje issue was the same as that of all Greece's EU partners. "We understand the concerns and anxieties of Greece ... and believe that they should be resolved by negotiation. We do not believe that they justify the measures which have been taken, whether from the legal point of view or from the point of view of Greece's position in the EU", Mr. Hurd said. During his talks in Athens yesterday, Mr. Hurd said that he had discussed "how negotiations can get back on the road so that these measures can be withdrawn as soon as possible". Replying to questions, Mr. Hurd stressed that there were "very strong reasons from the Greek point of view in moving towards solving this problem as soon as possible". Meanwhile Foreign Ministry sources yesterday described as "hard-line, yet anticipated" Mr. Hurd's positions on Greece's retortion measures against FYROM. Commenting on Mr. Hurd's statements, government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos stressed the political character of the retortion measures, adding that "they serve political targets". Mr. Venizelos elaborated, saying the retortion measures "contribute to the stability and safety in the greater region (of the Balkans)". Branding them "a national security issue", he noted the "economic and customs consequences" of the retortion measures were of secondary character. "They are not the aim of the retortion measures", he said. Cyprus problem -------------- Athens, 1/3/1994 (ANA) - Turning to the Cyprus issue, Mr. Hurd said there was now a new opportunity to achieve the Confidence Building Measures "which in turn could lead to an agreement" on the Cyprus problem. Referring to the latest round of UN-brokered proximity talks on UN package of confidence measures between Cyprus President Glafcos Clerides and Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash, Mr. Hurd said that "these opportunities come and go, they are usually missed. It is very important that this time, this opportunity should not be missed". Mr. Hurd said that it was "extremely important that the Turkish government should use all its influence on Denktash to take the opportunity, that Clerides should have full encouragement from his friends in Greece and elsewhere to take the opportunity, and that the representative of the UN Secretary General, Joe Clark, should also be encouraged to use all his efforts to take the opportunity". If these opportunities are missed, Mr. Hurd added, "then I fear that they will not quickly come again". Mr. Hurd also had a meeting yesterday with main Opposition leader Miltiades Evert focusing on the Skopje issue, developments in the Balkans and the Cyprus problem. At the meeting, Mr. Evert detailed Greece's positions on the Skopje issue and his peace initiative on the Balkans. He also noted the need for a quick solution to the Cyprus problem and the Palestinian issue. In another development, Political Party leader Antonis Samaras, commenting on Mr. Hurd's statements yesterday, told the press he was not "surprised" by what Mr. Hurd has said "since he as well as (Dutch European Commissioner Hans) van den Broek are more or less (Skopje President Kiro) Gligorov's advocates". "What grieves me most is that the Greek politicians unfortunately speak the same language", he said. Air incident confirms soundness of Greek position ------------------------------------------------- Athens, 1/3/94 (ANA) - National Defence Minister Gerasimos Arsenis said yesterday that the shooting down of four Serbian planes over Banja Luka by two NATO F-16 jetfighters confirmed the soundness of Greece's position that Balkan countries should abstain from the war in Bosnia. He said it was "surprising that shot-down planes were training aircraft". "The shooting confirms the soundness of Greece's position that no Balkan country should take part, either directly or indirectly, in Allied activities that could result in hostilities (in the region)" Mr Arsenis told reporters. "Greece", he went on, "does not participate either directly or indirectly in air raids that NATO might decide". He said Greek military observers in Zagreb were there in the context of "a separate, European Union, initiative". NATO later confirmed in Brussels the shooting down of the four planes in the no-fly zone, but a Bosnian-Serb military spokesman in Belgrade denied that the aircraft belonged to the Bosnian-Serb airforce. Chief of the Greek National Defence General Staff Admiral Christos Lymberis reiterated that no Greek crews were taking part in AWAC flights. Meanwhile the Greek National Defence General Staff was in a state of vigilance following the shooting down, according to informed sources. The sources added that the General Staff was closely following developments in Bosnia-Herzegovina after reports that two US F-16 fighters had shot down the four planes. Mr Arsenis held talks earlier yesterday with visiting British Foreign Secretary Douglas Hurd on the situation in the Balkans, Greek-Turkish relations and developments in the Cyprus problem, as well as co-operation between Greece and Britain. The two men also discussed the shooting down of the Serb aircraft. Meanwhile Government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos described the shooting down as a "regrettable and alarming" incident. Mr Venizelos underlined however that the "actual circumstances" of the incident were still under investigation. "What is important", Mr. Venizelos said, "is that the peace process in Bosnia is not obstructed". Main opposition New Democracy leader Miltiades Evert said there was no particular cause for concern. "There have been many similar events in the past", he said. Former ND Defence Minister Ioannis Varvitsiotis expressed concern over the incident, adding that it was possible "the shooting of the aircraft is part of a scheme to divert attention of the international public opinion from the recent events in Hebron". The Communist Party of Greece (KKE) said the incident heralded the beginning of Western intervention in the region. In a statement the KKE said Nato's new strategy had "nothing to do with the intention of preserving peace, but supporting politicians who promote the interest of dominant circles, even through military operations". KKE condemned NATO for its action as well as the government for "not closing the NATO base at Action and withdrawing Greek soldiers manning AWACs surveillance planes". The Coalition of the Left and Progress (SYN) said the shooting down was a show of US strength that threatened the future of peace efforts for Bosnia. In a statement, the leftist party called on the government to request detailed explanations from NATO and fully brief the Greek people on the incident. EU Commission receives Greek report on legal aspect of Skopje measures ------------------------------------------------------------- Brussels, 1/3/1994 (ANA - G Daratos) - The European Commission has received a report on the legal justification to Skopje retortion measures from the Greek government. The report was drawn up by the Foreign Ministry, setting out a point-by-point reply to all accusations that Greece had violated a series of European Union Treaty articles and Community regulations. The eight-page report is in the European Commission's translating department, and a press spokesman said it is hoped its translation into French will be ready by tomorrow to enable the Commission to discuss the contents at its regular weekly meeting. A letter with a political content which Greek Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou addressed to Commission President Jacques Delors last Friday will also be examined. Papoulias, Vance Skopje meeting in Geneva March ----------------------------------------------- Athens, 1/3/1994 (ANA) - Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias will meet with UN mediator on the Skopje issue Cyrus Vance on March 10 in Geneva, government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos announced yesterday. The spokesman said that the object of the meeting, to be held at Mr. Vance's initiative, will be to present the Greek government's positions on the Skopje issue in the wake of retortion measures taken by Athens against the neighbouring state. Kaklamanis meets with French Parliament speaker ----------------------------------------------- Athens, 1/3/1994 (ANA) - Parliament President Apostolos Kaklamanis met with French National Assembly President Philippe Seguin yesterday for talks on national matters relating to chambers of representatives. Mr. Kaklamanis referred to Greece's role in the Balkans adding the Greek people were bitterly disappointed because the European Union had not shown solidarity on a Greek national identity issue. Mr. Seguin expressed satisfaction for the targets set by the Greek EU Presidency on combating unemployment, rapprochement with eastern European countries and democratisation of European institutions. Addressing a dinner given in Mr. Seguin's honour, Mr. Kaklamanis referred to the Cyprus question and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) issue. "We are not prepared to tolerate the forging of our history by Skopje (FYROM), and usurpation of our historic symbols and our cultural heritage", Mr. Kaklamanis called on Greece's "allies" to contribute towards overcoming FYROM's intransigence to make possible normalisation of relations between the two countries. Greece, Belgium favour Bosnia political settlement -------------------------------------------------- Athens, 1/3/1994 (ANA) - Greece and Belgium favour a political solution to the problem of former Yugoslavia, according to statements yesterday by the National Defence General Staff Chiefs of the two countries. The Belgian National Defence General Staff Chief said military pressure being exerted should move in the direction of a political solution to the problem, terming yesterday's incident in Banja Luka "serious". Greek National Defence General Staff Chief Admiral Christos Lymberis said the specific incident in Banja Luka will not constitute a reason for a change in course for greater efforts for peace in the region. He said that Greece, being a Balkan country, and in its capacity as European Union President contributes and will continue to contribute toward bringing peace in the region. Mr. Lymberis called on leaders to ensure that minor incidents which might take place in the future should not obstruct efforts for a peaceful solution to the problem. General Staffs, he said, are vigilant and closely watching developments in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Mr. Lymberis did not rule out the possibility of a mistake in the assessment that the four training aircraft shot down by two US F-16 jetfighters 50 miles Southwest of Bajia Luka in the prohibited flight zone in western Bosnia were Bosnian Serb. He said he cannot be categorical whether or not international regulations were observed, because these is no clear picture of the incident. He said Serbia's arsenal includes such training aircraft and Bosnian Serbs also possess a small number. Mr. Lymberis referred to a statement by a Serb official who denied the downed aircraft belonged to the Serbian side. Greek observers active in Zagreb and other cities in the European Union framework are in no danger and all necessary measures have been taken for the safety of Greek staff, he said. The Belgian National Defence General Staff Chief will visit the Special Forces Training Centre and Gleet Headquarters today. FM leaves on Middle East EU tour -------------------------------- Athens, 1/3/1994 (ANA) - Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias leaves today on a Middle East tour in his capacity as President of the European Union Council of Ministers, government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said yesterday. The tour was of particular importance following developments in the region in the wake of the Hebron mosque massacre, Mr. Venizelos added. Mr. Papoulias will be accompanied on the tour by EU External Political Affairs Commissioner Hans van den Broek. He will join Mr. Van den Broek in Israel. A Foreign Minister statement said Mr. Papoulias six-day Middle East tour includes visits to Tunis, Jordan, Israel, Egypt and Syria. Mr. Papoulias is scheduled for talks with Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) leader Yasser Arafat, King Hussein of Jordan, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Syrian President Hafez Al Assad. "The tour of the Greek Foreign Minister reflects the interest of the European Union in the (Middle East) peace process, especially after the tragic incident at Hebron", the statement said. Mr. Papoulias will have an opportunity to discuss bilateral issues with officials of the states he will visit during his tour, the statement added.