From: tzarros@ccs.carleton.ca (Theodore Zarros) Subject: News (in ENGLISH)- Thu, 17 Mar 1994 (Greek Press Office BBS, Ottawa). Athens News Agency Bulletin, EU, Norway agree on accession terms ---------------------------------- Brussels, 17/03/94 (ANA- F.Stangos/Reuter): The European Union agreed to take on Norway as a member yesterday, but failed to resolve a bitter internal dispute over how the 12-nation bloc should function after new countries join next year. "We have achieved a good agreement with Norway serving Norway's incorporation in the European Union, and safeguarding Norwegian interests in a way that the referendum to take place in this country on its accession to the Union will be considered safe", Greek Alternate Foreign and European Affairs Minister Theodoros Pangalos said, announcing the agreement reached in negotiations on Norway's accession to the EU which were led to a successful conclusion at 3 a.m. "We can give out a message of optimism to the European peoples, and give a sign that Europe can work well. I hope we will all be able to said together in this wider Europe", he added. Negotiations between the EU and Norway had stumbled twice in the past on fishing rights, an issue vital for Norwegian public opinion and with Spain making considerable claims. The compromise reached includes Norway's granting EU member states and primarily cohesion fund countries (Spain, Portugal, Ireland and Greece) access to Norwegian fishing regions for quantities of fish totalling 14,000 tonnes a year. In exchange, Spain and Portugal obtained accession to common fishing policy as of 1996, instead of 2003 as provided for in their EC accession agreement in 1986. Norway, last of four candidate countries seeking EU membership from the start of 1995, agreed to terms after solving problems over fishing rights at a meeting of foreign ministers that began Tuesday. Sweden, Austria and Finland have already settled conditions of membership. Their entry will extend the Union's boundaries east to Russia and north beyond the Arctic Circle. Papoulias flies to Washington for Bosnia federation ceremony ------------------------------------------------------------ Athens, 17/03/94 (ANA): Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias leaves today for Washington to attend the signing of a US-sponsored agreement for establishing a federation between Bosnian Croats and Moslems tomorrow, the Foreign Ministry said. Ministry spokesman Constantine Bikas said that Mr. Papoulias would be heading a European Union "troika" delegation. The troika comprises the previous, current and next EU presidents (Belgium, Greece and Germany respectively). According to informed sources, Russian Foreign Minister Andrei Kozyrev is also expected to attend the ceremony. Mr. Bikas said that Mr. Papoulias would fly to Washington direct from Paris, and no visit to New York had been scheduled. WEU leader opposes Turkish deployment in Bosnia ------------------------------------------------ Athens, 17/03/94 (ANA): Sir Dudley Smith, President of the WEU Parliamentary Assembly, yesterday backed Greece's position of non-participation of Balkan states in the Bosnian crisis. Sir Dudley said deployment of Greek or Turkish peacekeeping forces in the republic entailed "great dangers" and should be avoided. He was speaking in Athens after talks between the Chairmen of the WEU parliamentary Assembly and the Greek parliamentary Committee for Defence and Foreign Affairs. Greece reaffirms stand on no Balkan troops Bosnia involvement ------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 17/03/94 (ANA): Greece yesterday reiterated its position that no Balkan country should participate in any form of military intervention in former Yugoslavia, not even as part of UN peacekeeping forces. A presidential office announcement issued after Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou's ono-hour meeting with President Constantine Karamanlis, said that during the meeting "the Yugoslav crisis was reviewed, and Greece's position that no Balkan country should participate in the former Yugoslavia, not even as part of UN peacekeeping forces", was reiterated. Meanwhile, diplomatic sources said yesterday Greece will remain firm in its position that Turkish peacekeeping troops should not be sent to Bosnia. Government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said Tuesday that Greece would continue diplomatic activity to avert a possible deployment of Turkish troops in Bosnia. "The Greek government's position that no Balkan country should become involved in the ongoing civil war in Bosnia is unshakeable", he told reporters. Diplomatic sources underlined that deployment of Turkish troops in Bosnia would not contribute towards a settlement of the crisis, adding if Turkish troops were eventually sent, Greece would have to reconsider its own stance. UN still seeks peace-keepers with 'no historical involvement' ------------------------------------------------------------ United Nations, 17/03/94 (ANA / M. Georgiadou): The United Nations Secretary General continues to seek the participation of countries sharing no borders with former Yugoslavia and with no historical involvement in the Balkans in UNPROFOR, spokesman for Secretary General Mr Joe Sills said yesterday. "There is no change in the Secretary General's position and of the United Nations in general, who continue to actively seek the participation in UNPROFOR of countries falling within the traditional orientations", said Mr Sills, implying countries sharing no borders and with no historical ties with any of the embattled sides. Countries participating in UNPROFOR were scheduled to hold a closed meeting late last night (after 11.30 Greek time), in which "countries which have expressed interest in contributing men to UN peacekeeping forces in former Yugoslavia" had been invited to attend. Countries mentioned were "Germany, Italy, Austria, Turkey and Greece". Greece vetoes EU expansion plan providing FYROM inclusion --------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 17/03/94 (ANA): Greece has vetoed European Commission efforts to expand the PHARE programme to cover the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), the government said yesterday. Government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said that a Commission decision to expand the programme, providing for EU assistance to the countries of the former eastern bloc, had provoked Greece's response in the form of a protest to the competent Commissioner, Sir Leon Brittan. Greece, Mr. Venizelos said, argued that the scope of programme could only be expanded by unanimous decision of the Council of Ministers, not the Commission. The spokesman said that Sir Leon "understood Greece's positions well". Washington freezes establishing relations with Skopje ----------------------------------------------------- Washington 17/03/94 (ANA -D. Dimas): Representative McCloskey, member of the External Affairs Committee, revealed today that the White House will wait for the settlement of differences between Greece and the FYROM, before proceeding with establishing diplomatic relations with the latter. 'I asked Tony Lake (President Clinton's national security adviser) ... and he said that 'our position, essentially, is to wait for the settlement of differences between Greece and "Macedonia" with Cyrus Vance at the rudder, before proceeding to establish diplomatic relations...", stated Mr McCloskey during a Committee hearing on external aid credits for 1995. It is the time the American side makes it officially clear that Washington has "frozen" the issue. EC Commissioner meets FYROM leader in Bonn ------------------------------------------- Bonn, 17/03/94 (Reuter/ANA): European Union External Affairs Commissioner Hans van den Broek met with Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) President Kiro Gligorov for talks over dinner in Bonn yesterday. No official word was available on the meeting from Bonn or Brussels, but Reuters Television journalists saw Mr. van den Broek at the hotel where Mr. Gligorov -on a three-day visit to Germany - is staying.