From: tzarros@ccs.carleton.ca (Theodore Zarros) Subject: News (in ENGLISH)- Tue, 29 Mar 1994 (Greek Press Office BBS, Ottawa). Athens News Agency Bulletin, Van den Broek has made no compromise proposal on Skopje issue ------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 29/3/1994 (ANA): European Commissioner for External Affairs Hans Van den Broek did not make any compromise proposal on the issue of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) during talks with Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou and Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias , in Athens yesterday. Government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said Mr. van den Broek had "requested a unilateral lifting of Greece's retortion measures against FYROM, for reasons stemming from Community law." Mr. Venizelos told reporters "Mr. Papandreou made it absolutely clear to the European Commissioner that Greece attached special importance to the Cyrus Vance initiative, in the framework of which it had submitted concrete and well-known proposals." "The Prime Minister further underlined the special responsibility of the European Union and its members not to encourage, directly or indirectly, (Skopje President Kiro) Gligorov's continued intransigence," Mr. Venizelos added. "In this context, it is clear that no legal approach to the issue in the framework of the European Union Treaty, could in any circumstances downgrade the political aspect of the problem, which is related to Greece's safety and stability in the broader region," he said. "The issue's political aspect, however, offers in itself adequate legal basis for the Greek retortion measures, and falls under both Community and International law," Mr. Venizelos concluded. The European Commissioner held talks yesterday with Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou and Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias on the imposition of Greek trade sanctions, as retortion measures against the neighbouring Balkan state on February 16. Mr. Van den Broek told the press the European Union's executive body would decide next week on whether or not to refer Greece to the European Court for its month-old measures. "We will have to discuss this (the measures) before the European Commission, and I think that our final conclusion will probably be drawn early after Easter (Sunday)," Mr. Van den Broek said. Athens has barred the former Yugoslav republic from using the northern Greek port of Thessaloniki, in retaliation against its "growing intransigence and aggressive behaviour". Greece wants FYROM to change its name to prove it nurtures no territorial ambitions on the northern Greek province of Macedonia. It also wants the republic to change its flag and amend its Constitution. But European foreign ministers who met at the Northwest Greek city of Ioannina over the weekend, deplored the measures and warned of legal consequences. According to sources, government circles in Athens termed "wrong" efforts by European foreign ministers to raise again the legal aspect of the issue, saying it would not help finding a solution to the issue or facilitate efforts of the Vance initiative. "The European Commission is in a very difficult position, because we are the guardian of European treaties; that is to say, of Community law," Mr. Van den Broek said. "(But) the conclusion is that such measures are very difficult to match with Community law, and the European Commission has a responsibility to shoulder in that respect," he added. Mr. Papoulias told reporters that co-ordinated efforts continued, and the European Commissioner's efforts were now boosted by President Clinton's special Skopje mediator Matthew Nimitz, who was due in Athens yesterday. "There are co-ordinated efforts to overcome difficulties in this national issue," Mr. Papoulias said expressing hope that "results will be positive." Mr. Papoulias said he would meet with UN Skopje mediator Cyrus Vance in New York soon. Diplomatic sources yesterday underlined that the government had made its position clear to Mr. Van den Broek, stressing that Athens would stick by its decision to clamp retortion measures until tangible signs of good will are displayed by the Skopje government. Without them, unilateral moves by Greece cannot take place, the sources said. Legal consequences would affect efforts by United Nations envoy Cyrus Vance to settle the two-year-old dispute through UN-sponsored talks, the sources added. Greek policy constructive, conciliatory - Venizelos --------------------------------------------------- Athens, 29/3/1994 (ANA): Greece's policy on FYROM is both constructive and conciliatory, the government said yesterday, criticising some of its European partners for "encouraging Skopjan intransigence". Government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said the framework of Greek foreign policy on the FYROM issue was "specific, constructive and conciliatory". It was most peculiar, he added, that when efforts by UN special mediator on the Skopje issue Cyrus Vance were still under way, certain EU foreign ministers had made statements which directly or indirectly encouraged Skopjan intransigence. Mr. Venizelos was referring to statements by several EU foreign ministers on the sidelines of the two-day informal meeting in Ioannina last weekend, calling on Greece to lift its trade sanctions against FYROM. "All that is said is heard by Skopje President Kiro Gligorov, who has an established bent to misconstrue," the spokesman said. Mr. Venizelos said that such statements did not help the Vance initiative. The weekend talks in Ioannina did not raise the issue of Greece's being referred to the European Court because of its trade sanctions against FYROM, the spokesman said. In a related development, Mr. Venizelos announced that President (Bill) Clinton's special envoy on the Skopje issue, Matthew Nimitz, was due in Athens for talks yesterday. Mr. Venizelos reiterated the letter sent to Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou last week from President Clinton was "friendly and constructive". He said that the letter referred to the diplomatic framework of preparations for Mr. Papandreou's forthcoming visit to the US. In the last paragraph of the letter, Mr. Venizelos said, Mr. Clinton referred to the State Department directive stipulating that 'Macedonia' should not be used by the US as a name for FYROM. San Jose conference under way ------------------------------ Athens, 29/3/1994 (ANA): The sessions of the 10th San Jose Conference got under way last night focusing on closer co-operation between the European Union and countries of Central America in the economic, trade and political sectors. Addressing the opening of the conference, Foreign Minister and President of the EU Council of Ministers Karolos Papoulias said the European Union recognised efforts made by countries in Central America in the democratisation sector over the last decade, adding that satisfactory progress had been achieved through continuous dialogue. Mr. Papoulias said the EU supports countries in Central America for the success of targets set. Alternate Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos said the new agreement reached with those countries in 1993 "shows our willingness to further strengthen and deepen our relationship through both political and economic actions. We must strengthen political dialogue." European Commission Vice-President Manuel Marin said the EU had given aid to countries in Central America amounting to 1.2 billion dollars (Community aid to these countries totals 500 million dollars a year). The EU, he said, is the first aid donor to countries in Central America, followed by the United States and Japan. Representatives from Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Belize, Venezuela, Panama, Colombia and Mexico will be participating in the two-day conference. The European Union will sign three agreements to fund co-operation programmes between the 12-nation bloc and the so-called San Jose 10, Greek EU presidency sources said. They said the first agreement concerned EU funding of Central American development programmes totalling four million ECUs. The aid will go to agricultural co-operatives primarily in Costa Rica, Panama, Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua. The two other agreements, totalling 20 million ECUs, concern co-operation programmes with Salvador. The EU is Central America's second largest trade partner after the United States. In 1992, European imports from Central American countries totalled 20 percent of their trade. Exports were estimated at 30 per cent. G. Papandreou back, satisfied with Washington talks ------------------------------------------------- Athens, 29/3/1994 (ANA): Foreign Under-secretary George Papandreou returned from the US yesterday, after five days of talks on the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), the Cyprus problem and the Bosnian crisis. Speaking to reporters on arrival in Athens, Mr. Papandreou expressed satisfaction over his talks with US State Department officials. On the FYROM issue, he said that the climate in the US was "positive", adding: "I am under the impression that they (the Americans) consider the Greek proposals reasonable, and are willing to contribute to efforts to overcome problems." Mr. Papandreou said he had met with President (Bill) Clinton's newly-appointed special envoy on the Skopje issue, Matthew Nimitz (due in Athens later yesterday for talks with the government), but had not discussed specific proposals on settling the problem. Papoulias to confer with Mexican counterpart -------------------------------------------- Athens, 29/3/1994 (ANA): Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias is scheduled to meet with his Mexican counterpart Manuel Tello today, on matters of bilateral interest. Only dispute with Turkey over continental shelf ----------------------------------------------- Athens, 29/3/1994 (ANA): Greece said yesterday its only dispute with Turkey related to defining the Aegean continental shelf, all other issues being unilateral Turkish demands. As far as Greece is concerned, Mr. Venizelos said, any improvement in Greek-Turkish relations depended on a settlement of the Cyprus problem which, he added, was one of invasion, occupation and violation of human rights. "The only problem between Greece and Turkey - and it happens to be a legal dispute - is over defining the (Aegean) continental shelf, on which Greece has made proposals. All other issues are unilateral Turkish demands which bring tension," Mr. Venizelos said. The spokesman went on to accuse "certain circles" in Turkey's political and military leadership of trying to create tension in Greek-Turkish relations, wondering whether or not it might be "for purely domestic reasons". Replying to questions on violations of Greek air space by Turkish war planes on March 25, Greek Independence Day (from Ottoman rule), Mr. Venizelos said they were "organised and fraught with symbolism". Asked if Greece intended to raise the matter with the European Union, Mr. Venizelos replied the issue of Turkish violations and infringements was raised from time to time "in a most appropriate manner". The spokesman expressed doubt on whether or not the EU was the most appropriate forum for raising the issue of violations. Asked to clarify rumours that in his letter to Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou, President Bill Clinton had asked the latter to "help" Turkish Prime Minister Tancu Ciller through the difficult times she was facing -- Mr. Venizelos, said the fundamental axis of American foreign policy concerning Greek-Turkish relations focused on de-escalating tension.