From: tzarros@ccs.carleton.ca (Theodore Zarros) Subject: News (in ENGLISH)- Mon, 9 May 1994 (Greek Press Office BBS, Ottawa). Athens News Agency Bulletin, Venizelos counters Albanian President's claims, "We cannot accept unfounded accusations" ----------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 9/5/1994 (ANA): Greece said on Saturday it was firmly committed to safeguarding human rights for the 400,000-strong ethnic Greek community in Albania. "The rights of the Greek minority are not negotiable. They are defined by international law, and it would be proper for the Albanian government and public authorities to respect them", said government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos. He reiterated that good relations between the two countries hinged on Albania's respect for the human rights of the Greek ethnic minority. Mr. Venizelos also deplored recent attacks against a Greek-Orthodox prelate in Albania. Commenting on recent accusations by Albanian President Sali Berisha against Greece, Mr. Venizelos said that "too many and too intense statements do not help cultivating good relations between the two countries". President Berisha on Saturday accused Greece of irredentism and requested it complied with the provisions of the Maastricht Treaty. Speaking at a press conference, on his return from a visit to Germany, Mr. Berisha said Greece had irredentist designs against his country, because it did not ratify the Florence Treaty setting the borders between the two countries. "Ratifying the Treaty would be comparable to ending the warring situation between the two countries", Mr. Berisha said. Referring to the meeting last week between Greek Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias and his Albanian counterpart Alfred Sereqi, Mr. Berisha said although it had been positive, its results were minimal. He also told the press that he was astonished Greece was disturbed every time the Albanian government raised the Tsamides issue since, he claimed, "Greece has recognised the Tsamides right to ownership". Tsamides was an ethnic Albanian group living in Greece up to and including World War II. They collaborated with the German occupation forces. Tsamides fled Greece during the evacuation of the German occupation forces to avoid standing trial as collaborators of the Nazis. Accusing Greece of "violating the UN Charter forbidding propaganda against neighbouring countries", Mr. Berisha congratulated the ethnic Greek minority in Albania because, he claimed, "they have closed their ears to constant appeals made through broadcasting stations in Konitsa and Corfu, inciting them to take up arms against the state". Meanwhile in Athens, responding to press questions over Albanian allegations of terrorist acts against Albania from Greek soil, Mr. Venizelos said such accusations had been served appropriate answers during meetings with the Albanian delegation and between Mr. Sereqi and Mr. Papoulias. "Indeed, we gave them simple answers since the Albanian side did not come up with any evidence. "Greece cannot accept unfounded accusations and slanderous hints", Mr. Venizelos said. Greece: US "strongly committed" to speedy settlement of Skopje issue ----------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 9/5/1994 (ANA): Government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said on Saturday that Washington was strongly committed to a speedy settlement of Greece's dispute with the Former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia (FYROM). "There is clear interest from the American side for a quick settlement of the Skopje issue", said Mr. Venizelos in Thessaloniki, northern Greece. He made the statement in response to questions by news media on Friday's telephone conversation between Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou and US President Bill Clinton. He said the conversation, which also focused on the 20-year-old Cyprus dispute, was initiated by the US side and reflected a "continuation of talks which the two leaders recently had in Washington". "The United States understands Greek positions and wants a quick settlement of the problem, something which we also wish", Mr. Venizelos added. He did not say whether or not President Clinton had proposed a specific initiative to end the over two-year-old dispute between Greece and the Former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia. Greece has pressed the former Yugoslav republic to change its name, flag and Constitution, accusing it of having territorial claims on the northern Greek province of Macedonia. US interest in the dispute led President Clinton to assign a special State Department envoy to help mediate the problem, and bring both sides back to the United Nations negotiating table to resume dialogue. Meanwhile in Skopje, news of the telephone conversation between Mr. Papandreou and president Clinton were broadcast and headlined on the media, with a noted reference to President Clinton's statement during Mr. Papandreou's visit to the US, in April, that he understood Greek concerns. Papoulias on EU visit to Saudi Arabia -------------------------------------- Athens, 9/5/1994 (ANA): Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias, representing the EC whose rotating presidency Greece holds currently, yesterday left for Saudi Arabia Saturday for talks with Gulf Arab states on proposed energy taxes an free trade. Government sources said talks between the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) and EU member-states would include ways to correct an EU trade surplus with the GCC and review a study on damage caused by EU taxes on oil and its products. After Riyadh, Mr. Papoulias will fly to Luxembourg to attend a meeting of Western European Union (WEU) ministers opening today. Evert: No third party should interfere in Greek-Albanian relations ----------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 9/5/1994 (ANA): Main opposition New Democracy party leader Miltiades Evert yesterday completed a two-day tour of Northern Epirus, southern Albania, telling ethnic Greece living in Albania that Greece is not forgetting them. "Greeks of Albania we are here. We are not forgetting you. You will find us supporting you in all difficulties which you might possibly experience temporarily", Mr. Evert told a press conference in Ioannina at the end of his tour of Delvino and villages in the Sarande region. "I deeply believe in co-operation between the two governments, of Greece and Albania, and this is in the interests of both the Albanian and Greek peoples. It is inconceivable that on the threshold of the 21st century, peoples and states which should be linked with friendship and co-operation for the happiness of their citizens should be at a level of grave misunderstandings. "The Greek people want good relations with the Albanians. I venture to believe that the Tirana government will understand this, and finally realise that the continuation of good relations is to the interest of Albania", Mr. Evert said. "Albanians and Greeks should not allow any third party to interfere in our relations, and divert them from their proper course", he added. "I believe that all parties, regardless of political and ideological position, will shape a common foreign policy to enable the positions of Greeks in Albania to be promoted", Mr. Evert said. He did not rule out the possibility of a visit to Tirana on condition ethnic Greeks belonging to the "Omonia" group are previously released, adding that he would make efforts to meet members of the Berisha administration in the Albanian capital.