From: tzarros@ccs.carleton.ca (Theodore Zarros) Subject: News (in ENGLISH)- Mon, 5 Sep 1994 (Greek Press Office BBS, Ottawa). Athens News Agency Bulletin, September 5, 1994 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * Papoulias, Clinton advisor discuss Greek-Albanian relations * Venizelos interview with Albanian daily * Premier, Tsohatzopoulos messages for PASOK 20th anniversary * Painter Hadzikyriakos-Ghikas dies Papoulias, Clinton advisor discuss Greek-Albanian relations ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Athens, 5/9/1994 (ANA): Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias and US President Bill Clinton's special advisor on Central and Eastern Europe, Richard Shifter, met Saturday to discuss Greek-Albanian relations. Government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos later told a press conference in Thessaloniki the Greek government would welcome international pressure exerted on Albania to drop the case of five ethnic Greeks accused of spying for Greece. "The government considers positive any international pressure on the Albanian government, aimed at respect of international law, human rights and the rights of the ethnic Greek minority," Mr. Venizelos told reporters. Meantime, tension soared to a new high between the two Balkan neighbours as Albania chose to ignore Greek warnings to drop the case of the five ethnic Greeks, and an Albanian court is due to issue its verdicts on Wednesday. "We hope that even at the 11th hour Albania will show wisdom and allow all five to go home," Foreign Under-Secretary for European Affairs Y. Kranidiotis told reporters last week. Tension grew between the two countries after a trial opened in Tirana this month, in which five ethnic Greek members of the political organisation, Omonia, are accused of espionage and illegal arms possession. Last week, an Albanian prosecutor demanded jail sentences of between seven and nine years for the defendants. Athens sharply criticised the demand saying it was indicative of the trial's political character. Since the trial began, Greece has tightened control at the country's sea and land boundaries with Albania and blocked European Union aid to Albania. Mr. Venizelos told the press Saturday Greece had initially agreed to the release of a two-part EU-aid package to Albania, but Tirana's decision to press ahead with the trial led Athens to reverse its position. "Greece... had agreed to the release of aid provided human rights were safeguarded. This position was conveyed to the Albanian government by our Ambassador in Tirana. But hours after doing so, the indictment of the five was announced," Mr. Venizelos said. "This move compelled us to alter our position on the issue," he added. Venizelos interview with Albanian daily ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Athens, 5/9/1994 (ANA): "The changing of the borders (with Albania) was never an issue with Greece," Mr. Venizelos said in an interview which appeared in the Saturday edition of the Albanian newspaper "Koha Yon". "Northern Epirus (southern Albania) is a geographical and a historical term," Mr. Venizelos said, adding that "no serious person could believe that Greece, in the present situation or the role which it plays on an international scale, challenges existing borders in the Balkans, especially the Greek-Albanian border." "Greek foreign policy is based on two principles: that of stability, peace and safety in the region, and that of respect of human rights, especially respect of the rights of the ethnic Greek minority in Albania," the newspaper quoted Mr. Venizelos. He termed "provocative and meaningless" all direct and indirect accusations against Greek authorities, linking them with spying, expansionism and violation of territorial integrity. In reference to the trial of the five Omonia members, the Press and Mass Media Minister termed the accusation as "groundless". Mr. Venizelos said Greece's release of European Union aid to Albania and the normalisation of relations between the two countries "hinge on the Albanian government's attitude toward respect of human rights." On recent round-ups and deportations of thousands of illegal Albanian immigrants, Mr. Venizelos said the "Albanians were not refugees (and, therefore, not expelled) but illegal immigrants who entered Greece without authorisation and had no residence permit." He added deportations were not intended as counter-measures, but were meant instead to protect Greece's borders and territorial integrity, as well as fight crime and preserve order in the country. Mr. Venizelos said Greece acted in a similar way as did all European countries that were members of the Schengen Agreement. He added that had Albania accepted a Greek proposal to settle matters of seasonal employment of Albanians in Greece, there would have been no need for deportations. Referring to Albanian claims of a "Greek-Serbian axis aiming at destabilising the Balkan region and changing existing borders", Mr. Venizelos said: "Both President Sali Berisha and Foreign Minister Alfred Sereqi have taken a huge 'phoney' step in an effort to accuse Greece of preferential relations with Serbia and (accuse) the two countries as being destabilising factors in the Balkans. "Although they have no evidence of this, yet they proceed with such accusations, at a time when everyone is aware that Albanian populations in the Balkan countries are turned into factors of either stability or destabilisation, according to the policies of the official Albanian authorities," he said. In another development, Communist Party of Greece (KKE) deputy Orestis Kolozov yesterday said the Tirana trial was one of expediency and the Court's verdict would be a clear indication of its political character. He suggested the attitude of the Albanian government concerning the trial had been approved by the United States and called on the Greek government to reveal the role of the US. Premier, Tsohatzopoulos messages for PASOK 20th anniversary ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Athens, 5/9/1994 (ANA): Premier Andreas Papandreou, leader and president of the Executive Bureau of the ruling Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK), in a message marking the 20th anniversary of the party's creation, said yesterday: "The concepts, proposals, targets and visions expressed by PASOK come from very far and stretch very far. They are irretrievably linked to struggles and visions of generations and social forces related to national independence and integrity, freedom, democracy and popular sovereignty, deep social reforms and changes in social justice, progress and socialism." Today, the message noted, after an unprecedented 20-year record involving struggles, an eight-year administration and a three-year parenthesis by the neo-liberal hurricane, PASOK was in power again, reflecting the big wave of the social and political majority, mature and conscious of its major responsibilities toward the country and the Greek people. "Our Movement, having its roots deep among popular forces, a fresh and modern outlook through continuous regeneration and evolution, is an element of hope for our people. Together with the people, we will proceed to handle the nation's crucial problems, and lay the foundations of a new era of progress, growth and social justice," the message concluded. In an exclusive interview with ANA on the occasion of the anniversary, PASOK Executive Committee Secretary Akis Tsohatzopoulos said, among other things, PASOK was satisfied with the manner in which basic sectors of the Administration had functioned in t he past 10 months. "In each case we should try to be conscious of how the Greek people think, what they want or are worried about and adapt our policy to such considerations," he said. Referring to PASOK's European orientation, Mr. Tsohatzopoulos said the historic conjuncture we are going though, calls for promoting European unification in ways that should gain Greece support from European peoples, noting that the European perspective was, at present, a single track for Greece. Painter Hadzikyriakos-Ghikas dies ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Athens, 5/9/1994 (ANA): Famous painter and engraver Nikos Hadzikyriakos-Ghikas died Saturday aged 88. Born in Athens in 1906, Hadzikyriakos worked with master painter Parthenis and studied French literature and painting in Paris between 1922 and 1934. He returned to Greece in 1935 and, ever since, lived at his father's home on the island of Hydra, where he created some of his most important works. He held many exhibitions in Greece and abroad and published the magazine "Third Eye" between 1936-1937. He was elected professor at the Polytechnic's Architecture Faculty in 1941. Hadzikyriakos participated in major international exhibitions in Europe and the US. The Academy presented him with a fine arts award in 1971 and, in 1982, he became an honorary lecturer at Thessaloniki's Aristoteleion University Architecture Faculty. President Constantine Karamanlis inaugurated the Hadzikyriakos-Ghikas museum in Kriezotou Street in 1991. Works of his may be seen at modern art museums in Paris, London and New York, and as illustrations in many books including Kazantzakis' Odyssey and Kavafis' poems. A total of 46 individual exhibitions have been organised to date. His funeral will take place at the Athens First Cemetery at 11.30 a.m. tomorrow. In a statement on the occasion, Culture Minister Thanos Mikroutsikos said: "Nikos Hadzikyriakos-Ghikas was the painter of light. He sought truth through the myths, visions and history of a Greece without boundaries. He combined his memories with all the modern waves of art in a unique way. He was a genuine Greek and a profound European".