From: tzarros@ccs.carleton.ca (Theodore Zarros) Subject: News (in ENGLISH)- Thu, 29 Sep 1994 (Greek Press Office BBS, Ottawa). Athens News Agency Bulletin, 29/9/1994 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * UN: Papoulias appeals for int'l pressure on Turkey over Cyprus troop withdrawal * Balkans * Papoulias, Soysal meeting aimed at defusing tension-Venizelos * Government reviews Greek-Albanian relations * Mitsotakis statement recalls he voluntarily resigned ND leadership * Manos cautions embargo on Skopje leads Greece to isolation * Greece looks to EU help for settling issues with northern neighbours * Foreign Ministry briefs SYN mission on Tirana visit eve UN: Papoulias appeals for int'l pressure on Turkey over Cyprus troop withdrawal ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ New York, 29/9/1994 (ANA-M.Georgiadou): Greece yesterday called upon the international community to exert pressure on Turkey to withdraw its troops from Cyprus and end the 20-year old occupation of 37 per cent of the island republic's territory. "Twenty years after the Turkish invasion of Cyprus and twenty years after this august body in this very Hall demanded the immediate withdrawal of all foreign occupying troops, a considerable part of Cyprus is still under occupation, basic human rights are still being violated, and the tragedy of the refugees and of the missing and enclaved persons persists," Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias said in his address to the 49th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations. "There is no doubt that the Turkish military presence on the island, which has gone unpunished for so many years, is at the root of this provocative Turkish behaviour. This is the reason why we believe that the efforts of the international community should focus, as a matter of priority, on the withdrawal of the Turkish occupying troops. In this context, (Cyprus) President (Glafcos) Clerides' fair and balanced proposal for the demilitarization of Cyprus should be duly taken into consideration," Mr. Papoulias said. "The Secretary-General's recent efforts are in progress and we are waiting for the results that they will yield. However, the international community's mere verbal support to the Secretary-General's initiative is not sufficient. The time has come to assist the Secretary-General with concrete actions pointing at Ankara which is, of course, the key factor for developments in Cyprus. If, nevertheless, those efforts are not successful, the international community will have to consider, as has happened in ot her cases, new alterantive methods and measures that will ensure the implementation of United Nations resolutions on Cyprus which call for the restoration of the sovereignty, the territorial integrity, and the unity of the Republic of Cyprus, together wit h the respect of the rights of all its citizens," he added. Balkans ~~~~~~ New York, 29/9/1994 (ANA-M.Georgiadou): Furthermore, Mr. Papoulias said: "As a representative of a Balkan state that has a primary interest in the stability in the Balkans, and contributes decisively to its consolidation, I will refer specifically to the conflict in the former Yugoslavia, which continues to be a source of serious concern to the international community, and to European countries in particular. "In spite of the major efforts ot the international community, war is raging in the area for the fourth consecutive year. Countless are the victims, and the number of refugees is increasing dramatically. Greece actively participates in international peace-making efforts. My country has undertaken a series of initiatives, aiming at a political solution of the conflict through negotiations, particularly during the first half of this year when she held the Presidency of the European Union. "The concentration of efforts aiming to end the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina does not mean that less attention should be paid to a solution of the problem of the Krajinas, nor that its importance should be underestimated. Greece is willing to contribute actively to the rapproachement of the parties involved, so that a settlement acceptable to all may be achieved. "We have inherited yet another problem from the dissolution of the former Yugoslavia: that of FYROM. It lies in the fact that the new state insists in calling itself "Macedonia". The Greek people and the Greek Government cannot accept this denomination because, together with provisions of the Constitution of FYROM, the propaganda against our country, as well as the appropriation of Greek national emblems on their flag, it indicates irredentist claims against Greece. We hope that the good offices of Mr. (UN Skopje mediator Cyrus) Vance, on the basis of resolution 817 (1993), and the ensuing negotiating process, in the framework of which Greece has demonstrated her good will and constructive approach, will soon bear fruit." Referring to Albania, Mr. Papoulias said: "On the other side, the large Greek Minority in Albania, which had been deprived of all its rights by the previous regime, hoped, after the latter's fall, for a change in the way its members would be treated. Unfortunately, the new Albanian Government has pursued the policies of its predecessors. Members of the Minority are persecuted, while many of the internationally recognized fundamental human and minority rights are being violated in practice, in spite of the verbal assurances to the contrary given by the Albanian government. This is the case, for instance, of educational rights, an area in which the High Commissioner for Minorities of the CSCE (Conference for Security and Co-operation in Europe) Mr. Van Der Stoel, with whom the Greek Government is harmoniously cooperating, is actively involved. "The oppresive policy of the Albanian Government culminated in the harsh sentences delivered against five leading members of the Greek Minority, after a parody of the administration of justice, in the course of both the preliminary investigation and the trial itself, as it has been witnessed by unprejudiced observers from international organisations. All the above justify the impression that the Albanian leadership is promoting a climate of harassment of the Greek Minority, in order to force its members to abandon their ancestral homes. "Greece reaffirms, as she has assured the Secretary-General, that she sincerely favours the development of good neighbourly relations and constructive co-operation with Albania, and calls on the Albanian Government to respect, in conformity with its international commitments, the human rights and the individual freedoms of the Greek Minority, so as to create the necessary conditions which will ensure such relations," he added. Turning to other issues, Mr. Papoulias said "special attention is due to the African continent, not only as far as the settlement of political disputes between States is concerned, but also with regard to the establishment of the requisite political, economic and social conditions for the restoration of peace and security and the improvement of the economic situation in all African countries." Moreover, Mr. Papoulias said he deemed necessary "to underline the importance that Greece attaches to the struggle against the international scourge of terrorism." "My country," he told the assembly, "condemns unequivocally all terrorist acts and contributes actively to all efforts aiming at their elimination, including in the framework of its close co-operation with third countries and competent international orga nisations." "However," he added, "I want to stress the point that economic and social development, the safeguarding of the rule of law and the respect of human rights and individual freedoms are the most efficient and radical means to that end." Papoulias, Soysal meeting aimed at defusing tension-Venizelos ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Athens, 29/9/1994 (ANA): Government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said yesterday that Tuesday's meeting between Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias and his Turkish counterpart Mumtaz Soysal aimed at defusing tension between Ankara and Athens. Mr. Venizelos said the meeting had been held in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meeting. Relations between Greece and Turkey recently soured over boundaries and rights in the Aegean, where several Greek islands lie close to the Turkish coast. Ankara has threatened to go to war if Greece decides to extend its territorial waters to 12 nautical miles from six at present. Greece argues that expanding its boundaries in the Aegean is a sovereign right. Meanwhile, in New York, Mr. Papoulias told reporters his meeting with Mr. Soysal focused on a review of Greek-Turkish relations. "It is necessary to create another climate, a better climate in Greek-Turkish relations," Mr. Papoulias said. "A climate," he added, "which will be productive and serve as a basis for relations of good neighbourliness and peaceful co-existence." Mr. Soysal told the press "we have met to show the world and our peoples that ministers of neighbouring countries can meet and have a sincere exchange of views and present our respective differences to one another." He added the two men had come together to "decide that de-escalation of tension is necessary, and discuss problems one by one, in order to create the necessary climate which should prevail between neighours." "Neighbours," Mr. Soysal said, "will always remain neighbours." "Geography does not change, and the wisest thing that neighbours can do is to find ways to live together in peace, and not fight each other," the Turkish Foreign Minister added. Greek diplomatic sources said that prior to the meeting, the head of the Greek delegation had detailed the positions of the Greek government to his Turkish counterpart on the following points: Greece's right to extend its terrritorial waters to 12 nautical miles from the present six in the Aegean, terrorism, and the international character of the Cyprus problem which, by remaining unresolved, poses an obstacle to relations between Athens and Ankara. Greece, the sources said, made clear that it would not enter into talks with Turkey on all issues, nor would it negotiate issues related to its national or sovereign rights. Government reviews Greek-Albanian relations ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Athens, 29/9/1994 (ANA): Government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos yesterday said the government was reviewing all aspects of the Greek-Albanian relations, including the position of the ethnic Greek political organisation Omonia. Mr. Venizelos was commenting on a statement by Omonia leader Soteris Kyriazatis to Agence France Presse that Greece should enter into dialogue with Albania without prior conditions and open the common border to Albanian immigrants. Asked, the spokesman said Greece was closely following proceedings at the appeals trial of the five ethnic Greeks convicted by a Tirana court on charges of military espionage and illegal possession of arms. Greek-Albanian relations have been strained after the five ethnic Greeks were handed down jail sentences of between six to eight years by a Tirana court. Greece said the trial was meant to terrorise its community in Albania and retaliated by blocking European Union financial aid to Albania. Greece called on the international community to exert pressure on Tirana to release the ethnic Greeks. Meantime Albania yesterday introduced visas for Greeks wishing to enter the country, adding another obstacle to the normalisation of relations between the two neighours. The move, a decree by President Sali Berisha approved by Albania's parliament, was a counter-measure after Greece closed its border with Albania this month, Tirana radio said. Mitsotakis statement recalls he voluntarily resigned ND leadership ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Athens, 29/9/1994 (ANA): Former Prime Minister Constantinos Mitsotakis yesterday issued a statement, in which he tried to dampen turbulence within the main opposition party following recent developments, especially by former Parliament president Mr Athanasios Tsaldaris's claim Tuesday that the former PM was planning a comeback to the leadership of the party. Mr Mitsotakis said he had resigned from the leadership of the party voluntarily, and that he was doing the best he could for the New Democracy party to which he belonged, and for which he was fighting. "It is natural and self-evident", he said, "that our PASOK opponents, who are in their post-Papandreou period, and will certainly disintegrate, will do everything they can to create problems for New Democracy." The former prime minister yesterday met with a number of main opposition party deputies, including George Karatzaferis, whose letter to Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou in June, pledging support for his possible candidacy for the presidency of the Republic in Spring 1995, was revealed Sunday by the newspaper 'To Vima', unleashing a storm of reactions inside the party. After the meeting, Mr Karatzaferis said he had asked the president of the party's disciplinary council, to which he has been referred, to speed up procedures for his case, as any delay was to the detriment of the party. Meanwhile, government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos stated yesterday that the government would not discuss or accept any positions or proposals such as the one made to the Prime Minister by Mr Karatzaferis. The latter had accompanied his pledge of support with a proposal for the formation of an all-party government. Commenting on New Democracy leader Miltiades Evert's statement that a new general election would be held in the spring, because of the present parliament's inability to elect a president of the Republic, the government spokesman reiterated an older statement saying that institutions were downgraded when the leader of the main opposition party considered that the procedure for the election of President could be used as a tool for dissolving Parliament. Meanwhile, in a carefully worded statement yesterday, former National Economy Minister Stefanos Manos distanced himself from the official party line, saying that "Greece suffers not only from lack of ideas, but also from lack of boldness and planning", adding that he could not continue an active life in politics in such a climate of general apathy. Manos cautions embargo on Skopje leads Greece to isolation ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Athens, 29/9/1994 (ANA): Former New Democracy National Economy Minister Stefanos Manos said yesterday the government decision to clamp a trade embargo on the Former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia (FYROM) was leading Greece to isolation. "The government decision to impose a (trade) embargo on Skopje leads the country to isolation," Mr. Manos told a conference at the Greek-American Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Manos said differences in Greece's bilateral relations with neighbouring states would have been settled easier, had Athens agreed to work with and support them in their transition to market-free economies. "The (adopted) policy towards Skopje is catastrophic for Greece," he said. The socialist government imposed an embargo on the former Yugoslav republic in February, after repeated calls that it change its name, flag and Constitution. Athens argues that claims to the name "Macedonia" imply territorial designs on Greece's northern province of the same name. Greece looks to EU help for settling issues with northern neighbours ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Athens, 29/9/1994 (ANA): Greece expects its European Union partners' help in an effort to resolve differences with its northern neighbours (Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia-FYROM and Albania), on the basis of certain principles, Foreign Under-secretary Yiannos Kranidiotis s aid yesterday. Addressing the Foreign Press Association Mr. Kranidiotis said: "We want our European partners to help us in the effort we are also making to normalise our relations with our northern neighbours, but on the basis of certain principles." Referring to a Franco-German initiative for talks on relations between the European Union and Albania, FYROM and Turkey, as part of the troika (Greece, Germany and France), Mr. Kranidiotis said Greece's response was positive in principle. "There is neither any plan proposed by the Germans and the French in the letter, nor pressure (exerted). There is no pressure whatsoever," he said, adding that "there is a proposal to offer good services" by the Germans and the French in the framework of the troika. "The Greek side's reaction to the proposal is positive, in principle. In the framework of partnership relations we are, of course, open to discussing these problems as well as others," Mr. Kranidiotis said, indicating issues concerning the EU and Cyprus should also be discussed since Cyprus' application for accession to the EU would have to be reconsidered in January, 1995. He said a final reply to the letter would be given in writing after Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias' return from New York. Mr. Kranidiotis said Greece would expect more solidarity and support for its positions both from the EU and the US "Very often, we have the impression that they make selective implementation of rules of international law and sensitivities on human rights," he said, adding that "Greece contributes positively to the EU's political functioning and nature, and has contributed to the common effort for European unification both in the past and at present." Commenting on Maastricht Treaty revision in 1996, he said federal logic sets out guarantees and is in a position to safeguard the role played by small countries in the EU, including their national and cultural characteristics. Greece, he said, wanted a substantive enlargement of the European Parliament's authority in the sector of legislative duties and control of EU executive agencies. "The European Union should initiate machineries to effectively protect the vital interests of its member-states. Such machineries are absent at present, and we should aim at having them initiated in 1996 (during an inter-governmental conference)," he said. Greece has special features, he indicated, that are due to fluidity in the Balkans and Middle East which often leads to contrast between national and common interest. Mr. Kranidiotis expressed hope that after elections were held in FYROM (next month), negotiations would begin for a settlement or exiting tension as soon as possible. Referring to relations with Albania, Mr. Kranidiotis said Greece's policy was clear. It was not pursuing any change in borders but, on the other hand, it would not tolerate violation of the ethnic Greek minority's rights. "If this is understood in Tirana, and if they realise that it is to their interest to safeguard the rights of the minority which might constitute a link of friendship between the two countries, then the way might be paved for a constructive relationship. It would primarily benefit Albania. We would have no significant benefits from increased economic transactions due to the low indicators of the Albanian economy. However, Albania will be able to develop rapidly, provided it attracts Greek economic cooper ation," Mr. Kranidiotis said. Foreign Ministry briefs SYN mission on Tirana visit eve ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Athens, 29/9/1994 (ANA): Foreign Under-secretary Yiannos Kranidiotis yesterday discussed Greek-Albanian relations with a three-member delegation of the Coalition of the Left and Progress (Synaspismos) which starts a visit to Albania today for talks with the Tirana government. Fotis Kouvelis, a leading SYN member, told reporters after the meeting that "we stressed the need" for Greek-Albanian dialogue, stressing dialogue should be promoted "irrespective of the manner in which the (relevant) French-German proposal was made". Mr. Kouvelis added the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE) or the European Union would be "a suitable forum" for such dialogue, in which "we could raise" the rights of the ethnic Greek ethnic minority and the release of the five leadi ng members of the Omonia organisation. Mr. Kouvelis said domestic reasons might prompt Albanian President Sali Berisha to prolong the tension in Greek-Albanian relations for some time, especially as he could hold elections at some unspecified time.