From: tzarros@ccs.carleton.ca (Theodore Zarros) Subject: News (in ENGLISH)- Tue, 13 Dec 1994 (Greek Press Office BBS, Ottawa). Athens News Agency Bulletin, December 13, 1994 ---------------------------------------------- (Apo to Ellnviko Grafeio Tupou kai Plnroforiwv, Ottaba - grnewsca@sympatico.ca) * Peponis resigns to protest 'undermining' Gov't efforts to reform public sector * Commission says Greece on the way to convergence, needs further efforts * Bishop Sevastianos dies in Ioannina * Arsenis expected to raise Larissa HQ issue at Brussels NATO meetings * Arsenis meets with Cyprus' Eliades on joint defence policy * Kranidiotis meets with Russian deputy FM * Greece reiterates willing to help evacuation of UN peacekeepers from Bosnia * CoE body tells Albania to work on constitution before joining * Meksi 'optimistic' that ethnic Greek five will be released soon * Moraitis meets Steichen on wine, tobacco matters * 'Indiscriminate exploitation of Mediterranean' must be curtailed, fishing conference told Peponis resigns to protest 'undermining' Gov't efforts to reform public sector ----------------------------------------------- Athens, 13/12/94 (ANA): Minister to the Prime Minister's Office Anastasios Peponis yesterday resigned from the government to protest the continual undermining of government efforts to reform Greece's public sector. Mr. Peponis was responsible for overseeing the work and implementation of government policies by all ministries and public sector hiring. His letter of resignation referred in particular to a press report Sunday that 60,000 employees had been recently hired in the public sector, in defiance of a law passed earlier this year to cut the country's bloated public sector. "This is the pinnacle of a systematic process of invoking 'statistics' (and) leads to disinformation, false impressions and the undermining of a rigorous attempt to reform," he said. Government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said Mr. Peponis' resignation was "a protest against the distortion and undermining of government policy in the public sector, especially in the socially sensitive area of public sector hiring." Mr. Venizelos said Mr. Peponis's resignation had been accepted by Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou, although the premier had asked Mr. Peponis to reconsider. "Mr. Peponis, in the context of (the ruling Panhellenic Socialist Movement's) programme, has contributed to the reform and modernisation of the public sector, in a productive, courageous and great way," Mr. Papandreou said later. "Mr. Peponis is among the first members of PASOK and will always remain my close associate, whose presence and activity in parliament will contribute to the promotion of our programme and our positions," Mr. Papandreou added. Mr. Peponis said he had no other way "to protest, neither as politician, nor as citizen." The public sector, he said, "a totally chaotic and incoherent situation, resulting from decades of mismanagement." Mr. Peponis clarified that his resignation was intended as "an act of protest", not as an indication of "a disagreement, of an inter-governmental or inter-party nature." The main opposition New Democracy party issued an announcement later saying that what was of interest to the Greek people was not "who is abandoning the government's ship, but that the ship itself is ungovernable and is drifting with its crew in danger of also taking the country down with it". Commission says Greece on the way to convergence, needs further efforts ---------------------------------------------- Brussels, (ANA - F. Stangos, V. Demiris): The European Commission's annual draft economic report yesterday disclosed that Greek government efforts to achieve revised convergence programme targets were headed in the right direction, but that additional efforts for fiscal adjustment will be necessary to reduce public deficits. The report was discussed yesterday by heads of the 17 commissioners' private offices who noted that the fiscal situation in Greece remained difficult. They also said the government's budget for 1995 contained proposals on a reduction in the public deficit corresponding to targets set in the convergence programme. However, the Commission stressed, constant vigilance is necessary for these targets to be achieved. The draft will be endorsed today at the European Commission's regular weekly session. The Commission's report repeats predictions made by Economic Affairs Commissioner Henning Christophersen on Greek economic indicators for the next few years on November 23. The Commission's draft annual economic report mentioned the following points: The Greek authorities have applied stabilising and reforming policies in past years to tackle chronic macroeconomic imbalances. These policies resulted in the slowing down of economic development and a drop in inflation to 10.8 per cent in 1994. There are indications for a further improvement in yields and economic recovery. Unemployment in the farm sector continued in 1994 but some improvement in the labour market is expected in the coming years. Inflation decreased in 1994 as a result of weak economic development, restrictive policies and implementation of structural measures. Despite this, this downward trend appears to have stopped, which might reflect an end to economic recession, an increase in real wages and the continuing phenomenon of large fiscal deficits. Efforts to reduce deficits in the public sector proved to be inadequate because of the increase in interest rates and the public debt. Consequently, while there is a primary surplus at present, the general public deficit continues to exceed 13 per cent of GDP. The cost of servicing the public debt increased from 6.7 per cent of GDP in 1989 to 15 per cent in 1994. The increase in deficits is due, on the one hand, to the fact the government has assumed considerable debts from the wider public and private sector and, on the other, to the fact that deficits are financed through interest rates set by the market. Prospects exist for the continuation of a moderate upward course and recovery will be based on local demand and public investments funded by the Community Support Framework. However, private sector investments will continue to be limited due to the high real and nominal interest rates. Moreover, despite the expected increase in exports, the trade deficit will increase. Inflationary pressures will be curbed in 1995 due to the incomes policy applied in the public and private sectors, which anticipates that increases will be based on the official inflation rate. However, latent inflationary expectations might be intensified due to the absence of a dynamic and successful fiscal adjustment which is of vital importance for Greece's prospects. The implementation of the convergence programme's ambitious targets will require the application of steadfast and long-term measures which will lower inflation. This will facilitate a decrease in interest rates and consequently the reversal of fiscal imbalances. Bishop Sevastianos dies in Ioannina ---------------------------------- Athens, 13/12/1994 (ANA): Bishop Sevastianos, of Konitsa, Driinoupolis and Pogoniani, died yesterday following a long illness at a Ioannina hospital. He was 72. Sevastianos, locum tenens of All Northern Epirus -- including southern Albania where an estimated 300,000 ethnic Greeks live -- was known world-wide for his fight for the rights of the Greek ethnic minority in Albania. The Board of the Panhellenic Association for the Northern Epirote Struggle held an extraordinary meeting yesterday following the announcement of Sevastianos' death and adopted a resolution in which it pledged to carry on the Metropolitan's struggle. The Students' Co-ordinating Association for the Northern Epirote Struggle also issued a similar resolution. Arsenis expected to raise Larissa HQ issue at Brussels NATO meetings ------------------------------------------------------ Brussels, (ANA - M. Savva): National Defence Minister Gerasimos Arsenis will meet US Defence Secretary William Perry in Brussels today, according to US diplomatic sources. The sources said the meeting was being held at the initiative of the US, which wants a wide exchange of views with the Greek side before NATO defence ministers meet tomorrow. US circles at NATO headquarters did not rule out the issue of the establishment of NATO headquarters in Larissa and of a NATO multinational division headquarters in Thessaloniki being discussed. Mr. Arsenis is expected to raise the Larissa headquarters issue at a Nato's European ministers' dinner tonight and at the Defence Planning Group's meeting. The Defence Planning Group will examine the issue of the stationing of the alliance's forces as is customary every two years. Turkey is expected to veto -- as it has done for the past 10 years -- the stationing of Greek forces on the island of Lemnos and Greece will veto military forces Turkey provides for NATO. Other issues to be discussed include Nato's enlargement eastwards and defence expenditure. The Yugoslav issue and Nato's preparation to support the possible pullout of UN troops from Bosnia will be discussed at a working lunch at noon tomorrow. The US has already stated its willingness to provide up to 25,000 troops to ensure the peacekeepers' safe evacuation, pending Congress approval. Nato's Nuclear Planning Group, due to convene on Thursday, will focus on nuclear non-proliferation. An AFP dispatch, meanwhile, reported diplomatic sources saying that the inspector-general of the German Federal Armed Forces, General Klaus Dieter Naumann, will be the next chairman of Nato's military committee. Naumann, 55, will replace British General Richard Vincent at the end of 1995. It is usual practice for NATO nominations to be made several months in advance of appointments. The military committee, the highest military body in the alliance, is responsible to the North Atlantic Council for the general running of NATO military affairs. Arsenis meets with Cyprus' Eliades on joint defence policy ---------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 13/12/1994 (ANA): National Defence Minister Gerasimos Arsenis met yesterday with his Cypriot counterpart Costas Eliades on the further implementation of the joint defence programme agreed upon by the two countries last year. Both ministers told reporters after the meeting they were satisfied with the pace of implementation. Mr. Arsenis is expected to return Mr. Eliades' visit in January. During his stay, here, Mr. Eliades will hold a series of meetings with army officials and visit a number of military installations. Kranidiotis meets with Russian deputy FM ---------------------------------------- Athens, 13/12/1994 (ANA): Foreign Under-Secretary Yiannos Kranidiotis yesterday met with Russian deputy foreign minister for European security Mr. G. Mamedov, who is here on an official visit. The two men discussed the crisis in former Yugoslavia, and issues of bilateral co-operation in the framework of the CSCE. Greece reiterates willing to help evacuation of UN peacekeepers from Bosnia ------------------------------------------- Athens, 13/12/1994 (ANA): Greece reiterated yesterday that it would be willing to send troops to assist any withdrawal of UN peacekeepers from Bosnia while stressing that it was against such a development. "Greece should participate with troops in any operation to assist the withdrawal of UN peacekeepers from Bosnia, if and when such a decision is taken," government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said. The spokesman said however that Greece was against such a withdrawal and that the solution to the Bosnian crisis must be "political and diplomatic" in nature. Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou said in Essen on Saturday that Greece would be prepared to send troops to assist a pullout of UN peacekeepers from Bosnia but that the country did not wish to see such a development. National Defence Minister Gerasimos Arsenis said yesterday that in the event of a withdrawal of UN peacekeepers "to which Greece is opposed", the government would examine ways of participating "within the framework of NATO". Mr. Arsenis clarified that he was speaking of assistance to ensure the safe withdrawal of UN forces and not of replacing UN peacekeepers. Possible withdrawal of UN forces will be discussed at Nato's Defence Ministers' meeting today in Brussels. CoE body tells Albania to work on constitution before joining ----------------------------------------------------------- Paris, (ANA - Y. Zitouniatis): The Legal Affairs Committee of the Human Rights Council of the Council of Europe yesterday decided to delay its avis on Albania's bid for accession until the country replaced its current Stalinist-era constitution. In order to gain accession to the Council of Europe, Albania, like any other European state, must prove that it has a good human and minority rights record and that it is a state ruled by law. The committee agreed that a new constitution would give Albania the opportunity to change its attitude on religious freedoms and also improve the educational rights of the minorities. PASOK's Eurodeputy George Mangakis requested that the committee send a team of experts to oversee the draft of the country's new constitution. Meksi 'optimistic' that ethnic Greek five will be released soon --------------------------------------------------------------- Paris, (ANA - Y. Zitouniatis): Albanian Prime Minister Alexander Meksi yesterday said he hoped that five members of the ethnic Greek minority in Albania, imprisoned by a Tirana court on charges of espionage, would soon be released. Mr. Meksi was speaking to the press after meeting yesterday with French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe to sign a friendship co-operation accord between the two countries. He described Greece's recent goodwill gesture to lift the veto on the first part of European Union financial aid to Albania as a "positive step". Greece had blocked the aid to Albania on the grounds of the country's failure to improve its poor human rights record. Mr. Meksi told reporters the decision to release the five, all members of the ethnic Greek minority party Omonia, would not be a governmental decision but a judicial one. "The five," he said, "have not been able to benefit from the recent amnesty". Moraitis meets Steichen on wine, tobacco matters --------------------------------------------------- Brussels, (ANA - V. Demiris): Agriculture Minister George Moraitis yesterday held talks on Greek agricultural issues with Agriculture Commissioner Rene Steichen, shortly before the Council of Agriculture Ministers meeting, which is expected to end tomorrow. Talks between the two officials focused on proposals to amend legislation in the wine and vineyard sector and implementation of decisions taken by the Council of Ministers in July 1994 concerning tobacco and, primarily, the payment of Community subsidies direct to the producer. The commissioner conceded that there was a delay in the implementation of the relevant commitment and reassured Mr. Moraitis that every effort will be made to ensure that the measure will take effect as of the first month in 1995. The Council of Agriculture Ministers adopted a proposal on amending regulation EEC 4045/89 on the control of expenditures of the agricultural FEOGA fund. The amendment allows for specific settlements in co-operation between Community and national control agencies and necessary assistance between member-states to tackle fraud. Moreover, a discussion on an amendment of the agricultural monetary system started at the Council yesterday since the validity of the present system expires at the end of the year. The basic element in the proposed settlement is the abolition of the double monetary rate -- the so-called 'green parity' -- and the corresponding adjustment of farm product prices and compensatory subsidies in the Common Agricultural Policy. In his intervention, Mr. Moraitis backed the proposal to abolish the double monetary rate, adding that Community compensation cannot be accepted for producers from countries whose national currency value has increased. Mr. Moraitis said such compensation should only be provided by national resources. The Council agreed to renew the additional subsidisation status by two per cent in processing product industries relying on tomatoes, when they obtain 80 per cent of raw materials from co-operatives and producer groups. 'Indiscriminate exploitation of Mediterranean' must be curtailed, fishing conference told --------------------------------------------- Athens, 13/12/94 (ANA): The three-day ministerial conference on the management of fisheries in the Mediterranean opened in Crete yesterday, under the chairmanship of Greek European Union Commissioner Ioannis Paleokrassas. In his opening address, Mr. Paleokrassas stressed that "it has become common knowledge that we cannot go on indiscriminately exploiting the natural environment without expecting dramatic changes and repercussions, both in the quality of life and in the other socio-economic parameters of our states". He said the peculiarities of the basin dictated a different system of management for Mediterranean stocks from those in the North Sea and the Atlantic. He pointed out that scientific research had showed that the fishing fields of deep-sea species had undergone varying degrees of over-exploitation. The ever-increasing rate of pollution which human activities cause, he stressed, the rise in population and the consequent deterioration of the environment, the over-exploitation of certain stocks and the loose or non-existent control of human activities in the Mediterranean, have made the introduction of a policy of management and protection of fishing stocks necessary. He said that the European Union, after many efforts and discussions, had drawn up a regulation instituting the common legal bases for management. Mr. Paleokrassas concluded by saying that the bases for further co-operation had to be laid until we arrived at a rational scheme for management and protection of our common resources. Attending Greek Agriculture Under-Secretary Floros Constantinou proposed the setting up of a scientific research organisation based in Crete, for the study and recording of Mediterranean fishing stocks, and will make recommendations on the fishing policy to be followed.