Antenna: News in English (PM), 97-04-20

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From: Antenna Radio <http://www.antenna.gr> - email: antenna@compulink.gr

News in English, 20/04/97

TITLES

• Greek troops arrive in Albania.
• A plan for talks about what issues could be on the agenda of a future Greek-Turkish dialogue.
• And, Aek and Pao square off in the cup final.

ALBANIA REVIEW

A second group of about the same size arrived by sea, landing at the port of Durres Friday.

In all some 700 Greek peacekeepers will be in Albania by next week.

There were warm farewells at the start of the week, as friends and relatives of men headed for Albania went to see the boys off.

On Wednesday, the first two group of Greek peacekeepers left Thessaloniki, one by air, the other by sea.

Arriving in Tirane in C-130s, the first contingent unloaded their vehicles, weapons, and supplies, and were taken to the base in Vasiar, on the southern outskirts of the capital.

It won't be an easy billet. There are no beds, just hard floors for sleeping bags. The men's first task was to disinfect the buildings.

Greek officials estimate that the Greek troops will be ready to begin their mission of protecting humanitarian aid shipments by next Tuesday.

The 130 men travelling by sea were originally supposed to land at the southern rebel stronghold of Vlore. But the town is in a state of upheaval. Locals say president Sali Berisha's men commit acts of sabotage every night.

And, after Italian troops found mines in the harbour, the Greeks were told to dock at Durres, which they did Friday afternoon. From there they went to the town of Fieri.

The Greeks first contact with the Albanian people was with little children asking for food. The Greek troops will be charged with distributing food aid, and said they'll do their best to make sure it's distributed.

All along the road to Fieri, the Greeks were cheered and greeted by a people hoping they'll provide them with some safety and respite from the poverty and turmoil wracking their country.

The international peacekeeping force is intent not only on helping make sure that the Albanian people get the food and other aid they're being sent, but helping to restore a climate of calm, so that national elections can be held in June, and the country can return to normal democratic life.

Europe's poorest nation needs economic help if it is to find political stability. And the nations taking part in the mission are also looking at ways of providing that assistance too.

ANASTASIOS REVIEW

This week, Archbishop of Albania Anastasios announced the establishment of a love and culture centre in the southern city of Argyrokastro.

The centre will include a hospital and a kindergarten.

Touring the southern part of the country last weekend, Anastasios urged ethnic Greeks in the area NOT to abandon their homes in the face of the chaos and looting that's been going on for months.

Anastasios said ethnic Greeks should stay and continue their struggle to live free and in prosperity. "There is a future, there is hope; I'm certain that God is with us", added the archbishop.

And, As the Greek orthodox Easter approached, there was another practical message of hope from the church. Metropolitan bishop of KorytsA Christodoulos played an instrumental role in organising a shipment of 12 tonnes of food aid from Greece.

Christodoulos said his desire is to celebrate Easter with Chrisians in the region.

GR-TURKISH REVIEW

The Greek alternate foreign minister met with the Turkish deputy minister on the sidelines of the Euro-Mediterranean confernce in Malta this week.

After their discussion, the Dutch foreign minister, representing Holland as the European Union's current chair, said he's optimistic that headway will be made in resolving significant Greek-Turkish differences.

But Greece was more cautious. Alternate foreign minster Giorgos Papandreou said the Dutch minister's job is to be optimistic, to help out. Papandreou added that it's too soon to draw any conclusions on what kind of initiatives will take shape, or what results they'll have.

The Greek government spokesman stressed that the committees would NOT mean the beginning of direct dialogue on issues of substance with Turkey.

There are differences that need to be settled even before the exploratory committees can be set up.

The committees would be composed of Greek and Turkish experts who are NOT politicians. That, says Greece, means the committees recommendations would not be binding.

But Turkey wants them to be binding.

A second difference is that Turkey requests the presence of a third party on the committees, something Greece rejects.

Finally, Greece wants the committees to work on the basis of the tenets of international law - something Turkey rejects.

The suggestion that the committees be set up is the third recent Greek proposal aimed at bringing Greece and Turkey closer together.

The first was the call for Turkey to take all its claims on Greece to the international court.

The second was for the two countries to take a step-by-step approach to their differences.

But Greece has maintained firmly all along that Turkey must agree to resolve its diffences with Greece legally, and without military threats.

GR/TURK-US INITIATIVE REVIEW

That, according to a high-ranking Pentagon official.

The US Pentagon source says that the American ambassadors to Greece, Turkey, and Cyprus met three weeks ago to work on the American proposal.

Their ideas were passed on to the US National Security Council, and will be looked at by president Clinton next.

The Pentagon source says that there can only be progress if Greece, Turkey, and Cyprus affirm that they want to resolve their differnces even if it requires their making concessions, and abstain from using the process of resolving their differences to make domestic political gains.

SOCIAL DIAL REVIEW

Greece's trade unions and main opposition party reacted harshly to the prime minister's statements.

They say dialogue is just a way for the government to push through tight economic policies that will lower living standards.

SOCCER CUP REVIEW

After 120 minutes of rough, scoreless play, the teams lined up to shoot five penalties each.

And it was Aek that won the shoot-out, 5-3. The Athens club lifed the trophy for the second straight year, and for the tenth time in the 65- year history of the tournament.

© ANT1 Radio 1997

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