Antenna: News in English (AM), 97-04-22

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

News in English, 22/04/97

TITLES

• The main contingent of Greek troops leaves for Albania.
• The prime minister reasserts Greece's firm position on Turkey.
• And, Panathinaikos's post-season breakdown.

GREEK TROOPS

420 soldiers and their vehicles boarded two naval vessels, and sailed for the port of Durres.

Family and friends were port-side to see off 420 men in uniform.

One woman expressed a common sentiment: "I hope they all come back safe".

The troops say those waiting behind can count on their return. One soldier called his girlfriend to reassure her that he'll be back for her.

Father Eleftherios Karakitsos said, "All these boys are my sons. God bless them. They're going to defend human rights, their religious faith, and the ideals of the Greek nation".

Whent the last consignment of troops arrives in Albania, Greece will have some 700 personnel on the ground there. The task of the multi-national peace- keeping force is to distribute and protect humanitarian aid shipments to a nation in the grip of poverty and months of social upheaval.

There are another 120 Greeks in Tirane, which has been calm for the past few weeks.

And 130 Greek soldiers who arrived in Albania last Friday are now in the southern, rebel-held, port- town of Vlore.

They're being billeted at the air force cadets' academy in a city which has been anything but quiet. Residents complain that they are robbed and terrorised by armed gangs daily, and that former policemen loyal to president Sali Berisha have infiltrated the gangs to commit acts of sabotage in this rebel stronghold area.

ALBANIA/FL.BOAT STOLEN

The inflatable craft, worth 20 thousand dollars was stolen from the port of Preveza in western Greece. The thieves sailed to Albania, and hid it in the Examilia region.

Ethnic Greek-Albanians from the city of Sarante went to the thieves' hideout and, after tense negotiations, persuaded them to hand the craft over. The Greek-Albanian mediators gave the boat back to the Greek authorities.

TURKEY

The committee would be made up of non-political Greek and Turkish experts.

The Pasok government is careful to point out that the committee would mark no change in Greece's policy on Turkey.

But, as we hear in this report, even some Pasok members are apprehensive.

Greece was ready Monday night to give its final views on the prospective committee to Holland, the current European Union chair.

Alternate foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou told Dutch counterpart that Greece would accept a Dutch observer sitting on the committee of Greek and Turkish experts.

The Pasok government has stated repeatedly that the committee will not negotiate on issues of substance, just come up with a list of issues that could be on the table in a future Greek-Turkish dialogue.

But, following opposition parties, 32 Pasok MPs have raised objections to the committee idea.

The fear is that the bi-lateral committee could lead to the acceptance of a dialogue with Turkey on uncertain terms.

Greece has maintained that it could only enter into a dialogue with Turkey if Turkey agreed to respect international law and take any claims it has against Greece to the international court.

Greece has also said that the only issue that it has to discuss with Turkey is how the Aegean continental shelf should be divided.

Greece does NOT want Turkey to set a dialogue agenda which would put Greece's internationally- recognised rights in the Aegean up for negotiation.

But the 32 Pasok MPs worry that the committee could give the impression that Greece accepts Turkey's claims on its territorial rights as valid, simply because the Turkish experts could bring them up in the committee.

The Pasok MPs criticise the government for agreeing to the committees through secret diplomatic channels. And they call on the governmen to quote "revert to the line that the ONLY problem to be settled is that of the continental shelf, and THAT should go to the international court".

Theodoros Tsoukatos, a member of Pasok's executive bureau and close associate of the prime minister, dismisses the MPs concerns.

He repeats that the committee does NOT mean dialogue on issues of substance. He adds that it is Turkey that has backed down, in accepting the establishment of the committee. He adds that Greece is sticking to it firm position that Turkey must stop threatening it with violence to get its way, respect international law, and take any claims against Greece to the international court, if it wants closer ties to the EU.

Responding to the committee plans, former New Democracy Miltiades Evert said that there should be discussion in the Greek parliament before there can be any dialogue with Turkey.

US ambassador says he beliees conditions are right for the beginning of a dialogue between Greece and Turkey. If there is to be such a dialogue, he added, is for them to decide.

SIMITIS

Kostas Simitis began an official three-day visit to Austria Sunday.

"Everything depends on Turkey", Simitis responded when asked by Austrian journalists about the prospects for better Greek-Turkish relations. "Greece will not negotiate its sovereign rights away".

After meeting with Austrian chancellor Victor Klima, Simitis said they'd discussed quote the excellent climate of cooperation that exists between their two countries unquote.

Klima renewed his country's commitment to seeing that talks on Cypriot entry into the EU go ahead as scheduled.

The two men also talked extensively about the crisis in Albania, and the Organisation for Cooperation and Security in Europe's envoy on the Albania issue, Franz Vranitsky, was present at the banquet given in Simitis's honour.

The Greek leader, who goes on to visit Germany on Wednesday, also met with the Austrian president.

MILITARY SERVICE

But defence minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos says Pasok may move to make that 9 months.

The minister added that the bill on service time will also deal with 18,500 men who have failed to do their national service. And all those who join up at the age of 18, right after getting out of high school, will serve three fewer months.

21st APRIL

Greek president Kostis Stephanopoulos said the anniversary is an opportunity to honour all those who resisted the colonels' dictatorship, and to honour the majority of the Greek people, who never let go of their democratic beliefs while the military junta was in power.

SOCCER

Elsewhere, third-place Ofi stopped Edessaikos. Pao is in fourth place, after a surprising loss at home to ninth-place Xanthi.

Ionikos, Iraklis and Kalamata all played to draws at home. Apollon stopped Paniliakos, and last- place Kastoria got no respect at home from Aris.

BASKETBALL

And, on Saturday, it got arguably its WORST loss of all.

Pao beaten at home in the deciding game of its Greek championship quarterfinal series against Paok.

And Antony Boner has a lot to do with it. Scoring 17 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, and coming up with 5 steals, he leads Paok to a 77-66 victory, and a 2-1 series triumph.

The top three teams in the Greek championship play in next year's European championship.

Panathinaikos now goes on to play for fifth or sixth place, and will be relegated to playing in one of two relatively minor European tournaments: the European Cup or the Corage Cup. Pao's exclusion from next year's Euroleague will cost the team plenty in advertising, broadcast, and gate revenues. And it will make it difficult for it to sign top-name players.

© ANT1 Radio 1997

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