Antenna: News in English (PM), 98-04-29

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

Last Updated: Wednesday, 29-Apr-98 21:54:48

CONTENTS

[01] Turkey-Greek islands

[02] Archbishop Christodoulos

[03] Simitis-Social policy

[04] PASOK-Early Elections

[05] Kosovo

[01] Turkey-Greek islands

Theodoros Pangalos spoke in response to criticism from the main opposition leader, a day after Turkey asked the European Union not to fund environmental projects on the inhabited islands Agathonisi, Farmakonisi, Fourni, and Pserimos.

The reason: Ankara says they're in a grey zone, in other words, it's not clear who the islands belong to.

In parliament, New Democracy leader Kostas Karamanlis said the latest Turkish move amounts to a change in the way Ankara makes its Aegean claims. Karamanlis also complained that the government does not brief the other political parties on the details of significant foreign policy developments like this one fast enough, and the other parties only learn critical information after week's of delay.

Responding to the charge that the government is telling the opposition all it needs to know, Pangalos said, "This is not a new issue. Turkey's Aegean grey zone views are well known. They're based on the fact that some of the smaller Aegean islands that belong to Greece are not mentioned by name in the Treaty of Lausanne, or the later treaties with Italy that give the eastern Aegean islands to Greece. And Turkey's conclusion is that means sovereignty over them is negotiable. We've consistently argued against those views in international forums".

Pangalos said the only thing that's new in the Turkey approach to the Aegean, it that it's named four islands the EU should not fund projects on because of uncertainty over who owns them. In the past, Turkey has restricted itself to generalised talk about grey zones in the Aegean.

[02] Archbishop Christodoulos

Christodoulos, elected to succeed the late archbishop Serafeim at the helm of the orthodox church in Greece, spend his first full day at his new post Wednesday.

Archbishop Christodoulos was briefed on church matters early Wednesday morning; then he went to the archbishop's seat, his official new residence in Athens.

In the chapel, priests sang hymns of welcome.

Before meeting with close associates, Christodoulos told the press he feels both joy and sadness at taking up his new post. Joy at the honour; sadness at leaving behind people he worked with for 24 years as metropolitan bishop of Dimitriada in Volos.

The new archbishop said that as he takes on his new demanding job, the love of God and the people will be his source of strength.

Christodoulos comes into his post determined to modernize and reorganize the church, to make it more responsive to the needs of ordinary people, especially the young.

He believes his election Tuesday shows that there is unity high up in the church. And the three strongest candidates running against him agree.

Metropolitan bishop of Alexandroupoli Anthimos says everyone wishes the new archbishop success.

Metropolitan bishop of Thebes and Levadia Ieronymos thinks Christodoulos was a very good choice and deserves support.

And metropolitan bishop of Ioannina Theoklitos says "The Holy Spirit was the key to

Christodoulos's election success".

The presidential decree declaring Christodoulos the new archbishop has been signed by the government, and sent to the nation's president for his signature. Archbishop Christodoulos's investiture is scheduled for May 9th. This weekend, he will be in Volos to say farewell to the people there.

Before taking over as metropolitan bishop of Dimitrada in 1974, Christodoulos was a priest at the church of the Holy Virgin in the seaside Athenian suburb of Paleo Faliro. Those who worked with and knew him there have the fondest memories of him.

Father Christos recalls how hundreds of people from all over Athens used to flock to hear him speak.

"He captivated people with his words", remembers Father Spyridon. "He had a beautiful, enchanting voice. He had excellent relations with everyone, and helped many people. Only yesterday, a man told me how Christodoulos had helped him not only spiritually, but had also helped him study and raise his family".

Clergymen say Christodoulos was especially loved by the youth of Faliron. Father Christos remembers that thousands of young people took part in parish activities, attended the Sunday school and visited the "House of the Peace of Christ", a place where the priests gave food to some sixty indigent young people.

[03] Simitis-Social policy

Kostas Simitis held up his decision to extend state financial supplements to top off low pensions, as a paradigm of socially responsible and caring policy- making. "We not only started the supplement

programme, we're extending, making it available to more people", he said.

New Democracy leader Kostas Karamanlis is unimpressed by government policy.

He retorted: "Hearing the prime minister's speech, you get the impression he lives in another country, that he's out of touch with Greek reality".

Karamanlis accused Simitis of living in isolation in an ivory tower, where his aides paint a rosy- coloured picture of society that ill reflects what's going on in the real world.

[04] PASOK-Early Elections

Calling the rumours unfounded, Simitis addressed the ruling party's parliamentary committee meeting Wednesday.

Addressing the committee Simitis said, "We need to move forward with our proposed infrastructure changes. Greece needs changes, but those changes will only come about with the proper social support and cohesion.

He added, "If there is no unity, it will be difficult for us to achieve our goals. Our policy is not negotiable. Pasok is firm in its beliefs. We are working for the good of Greece and the interests of the Greek people".

Simitis further commented saying that rumours over the past few days are games aimed at manipulating the populace.

[05] Kosovo

There were members of the outlawed Kosovo Liberation Army present at the service near the Albanian border; the Serbian police were also there. Sources reported that one ethnic Albanian was shot dead and five others wounded as they left the funeral.

For the past week, tension has been running high in southern Kosovo along the Albanian border. In March, Serbian police killed some 80 people in operations carried out in Drenica, ostensbily to stamp out militant separatists.

Now, the Serbs are deploying army units in Kosovo. Foreign obvservers say that and the fact that Serb voters voted last week to reject an ethnic- Albanian demand that a foreign mediator be present at any negotiations between the two sides, mean Belgrade is unlikely to soften its hard line against the Albanian separatists.

That means, say some western analysts, that the contact group on Yugoslavia, comprising the US and five European nations, is unlikely to get talks between the two sides going unless they impose harsh sanctions on Serbia.

Belgrade has offered the ethnic-Albanians autonomy but not independence. It has also offered to sit down and talk, but without any foreign presence at the table.

Albanian protesters outside the contact group meeting in Rome Wednesday demanded western intervention in Kosovo.

(c) ANT1 Radio 1998

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