Antenna: News in English (PM), 98-06-09

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

Last Updated: Tuesday, 09-Jun-98 22:19:03

CONTENTS

[01] Balkan conference

[02] Balcan conference-Kosovo

[03] Cyrprus-S300

[04] Elgin Marbles

[01] Balkan conference

Theodoros Pangalos and Turkey's Ismail Cem did not have a private meeting at the Balkan foreign ministers' conference, but both expressed a positive outlook regarding relations between their countries.

In Constantinople, Theodoros Pangalos and Balkan conference host Ismail Cem were both positive when asked about Nato's proposed confidence building measures.

Nato secretary Javier Solana announced last week that Greece and Turkey had indicated they were in favour of seeing his confidence-building measures implemented.

For right now, added Solana, the two sides are prepared to stop military flights over the Aegean in July and August every year.

At a press confidence on the sidelines of the Balkan nations' conference Tuesday, both Pangalos and Cem welcomed the confidence-building proposals, noting that they would improve bilateral relations.

[02] Balcan conference-Kosovo

While a number of ministers condemned the violence of the Serbs in Kosovo, the Yugoslav foreign minister refused to allow any mention of the Kosovo crisis in the final statement issued by the conference delegates.

The Yugoslav veto prevented any mention of the Kosovo crisis in the final statement from the

officials meeting in Turkey.

But there is detailed mention of the issue in the statement of the Turkish chair of the conference which details what was said during the ministers' deliberations.

And all the foreign ministers except for Yugoslavia's issued yet another statement expressing their concerns over Kosovo.

Greek foreign minister Theodoros Pangalos was instrumental in finding the Solomon's solution that allowed the conference to end in harmony even though the Kosovo crisis is aglow like a cinder at the heart of the Balkans.

The conference over, Pangalos and Turkish foreign minister Ismail Cem said the meetings in Constantinople had shown that the pre-conditions for peaceful cooperation and joint promotion of stability in the region exist.

As refugees from the Serbian assaults on ethnic- Albanian villages in Kosovo continue to stream toward Albania, Albanian officials say they would welcome foreign intervention to bring peace to Kosovo.

The European Union and the United States imposed financial sanctions on Yugoslavia Monday, and Nato could soon be using troops, planes, and ships to make Belgrade back off of the ethnic Albanians.

Nato troops may be going to Albania and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to contain the Kosovo crisis. But noting that merely taking steps to prevent Kosovo from destabilising neighboring countries may no longer be enough, one Nato official hinted that the western alliance may be considering more direct intervention.

Reacting to the growing tide of international condemnation, and the growing consensus in the international community that something must be done to stop the bloodshed in Kosovo, Belgrade insists that Kosovo, a Serbian province, is a domestic matter and that outside parties should not intervene.

[03] Cyrprus-S300

While Russian authorities would not comment on the newspaper story, the S- 300 missile manufacturers say the weapon system will not be delivered to Cyprus until August.

The S-300 is capable of shooting down airplanes and incoming missiles, and the Cypriot government has waved aside international appeals for it not to deploy the missiles, saying they will strengthen its defence shield against any future attack from Turkey.

Turkey has threatened to use military force to prevent Cyprus from receiving the missiles.

But Russia, which agrees that the missiles are purely defensive in nature, says delivery will go ahead.

[04] Elgin Marbles

And following the report that broke a few days ago, the Greek government has renewed its appeal for Britain to return the treasures to the Acropolis, which they were taken from nearly 200 years ago.

Historian William St Clair's just released book details how the Elgin Marbles suffered considerable damage sixty years ago, when a museum patron ordered that the honey-coloured treasures be scraped with copper and strong cleansers until they were white.

The patron, Lord Duveen, believed white to be their

original colour. But it is unclear if there lurked a darker motive behind his order for them to scraped. The same Lord Duveen also had a reputation for doctoring canvasses so he could sell them to American art collectors for more money.

The British Museum claims that the damage to the Marbles has been public knowledge for decades. St Clair told Antenna's Panos Polyzoides on that score:

"On the point of whether it's been known...if any damage has been done...cover-up".

St Clair also believes that the way in which the work was carried out means that the damage that was done to the Marbles constitutes an act of vandalism.

"Well the damage was done by unsupervised workmen... I think that is vandalism".

With St Clair's revelations, the British government's staple claim that the Marbles can be better cared for in Britain than in Greece has been scraped bare.

The Greek government is redoubling its calls for the marbles to be sent home, and invited St Clair to Greece in July so he can share his findings on the damage to the Marbles with Greek experts.

Greek culture minister Evangelos Venizelos is asking the British government to set up an international experts' committee to investigate the matter and study the condition of the fabled Acropolis treasures.

St Clair also believes a committee needs to be set up.

Venizelos is angered by the treatment throughtlessly meted out to the Marbles in London. He considers it a show of disrespect and disregard for human history.

Venizelos also intends to ask that British and Greek museums work together in carrying out the return of the Marbles to Greece.

The return of the Marbles is a political issue, he adds.

The uproar created by St Clair's revelations continues in the British press, with a number of press reports heaping criticism on the museum for its treatment of the Marbles.

(c) ANT1 Radio 1998

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