Subject: BRIEF GREEK NEWS BULLETIN (19/6/1995) Topic: mpa From: Macedonian Press Agency BRIEF GREEK NEWS BULLETIN BY MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY Thessaloniki, June 19 1995 OFFICIAL VISIT BY BULGARIAN PRIME MINISTER VIDENOV IN ATHENS Bulgarian Prime Minister Jan Videnov arrived this morning in Athens for a two-day official visit. Mr.Videnov was received by Greek President mr Constantinos Stephanopoulos while he also had talks with Prime Minister mr Andreas Papandreou. In a press conference the two Prime Ministers expressed their satisfaction for the outcome of the talks they had today. Mr.Papandreou stated that the relations between the two countries are excellent and stressed that Greece has undertaken the effort to help Bulgaria become an EU member while he characterized the relations between the two countries as factor of stability, peace and progress. He also referred to the promotion of the procedures of economic cooperation (investments, commerce and bank cooperation). Mr.Papandreou characterized the construction of the Burgas- Alexandroupolis oil pipeline as great achievement of strategic economic importance. The bulgarian Prime Minister stated that the relations between the two countries are very stable and spoke about the prospects for turning the Balkan region into a tele-communications, energy and economic center. He stressed the need of an economic cooperation with Greece while he spoke extensively on the proposed initiative for the signing of a stability pact that will help in overcomming the problems of the past and will open the way towards the future. Referring to the visas issued to bulgarian citizens the greek Prime Minister stated that Greece's disposition is positive mentioning that the issue is still being studied while he also stressed that during a meeting in the Foreign Ministry this evening many of the problems will be resolved or will enter a course towards their solution. Bulgarian Prime Minister Jan Videnov stated that is a very positive step the fact that after Foreign Minister Papoulias' visit in Sofia visas of multiple use are being issued to bulgarian businessmen. 28 PEOPLE LOST THEIR LIVES IN THE EARTHQUAKE IN EGION The 8-year-old boy that was pulled out alive on Friday night is the last survivor of the residents of the apartment building that collapsed in the southern greek city of Egion after the devastating earthquake that hit the region in the early morning hours of June 15th and measured 6,1 on the Richter scale. The death toll is 28, among them and 10 french tourists burried under the rubble of Hotel "Eliki" part of which also collapsed. The quake damaged thousands of houses in Egion and in 6 surrounding villages, while according to civil engineers, who inspected about half of the city buildings, at least 1.000 houses in Egion were found to be uninhabitable. Two new tremors were recorded this morning in the region of Egion that measured 3,9 and 4 on the Richter scale. Meanwhile, a strong earthquake measuring 4,7 on the Richter scale shook the city of Iraklion in the southern Aegean island of Crete yesterday morning. Its epicenter was located in the sea region south of the island in the Lybian Sea and no victims or damages were reported. On Saturday evening, another quake measuring 4,2 on the Richter scale was recorded also in Iraklion, Crete and came from the same epicenter. VENIZELOS:TURKISH OFFICIALS MUST STOP THE THREATENING STATEMENTS Greek government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos in an interview to the turkish newspaper "Yeni Yuzyil" reiterated that the turkish officials should stop both launching threatening statements against Greece and maintaining a climate of fabricated tension between the two countries. In the interview the government spokesman referred to the whole spectre of the greek-turkish relations and clarified that Greece does not act in any way that could justify concern in Turkey. Mr.Venizelos stated that Greece expects from Turkish officials to stop making statements that create fabricated tensions, while no threatening statements should be made against Greece and Ankara should comply with the international regulations. The greek government spokesman stated that the tension between the two countries comes from Turkey's one-sided demands. Mr.Venizelos stated that in the recent history Greece never threatened Turkey but on the contrary Greece is concerned after the turkish Parliament decision to give war powers to the turkish government in case Greece decides to extend its territorial waters from 6 to 12 nautical miles. The government spokesman also said that Greece protested to international organizations, such as the European Union and NATO, against the turkish threat adding that Turkey by threatening Greece with war is being led to isolation. Referring to the statements made by mr.Gildirim Aktuna during his visit in Greece mr. Venizelos said that mr.Aktuna tried with those statements to create a new climate of tension in the greek-turkish relations by ignoring the article of the Treaty of Lauzanne. He said that the turkish officials characterize as "turkish" the minority in western Thrace which the Treaty of Lauzanne characterizes as "muslim". Regarding the allegations that many PKK members have been trained in Greece, mr.Venizelos said that those allegations are unfounded and rediculous and said that anyone who wants to investigate on the issue is welcomed in Greece. THE GREEK DEFENCE MINISTER ARRIVED IN SYRIA FOR A THREE-DAY VISIT. Greek National Defence Minister mr Yerasimos Arsenis arrived yesterday in Damascus for a 3-day visit to Syria and had lengthy talks with his syrian counterpart mr Moustapha Tlass. Regarding issues of defence cooperation between Greece and Syria the two Defence Ministers agreed on a more frequent exchange of information concerning the greater region while they also agreed on closer cooperation between the defence industries of the two countries. The two ministers discussed developments in the Balkans and the syrian Defence Minister stated that he shares the greek concerns over the present situation in Bosnia adding that his government appreciated the greek initiatives undertaken aiming at bringing peace to the war-torn former Yugoslav Republic. Mr.Arsenis is scheduled to meet today with syrian Prime Minister Mahmoud al-Zohbi. WASHINGTON:THE NEXT STEPS OF THE US-BRITISH INITIATIVE ON CYPRUS. The final decisions concerning the next steps in the framework of the US-British initiative on Cyprus will be made today during a meeting scheduled to take place in Washington. In the meeting will participate Assistant Secretary of State, Richard Hallbrook, US Presidential envoy, Richard Beattie, coordinator Jim Williams and other officials specializing in the Cyprus problem and the Greek-Turkish relations who will evaluate the outcome of their efforts for the promotion of a solution. INAUGURATION OF ORTHODOX CATHEDRAL IN ZURICH. Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos inaugurated the Saint Demetrios Cathedral yesterday in the presence of church officials and leaders of the greek government and the opposition. The greek Prime Minister's wife received on behalf of her husband a gold medal in memory of the inauguration ceremony. The Cathedral was built with funds provided by greek expatriates and by the family of Panayiotis Angelopoulos, a benefactor of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, in memory of his brother, Demetrios. -------------------------MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY--------------------------- The Macedonian Press Agency is a non-governmental press organization which aims: - To transfer and make use of news and information about the situation in the Balkans, Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean countries mostly upon matters which are of vital interest for the Greek business, scientific and cultural activities. - To become a "bridge" between the Greeks who live abroad and their home countryby contributing to a more essential connection and above all to inform them about the investment opportunities as well as the intellectual and artistic movements in Greece, the Balkans, Eastern Europe and the Middle East. - To show the achievements and the abilities of the business, scientific and intellectual world of Greece all over the world. 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