MPA NEWS IN ENGLISH (27/03/1996)

From: Macedonian Press Agency <mpa@philippos.mpa.gr>

Macedonian Press Agency News in English Directory

MACEDONIAN NEWS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH

Wednesday, March 27 1996

TITLES

NEWS IN DETAIL

[01] WORDS THAT DO NOT CORRESPOND WITH DEEDS, WERE CHARACTERIZED MR.YILMAZ'S STATEMENTS BY THE GREEK GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN

Mr.Reppas added that mr.Yilmaz had a golden opportunity to seal the validity of his words with his signature by accepting the joint statement of the 15 EU member states but he chose not to do it.

[02] GREECE'S BASIC POSITIONS IN THE INTER-GOVERNMENTAL CONFERENCE OF TURIN WERE PRESENTED BY THE ALTERNATE FOREIGN MINISTER

Mr.Romeos stressed that special attention will be given to the development of the Europe of the people through political actions and resources and to the formation of a common foreign policy and political security.

He also added that the greek government will raise the issues of the protection of the European Union's external borders and the mutual assistance clause. Mr.Romeos concluded that the issues of economic and monetary union and the EU enlargement will be discussed informally.

[03] GREECE WILL NEVER ACCEPT DIALOGUE UNDER THE TERMS SET BY YILMAZ

This was the position shared by all the Parliament deputies participating in the third meeting of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Parliamentary Committee that was held in order to be discussed the greek-turkish relations and the Skopjan issue.

Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos briefing the Parliamentary Committee members reiterated the greek government's firm position that if Turkey will not end its provocations and its claims in the Aegean, Greece will not lift its veto on the EU funds.

Also, mr.Pangalos announced that soon talks will be held in the European Union for the solution of the Cyprus problem while he characterized as very positive the report prepared by Italian EU Presidency representative mr.Di Roberto.

Regarding the Skopjan problem, mr.Pangalos categorically denied that the greek government has accepted a composite name and that is moving toward a compromise solution.

PASOK's deputies, who are members of the Committee, stressed regarding Turkey that the greek government should maintain a strict position and should rule out any possibility of dialogue based on the terms set by turkish Prime Minister Yilmaz.

[04] PRIME MINISTER SIMITIS MET WITH THE US AMBASSADOR TO ATHENS

Mr.Simitis and mr.Niles discussed the preparations for the visit as well as the greek-turkish relations given the fact that lately the american factor shows an increased interest on the issue.

The Prime Minister and the US Ambassador also discussed US First Lady Hillary Clinton's visit to Athens. Ms.Clinton will arrive in Athens tomorrow and on Saturday afternoon will meet with mr.Simitis while in the morning of the same day she will attend the Olympic torch-lighting ceremony in ancient Olympia.

With statements made after the meeting, the greek government spokesman informed reporters that mr.Simitis demanded the lifting of the "warning" issued by the US Department of Transportation regarding the security of the Athens International Airport, and stressed that the greek government has no doubt that the Athens Airport is in very good state regarding security.

Responding to questions by reporters, greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas stated that the airplane of the US First Lady will land at the Athens Airport stressing that she did not ask to land in another airport.

[05] SECURITY IN THE GREEK AIRPORTS IS QUITE ADEQUATE, STATED THE GREEK DEVELOPMENT MINISTER

The Development Minister said that security in the Athens Airport is quite adequate, underlining that major airlines such as Lufthansa and Swissair have stopped using private security because they were quite satisfied with the services provided by the greek authorities.

Ms.Papandreou admitted that there may be negative effects on tourism, as a result of the "warning", mainly on the number of visitors from the US, while she announced that the government will try to counter them with the implementation of special measures for tourism.

The Minister of Development also stated that during the meeting she had with the US Ambassador to Athens she got assurances that he will convey the greek positions to the US government and that every effort will be made to resolve the issue within 30 days.

Ms.Papandreou also announced that american experts will visit Greece next week in order to meet with Civil Aviation officials regarding the issue of the Athens Airport security.

[06] THE GREEK GOVERNMENT'S HANDLING OF THE RECENT CRISIS WITH TURKEY HAS THE APPROVAL OF THE GREEK PUBLIC OPINION

According to the opinion poll results, that were made public today in a press conference, 52,2% of those who responded to the questionnaire believe that the greek government followed the right policy in the crisis over Imia, while 42% believe the opposite.

Greek Prime Minister Kostas Simitis' stand is characterized as positive by 47,6%, while 43,9% characterized it as negative.

Regarding the stand followed by the opposition party leaders during the crisis, mr.Miltiadis Evert leader of the New Democracy party got the approval of 25,6% of those who responded to the questionnaire and the disapproval of 64,1%. Political Spring party leader Antonis Samaras has the approval of 22,9% and the disapproval of 57,7%.

Also, 78,1% believe that Greece should depend on the mediation of the European Union, compared to 35,9% who are in support of a US mediation.

[07] GREEK BUSINESS MISSION TO THE INDIAN OCEAN

The event is organized by the Chamber of Reunion in cooperation with the French Chambers Association and is financed by the European Union General Directorates XVI and XXIV.

[08] YUGOSLAVIA IS EXPECTING CONCRETE SUPPORT TO ITS POLICY

Reconstruction of Bosnia-Herzegovina, and of the other parts of former Yugoslavia, free and democratic elections in Bosnia and common efforts toward solving the refugee issue are the most important conditions for bringing into life the peace agreement, underlined the Yugoslav Minister of Foreign Affairs. One of those conditions - holding of free and democratic elections in Bosnia as soon as possible- is considered by the chief of the Yugoslav diplomacy to be crucial for securing a lasting peace and stability not only in Bosnia-Hezegovina, but also in all of the former Yugoslavia. "This meeting could be considered successful if it at least provisionally set the date of the elections that should be held at both the state level and the entity level", Milutinovic said. He added it is vital that all parties - the Republika Srpska as well as the Muslim-Croat Federation - be treated equally. He also stressed that in order to secure a true balance, confidence and quicker pace towards Europe as well as to overcome all that was bad in the past, it is necessary to secure a greater economic assistance. "It is beyond understanding that it is posible to provide funds for the import of weapons, while there are no funds for development" Milutinovic remarked.

The Yugoslav Foreign Minister said that during the meeting in Moscow, expectations had been expressed that the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia would continue to contribue to the peace process. In order to promote its commitments for the reaching and realization of the peace agreement, Yugoslavia is expecting a clear and very concrete support to its policy, underlined Milutinovic at the first meeting of the Contact Group at ministerial level since the signing of the peace agreement in Paris.

[09] THREE MUSLIMS AND ONE CROAT ACCUSED OF CRIMES AGAINST SERBS

All five have been charged with grave violation of the Geneva Convention war laws of warfare as well as for crimes committed against humanity.

The newspaper "Vesti" from Frankfurt - published in the Serbian language for the Yugoslavs in diaspora - is quoting in an article many witnesses which are claiming that the Serb Goran Lajic arrested by the German authorities is an innocent man. In the article testimonies for the defense of Lajic's innocence are both Muslims and Croats refugees. According to them, Lajic was, for a short time at the beginning of the war, among the ranks of the military police of the Republica Srpska Army, performing duties in Nova Topola and Laktasi, but he was never in his life in Prijedor, for which he is accused of crimes by the Hague Tribunal.

From the total of 59 persons accused by the Hague Tribunal, 47 are Serbs, 8 are Croats and only 4 are Muslims.