Kranidiotis says strikes must stop
Athens 26/03/1999
Strikes against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia must stop immediately, Greek Alternate
Foreign Minister Yiannos Kranidiotis said last night, adding that otherwise there was a
danger of increasing tension and the spreading of the crisis. He furthermore
underlined the need for a resumption of diplomatic efforts for the search of a political
solution, noting that Greece was in contact with neighbouring countries and its European
Union partners stressing this need.
Mr. Kranidiotis announced that Greece intends to raise the issue of the economic
consequences of the crisis and the need to seek ways of tackling them at the next EU
Council of General Affairs, adding that the European Union should examine the idea of
convening an international conference on the economic development of the Balkans. He
also said that instructions have been given to Greece's permanent NATO representative,
ambassador G. Savaidis, to express Greece's reservations when the issue of NATO's
operations passing into the "third phase" is raised.
The "second phase" of the alliance's operations is currently underway and for
which the consensus of member-states has been secured with a previous decision. The
"third phase" anticipates mass bombings of military targets throughout the
entire territory of Yugoslavia. On the question of the "fourth phase",
concerning the sending of ground forces, Mr. Kranidiotis said that Greece "is
extremely reserved to the point of being negative."
Mr. Kranidiotis had a meeting lasting for about an hour with the Russian Ambassador to
Athens Mikhail Bocharnikov in the afternoon with whom he exchanged views on the crisis in
Kosovo.
Today, he will be having successive meetings with the ambassadors of Romania, Albania and
the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. US Ambassador to Athens Nicholas Burns has also
requested a meeting with M. Kranidiotis.