Subject: News I, 31/07/93 Athens News Agency bulletin, July 31, 1993 ------------------------------------------- New York, 31/7/93 (ANA) - A map of the Balkans showing the northern Greek province of Macedonia as separate from the rest of Greece was published in yesterday's edition of the New York Times. The map was used to illustrate an editorial by journalist and author Misha Glenny outlining one scenario for a possible eruption of a widespread Balkan conflict. The map uses a solid line to delineate existing and uncontested national boundaries and a broken line to outline the borders of the Kosovo province (where the majority Albanian community is demanding autonomy or union with Albania), the borders between Serbia and Montenegro (both members of the rump Yugoslav federation), as well as the provincial boundary between the northern Greek province of Macedonia and the rest of Greece. This participation is further emphasised by the labelling of the south-western region (stretching from Pindos in the west to the Olympus in the south) as "Greece" and the north-eastern area (stretching from the Pindos mountain range to the Turkish border) as 'Macedonia (region)''. Athens, 31/7/93 (ANA) - Internationally renowned conductor Mstislav Rostropovich yesterday called for an end of the usurpation of the name 'Macedonia'. "The historically ignorant usurpation of the Greek Macedonian symbols and the use of the Greek name of Macedonia must be resolved," he told reporters in Thessaloniki, where he arrive on a private visit. "A peaceful dialogue is the only means to resolve whatever differences (exist between Greece and Skopje)," he added. Mr Rostropovich, whose first visit to Thessaloniki was for a concert in 1962, toured the city's Byzantine churches and visited the Royal Tombs at Vergina. "I am filled with awe at the sight of the tombs of the Greek Macedonian kings - burial site of Philip, father of Alexander the Great, the man who set off from this very land thousands of years ago to civilise the then known world', Mr Rostropovich said before leaving for a visit to the monastic community on Mount Athos. Athens, 31/7/93 (ANA) - Main opposition Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) leader Andreas Papandreou yesterday expressed concern over developments in the Balkans and stressed the need for a "national strategy" to counter them. Citing a paper by former US ambassador to Moscow George Kennan, Mr Papandreou told a PASOK central committee meeting in Athens that the author predicted that following the end of military confrontations in Europe, the international community and the EC would be faced with "an ugly and difficult" problem in south-eastern Europe. The opposition leader said that Mr Kennan had called for the implementation of a "new and broadly accepted territorial status as well as a greater and more effective restriction in the behaviour of states in the region". He added that Mr Kennan said the former could be established through negotiations but that foreign military intervention might be necessary for its enforcement. Mr Papandreou said that with regard to the Balkan states, including Greece, the US diplomat said these "restrictions" should be tighter in terms of these states' freedom to chose the manner in which they express their national sovereignty. After reading excerpts from Mr Kennan's paper, the PASOK leader said it was clear that Greece must develop a national strategy as a matter of national survival. But, he added, this was not feasible as long as the country was ruled by the New Democracy Party and Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis, whose foreign policy was "piecemeal" and "submissive". --- Commenting on Mr Papandreou's remarks, government spokesman Vassilis Manginas said it was odd that Mr Papandreou should criticise the government's economic and foreign policies, as these were two areas in which the former premier had failed dismally and consequently led Greece into a deep crisis. Istanbul 31/7/93 (ANA - A .Kourkoulas) - The Greater Holy Synod convened at the Phanar yesterday under the chairmanship of Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos to examine the activities of Jerusalem Patriarch Diodoros. The meeting is scheduled to continue today to discuss friction between the Jerusalem Patriarchate and other Orthodox communities. Greek Orthodox Patriarch Diodoros of Jerusalem, accused of interfering in the affairs of other communities, refused to participate in the meeting by Synod sources said there was complete unanimity - among participants" on both the nature of the problems (posed by his activities) and the need to take measures". These problems concern the infiltration of regions under the jurisdiction of other Orthodox churches and particularly the Ecumenical Patriarchate. The Patriarchates of the East, and primarily the Greek Churches, have, without exception, honoured the rule which establishes churches created beyond the Patriarchates' historic limits under the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. The meeting was convened, however, to discuss the activities of Patriarch Diodoros, who, over the last three years, has taken advantage of a local conflict in an attempt to extend the Jerusalem Patriarchate's jurisdiction to Australia which is considered to be the "canonical territory" of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Patriarch Diodoros is also accused of similar activities in the United States. In a lengthy letter to the Ecumenical Patriarch, Patriarch Diodoros refuted the Ecumenical Patriarchate's right to convene a Greater Holy Synod, claiming that his case could only be discussed at the level of a Panorthodox conference. This view has been rejected by the other churches attending the Phanar meeting. Patriarch Diodoros has complained of the increased power of Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos in the Orthodox world following the collapse of the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia. The Greater Holy Synod is comprised of the representatives of all the Greek Orthodox Churches, including Patriarch Parthenios of Alexandria; Archbishop Serapheim of Athens and all Greece; Peristeri Metropolitan Chrysostomos, Akras Metroplitan Petros, and Nea Smyrni Metropolitan Agathangelos, as representatives of Archbishop Chrysostomos of Cyprus; and all the Ecumenical Patriarchate's primates overseas, headed by the Archbishop Iakovos of North and South America. Athens, 31/7/93 (ANA) - The new international airport at Spata is the largest single private investment in Greece to date and will create 7,000 new jobs over the next five years, government spokesman Vassilis Manginas said yesterday. He added that construction will begin in September, with the airport scheduled to open in five years. Mr Manginas said Deputy Prime Minister Tzannis Tzannetakis and National Economy and Finance Minister Stephanos Manos had briefed the cabinet on the contract awarded Thursday to a German-led consortium to build and operate the Spata airport. "The construction of the airport will enable Greece to assume a dominant position in the Balkans and south-eastern Europe... as it will become a regional hub", Mr Manginas said. The spokesman added that the relocation of the capital's international airport to Spata would help relieve pollution caused by the 120,000 annual arrivals and departures at Hellenikon and would also free parkland worth an estimated 500 billion dr. Athens, 31/7/93 (ANA) - The government yesterday described Turkish press reports alleging that Greece was providing financial aid to Kurdish organisations as "pure fantasy" and "a distortion of the truth". "As a country with heightened sensitivity and complete respect for human rights, Greece grants asylum to foreign nationals. But it will not allow those to whom asylum has been granted to engage in political acts. And it will not accept the issuing of any type of threats against the lives of Greek citizens by foreign nationals," said foreign ministry spokesman Andreas Papaconstantinou. The government, he added, would take all the necessary measures to safeguard law and order in the country. Athens, 31/7/93 (ANA) - Greece said yesterday that it would support the candidacy of the former foreign minister of Cyprus, Nicos Rolandis, for the post of UN Secretary General if the present UN chief, Boutros Boutros-Ghali, declined to seek a second term. Government spokesman Vassilis Manginas made the statement after a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis at which a number of domestic and foreign policy issues were discussed. "The government supported the election of Boutros Boutros-Ghali to the post of UN Secretary General, as it supports his tireless efforts for the success of his mission. His term ends in 1996 and if he decided not to stand again, then Greece, due to its fraternal ties with Cyprus and the esteem in which it hold Nicos Rolandis, will back his candidacy which he announced today for the post of UN Secretary General", Mr Manginas said.