From: zarros@turing.scs.carleton.ca (Theodoros Sp. Zarros) Subject: News (in ENGLISH)- Fri, 28 Jan 1994 (Greek Press Office BBS, Ottawa). Athens News Agency Bulletin, Athens, 28/1/1994 (ANA): German Deputy Foreign Minister Helmut Schaefer said yesterday that Bonn was determined to help Greece and Skopje enter into a dialogue for a settlement of their dispute. "Above all your northern neighbor must not be destabilized", Mr. Schaefer said after talks with Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias. The talks focused on European security, the crisis in former Yugoslavia, the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Cyprus problem and the situation in Russia and the former Socialist countries. Both ministers said that there had been an identity of views on these issues. Mr. Schaefer said that relations between Greece and Germany were "at an excellent level despite opinions and rumors to the contrary which have appeared from time to time". Speaking later at the inauguration of the new 1,500 square meter German embassy building in Athens, Mr. Schaefer described relations between Athens and Bonn as being "as clear as the blue Greek sky". He said that his talks with the Greek government had been "fruitful". Mr. Papoulias said that there were prospects for even further improvement in the "already good relations" between Greece and Germany. Mr. Schaefer also had a meeting yesterday with Culture Minister Melina Mercouri focusing on bilateral collaboration in the culture sector. Ms. Mercouri briefed Mr. Schaefer on plans to link up the major archaeological sites in Athens. The Culture Minister accepted an invitation by Mr. Schaefer, to visit Berlin in April. Mr. Schaefer also met with Interior Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos to discuss bilateral issues. Following the meeting, Mr. Tsohatzopoulos told reporters that "the meeting was interesting". "We discussed bilateral issues as well as issues-related to European Union. In his statement, Mr. Schaefer referred to the "very good" Greek-German relations. Mr. Schaefer also met with Political Spring party (Pol.A) leader Antonis Samaras for talks including national issues, present developments in the Western European Union and issues concerning the European Union. Athens, 28/1/1994 (ANA): Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias left for Washington yesterday in his capacity as President of the European Union Council of Ministers for talks with the US government. Ministry spokesman Costas Bikas said that together with EU External Relations Commissioner Hans van der Broek, Mr. Papoulias would have talks with Secretary of State Warren Christopher. Mr. Bikas said that the talks would focus on former Yugoslavia, the Middle East, EU enlargement, relations between the EU and the countries of Central and East Europe and the Western European Union. Mr. Papoulias and Mr. Van der Broek would also meet with the Chairman of the House Foreign Relations Committee Lee Hamilton and National Security Council member Anthony Lake. Replying to press questions, Mr. Bikas said that Mr. Papoulias would not be going to New York and that no meeting was scheduled between Greece's permanent representative at the UN Antonis Exarchos and UN mediator on the Skopje issue Cyrus Vance. Mr. Bikas did not rule out the possibility of Mr. Papoulias discussing the Cyprus problem during his stay in Washington. Before leaving for Washington Mr. Papoulias told reporters that he was not planning to meet with Mr. Vance. "Conditions are not ripe", Mr. Papoulias said. "We are waiting for Mr. Gligorov to take some steps first. He hasn't taken any yet but we have patience. We will wait for Mr. Gligorov". Commenting on his trip, Mr. Papoulias said he wished the US would be persuaded to take a more active role in the negotiating process for ending the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and exert pressure on the three warring factions. Athens, 28/1/1994 (ANA): Greece could re-examine its stance on the issue of Skopje's accession to the (Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe) CSCE on the condition that the neighboring state first gave concrete examples that it was willing to abandon its provocativeness and intransigence, the government reiterated yesterday. Government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos made the statement when asked to comment on a newspaper report claiming that the Foreign Ministry had instructed the diplomatic services responsible for relations with the CSCE to encourage the Italian presidency to facilitate Skopje's entry. Mr. Venizelos said that Greece's positions were very clear not only to Skopje but also to Italy, the competent CSCE High Commissioner (for National Minorities), Max van der Stoel, and to the CSCE member states. The spokesman said that the article, in the Athens daily 'Apogevmatini', has "misread" a telegram to the Greek Ambassador in Poland stating that a prerequisite for any facilitation of the Italian presidency would be that Skopje took steps which were compatible with Greece's demands. Ottawa, 28/1/1994 (ANA): The move by four European Union member states to establish diplomatic relations with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) has increased the possibility of a new outburst of violence in the Balkans, according to Greek-Canadian, Liberal Party Deputy Eleni Bakopanos. Addressing the Canadian parliament in a debate on the role played by peacekeeping forces in former Yugoslavia, Ms. Bakopanos denounced recent recognitions of FYROM by European countries, stressing the lack of accord and cohesion in the way the European Union handles conflicts in the Balkans. Athens, 28/1/1994 (ANA): Alternate National Economy Minister Yiannos Papantoniou leaves today for Davos, to attend the annual conference of the "World Economic Forum" for 1994 which will end Sunday. The Forum will discuss "new trends in international economy". On the sidelines of the conference, Mr. Papantoniou will have meetings with political leaders, bankers and businessmen and means for the development of world economy. During his stay, Mr. Papantoniou will meet with Swiss National Economy Minister Mr. Delamuraz to discuss subjects of bilateral interest. Athens, 28/1/1994 (ANA): The Army General Staff yesterday issued an announcement calling "totally untrue" a report published in the daily newspaper "Ethnos" alleging that an incident occurred earlier in the week at the Greek-Albanian borders. According to the report, a speedboat of the Greek harbor Corps patrolling the northeast coast of Corfu, was noticed by an Albanian vessel disembarking a group of illegal immigrants on the island. The newspaper report alleged that the Albanian vessel opened fire against the Greek speedboat. A few minutes later, according to the same report, another incident occurred at the Greek-Albanian border, when Albanian guards opened fire against Greek guards. Athens, 28/1/1994 (ANA): The Greek minority in Albania numbers more than 300.000 members, contrary to Albanian allegations that there are only 40.000 Greeks living in the country, according to the results of a special research released yesterday by the Hellenic Foundation for Foreign and Defense Policy (ELIAMEP). The results, which ELIAMEP President Theodoros Kouloubis presented to the press on the sidelines of a conference on "Peace, Safety and Co-operation in the Balkans: 70 years post Lausanne", showed that many Greeks still live in northern Albania. According to the Albanian government, the Greeks living in Albania, have confined themselves to the southern territories and the so-called minority zones. Mr. Kouloubis suggested that the Greek minority in Albania "should become a co-operation bridge between Greece and Albania". The conference, which started yesterday evening with the participation of Greek and foreign international affairs experts, will focus on Greek-Turkish relations and the Lausanne Treaty. National Defense Minister Gerassimos Arsenis will address the conference today. Athens, 28/1/1994 (ANA): Archbishop Iacovos of North and South America arrives in Athens tomorrow at the invitation of Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou. The Archbishop will be accompanied by Greek-American community officials. He will be the guest of honor at an official dinner hosted by the Prime Minister on Monday. Athens, 28/1/1994 (ANA): Main opposition New Democracy party leader Miltiades Evert will embark on a tour of European capitals in February to spearhead a diplomatic campaign aimed at projecting Greece's positions on the Skopje issue. Mr. Evert is scheduled to have meetings with European Commission President Jacques Delors, French Prime Minister Edouard Balladur, Dutch Premier Ruud Lubbers, Belgian Prime Minister Jean-Luc Dehaene and European Parliament President Egon Klepsch. On February 8 Mr. Evert will travel to Strasbourg for talks with the leaders of the European Assembly's parliamentary groups, address a meeting of the European Peoples' Party (PPE) and have talks with Mr. Klepsch. The following day he will meet with Mr. Delors and have separate talks with Council of Europe General Secretary Catherine Lalumiere. On February 10 Mr. Evert will meet with Mr. Dehaene before winding up his tour the following day in Amsterdam with Mr. Lubbers. The exact date for Mr. Evert's appointment with Mr. Balladur has not been set yet. In addition to the Skopje issue, Mr. Evert's talks will also include issues related to the Greek presidency of the European Union, the Greek economy, Greek-Turkish relations and the Cyprus problem. It will be Mr. Evert's first foreign tour as president of New Democracy. Athens, 28/1/1994 (ANA): New Democracy Alternate president Ioannis Varvitsiotis leaves for the US today for contacts with US officials including Chief General Staff Council President John Shalikashvili and his predecessor Colin Powell, former defense secretaries Dick Cheney and Caspar Wineberger and former secretary of state James Baker. Mr. Varvitsiotis will also meet Overseas Greek community officials and give two lectures at the Fletcher and Harvard universities on "Greece and developments in the Balkans".