From: zarros@turing.scs.carleton.ca (Theodoros Sp. Zarros) Subject: News (in ENGLISH)- Fri, 4 Feb 1994 (Greek Press Office BBS, Ottawa). Athens News Agency Bulletin, Athens, 4/2/1994 (ANA): France threw its weight behind the Greek presidency of the European Union yesterday, saying it would help Athens implement its EU programme giving priority to enlargement of the 12-nation bloc. "Greece enjoys the full support of France in the effort to achieve its (EU) presidency goals", French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said. "We will contribute to the promotion of the presidency targets". He was speaking at a joint press conference after talks with Alternate Foreign Minister in charge of European Affairs, Theodoros Pangalos. Mr. Juppe urged that negotiations on EU enlargement should be concluded by March 1. He conceded, however, that several issues had to be resolved before that date. They include agricultural, regional and transit matters. "Much work is still needed", said Mr. Juppe, who arrived in Athens late Wednesday night. Greece has said it would give priority to EU enlargement by promoting accession of Austria, Norway, Finland and Sweden to the 12-nation bloc by March. Mr. Juppe said other issues discussed at the meeting included European unification, Mr. Delors' White Paper on unemployment and job creation for Europe's 20 million jobless, GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) issues and relations with Russia, the Ukraine, Algeria, Mexico, China and S. Africa. After the press conference, Mr. Juppe held talks with his Greek counterpart Karolos Papoulias on the Yugoslav crisis. He also conferred with Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou. Mr. Pangalos later explained that a crucial point in talks for Norway's accession to the EU concerned agriculture. Prices of agricultural goods in Norway are double those in the EU. "You can imagine what will happen if the country opens its markets to European agriculture goods", Mr. Pangalos said. He said a proposal on the table of negotiations concerned farmers' subsidies. Mr. Pangalos said whaling in Norway was also a crucial part of membership negotiations. EU sources said Norway had concluded 12 out of 29 of their negotiating issues, Sweden and Finland 18, and Austria 15. Failure of the European Parliament to agree on the EU enlargement before its current term expires in June will scupper the four countries' plan to enter the EU on January 1, 1995. Athens, 4/2/1994 (ANA): Justice Minister George Kouvelakis last night instructed an Athens court prosecutor to instigate legal proceedings against all persons involved in the AGET-Heracles affair, and for offenses concerning lack of good faith, the law on middle-men, fraud and any other related offense which might be discovered. AGET-Heracles, Greece's largest cement factory was sold to Calcestruzzi, a subsidiary of debt-ridden Feruzzi group of Italy. Mr. Kouvelakis stated that prolongation of the preliminary penal inquiry into the AGET affair created hazards of corroborative material being lost, or of serious offenses being written off. It was for that reason, he said, the Justice Minister not only had a right but also an obligation to order prosecution, as omission of such action might lead to an impression of an attempt at covering-up the case. Mr. Kouvelakis said refusal by the Supreme Court prosecutor to hand over the file to the Justice Minister was tantamount to insisting on delay, adding it was, therefore, necessary that prosecution take place immediately against any person responsible of serious offenses related to the sale of AGET. Mr. Kouvelakis on Wednesday night addressed a letter to Supreme Court Prosecutor Athanassios Sioulas to hand over to his Ministry the file concerning the ongoing investigation into the AGET sale, within 24 hours. Mr. Sioulas had not handed over the file until late last night. The delay expires today at 8 a.m. Athens, 4/2/1994 (ANA): Greece yesterday accused Turkey of "gross interference" in its domestic affairs, with remarks on alleged ill-treatment of the Moslem minority in the country. "The Greek government condemns such action by Turkey, and reiterates that Greek Justice decisions taken in accordance with the Constitution and laws, do not require anyone's approval or disapproval, especially from a foreign state", a Foreign Ministry statement said yesterday. Greece, it added, "fully respects human rights, unlike Turkey's bad record, which has been analytically described in numerous reports of international organizations". Turkey on Wednesday accused Greece of human rights violations, and of pressuring the Moslem minority in northeastern Greece following court action against a former deputy. Meanwhile, Parliament President Apostolos Kaklamanis, in a reply letter to the President of the Turkish Assembly Husametin Kintorouk yesterday, listed respect of constitutional order and social peace of the host country as "basic elements for good bilateral relations between Greece and Turkey. Mr. Kintorouk had written Mr. Kaklamanis referring to the recent visit to Greece of president of the Democratic People's Party Deniz Baykal. "Greek authorities had been kept posted on Mr. Baykal's visit and provided adequate protection to himself and the group accompanying him", Mr. Kaklamanis wrote. A group of extreme right-wing youths threw stones and hurled insults at Mr. Baykal and his group in Xanthi, Sunday. After the incident, government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said the government condemned all violence "irrespective of origin". During his stay in Greece, Mr. Baykal had fueled tension in the region, by stating "Greece should recognize the Moslem minority in Thrace as Turkish". Mr. Venizelos replied as follows: "Before making a statement, it would be advisable for Mr. Baykal to study the Treaty of Lausanne, international law and the Greek Constitution which, if viewed from any angle, could serve as a model on minority issues". Vienna, 4/2/1994 (ANA - D. Dimitrakoudis): Austrian Foreign Minister Alois Mock lauded the highly intensive "Greek Presidency negotiations programme" in the European Union in a statement to Austrian journalists during a visit to EU headquarters in Brussels yesterday. Mr. Mock said meeting of EU foreign ministers proposed by the Greek Presidency for February, 8,21, and 25-28 were essential to overcome "routine" in accession negotiations for the four candidate countries - Austria, Finland, Sweden and Norway. Athens, 4/2/1994 (ANA): An earthquake, measuring 4.8 units on the Richter scale, was felt in the northern town of Ioannina at 20.50 last night. The epicenter was 30 kilometers north-west of the town. No casualties or damage were reported. Athens, 4/2/1994 (ANA): France yesterday said that it would exert pressure on Skopje to display good will by meeting Greece's demands for dialogue. "France will exert pressure on Skopje to provide the requirements demanded by Greece for dialogue", French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said yesterday, following talks with his Greek counterpart Karolos Papoulias on the Yugoslav crisis, the Cyprus issue and Greece's dispute with the Former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia (FYROM). He said France's recent move to establish diplomatic links with the new state did not constitute "an unfriendly gesture" toward Greece. Mr. Juppe also warned that France would pull-out its 6,000 peace-keepers from former Yugoslavia if efforts to implement a peace plan for Bosnia proved ineffective. "If the plan does not produce results, then we will have to review our policy on Bosnia, and it may lead to that (withdrawal)", Mr. Juppe said. His statement to the Athens News Agency (ANA) came in the wake of last week's criticism by French Defense Minister Francois Leotard of United Nations military impotence in Bosnia and a recent war of words between Paris and Washington over Bosnia. A US State Department spokesman accused Paris of displaying strange morality and faulty logic on the Bosnian issue. But Mr. Juppe yesterday defended France and the European Union saying: "The European Union and France are in no need of lessons in morality for Bosnia". He said France had provided the largest contingent in the UN peacekeeping force in former Yugoslavia, noting that 20 French soldiers had been killed and 300 wounded on duty. He said there was agreement with his Greek counterpart on the need to provide UN humanitarian assistance to Bosnia and embark on efforts for a political solution to the problem. "The two sides agreed to direct efforts at further supporting the European plan on Bosnia", Mr. Juppe said. "We agreed to give a last chance to efforts for a political solution. The peace plan can be improved, it can change, it can be used as a basis (for a finalized solution)", he added. He said the EU had to persuade Russia and the US on "the diplomacy required", adding the issue would be raised at a meeting of EU foreign Ministers in Brussels Monday. On the 19-year-old Cyprus dispute, Mr. Juppe said France stood firm on its support for UN efforts for a just and viable solution. He also pledged to pressure the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) into accepting Greek demands for a UN-sponsored dialogue. Mr. Papoulias described his talks with Mr. Juppe as "useful and productive, focusing on bilateral issues and issues requiring immediate attention, such as the Bosnian crisis and the situation in former Yugoslavia, the Skopje problem, and the Cyprus question". Athens, 4/2/1994 (ANA): Greece said yesterday it was greatly displeased by Russia's decision to set-up diplomatic relations with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. "The move takes place at a time when the Skopje government is continuing its provocative tactics", government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said. The Russia Foreign ministry announced yesterday the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries at ambassador level. A ministry spokesman said that "this act is not directed against the interests of any third country", and Russia was ready to contribute to settlement of differences between Athens and Skopje, if requested. "The government has made clear Greece's positions on the issue, and the international community should have realized by now that preservation of security and stability in the broader region calls for a change of stance by Skopje", Mr. Venizelos added. Russia dealt a blow to its Greek traditional ally when it recognized the former Yugoslav republic as an independent state in August 1992. the move prompted fierce criticism from Athens, branding the move a big mistake that cast a shadow on traditional ties of friendship between the two orthodox states. Athens, 4/2/1994 (ANA): Greece reiterated yesterday that the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia had to comply with a list of Greek demands before embarking on United Nations sponsored dialogue. "The government might reassess the role of Skopje, and participate in dialogue under the auspices of the UN, provided it displays well-known examples of goodwill", government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said yesterday. The statement was prompted by a recent call for talks by President of the neighbor-state, Kiro Gligorov. Athens insists the former Yugoslav republic change its constitution, remove a Greek symbol from its flag and cease hostile propaganda against Greece. Istanbul, 4/2/1994 (ANA): Archbishop Iakovos of North and South America met with Ecumenical Orthodox Patriarch Vartholomeos at his seat in Fanar, Istanbul, yesterday. Iakovos arrives here from Athens where he had talks with Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou. Athens, 4/2/1994 (ANA): The Revolutionary Popular Struggle (ELA) terrorist organization has claimed responsibility for a bomb that went off in a basement of the Goethe Institute in downtown Athens early yesterday morning. The home-made bomb, planted in the women's restroom in the first basement of the building housing the cultural institute, went off at 1.20 a.m. causing serious damage, but no casualties. Shortly before the bomb went off an unidentified caller claiming to represent ELA telephoned the Athens daily "Eleftherotypia" and warned of the explosion. Police rushed to the site and the Institute director was immediately advised. The bomb exploded while police were searching the outer premises. The Institute director arrived at 4.20, enabling the authorities to access the building. In a statement later, government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said the government condemned any act of violence. He said police was investigating the case.