From: tzarros@ccs.carleton.ca (Theodore Zarros) Subject: News (in ENGLISH)- Wed, 23 Mar 1994 (Greek Press Office BBS, Ottawa). Athens News Agency Bulletin, Greek 'urgent' appeal to Council against Turkish troops in Bosnia ----------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 23/3/1994 (ANA): Greece today urgently called on the United Nations Security Council not to detract from UN rules postulating that neighbouring countries or those which have historically been involved in the Yugoslav crisis should be barred from providing troops for ex-Yugoslavia. "Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias, in an urgent letter to the current Security Council President - the French permanent representative - requested that there should be no detraction from the basic principle according to which the UNPROFOR contingent (in ex Yugoslavia) is being formed, and countries which have historically been involved in the problem of the region or neighbouring countries are excluded", government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said. Mr Venizelos' announcement was prompted by UN Secretary General spokesman's statements yesterday in New York that UN chief Boutros Boutros Ghali recommended Turkey be accepted as a troop contributor in the peace-keeping force in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Meanwhile, Defence Ministry sources last night opposed the decision by Mr. Ghali. Greece has stepped up diplomatic efforts to prevent the possible deployment of peace keeping from Balkan countries in Bosnia, and said that in the event such efforts proved unsuccessful it would then reconsider its position on the Bosnian crisis. UN Spokesman Joe Sills said the recommendation had gone to the Security Council, which must make a final decision. Turkey, which has been excluded from participation in the Balkans to date, has offered 1.000 soldiers for Bosnia to help enforce recently negotiated cease-fires. Sills told a news briefing that Boutros Ghali "was adding Turkey to the list of countries from which he proposes to draw the troops". Turkey was excluded from countries contributing troops to the former Yugoslavia, mainly because of the Ottoman empires' long occupation of the Balkans until early this century. Germany and Italy, which invaded Yugoslavia in World War Two, are also excluded from military participation. Under UN rules, neighbouring countries or those which have historically been involved in a troubled area are normally barred from providing troops. The United Nations is seeking to raise close to 11.000 troops, to enforce the cease-fire in Sarajevo and other areas. So far, about 4,500 troops have been raised from Britain, France, the Ukraine, the Czech Republic and other countries. The UN Protection Force currently has 31,334 troops, military observers and police in the Balkans, with 14,594 in Croatia, 14,433 in Bosnia and 1,048 in FYROM, according to UN figures released Monday. EU cautions Turkey to respect human rights, democracy ---------------------------------------------------- Brussels, 23/3/1994 (ANA): The European Union yesterday called on Turkey to respect human rights and rules government democracy. "The European Union maintains that rules government democracy and protection of human rights should be in effect in countries associated with the EU, that have also applied for accession, and are members of the Council of Europe, as is the case with Turkey", EU Foreign Minister's Council President Theodoros Pangalos said at a joint press conference with European Commission President Jacques Delors, after a Council meeting, in Brussels yesterday. Mr. Pangalos was referring to the imprisonment of six Kurdish deputies in Turkey. Six MPs, five from the Kurdish Democracy Party (DEP) and one independent, are still in jail in Turkey, on charges involving links with separatist Kurdish guerrillas. The charges can carry the death penalty. The MPs were stripped of their immunity on March 2 and held in custody. The arrest was made formal on March 16. The issue of the Kurdish deputies' imprisonment was discussed at length at the Foreign Ministers' lunch, including oppression carried out by Ankara on 14 million Kurds in Southeast Turkey. The EU has voiced concern at developments in this region, Mr. Pangalos said. ANA reports say most Foreign Ministers condemned Ankara's attitude. Those who spoke out strongly were French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe and German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel. Mr. Pangalos also said the EU was opposed to the use of force and terrorism in resolving political problems, while discouraging any secessionist attempt within existing states. Mr. Delors said he "fully supports" the positions of the Council President, adding, that "the conditions of the Kurdish Deputies' arrest did not take place under clear conditions". Mr. Delors also said the Kurdish MPs never supported a separatist policy, but only Kurdish cultural autonomy. US follows Australia lead over FYROM name ----------------------------------------- Athens, 23/3/1994 (ANA): Foreign Under-secretary George Papandreou told a press conference here yesterday, the State Department issued an announcement on March 15 stipulating that the official name to be used for Skopje was Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM). Responding to press questions, government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said that, if true, the State Department announcement was a "positive development", coming in the wake of a similar move by the Australian government. US leader says no FYROM relations until dispute is settled ---------------------------------------------------------- New York, 23/3/1994 (ANA - M. Georgiadou): US House of Representatives President Tom Foley on Sunday said the United States should not conclude diplomatic relations with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), before he dispute between FYROM and Greece was settled. "We must hold back procedures to conclude diplomatic relations with Skopje, until truth is established", and Skopje pledges to stop using the Greek symbols, amend its constitution and stop its anti-Greek propaganda are kept, Mr. Foley said at a special event held in his honour by Greek-community officials. Turning the Cyprus issue, Mr. Foley referred to President Clinton's efforts to find a just solution. Archbishop Iakovos of North and South America, Congressman Paul Sarbanes and former Congressman John Brademas attended the event. EU council fails over Spain, UK enlargement veto ------------------------------------------------ Brussels, 23/3/1994 (ANA/Reuter): European Union foreign ministers failed yesterday to get Britain and Spain to drop their veto over the admission of four new members. Greek European Affairs Minister Theodoros Pangalos, representing the EU current presidency, adjourned the emergency meeting until the weekend, cautioning further deadlock was unthinkable. Mr. Pangalos and European Commission President Jacques Delors gave a joint press conference, underlining that with the refusal of Spain and Britain, the success of enlargement and EU smooth operation is jeopardised and, by extension, the very future of European integration. Among other things, Mr. Pangalos said: "There was no agreement on the major political issue concerning the way of taking decisions at the Council of Ministers. Ten member-states and the Commission believe that in implementing decisions of the Lisbon European Council and mandate for negotiations, there should be arithmetic readjustment (in the process of taking decisions with a special majority at the Council of Ministers) by taking the accession of the four new countries into account on the basis of 70 per cent for the special majority and 30 per cent for the blocking minority." "The presidency maintains that a claim by Spain and Britain that in certain cases the blocking minority of 23 votes should have effect, distorts the principle of 30 per cent applied in all previous enlargements and makes decision-making more difficult," Mr. Pangalos added. "It is the presidency's conviction that there is no insuperable problem for any of the member-states. However, if no decision is taken in the next few days it will become a nightmare which will create big problems in the EU," he said. A working group will continue to examine the issue, not at ministerial level. It will be composed of representatives from the Commission and the governments of Spain, Britain and "troika" countries (Belgium, Greece and Germany). Mr. Pangalos said part of the work of the informal Council of Ministers due to be held next weekend in Ioannina will be devoted to this issue. Meanwhile, the presidency expressed regret, because it wanted the informal Council in Ioannina to deal with major political issues concerning the EU and European public opinion, such as former Yugoslavia, the Middle East and Russia. EU meeting slates funding research, development plan ---------------------------------------------------- Brussels, 23/3/1994 (ANA / G. Daratos & P. Pantelis): The European Union Research Ministers Council and the European Parliament have agreed to fund the Fourth Research and Development Plan with 12.3 billion ECU in the 1994-98 period, with another 700 billion to be added in 1996. The agreement was reached Monday night, after intense negotiations, in the context of a new procedure envisaged by the Treaty of Maastricht, entailing joint decisions by the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament, and first successfully applied by the Greek presidency. "It is a great success on the part of the Greek presidency", stated President of the Council of Research Ministers Costas Simitis, who added that the agreement is doubly significant because it secures the unimpeded continuation of EU research. It is also the first joint decision reached by the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament. The approval of the Plan was among the first priorities of the Greek presidency, he said. Research Commissioner Antonio Rouberti also stressed the importance of the decision and expressed his great satisfaction. The approval of the Plan implies the granting of 190 billion ECU to Greece over the 1994-98 period, on the assumption that fund absorption will continue at the same pace as in the last five years. EU report: preventing economy from further deterioration is main challenge ----------------------------------------------------------------- Brussels, 23/3/1994 (ANA - K. Verros/V. Demiris): The main challenge for Greek economic policy in 1994, is to prevent the economy from further deterioration, and launching a drastic reduction of the public deficit, stressed the European Commission annual economic report, to be released today. Such an effort requires several years in order to lead to results facilitating convergence as laid down in the Maastricht Treaty, it added. The "most important" development in 1993 was "growth in the state deficit", causing public sector loaning requirements to reach 14.2 per cent of GDP, greatly exceeding the target figure by nearly 6 per cent. Public debt has reached 23,278 billion dr. or 138.8 per cent of GDP., the report stressed. Some improvement was achieved in inflation which dropped to 14.4 per cent, mainly due to a slowdown in the economy and a fall in real incomes, the report acknowledged. But the drachma depreciated by 9.6 per cent against currencies of 20 industrialised countries in 1993, and 6.9 per cent against other Community currencies, comparing with 7.7 per cent and 8.4 per cent respectively, in 1992. Referring to 1994, the report said fiscal estimates were inadequate to ensure recovery, adding it was necessary to carry out institutional structural reform and reorganise the economy, to fully activate its potential. Other changes should include improvement in state services and competition, continuing privatisation, and introducing reform in business operational costs to boost competitiveness.