From: tzarros@ccs.carleton.ca (Theodore Zarros) Subject: News (in ENGLISH)- Thu, 2 Jun 1994 (Greek Press Office BBS, Ottawa). Athens News Agency Bulletin, Kozyrev, Papoulias: Greek-Russian relations "excellent", Yeltsin coming to Corfu summit --------------------------------------------------------------- Moscow, 2/6/1994 (ANA/D.Konstantakopoulos): Russian President Boris Yeltsin will travel to Corfu later this month to sign a partnership agreement between Russia and the European Union, Foreign Minister Andrei Kozyrev said yesterday, after talks with visiting Greek counterpart Karolos Papoulias. Asked by the press whether or not President Yeltsin would visit Corfu to sign the co-operation accord between the EU and Russia, Mr. Kozyrev responded: "I don't know about the island of Corfu. However, he will visit the island of Circe. Since we are speaking of a Greek island, it is only appropriate that we should use the Greek name." Talks between Mr. Papoulias, current president of the EU Council of Ministers, and Mr. Kozyrev focused on Balkan problems, the Cyprus issue, Turkish provocations in Istanbul, and Russia's relations with Greece and the EU respectively. The two sides confirmed excellent relations existed in the political sector, and "almost identical" views on the Balkan and Cyprus issues. They also announced Premier Andreas Papandreou's official visit to Moscow next fall. Both ministers insisted on the need to observe the status quo governing the Dardanelles Straits as set out in the Montreux Treaty. Referring to bilateral economic relations, Mr. Kozyrev conceded the existence of problems, but stressed there was a political will to overcome them. "Good relations between us have been corroborated when President Yeltsin visited Greece. We are now at a stage of preparation. We expect the Greek Premier, Mr. Papandreou, to visit us in the autumn," Mr. Kozyrev said. He added certain difficulties existing in relations between the two countries focused mainly in developing economic relations, but "there is a political will to forge ahead in this sector." "A step made to promote economic relations," he said," was the establishment of a group of Greek businessmen whom Mr. Papoulias was due to meet with yesterday." "I will not make a complete report on sectors of economic co-operation. I will tell you simply that we cover a broad spectrum of co-operation in merchant shipping, and have also established co-operation in regions both in the south and the north," Mr. Kozyrev said. He added the fact Greece holds the EU Presidency is of extreme importance, adding Russia was grateful for work done by the Greek government in promoting co-operation with the EU, noting significant events may take place in this sphere by the end of the Greek Presidency. President Yeltsin has complained that preparation of the partnership and co-operation agreement with the EU was taking too long. France delayed approval of the agreement last month, when it declared the EU should seek better control over Russian nuclear fuel imports. Moscow is currently canvassing for wider access of Russian goods to world markets. "We have great co-operation on the Balkans and Yugoslavia. Greece and Russia are countries with interests and influence in the Balkan region. We also have co-operation at the EU on the matter, and are both members of the working group of ministers who have launched an initiative to help in the talks procedure (on the Bosnian crisis), having ascertained an identity of views," Mr. Kozyrev said. Mr. Kozyrev said Russia and Greece were countries supporting maintenance and full observance of existing agreements, specifically the Treaty of Montreux on the status for the Straits. "We have great harmony on views, I would add identity of views, on the Cyprus issue. It is of prime importance for us to wait and see whether or not the Secretary-General's proposal to the Security Council might serve as a fresh start for a proper solution to the issue. Indeed, it is a pleasure to speak of talks when you have established common political volition and views," Mr. Kozyrev said. Mr. Papoulias said there was close co-operation between Greece and Russia on Balkan issues, adding views coincide on seeking a way out of the major crisis in former Yugoslavia. "The Minister spoke to you about the Cyprus issue. Indeed, I would like to thank Russia for its great support on the Cyprus problem and on seeking a just and permanent solution to the issue," Mr. Papoulias said. Mr. Papoulias said both sides supported the principle of free shipping through the Straits, namely respect for the Treaty of Montreux. "I believe co-operation between us will continue to the benefit of both our peoples and countries. I would like to thank the Minister for the cordial and friendly welcome extended to the Greek delegation. I invited him to Greece hoping to return some of the hospitality, and I hope we will meet in Athens soon to continue our fruitful dialogue," Mr. Papoulias said. Patriarch Alexios II -------------------- Moscow, 2/6/1994 (ANA): Mr. Papoulias also met with Patriarch Alexios II of Russia, who briefed him on his visit to former Yugoslavia and his peacekeeping efforts. He also expressed regret because the Moslem spiritual leader - using various pretexts - had not attended the Sarajevo meeting with the Primate of the Serb Orthodox Church and the Catholic Nuncio. Mr. Papoulias expressed great "appreciation" for the Patriarch's peacekeeping efforts, stressing the great esteem which he enjoyed on the international scene. He also briefed the Patriarch on the situation relating to the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Istanbul, extremist activity by Islamic circles against it, and problems facing Orthodox citizens in Albania. Commenting on results of the talks, the Patriarch's spokesman told the press: "The Skopje (Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) issue is causing concern in Greece. The other side of the issue is that there are also the interests of the Church to take into account, since the local Church in Skopje had proclaimed its autocephalous and its independent status, before 'Macedonia' declared its independence. The 'Macedonian' issue is a complicated and alarming issue for us. Tomorrow, they may contest the northern regions of Greece." Referring to Albania, the Archimandrite deplored the banning of the Good Friday "Epitaphios" procession on which Mr. Papoulias also briefed the Patriarch. Yeltsin-Papoulias meeting tomorrow ---------------------------------- Moscow, 2/6/1994 (ANA-D.Konstantakopoulos): Mr. Papoulias will meet with President Yeltsin tomorrow and leave today for Murmansk, the constituency of his Russian counterpart, Kozyrev. Mr. Papoulias yesterday conferred with Finance Minister and Russian government presidium member Aleksandr Sohin on issues linked to the EU-Russia accord under negotiation. Reports say the accord is almost ready only certain technical and procedural issues remain to be set led, including shipping-related (flag issue) problems which also interest Greece. The two ministers reviewed the entire spectrum of Greek-Russian economic relations, including oil, natural gas and alumina. Arsenis briefs PM on defence, border monitoring ----------------------------------------------- Athens, 2/6/1994 (ANA): National Defence Minister Gerasimos Arsenis yesterday briefed Premier Andreas Papandreou on defence issues and his recent inspection tour the Greek-Albanian border. Mr. Arsenis Monday announced he planned to table a bill in Parliament this month on setting up a special force of guards to patrol the northern border and block illegal immigration into Greece. The minister said the move aimed to further bolster the sense of security of Greeks living in border regions. Meanwhile, National Defence GHQ officials were busy finalising details of a decision for Army conscripts to serve a mandatory six- month border duty, reports said. Mr. Arsenis said the decision was a fundamental condition for "increasing Greek military presence along the border". Greek Gov't welcomes Ghali Cyprus report ---------------------------------------- Athens, 2/6/1994 (ANA): Greece yesterday welcomed a report by United Nations Secretary General Boutros Boutros Ghali underscoring Turkish intransigence in efforts to resolve the 20-year-old Cyprus dispute. "The report is positive", spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said yesterday, reflecting the governments initial reaction. "The findings of the report depict a factual description of the situation", Mr. Venizelos told news media. Mr. Ghali blamed both Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash and the Turkish government for displaying lack of political will in contributing towards finding a solution to the Cyprus problem. "The international community should appreciate that the problem lies both in unwillingness and intransigence on the part of Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot side", Mr. Venizelos said. Turkey invaded Cyprus in 1974 after a short-lived coup in Nicosia engineered by the military junta then ruling Greece. It has since maintained about 30.000 troops in the northern third of the island-republic which declared itself a separate state in 1983. It has been granted recognition by Ankara only. Mr. Venizelos also criticised reports that Ankara was preparing to include northern Cyprus in its line of defence. "If this were true, then such a move would prove Turkey as being responsible for Mr. Denktash's intransigence and the deadlock in recent UN sponsored talks", Mr. Venizelos said. He said defence co-operation between Ankara and Turkish Cypriots would violate UN Security Council regulations and decisions. To a press question on whether or not the government might take an initiative on the possibility of calling an international conference on the Cyprus problem in light of the Ghali report, the spokesman said the government would consider options proposed by Mr. Ghali and consult with the Cyprus government. Pangalos on EU capitals tour, to pave way for summit --------------------------------------------------- Athens, 2/6/1994 (ANA): Alternate Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos will start a tour of European Union capitals on Sunday, paving the way for the Corfu summit on June 24 and 25. Mr. Pangalos will visit Lisbon, Paris and Madrid on June 5 through 9. According to reports, Mr. Pangalos will meet with Portuguese Prime Minister Cavaco Silva and Ministers Barozo and Martins in Lisbon on Monday. In Paris, where he will attend the OECD ministerial session on June 7, he will be meeting with Foreign Minister Alain Juppe and Community Affairs Minister Mr. Lamassour on June 8. Mr. Pangalos will confer with Spanish Prime Minister Felipe Gonzalez in Madrid on the same day and Community Affairs Minister Mr. Solana. He will return to Athens but then again leave on a tour of remaining EU capitals from June 12 through 17. On his second tour he will visit Brussels, Luxembourg, Berlin, The Hague, Stockholm, Helsinki, Oslo, London and Vienna. Gov't agrees to Balkan pact, but proper timing and preparation a "must" ---------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 2/6/1994 (ANA): Government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos yesterday said the government "agrees in principle" to a proposal for a Balkan peace and friendship pact, adding, however, such co-operation should be established at the appropriate moment after adequate preparation. The proposal, elaborated by main opposition New Democracy party leader Miltiades Evert, calls for a Balkan agreement recognising existing borders in the region. So far, it has received endorsement from the Romanian and Bulgarian governments. After conferring with Romanian President Ion Iliescu in Bucharest Tuesday, Mr. Evert declared it was time for specific initiatives "so that such an agreement may be signed as soon as possible." Government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos declared the opposition's initiatives to promote Greece's national issues were positive, noting "Balkan co-operation may take various forms," while cautioning "it should be implemented at the right time and following suitable preparations." "Fine intentions are not enough," Mr. Venizelos pointed out. Defence Minister in Helsinki, Britain, France --------------------------------------------- Athens, 2/6/1994 (ANA): National Defence Minister Gerasimos Arsenis will leave for Helsinki today to attend the Bildenberg Group conference on issues concerning the creation and organisation of world society. Mr. Arsenis will then visit Britain and France to attend events marking the anniversary of the Normandy invasion, in which the Greek fleet participated with some of its finest ships. US: State spokesman's remarks "taken out of context" ------------------------------------------------------ Washington, 2/6/1994 (ANA-D.Dimas): Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs, Stephen Oxman, yesterday told the ANA that State Department spokesman Mike McCurry's remarks last Tuesday on violations of human rights of the ethnic Greek minority in South Albania "had been misinterpreted by the press, as they were taken out of context." Mr. MacCurry's remarks, that he had "no reliable evidence to indicate that the Albanian government is oppressing the Greek minority," were protested by the Greek government in two demarches with the US State Department. "...While it is not obvious that the Albanian government pursues a policy of oppression against the Greek minority ... certain aspects, such as education, are causing concern (to Washington)..." and prompting it to take suitable action, according to the State Department. Human rights violation is an issue "which needs to be very carefully examined," Mr. Oxman said, adding that Washington is "in touch with the Albanian government over issues raised by the Greek government." These issues "need to be considered very carefully," he added. The US official said that international human rights organisations had not been able to establish evidence of "systematic violations" of human rights of members of the ethnic Greek community in Albania, but declined comment. He noted, however, that two specific problems existed, "the teaching of the Greek language outside the minority zones... and the return of Church property...", to which Washington drew the attention of the Albanian government. Mr. Oxman hoped that relations between the two countries would improve. Relations between Greece and Albania have been strained since a cross-border attack on April 10 in which two Albanian soldiers were killed by what Tirana claims were ethnic Greek separatist gunmen. Athens flatly rejected the accusation. Greek envoy to Ankara protests false accusations over PKK training ----------------------------------------------------------------- Ankara, 2/6/1994 (ANA-A.Kourkoulas): Greece yesterday warned Ankara against "daring slanderous and unfounded" accusations which, it said, did not "tally with appeals for stability in the region", causing grave concern over the neighbouring state's intentions". The warning, carried through Greek Ambassador to Ankara Alexandros Filon at a meeting with Turkish Foreign Under-secretary Unan Unsal Tuesday, related to last week's Turkish claims that Kurdish rebels were being trained in Greece. Athens flatly rejected the accusations, describing them as both "false" and "totally unfounded". Greek Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias said Ankara's accusations were "bordering on the absurd". A Turkish Foreign Minister spokesman told reporters after the meeting that "the Greek Ambassador reiterated statements already made by the Greek side". Last week, the Turkish Foreign Ministry leaked to the Turkish press and certain foreign wire services what it called "evidence" of PKK activities in Greece. It also summoned the Greek envoy to protest the alleged activities and draw attention to "the major significance of the issue". Prior to summoning Mr. Filon, the Turkish Foreign Ministry briefed the Ambassadors of Britain, France, Germany and the US supplying them with alleged "evidence". Greek Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou on Monday said Greece should not only be "very wary" and "determined" in rejecting Turkish accusations but also condemn them as "deliberate action in anticipation of something to come". Venizelos to Ankara: Religious freedom incompatible with fundamentalism ------------------------------------------------------- Istanbul, 2/6/1994 (ANA-A.Kourkoulas): Government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos yesterday said Turkey must acknowledge that religious freedom is incompatible with the "growing manifestations of fundamentalism", commenting on a statement by a Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman. The spokesman, Ferhat Ataman, yesterday answered press questions about last week's attempted bombing of the Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarchate in Istanbul, recalling the Patriarchate "had existed in the city for 600 years without any problems, due to freedom of religion and understanding by Turkey". Mr. Venizelos said the Ecumenical Patriarchate's "history, its world-wide legal status and universal radiance are well known and respected by the international community". "Turkey must show that it can fulfil the undertakings of a civilised country and a state of law", he said. The Turkish official called the Greek Patriarchate a "Turkish institution... which like all other Turkish institutions lies under the protection of Turkish law". "Therefore", he said, "investigations into the attempted bombing will be conducted according to legislation relating to state institutions". Last Saturday, three powerful time-bombs were discovered by Patriarchate officials in iron pipes next to a wall and on a roof of the Patriarchate building. They were defused by Turkish bomb disposal experts shortly before they were due to detonate. An unknown Islamic organisation, "Warriors of Islamic Enlightenment", claimed responsibility for the attempted attack.