From: tzarros@ccs.carleton.ca (Theodore Zarros) Subject: News (in ENGLISH)- Sat, 17 Sep 1994 (Greek Press Office BBS, Ottawa). Athens News Agency Bulletin, September 17, 1994 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * Greece blames Albania for closing border, not justified * Journalists condemn * Arsenis, US envoy confer on bilateral relations, Balkans * US wants Greco-Turkish dialogue, but no mediation role * "Cancel aid to Turkey" call * FM, US envoy surprise meeting * Papoulias, Vance to meet, not part of FYROM issue talks * Greece, Bulgaria sign Russian oil pipeline accord * Departing Turkish diplomat: co-operation with Greeks satisfactory * Ten die in military copter crash Greece blames Albania for closing border, not justified ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Athens, 17/9/1994 (ANA): Greece yesterday accused Albania of closing the common border between the two countries to all Greek traffic, further escalating already existing grave tension between the two neighbours. Government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said that since yesterday morning, Albania banned Greek citizens from crossing the border between the two countries. Mr. Venizelos said Albania had provided no official justification for its latest act. Unofficially, he said, the reason given was security in view of Mr. Berisha's impending visit to South Albania. The spokesman said that only Albanian passport holders and international transport trucks with one driver were being allowed into Albania since yesterday. He said the government would wait to be officially advised before lodging the necessary protest, adding that "the move reflects clear nervousness and an attempt by Albania to create further tension". Greek-Albanian relations plunged to an all-time low after a Tirana court handed down sentences of between six to eight years on five ethnic Greeks accused of spying for Greece and illegal possession of weapons. Athens has condemned the trial terming it a political fabrication aimed at intimidating its ethnic minority in South Albania, and retaliated by blocking European Union aid to Albania and stepping up border control. Meanwhile, Albania yesterday requested that Athens trim the number of its embassy administrative personnel to seven, giving a list of names of those it did not consider desirable. On Thursday, Tirana requested the Greek government to reduce its administrative personnel from 11 employees to eight. In an earlier statement, Mr. Venizelos confirmed that Tirana had reiterated a demand on Thursday that the number of Greek embassy staff in Tirana be cut, adding that "if they insist, it should be taken for granted that Greece will retaliate". In another development yesterday, Greece flatly denied Albanian claims that the Greek Consulate General in Gjirokastr was issuing visas to ethnic Greek minority members only. Foreign Ministry spokesman Constantine Bikas, replying to a reporter's question, said the General Consulate "is providing services to all Albanian citizens without exception, with priority to sick and other persons urgently requiring transportation to Greece". Mr. Venizelos said Thursday that Greece was prepared to provide humanitarian assistance to Albania, following an outbreak of cholera there. "Greece is always ready to offer humanitarian aid, as it has already done with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), and this should be appreciated by the entire international community," Mr. Venizelos said. Journalists condemn ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Athens, 17/9/1994: Meanwhile, Greek journalists yesterday strongly condemned the way they were treated in Albania, while covering the trial of five leading members of the ethnic Greek political organisation "Omonia" in Tirana. Speaking at a press conference, the journalists condemned the surveillance and harassment they had been subjected to by the Albanian secret police, arrests and long detention, as well as the expulsion of colleagues by Albanian authorities without any justification. They also criticised the Albanian government for refusing to supply Greek reporters with information and the "criminalization" of fundamental press freedoms. The journalists charged that foreign reporters had also fallen victim to the same ill-treatment by the Albanian authorities, and also drew attention to the persecution of the opposition press in the neighbouring country over the past two years. Most of the provisions in the Albanian press law, they said, referred to press restrictions rather than freedom, noting that "undesirable" articles could draw fines of up to 8,000 US dollars. The Foreign Press Association of Greece said that it would be sending a protest to the Albanian embassy in Athens as well as to the International Federation of Journalists, underlining that there was a problem with regard to the protection of human rights in general in Albania. Among the many cases of harassment of Greek media representatives cited at the press conference, were those of August 15, when about 20 Greek journalists, technicians, lawyers and other observers of the trial were arrested outside the Tirana court and detained for about two hours, including the arrest and detention of two women journalists on August 23, along with a Cypriot reporter who was deported the following day. The arrest and deportation on September 6, 7 and 8 of several Greek reporters and technicians, and the confiscation of a TV reporter's cassettes and other material, while leaving the country on September 9. The reporter was also declared "undesirable" for one year. Lastly, the case of Takis Diamandis, representing the Greek State TV channel ET-1, the "Eleftherotypia" daily and the Greek service of Deutsche Welle, who was arrested on September 10, expelled the following day and declared undesirable for five years for alleged "anti-Albanian" activity and co-operation with the Greek secret service. Arsenis, US envoy confer on bilateral relations, Balkans ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Athens, 17/9/1994 (ANA): National Defence Minister Gerasimos Arsenis yesterday received US Ambassador to Athens Thomas Niles for talks on an issue concerning Greek-American relations and the situation in the Balkans. Mr. Niles extended Mr. Arsenis an official invitation on behalf of the US government to visit the US next year. Mr. Arsenis leaves for Washington today to attend a conference jointly organised by the Hellenic American Chamber, the Pantios University and the Centre of International Strategic Studies titled "Balkans-Eastern Mediterranean: American and Greek interests and options." Mr. Arsenis will meet his US counterpart William Perry on Tuesday. US wants Greco-Turkish dialogue, but no mediation role ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ankara, 17/9/1994 (ANA/AFP): The United States would like to see a reopening of dialogue between Greece and Turkey, but does not plan to play the role of official mediator, a top US State Department official said here yesterday. In a statement to the press before his departure from Ankara airport, Under-Secretary of State for Political Affairs Peter Tarnoff said the United States was "not playing an official role of mediator ... but since Greece and Turkey are close friends and allies, we want to be available to the parties whenever it is necessary." Mr. Tarnoff arrived in Ankara Thursday from Greece on the second leg of a shuttle mission aimed at easing tension between long-time rivals, both Mediterranean states and NATO allies. He added that the United States considered relations with the two countries "of central importance." Mr. Tarnoff said his visit was "very productive," and that he was able to preview some of the issues and some of the attitudes of the Turkish government and the foreign minister in particular" in preparation for a meeting between the Ankara government and US Secretary of State Warren Christopher. Mr. Christopher will meet with Turkish Foreign Minister Mumtaz Soysal in New York at the end of the month during a meeting of the UN General Assembly. Mr. Tarnoff, the number three official in the State Department, said Thursday heightened tension between Greece and Turkey over Greece's right to extend its territorial waters in the Aegean Sea from six to 12 miles was of no benefit to either side. Ankara has warned that possible extension could be a cause for war, as it would give Greece virtual control over Aegean maritime traffic. Referring to the Cyprus problem, Mr. Tarnoff said: "It's very important that renewed emphasis be placed on these confidence-building measures" that the UN has proposed regarding the island nation, "as a way for something positive to evolve in the situation in Cyprus." US-Turkish relations have also been strained since the US congress last month froze 10 percent of economic aid slated for Turkey -- about 65 million dollars -- in a bid to persuade Ankara to improve its human rights record regarding minority Kurds and to push for a resolution of the Cyprus issue. Referring to a letter by US President Clinton to Turkish Prime Minister Tancu Ciller, Mr. Tarnoff said that "our purpose is to continue to play an important role in this region, in which we have (both) interests and friends." Mr. Tarnoff handed Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou a letter on Wednesday similar to that addressed to Ms. Ciller. The US official also referred to the Kurdish issue, saying that "in (my visits to) both capitals I've expressed US concern over PKK (Kurdish Workers Party) terrorism." "Cancel aid to Turkey" call ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Brussels, 17/9/1994 (ANA): Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) Eurodeputy Yannis Roubatis yesterday requested that European Union aid to Turkey be cancelled. Mr. Roubatis submitted relative amendments, during a debate in the European Parliament on the 1995 Community budget, on the grounds of Turkish violations of human rights, suppression and killings of the Kurdish people and occupation of 40% of Cyprus soil. Mr. Roubatis proposed that European Union aid be given instead to "non-governmental organisations" in Turkey, especially those actively defending human rights. FM, US envoy surprise meeting ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Athens, 17/9/1994 (ANA): Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias yesterday had a surprise meeting with US Ambassador Thomas Niles, sources said. The meeting focused on Greek-Albanian relations as well as Mr. Papoulias' visit to New York to participate in the United Nations General Assembly meeting, the sources added. Mr. Papoulias is expected to hold a round of meetings on bilateral issues with other foreign ministers on the sidelines of the assembly, and the EU troika framework. He will also meet with UN Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali, UN Skopje mediator Cyrus Vance, and US mediator for Skopje, Matthew Nimetz. Papoulias, Vance to meet, not part of FYROM issue talks ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ United Nations, 17/9/1994 (ANA-M. Georgiadou): Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias will meet with Cyrus Vance, the UN Secretary General's special envoy on the issue of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), at UN headquarters in New York in mid-week, probably on Thursday, according to authoritative UN sources. The sources do not rule out the possibility of more meetings between the two men during the 12-day period Mr. Papoulias will stay in New York, to attend the General Assembly's new session and hold talks with his counterparts from European Union and other countries. Contacts between Mr. Papoulias and Mr. Vance are not part of the negotiations process sponsored by the UN to resolve differences between Athens and FYROM. The negotiations, namely separate talks between Mr. Vance and Athens and FYROM, have been suspended at FYROM's request, and there has been no further development so far. The sources believe that, before the end of 1994, negotiations will take a decisive turn, possibly even leading to the path of final settlement. Greece, Bulgaria sign Russian oil pipeline accord ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Athens, 17/9/1994 (ANA): Greece and Bulgaria yesterday signed a pact heralding the first step in the construction of a pipeline to carry Russian oil to Greece via Bulgaria for international distribution. A "pact of good intentions" was signed by Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias and Bulgarian Minister for Regional Development and Constructions Kristo Totev yesterday at the HELEXPO offices in Thessaloniki, on the sidelines of the Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF). The pipeline will run from the Bulgarian city of Burgas to the northern Greek port of Alexandroupolis. An estimated 50 million tons of Russian oil will be funnelled annually by sea aboard oil tankers from Russia's Black Sea port of Novorossiysk to Burgas, and thence to Greece through the pipeline. An initial agreement was signed last June in Moscow after talks between Mr. Papoulias and Russian President Boris Yeltsin and Foreign Minister Andrei Kozyrev. It was included in a protocol of co-operation between the two countries signed September 1. Mr. Papoulias stressed the importance of the project and the speed with which the two governments had acted, in a statement to the press, after the signing of the pact. He said a delegation, including Mr. Totev, would go to Moscow on September 19 for consultations, while details would be taken up subsequently by experts and technical personnel. Mr. Papoulias noted the "economic and political significance of the project for co-operation and development", noting the importance of the "participation of such a large country Russia" in the venture. He described Greek-Bulgarian relations as "exemplary". "Our relations are cordial and great prospects lie ahead," Mr. Papoulias said. Mr. Totev said the pipeline was "a major project that will link the two countries for many years". Bulgaria, he said, attributed "great significance to continuous progress in Greek-Bulgarian relations", adding hope private companies that would take part in the implementing the project would "act as rapidly as our governments did". Well-informed sources said the Greek private sector, the Yannis Latsis and Dimitris Kopelouzos corporate groups would participate in the venture. Departing Turkish diplomat: co-operation with Greeks satisfactory ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Athens, 17/9/1994 (ANA): Departing Turkish Consul General in Thessaloniki Murat Bilhan yesterday called on Minister of Macedonia and Thrace Costas Triaridis, expressing satisfaction at the level of co-operation in the past four years with relevant agencies and state officials in Thessaloniki. Mr. Bilhan said he had the opportunity of making many Greek friends, and ascertaining the Greek people nurtured no hostile feelings against the Turkish people. Mr. Triaridis underscored Mr. Bilhan's positive presence and contribution to Greco-Turkish rapprochement, adding anti-Turkish manifestations had never occurred in Greece or Greece ever raised an issue unilaterally, brought pressure on or made claims against Turkey except against continuing Turkish occupation in Cyprus. On the contrary, he said, unilateral pressure had often been exerted by Turkey. "We understand Turkey's domestic problems. However, politicians have a duty to act in a climate of mildness and calm, while domestic problems should not be exported since development of co-operation in all sectors constitutes the common wish of both peoples. I hope and wish that your country will overcome its problems soon, and that we will join in going ahead together, with steadfast and productive co-operation," Mr. Triaridis said. Ten die in military copter crash ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Athens, 17/9/1994 (ANA): Ten persons were killed aboard a military helicopter which crashed in northern Greece, a Defence Ministry spokesman said yesterday. The copter was on its way to a fire-fighting mission, he added. Commandos located debris at dawn yesterday, near the village of Aighiros, 17 kilometres southeast of the northern city of Drama. Five bodies were found near the wreckage and another five nearby, the spokesman said. Initial indications are the helicopter was carrying fire-fighting personnel to the nearby community of Platania when it struck high voltage electricity wires. The pilot, co-pilot and a military technician were among the victims. Government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos expressed the sympathy of the government and Premier Andreas Papandreou, adding " necessary steps have already been taken to offer full support to the families of the victims". Mr. Venizelos said no responsibility could be attributed to the political leadership of the National Defence Ministry.