From: tzarros@ccs.carleton.ca (Theodore Zarros) Subject: News (in ENGLISH)- Mon, 3 Oct 1994 (Greek Press Office BBS, Ottawa). Athens News Agency Bulletin, October 3, 1994 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * Tirana: Appeal trial opens, "Albania should seize opportunity" * Constantopoulos: ethnic minority should unite, not separate Greece, Albania * Greece firm: "No" to Macedonia or derivative as Skopje name * Papoulias firm on Aegean waters right, 'I warned him,' Soysal says * Samaras tells Turkey to treat Greek-Turkish relations responsibly * PM: 'No elections next spring' * N.D. in expectation of Karatzaferis reaction to suspension * Leading veteran of the Left dies * Vartholomaios: Fanar an "unassailable fort" * Italian tanker causes oil slick at Aspropyrgos, Captain, Greek pilot held Tirana: Appeal trial opens, "Albania should seize opportunity" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Athens, 3/10/1994 (ANA): The appeal trial of five ethnic Greeks jailed on charges of military espionage and illegal arms possession begins today in Tirana, amidst mounting tension between the two Balkan neighbours. The trial opens a day before the European Union Foreign Ministers Council convenes to discuss again granting EU funds to Albania. Greece has blocked the first part of the Union's macroeconomic assistance to Albania, of a total loan worth 35 million ECU, to retaliate the conviction and imprisonment of the five ethnic Greeks. It said it would lift the veto only if Albania liberated the five Greeks. Greek-Albanian relations have plunged to an all time low after a Tirana court jailed five ethnic Greeks last month on charges of spying for Greece and illegal carrying of arms, sentences running from six to eight years. A sixth ethnic Greek was convicted on charges of illegal arms possession in a second trial. Greece said the trials were meant to terrorise the ethnic Greek minority in southern Albania, estimated at 300,000, and denounced them as a "parody" of justice. It retaliated by blocking European Union assistance to its neighbour, and calling upon international leaders to pressure Tirana into releasing the convicted ethnic Greeks. The Greek government also called for European Union solidarity stressing that this was an opportunity for the Union to put its common foreign policy to the test. On Saturday, government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos told the press that Greece would not unblock the European Union funds to Albania since Tirana had not yet shown respect for the rights of the ethnic Greek minority. He noted the appeal trial was "an opportunity which Albania should seize." Meanwhile, the 12 EU member countries are to discuss the loan again tomorrow. Last Tuesday, the European Parliament called on Albania to free the jailed five, calling their trial "political" and in flagrant violation of human rights conventions. Constantopoulos: ethnic minority should unite, not separate Greece, Albania ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Athens, 3/10/1994 (ANA): "The ethnic Greek minority in Albania should not be an apple of discord between Greece and Albania in settling their differences", Coalition of the Left (Synaspismos) leader Nikos Constantopoulos declared Saturday, on his return from a two-day visit to Albania, where he met with party leaders and toured areas inhabited by the ethnic Greek minority. Mr Constantopoulos criticised the government for following a policy of reprisals and countermeasures that had led nowhere. He also blamed the government for repatriating Albanian illegal immigrants, including statements on a proposed sealing of the border which, as he said, had caused concern to the ethnic Greek minority. The leader of Synaspismos also stressed that Greece should establish its presence in Albania, and the only way to achieve that aim was through dialogue and maintaining friendly relations with the neighbouring country. Greece firm: "No" to Macedonia or derivative as Skopje name ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Athens, 3/10/1994 (ANA): Greece remains firm in its determination not to grant recognition to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) under the name "Macedonia" or any derivative thereof, at talks with Skopje after elections to be held in the neighbouring state later this month. Speaking to reporters in Thessaloniki Saturday, government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said that "Greece's position on the issue will be firm at any stage of future talks with Skopje." Asked to comment on press reports alleging that at future talks, both Greece and FYROM would proceed to "mutual concessions" in order to "facilitate a solution" to the dispute between the two neighbouring states, the spokesman said: "Greece's stance on the issue is firm. Greece will not recognise Skopje under the name of 'Macedonia', or any derivative of that name." Mr. Venizelos also denied press reports changes would take place in the leadership of the Foreign Ministry. He said Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias "fully enjoys the prime minister's confidence," adding that "the government's foreign policy "is uniform and implemented under the personal supervision of the premier." Papoulias firm on Aegean waters right, 'I warned him,' Soysal says ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Istanbul, 3/10/1994 (ANA): Turkish Foreign Minister Mumtaz Soysal, who returned from New York yesterday, stated that his Greek counterpart Karolos Papoulias told him when they met, that Greece had the right to extent its territorial waters in the Aegean to 12 miles. "I replied that this would have very serious consequences. We don't want war, but I made it quite clear that in such a case, we could go to war", he said. The Anatolia News Agency has reported that Mr Soysal gathered that US Secretary of State Warren Christopher believed the existing six mile limit of territorial waters in the Aegean causes problems as it is, and should not be extended. According to diplomatic circles, during their meeting in New York Friday, Mr Christopher expressed anxiety over recent tension in Greek-Turkish relations, stressing the need for resuming talks on the Cyprus issue under UN auspices. The sources added the State Department chief also referred to the issue of human rights of the Kurdish population in Turkey, reminding Mr Soysal US legislation prohibited use of American military equipment against civilians. Samaras tells Turkey to treat Greek-Turkish relations responsibly ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Istanbul, 3/10/1994 (ANA-A.Kourkoulas): Political Spring party leader Antonis Samaras yesterday called on Turkey to exercise due care over Greek-Turkish relations. Mr. Samaras made the statement in Istanbul where he attended a memorial service for Patriarch Dimitrios. He told ANA Turkey was "causing anxiety in vain" over the issue of the territorial waters 12 nautical miles limit in the Aegean. Turkey recently said that if Greece extended its sea waters to 12 nautical miles in the Aegean from six at present, it would be a cause of war. Greece has made it clear that, regardless of its intentions, this remains its sovereign right. "I hope Turkey treats Greek-Turkish relations with due care," Mr. Samaras said. PM: 'No elections next spring' ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Athens, 3/10/1994 (ANA): Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou yesterday expressed his conviction that the presidential election next spring will not necessitate the calling of a fresh general election. Mr. Papandreou was speaking during a reception for PASOK deputies. N.D. in expectation of Karatzaferis reaction to suspension ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Athens, 3/10/1994 (ANA): Following last week's developments within the New Democracy party culminating in the expulsion of former foreign minister Michalis Papaconstantinou, and a 3-month suspension from all party bodies of deputy Giorgos Karatzaferis, there was expectation on what might Mr. Karatzaferis' reaction toward party leader Miltiades Evert be. Mr. Karatzaferis wrote the Prime Minister in June stating he would support his candidacy, if Mr. Papandreou made a bid for the presidency in May 1995. There is speculation Mr. Karatzaferis may reconsider his position within the party, and either sit as an independent member, or even set up a new party. Sources close to the leadership of New Democracy opined that the party has overcome last week's upheaval, and should now emerge as an effective force in opposition. Leading veteran of the Left dies ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Athens, 3/10/1994 (ANA) Veteran of the Left and PASOK Central Committee member Antonis Brillakis died Saturday morning at the Athens General hospital. He was 70. Antonis Brillakis had been an active member of the resistance against both German occupation forces and the colonels' junta. In 1968, he was one of the founding members of the Communist Party of the Interior. He served as a deputy of the Greek Left and its parliamentary spokesman during the 1987-89 period. He left the party, following serious disagreements, and was elected PASOK deputy in the November 5, 1989 elections. He had been elected to parliament eight times. Prominent political figures, including Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou, and former prime minister Constantine Mitsotakis have expressed their sorrow and condolences to his family. The funeral will be held at the Athens First Cemetery today at 4 pm. Vartholomaios: Fanar an "unassailable fort" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Istanbul, 3/10/1994 (ANA/Alkis Kourkoulas): "We are at a loss, but not in despair, we are persecuted, but not deserted, tired but not lost. The Fanar (seat of the Orthodox Ecumenical See of Constantinople) embodies the spiritual and natural impetus of the nation. It is an unassailable fort", Patriarch Vartholomaios said yesterday, in an address at a memorial service for Patriarch Dimitrios, his predecessor. "The Patriarchate is the oldest active institution in the Balkans today... it is a European nucleus and a Christian ecclesiastical institution lying in close natural neighbourhood to Islam and Asia", the Patriarch noted. "It has never been an institution with a single national or racial orientation. Even during Byzantine times, it harboured various peoples which did not belong to the empire," he added. The memorial service was attended by Patriarchate benefactor Panagiotis Angelopoulos, and Political Spring party leader Antonis Samaras. Italian tanker causes oil slick at Aspropyrgos, Captain, Greek pilot held ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Athens, 3/10/1994 (ANA): A public prosecutor yesterday filed charges against the master of an Italian tanker and a Greek port pilot, for being instrumental in causing a 2,5 mile long oil slick offshore at Aspropyrgos, 12 miles west of Athens. The slick was caused when the vessel rammed the refuelling dock of a refinery. Umberto Maraspin, master of m/t La Guardia and Ilias Frangoulis, were charged with negligence, breaking safety regulations and violating rules on preventing ship collisions. They were remanded in custody. Both men rejected the charges. They told the prosecutor that the accident was due to "poor communication" between the captain and the ship's engineers. Captain Maraspin acknowledged to court reporters there "might have been some human error", adding he was satisfied with the "work of Greek pilots." The two men will appear before a Piraeus court today. The tanker struck the Aspropyrgos refinery dock as it drew near for refuelling. Several pipes containing different kinds of fuel were smashed causing a 500-ton spill in the surrounding sea region. Special clearance vessels and refinery boats rushed to the site of the accident and worked overnight to contain the slick. They reduced it to about one mile by drawing off 150 tons of fuel. ERRATUM ~~~~~~ Athens 3/10/1994 (ANA): In our edition of Saturday, October 1, 1994, page 2 Col. 3, we reported by inadvertence that "....... the Minnesota Bar Association.......," instead of "....The Minnesota Advocates for human rights......."