From: tzarros@ccs.carleton.ca (Theodore Zarros) Subject: News (in ENGLISH)- Tue, 11 Oct 1994 (Greek Press Office BBS, Ottawa). Athens News Agency Bulletin, October, 11, 1994 ---------------------------------------------- * Papoulias: Middle East peace process should positively influence developments in Cyprus issue * Yugoslav president warns Tirana off delusions of 'Greater Albania' * National Defence Ministry watching Iraqi build-up * Albanian participation in Nato's Partnership for Peace 'problematic', Greece says * Greek jets fly over Cyprus in 'historic' joint military exercise * Papoulias meets with Niles on Greek-Albanian relations * Kranidiotis begins tour of EU capitals * Premier on PASOK's year in power: 'hard work, visible results' * New Democracy * Papariga: 'premier's call the usual pre-electoral statement' * ECOFIN agrees recommendations to curb fiscal deficits * Greek debt Papoulias: Middle East peace process should positively influence developments in Cyprus issue ----------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 11/10/1994 (ANA): Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias yesterday expressed the hope that the Middle East peace process would "positively influence" developments in the Cyprus problem. He said that if Syria also joined the peace process, the only thorn remaining in the region would be the Turkish occupation of the northern part of Cyprus "which will continue to poison Greek-Turkish relations". Addressing an Athens conference on economic growth prospects in the Middle East organised by the International Herald Tribune and the Hellenic-American Chamber, Mr. Papoulias said: "If Syria also joins the peace initiative on the Middle East problem, there will be total peace in the region. Only the Cyprus problem will remain, however, to poison Greece's relations with Turkey," Mr. Papoulias said. He explained there would be no progress in Greek-Turkish relations "as long as the Turkish troops remain on the soil of the Republic of Cyprus." Mr. Papoulias attributed the lack of "encouraging messages" for a Cyprus solution from Turkish-Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash to the intransigence of Turkey. He said the forecasts and prospects for future developments were "difficult", stressing that "if the politico-military establishment of Ankara desired it, there would have been a solution." Mr. Papoulias warned that no solution would be forthcoming if the substance of the Cyprus problem - the invasion and occupation of 40 per cent of the island republic - was not dealt with. The Foreign Minister explained that Greece was making concerted efforts at both national and European Union level for the re-entry of all the Middle East countries into the international system, "provided, naturally, that they in turn comply with their international obligations." Mr. Papoulias said that, in tandem with the efforts being made at a political level, activities aiming at the economic development of the region should also be intensified. In this context, he added, "Greece has extended economic aid to the Palestinians as well as assistance in material and scholarships for the Palestinian police." Greece in early 1994 approved a 15 million dollar low-interest loan to Palestine. The Greek government, Mr. Papoulias explained, was particularly interested in both the stability and the economic growth of the Mediterranean basin and the Middle East. Mr. Papoulias also noted that Cyprus, which was an economically robust country and had submitted an application for EU membership, "can contribute decisively to the development of the Middle East." In that context, he added, promotion of a just solution to the Cyprus problem "remains a necessity". Former Cyprus president George Vassiliou, who is also participating in the conference, said that Turkish will to legalise the fait accompli in Cyprus was "more than manifest". But, as Mr. Vassiliou stressed, "the dynamics of Greek and Turkish Cypriot rapprochement could yield positive results, at least to the same extent as the Arab-Israeli rapprochement." Yugoslav president warns Tirana off delusions of 'Greater Albania' ----------------------------------------------------------------- Belgrade, 11/10/1994 (ANA-G.Zarkadis): Zoran Lilic, president of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, has warned Albania and, indirectly, Turkey, that his country would not allow the creation of a "Greater Albania". At the same time, he denied the existence of a 'Slavo-macedonian' minority in Greece. "As far as I know, there is no such minority in Greece," Mr. Lilic said. In an exclusive interview with ANA correspondent Yerassimos Zarkadis, to be broadcast on Greek television channel ET-2, Mr. Lilic said relations between Yugoslavia and Albania were "at their lowest ebb ever". He accused Albania of meddling in Yugoslavia's internal affairs and of displaying intransigence "since it does not accept any proposal for dialogue". Mr. Lilic warned: "We do not wish at this time to comment on whether or not Albania desires to create a 'Greater Albania' in the belief perhaps that Yugoslavia is weak right now as a result of the (UN) embargo, nor on whether Turkey harbours a similar desire. But we would not allow such an eventuality." The Yugoslav leader charged Albania with recently "trying to blame its bad relations with Greece and Yugoslavia on some kind of a conspiracy between our two countries against it, while the only problem is the blatant violation of human rights in Albania." Mr. Lilic stressed that "if the Serbian, Montenegrin and Greek ethnic minorities in Albania enjoyed even half the rights that the Albanians enjoy in Kosovo, they would be happy." He said the Albanians in Kosovo enjoyed all the rights emanating from the UN Charter and the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE), attributing the problem that had arisen in Kosovo to the extremist policy of certain Albanian leaders aiming at creating a separate state. "I believe there is no sense in talking about a Kosovo withdrawal or secession from Serbia or Yugoslavia. It is simply an internal Yugoslav affair and we can and know how to resolve it ourselves," he said. Commenting on Turkish policy in the Balkans, Mr. Lilic pointed out that there had recently been some indications of a change in Ankara's stance on the Yugoslav issue. He said he believed that "the only correct way for Turkey is respect of all the rules of the international community and implementation of a policy of co-operation," adding that he would welcome such a move by Turkey. "But this remains to be seen in the immediate future," he added. National Defence Ministry watching Iraqi build-up ------------------------------------------------- Athens, 11/10/1994 (ANA): National Defence Minister Gerasimos Arsenis said yesterday that the ministry was closely following developments on the Iraqi-Kuwaiti border, where there has been a build-up of Iraqi troops. Expressing the hope that the situation on the border would "move towards normalisation", Mr. Arsenis said that the National Defence Ministry was at the present time not considering providing assistance to the US forces which have been sent to the region. Albanian participation in Nato's Partnership for Peace 'problematic', Greece says ----------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 11/10/1994 (ANA): Greece said yesterday Albania's participation in Nato's Partnership for Peace will be problematic after Tirana refused to accept the accreditation of a Greek diplomat. "Albania will have a problem in co-operating with Partnership for Peace after refusing to accept the accreditation of the Greek defence attachi," government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said. The Albanian government's refusal came on Saturday. Mr. Venizelos said the issue not only concerned Greece but the NATO Alliance as well. Referring to the issue, Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias said "we were expecting such a thing. We had been notified. We will overcome this as well." Mr. Papoulias reiterated that the hardships faced by the five ethnic Greeks "should come to an end if a dialogue is to go ahead with Albania." Relations between the two neighbouring countries were further strained after five members of the ethnic Greek political organisation Omonia were convicted of espionage and illegal possession of arms in August. Last week, the five had their sentences reduced at the end of their appeal hearing to terms of five to seven years, for reasons of clemency. In a recent trial by a Tirana lower court, a sixth ethnic Greek, also a member of Omonia, was convicted and imprisoned on charges of illegal possession of arms. Athens denounced the trials, calling them a "parody" of justice, and called on the international community to pressure Albania to release the ethnic Greeks. It also called on Albania to take the opportunity presented by the appeal to release the five and thus create a new atmosphere for Greek-Albanian relations. Athens, who has retaliated by blocking European Union financial assistance to Tirana, pledged to lift its veto and enter talks with the neighbouring state to de-escalate heightened tension if the appeals court freed the five. Meanwhile, in Tirana yesterday, Albanian President Sali Berisha ruled out the deportation of the five jailed ethnic Greeks. President Berisha told a press conference that Albania would not use "the methods of Brezhnev" in dealing with the case - a reference to expulsions of political prisoners from the former Soviet Union when Leonid Brezhnev was president. He said the ethnic Greeks were "today Albanian citizens in prison, and tomorrow they will be free Albanian citizens." President Berisha repeated an offer to hold talks with Greece over the matter. "We are ready for a face-to-face bilateral meeting, but we will also accept mediation," he said. Greek jets fly over Cyprus in 'historic' joint military exercise ---------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 11/10/1994 (ANA): National Defence Minister Gerasimos Arsenis yesterday described the flight of Greek military aircraft over Cyprus in more than 30 years as a "historic event". The planes were participating in a Cypriot military exercise code-named "Nikiforos", within the framework of military co-operation between Greece and Cyprus, part of a joint defence policy agreed upon by the governments of the two states in November 1993. Six Greek aircraft participated in the exercise on Sunday and a further three F-16 jets yesterday. "Such co-operation seals the political volition of the two governments to implement the joint defence policy, which is not just a political proposal but rather a programme with clearly-defined content," Mr. Arsenis said. Mr. Arsenis added that defence co-operation between Greece and Cyprus aimed at "shielding Hellenism" and a deterrent. He said he was optimistic that the joint defence policy would soon upgrade the combat-readiness of the two countries and would increase the possibility of creating the necessary international climate for international talks on an equal footing to settle the Cyprus issue on the basis of viable proposals. Commenting on Turkey's attempt to contract a similar agreement with the pseudo-state in occupied northern Cyprus, Mr. Arsenis noted that Turkey's situation concerned a partner which was in illegal military occupation of part of Cyprus, condemned by many UN resolutions, while the case of Greece and Cyprus "independent nations recognised by the United Nations" was understood by all. Referring to reports quoting a US Pentagon official as expressing US dismay over Greece's participation in "Nikiforos", on the grounds it would not facilitate talks to settle the Cyprus issue, Mr. Arsenis said the Pentagon official did not have sufficient information, since co-operation between Greece and Cyprus tended to alter the existing status quo and provide for the possibility of holding Cyprus talks. Mr. Arsenis revealed that he would be visiting Cyprus towards the end of the year to confer with his Cypriot counterpart on specific plans to implement the joint defence policy. He clarified that no Cypriot participation was envisaged in the forthcoming Greek inter-service exercise code-named "Parmenion". Papoulias meets with Niles on Greek-Albanian relations ------------------------------------------------------ Athens, 11/10/1994 (ANA): Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias and US Ambassador Thomas Niles yesterday discussed Greek-Albanian relations and prospects for improving them, in a meeting held at Mr. Niles' request. Mr. Niles told reporters he had asked Mr. Papoulias to brief him on his recent talks he had with Secretary of State Warren Christopher and other leaders on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. Mr. Niles said he noted efforts made by President Clinton's special envoy and the US Ambassador to Tirana, adding he had asked Mr. Papoulias where matters stood at present between Albania and Greece. He told a questioner the impression he gathered was that the stance of the Greek government had not changed, Greece insisting on a gesture from the Albanian government on the issue of the five ethnic Greeks recently convicted on a charge of spying. He said that Greece's relations with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia was also discussed. He noted the US planned no new initiative in that respect, but would continue efforts to reduce tension in the region. Kranidiotis begins tour of EU capitals -------------------------------------- Athens, 11/10/1994 (ANA): Foreign Affairs Under-Secretary for European Affairs Yiannos Kranidiotis left yesterday for Madrid, his first stop on a tour of European Union capitals to exchange views on Community issues. According to informed sources, the talks will cover issues included among the priorities of the current German presidency, while the Greek side is expected to focus attention on Cyprus' application to join the EU. Cyprus' application will be examined by the European Union in January. Premier on PASOK's year in power: 'hard work, visible results' ----------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 11/10/1994 (ANA): On the anniversary of PASOK's return to power in the October 10 elections last year, Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou yesterday issued a statement describing the past year as one of "hard and systematic work in all fields, with visible results". "Every Greek man and woman knows well the difficulties existing right from the start due to the situation created in the previous years. They know well the many unresolved problems in our foreign policy, in fluid international circumstances. They know well that economic policy must combine the aims of stabilisation, growth, and social justice with fiscal rigour and social sensitivity, within the given narrow limits afforded to every national economy in the modern world. "These twelve months have been full of battles, with mostly positive results, fought not without friction and doubts or even mistakes but always with perseverance in our ideological and political principles and with an ability to solve the specific practical problems. "The drawing up and execution of the 1994 Budget, the six-month presidency of the European Union, the stamina exhibited by the drachma in the freeing of short-term capital movements, the drawing up and approval of the revised Convergence programme, the restructuring and approval of the Delors Package II, the organisation and promotion of large projects, the support of workers' real income, the restoration of continuity in the National Health System (ESY) and the major institutional reforms in local government, administration, justice, and the environment are but a few of the spearheads of our policy and work in the past year. "The pace at which problems are posed, the changes on all fronts and the requirements of daily administration do not easily permit the formation of an overall picture. A picture needs its time scale, the four-year term for which the Greek people gave their mandate with maturity, experience and knowledge. "In this context, we are continuously judged because we have a task at hand. In this context we continue making decisions, solving problems, preparing the future of the country for the next century." New Democracy ------------- Athens, 11/10/1994 (ANA): Statements on the first anniversary of PASOK's return to power were also issued by present and former main opposition New Democracy party leaders Miltiades Evert and Constantinos Mitsotakis respectively. Mr. Evert accused the government of confusion, lost opportunities, and inconsistency in word and deed on all fronts, adding that "the limits of tolerance have been exhausted... We are daily subjected to blows which are an affront to our national dignity". He concluded by saying that "never has Greece found itself with so many accumulated problems and such an incompetent government". Mr. Mitsotakis accused the government of deceiving the people with the help of the financial and publishing interests which it served, and of trying to apply the policy of the previous New Democracy government, resulting only in the production of a distorted effigy. Papariga: 'premier's call the usual pre-electoral statement' ------------------------------------------------------------ Athens, 11/10/1994 (ANA): Communist Party of Greece (KKE) Secretary General Aleka Papariga yesterday said Premier Andreas Papandreou's call for progressive forces to co-operate in restructuring local government was "the usual pre-electoral statement". A week before prefectural and municipal elections, Mr. Papandreou Sunday called upon the political forces of the Left for "consensus and co-operation between progressive and democratic forces" in administrative reforms. Ms Papariga expressed the view the government would announce fresh austerity measures after the elections, adding the KKE would not be party to such a policy. "We shall remain opposed to such a policy and the government and any parties that might play second fiddle to such a policy," she said. Ms Papariga told questioners she could not say at present where her party would stand on the presidential election, as there were "many scenarios and plans being played out on the political stage, with not only PASOK taking the leading role". ECOFIN agrees recommendations to curb fiscal deficits ----------------------------------------------------- Luxembourg, 11/10/1994 (ANA-G.Daratos,V.Demiris,P.Stangos): The European Union Economy and Finance Ministers Council (ECOFIN) yesterday unanimously adopted a set of Commission recommendations designed to stem the growth of excessive fiscal deficits in 10 member states, including Greece. "There was a general agreement on all the texts. These will therefore be (formally) adopted at a following meeting," said German Finance Minister Theo Waigel, who chaired the meeting. The formal adoption of the recommendations at a later date was decided following requests by the French and Portuguese governments that time be given to their national parliaments to examine them, as stipulated constitutionally. Of the twelve member states, only Ireland and Luxembourg meet the targets laid down in the Maastricht treaty for creating a single currency that deficits must be below or approaching 3 per cent of GDP and debts 60 per cent. At the present stage of the procedure in the reduction of excessive fiscal deficits, the release of the recommendation texts is left at the discretion of the national government. The German, Dutch and Danish delegations have already stated their intention to release the recommendations concerning their economies, while diplomatic circles also attribute the same intention to the Greek government. Greek debt ---------- Luxembourg, 11/10/1994 (ANA): The text of the recommendation referring to the reduction of Greece's public debt and public deficit is faithful to the timetable of the revised Convergence Programme 1994-1999, the implementation of which the Greek government committed itself to at the September 19 ECOFIN meeting. The recommendation calls for a trimming of the public deficit down to 10.7 per cent of GDP by the end of 1995 and of the public debt to 115.6 per cent of GDP by the end of 1996. It also refers explicitly to the need to adopt corrective measures for a reduction in primary public expenditure, an increase in tax revenues and the effectiveness of the mechanism for their collection, and calls on the state to divest itself of subsidies and support to public sector enterprises. National Economy Minister Yiannos Papantoniou said in a statement that the measures agreed at ECOFIN call on the governments of the 10 member states to "apply economic policies which are compatible with the convergence programmes, so that the convergence criteria stipulated in the (Maastricht) treaty for entry into the third phase of Economic and Monetary Union are gradually attained". "For Greece," he added, "this means the application of public expenditure cutback programmes and privatisations". He expressed his confidence that the 1995 Budget will conform to the targets of the Greek Convergence Programme. European Commission Vice-President Henning Christophersen stated after the ECOFIN meeting that the Commission would ask member states for new figures in March in order to monitor progress of the convergence programmes.