From: tzarros@ccs.carleton.ca (Theodore Zarros) Subject: News (in ENGLISH)- Wed, 9 Nov 1994 (Greek Press Office BBS, Ottawa). Athens News Agency Bulletin, November 9, 1994 --------------------------------------------- * Papoulias urges Berisha: right wrongs, resume dialogue with Athens * Ethnic Greeks show discontent with rights * Greece, Georgia to sign five co-operation agreements, Greek embassy in Tbilisi soon * Greece awaits Vance briefing before deciding stance on FYROM issue * Arsenis meets with Belgian counterpart * Kranidiotis visits Stockholm, Oslo * Papathemelis meets with Armenian PM * Kinkel hopes Athens visit will help in reducing tension in Balkans * Evert says ND wants early elections in the spring * Hijacker acted out of frustrated love, police told * Koskotas sentenced to 25 years * OTE share float to be delayed till next year, Papantoniou says * Skaramangas shipyards sale to go ahead, Gov't promises Papoulias urges Berisha: right wrongs, resume dialogue with Athens ----------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 09/11/1994 (ANA): Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias yesterday welcomed the news that Albanian voters had rejected Albanian President Sali Berisha's draft constitution and said that Greece was ready to sit down at the negotiating table to forge better relations with Tirana. Rejection of the draft constitution "means no article 7 and this means that new burdens will not be added to the already strained relations between Greece and Albania," Mr. Papoulias told reporters. Article 7 of the draft constitution, put to the vote on Sunday, stipulated that heads of religious communities should be Albanian citizens and have lived in the country for at least 20 years. Athens considered the article a direct threat to the status of Archbishop of the Albanian Orthodox Church Anastasios, a Greek national appointed to the post by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, and to the freedom of religious expression of the ethnic Greek minority in the south of Albania. "Greece wants to overcome the problem in relations with Albania and the two countries to sit at the negotiating table," Mr. Papoulias said, adding that it was up to Mr. Berisha "to take the step (necessary) to overcome the obstacles to the commencement of negotiations and dialogue with Albania". Mr. Papoulias said that the release of the five imprisoned members of the ethnic Greek political organisation Omonia was not a condition "but the putting right of an injustice". "It is the obligation of the Albanian leadership to rehabilitate the five by letting them return to their homes. We have not set it as a condition," Mr. Papoulias said. Government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said yesterday that if reports of the referendum receiving the thumbs down were true, then it was a positive development for Greek-Albanian relations. No official result from the ballot has been announced but Albanian President Sali Berisha on Monday made statements tantamount to an acknowledgement of defeat. Mr. Venizelos reiterated that it would be "an extreme provocation" if Archbishop Anastasios was removed from office on the basis of article 7 of the draft constitution. Mr. Venizelos underlined that Greece did not intervene in the domestic affair s of any country, adding that "the constitutional process is connected with the sovereign rights of a country". The spokesman said, however, that Greece had a "justifiable, legitimate and unflagging interest" with regard to respect for the human and religious rights of the Greek minority "which is also a religious group". Ethnic Greeks show discontent with rights ----------------------------------------- Tirana, (ANA/Reuter): Albania's ethnic Greek minority has overwhelmingly rejected the draft constitution in a show of dissatisfaction over their minority rights, the opposition Socialist party said yesterday. Reporting its own projections of the vote in Sunday's nation-wide referendum, the party said up to 98 per cent of ballots cast in southern Albania, where the majority of the minority lives, were negative. President Sali Berisha has already conceded that a majority of the country's 1.5 million voters appear to have rejected his government's draft constitution in a referendum. Official results are due tonight, according to an AFP dispatch. The referendum was the first serious test of Mr. Berisha's government since it routed the Socialists, the renamed communists, in a landslide election victory in March 1992. Socialist Party projections indicated around 61 per cent of the 1.5 million voters had rejected the draft constitution, which the socialists have said is authoritarian. The Albania Human Rights Union Party, which represents many ethnic Greeks, said state interference in the Greek Orthodox church and government policy towards the minority were partly responsible for the minority's rejection of the constitution. Greece, Georgia to sign five co-operation agreements, Greek embassy in Tbilisi soon ----------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 09/11/1994 (ANA): Greece and Georgia yesterday announced the signing of five co-operation agreements following talks between the foreign ministers of the two countries, Karolos Papoulias and Alexandre Shikvaidze, who is here on a four-day visit. The two countries yesterday signed consular and cultural agreements, while it was announced that Greece will soon open an embassy in Tbilisi. Co-operation agreements were also signed between the Greek and Georgian foreign ministries. Speaking to reporters after the talks, Mr. Papoulias said the Georgian minister's visit to Greece was "a good start for productive co-operation between the two countries sharing historic ties." Mr. Shikvaidze said that the agreements signed yesterday, together with those to be signed when Mr. Papoulias visits Tbilisi, laid the foundations for good co-operation between the two countries. The Georgian official said that he had already invited Mr. Papoulias to visit. Mr. Shikvaidze is due to meet with Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou at noon tomorrow before returning to Georgia via Moscow the following day. Greece awaits Vance briefing before deciding stance on FYROM issue ----------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 09/11/1994 (ANA): Greece said yesterday that it would await an official briefing from UN mediator Cyrus Vance before making known its position on the latest developments in its dispute with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM). Government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos made the statement after Mr. Vance held six-hour talks in Geneva yesterday with UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali and FYROM President Kiro Gligorov, aimed at finding a solution to the dispute. The UN chief said that the talks had resulted in "no progress". On his return from Geneva, Mr. Gligorov said everything was subject to negotiations except the name of his country. The spokesman said that statements by Mr. Gligorov "once again prove Skopjan intransigence and inflexibility". Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias said it was "up to Kiro Gligorov to reply, without subterfuges, if he accepts the proposed approach aimed at finding a solution to the issue of relations with Greece". "The Skopjan leader may not have met the expectations of the mediators, but this does not mean that efforts should be abandoned," Mr. Papoulias said. "Greece insists that efforts continue," he said, adding that there had been no change in Greek positions. Greece imposed trade sanctions on the neighbouring state in April and insists that Skopje change its name, remove ancient Greek symbols from its flag and amend the preamble of its constitution which expresses territorial designs against Greece's northern province of Macedonia. Arsenis meets with Belgian counterpart -------------------------------------- Athens, 09/11/1994 (ANA): National Defence Minister Gerasimos Arsenis had talks yesterday with his Belgian counterpart Leo Delcroix on security in Europe, the Balkans and the Mediterranean and plans to further upgrade Greek-Belgian defence co-operation and future co-operation in the Western European Union. Following the meeting, during which the two ministers ascertained "the excellent bilateral relations between the two countries", Mr. Delcroix said that the issue of security in the Mediterranean did not concern only the Mediterranean states of Greece, Italy, Turkey and Spain but all NATO countries. Mr. Delcroix arrived in Athens on Monday for an official visit. He also visited the Hellenic Aerospace Industry and met with National Defence Ministry officials. Kranidiotis visits Stockholm, Oslo ---------------------------------- Stockholm, 09/11/1994 (ANA): Foreign Under-Secretary Yiannos Kranidiotis visited Stockholm and Oslo yesterday in the context of his tour of capitals of European Union member-states. In Stockholm, he met with Under-Secretary for European Affairs G. Lund, and Permanent Foreign Under-Secretary J. Eliasson, with whom he discussed issues of concern to the upcoming European Union summit in Essen, as well as to the intergovernmental conference and the next round of enlargement. Issues of interest to Greece, such as the situation in the Balkans, the Cyprus problem and Greek-Turkish relations were also discussed. Mr. Kranidiotis' discussions in Oslo, with Foreign Minister J. Godal and Under-Secretary S. Bjerko, revolved around the same themes. Papathemelis meets with Armenian PM ----------------------------------- Yerevan, Armenia 09/11/1994 (ANA): Public Order Minister Stelios Papathemelis, currently on an official visit to Armenia, yesterday met Armenian Prime Minister Chrant Bagrandian and agreed to upgrade co-operation between Greece and Armenia. Mr. Papathemelis also met with the Armenian Interior Minister Vanik Strantegian and discussed the final details of the forthcoming signing of the interstate agreement on police co-operation. The agreement will be signed in Athens in two months time. Greek Ambassador to Armenia Iacovos Spetsios also attended the meeting. Kinkel hopes Athens visit will help in reducing tension in Balkans ----------------------------------------------------------------- Bonn, 09/11/1994 (ANA/P. Stangos): German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel, in reference to his forthcoming visit to Athens with French counterpart Alain Juppe, yesterday expressed the hope that there will be "some move" in the direction of de-escalating tension in the region. Replying to reporters' questions, Mr. Kinkel linked the initiative to the outcome of the presidential and parliamentary elections in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), but was cautious regarding prospects: "Our visit to Athens aims to discuss matters anew, following the elections in the FYROM, and I hope we are successful..." An aide to Mr. Kinkel said a "spectacular solution" should not be expected, but, at any rate, it was necessary to explore room for progress, in what way, and within what time limits. The German diplomat expressed the view that "the framework of discussions has been and still is to strengthen security and stability in the Balkans, which is the object sought by the European Union and is also to Greece's benefit." Evert says ND wants early elections in the spring ------------------------------------------------- Athens, 09/11/1994 (ANA): Main opposition New Democracy party leader Miltiades Evert yesterday reiterated his party's insistence on the need for early general elections. "The process of electing a President of the Republic (in spring) can provide the Greek people with an opportunity they should fully utilise to remove an incompetent and dangerous government," Mr. Evert told his party's Parliamentary Group. "The question for us is not with the President of the Republic but with the need for a change in policy," he added. Mr. Evert said government policy has led the country to international isolation, which, he said, Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou is primarily responsible for, and that the economic crisis has worsened. He defended his party's tactics over the period he has been party leader and noted proposals he has made to the government on national issues. Referring to the October municipal elections, Mr. Evert said they showed that ND is gaining ground daily while the ruling PASOK party has entered an orbit of decline. The Parliamentary Group was in session for about four hours, focusing on impending political developments primarily due to the election of a new President of the Republic. Many Parliamentary Group members, however, clearly distanced themselves from Mr. Evert's proposal on his party's claim for early general elections. Sotiris Hatzigakis said the issue of the election of the President of the Republic should be dissociated from that of general elections. Anastasios Papaligouras and Mihalis Liapis said ND should not commit itself now in calling for early elections. Hijacker acted out of frustrated love, police told ------------------------------------------------- Athens, 09/11/1994 (ANA): The Greek man who hijacked an airliner with 69 passengers aboard yesterday was upset because his girlfriend had left him, police reported. Costas Tsenekides, 24, surrendered to police after forcing the Olympic Airways Boeing 737-400 Dusseldorf-Athens flight to land in Thessaloniki and freeing the passengers and six-member crew of the plane. He had threatened to detonate a bomb on the plane but police said later there was no sign of a bomb and that Tsenekides had no gun. Tsenekides boarded the flight in Dusseldorf, made his way into the cabin and told the captain he would blow up a bomb under seat 8D, where a woman was seated, if the plane did not land. He told the pilot he was armed. Special police forces, fire engines and ambulances rushed to the airport as soon as the captain signalled in code that the aircraft had been hijacked and asked permission to land. The hijacker later told police he had acted because of a failed love affair and that he was on a "religious mission." Head of the Greek intelligence services Leonidas Vassilikopoulos, commenting on the outcome, called the episode "an excellent training exercise." The passengers were unharmed and, Greek passenger Michalis Salagoudis said, "had no inkling that it was a hijacking." "The pilot only told us that the plane was late because of bad weather and air traffic," he said. After his arrest, Tsenekides was taken to hospital to have a small cross he swallowed during the flight removed from his oesophagus. Police said Tsenekides appeared to have psychological problems. Government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos told reporters that Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou expressed his satisfaction at the way the incident was handled by the pilots, the crew and all rescue and emergency services. Koskotas sentenced to 25 years ------------------------------ Athens, 09/11/1994 (ANA): Former Greek banking tycoon George Koskotas was sentenced yesterday to 25 years in prison for embezzlement. A three-member Athens appeal court found Koskotas guilty of embezzling 33 billion drachmas from the Bank of Crete and forging bank documents. Seven other senior bank officials were given prison sentences ranging from 10 to 16 years. A financial tycoon and press baron during the years 1981-1989, Koskotas went on trial on January 22, 1992. Court officials said he has the right to appeal his sentence to a higher court but a new trial was not expected for another six months. OTE share float to be delayed till next year, Papantoniou says ------------------------------------------------------------- Athens, 09/11/1994 (ANA): National Economy Minister Yiannos Papantoniou yesterday announced that the floating of 25 per cent of Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation (OTE) shares on Greek and foreign stock exchanges would be delayed until next year. Mr. Papantoniou told reporters the government took the decision because the outlook for a good price on world markets was bleak. He said the partial float would go ahead "in the first months of 1995." The announcement came a day after the bill authorising the share float was ratified by Parliament. Main opposition New Democracy party leader Miltiades Evert and ND parliamentary representatives George Souflias, Dimitris Sioufas and Theodoros Anagnostopoulos criticised Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou and Mr. Papantoniou for their" incorrect handling and carelessness" which led to the postponement. They said the halting of procedures "causes undesirable side effects on the economy, the stock exchange, and the attraction of foreign investment." Political Spring party official Theodoros Vardas said that the delay of OTE's partial float proved that "the share price does not reflect the actual value of the organisation's assets." Mr. Vardas said the float was taking place under pressure to cover huge national deficits. The Coalition of the Left and Progress issued an announcement cri-ticising the government's plans, sa-ying that they "will not serve OTE's needs for development and modernisation." Skaramangas shipyards sale to go ahead, Gov't promises ------------------------------------------------------ Brussels, 09/11/1994 (ANA/V. Demiris): The Greek government has committed itself to going ahead with proclaiming tendering for the privatisation of the Skaramangas shipyards (Greek Shipyards S.A.) by the end of the present European Commission's tenure, namely by about January 25, 1995. Strong pressure was exerted by Community partners at the Council of Industry Ministers, attended by Alternate Industry Minister Christos Rokofyllos, for the privatisation of the Skaramangas shipyards. It was agreed that the Greek government will go ahead with proclaiming tendering for privatisation by about the end of January. Mr. Rokofyllos said afterwards "the privatisation of the Skaramangas shipyards will take place through public, transparent and international tendering which will be proclaimed by the end of the present Commission's tenure and will have been completed in the next few months." Mr. Rokofyllos told the Council Greece has already privatised three shipyards, the last being the Syros Neorio on September 21. "It was impossible for us to go ahead with the simultaneous privatisation of the Neorio and Skaramangas shipyards," he said. The last extension given to the Greek government to have the Greek Shipyards S.A. privatised expired on March 31, 1993.