Europarliament president Klaus Haensch said Europe's legislative body stood firm on its demand that Turkey make greater strides on human rights and democracy to win a cherished customs union deal with the European Union.
"The European Parliament will exercise its duties in full consciousness of its obligations," Mr. Haensch said yesterday. "It will stand firm by its demands in order to ratify Turkey's customs union treaty with the EU," he told reporters during a n official visit to Athens.
The customs union deal was signed by EU foreign ministers and Turkey in early March, breaking a more than two decades-long impasse. The pact, due to come into effect Jan. 1, 1996, immediately ran into strong opposition from the European Parliament on the human rights and democracy issues.
"Only if Turkey improves its human rights record will the European Parliament approve the deal," Mr. Haensch said. He also urged Ankara to release Kurdish political prisoners, make democratic constitutional changes and work toward a solution of the 21-year-old Cyprus problem.
The customs accord, which overcame strong resistance from Greece over the division of Cyprus, will free some $1 billion for Turkey's economy and bring the country closer to the 15-nation EU. Euro-parliamentarians are due to vote on the accord in October.
Mr. Haensch visited Greece at the official invitation of Parliament President Apostolos Kaklamanis in an effort to persuade Athens to opt for "majority voting" as opposed to "consensus voting" in the EU. He also held meetings with President Kostis Stephanopoulos and other political leaders that focused on Greece's national issues. Sources said a meeting with ruling PASOK party representative Yannis Charalambous focused on the need for closer co-operation of the EU's national parliaments in view of the 1996 Intergovernmental Conference.
Mr. Haensch also met with main Opposition New Democracy party leader Miltiades Evert. They also discussed developments in the EU prior to the Intergovernmental Conference. Mr. Haensch said the EU's long-term goal was to become a federation of European states.
On the EU-Turkey customs union, Mr. Haensch said it was up to the European parties to decide. He noted, however, that the EU partners had signed the union, reiterating a Europarliament message to Turkey stating problems in the modernisation of the regime contradicted Community principles. Mr. Haensch said ratification of the agreement largely depended on developments in Turkey.
He also held a meeting with opposition Political Spring party representative Andreas Lentakis, who also raised the issue of Turkish threats against Greece. Ankara has repeatedly threatened war if Athens extends its territorial waters to 12 nautical miles in the Aegean. Greece has a right to expand territorial waters another six nautical miles in the Aegean by the recently ratified International Law of the Sea. Athens said it reserved its right and would exercise it when it deemed necessary.
The government and representatives of a consortium of companies led by the German Hochtief group finally reached agreement late last evening on a contract for construction of the new Athens international airport at Spata.
"A long and hard negotiating effort has come to an end. All's well that ends well. The way is now open for a project of long-term significance for Greece to begin," Environment and Public Works Minister Kostas Laliotis said after the meeting.
"The new airport adds weight to Greece's significant geopolitical position and secures a modern infrastructure that will give a boost to the economy and development. It will be part of the inter-European networks. We are in the pleasant position to say that we can sign it and recommend its endorsement by the cabinet, so that it may be forwarded to Parliament for ratification," he added. Mr. Laliotis said the overall gain from revisions of a contract signed under the previous New Democracy government is approximately 90 billion drachmas.
Alternate Environment and Public Works Minister Kostas Geitonas said negotiations had been "hard," while the revised contract was very satisfactory. Sources said the final agreement was obtained after mutual concessions concerning the adjustment and updating of the cost of construction. Hochtief requested this take place on the basis of its July 1993 offer, while the government proposed adoption of a September 1994 offer. The final compromise adopted a July 1994 offer as a base.
Establishment of a Balkan Council operating in co-operation with the European Union and comprised of PHARE programme participant countries was one of the proposals laid out yesterday by Athanasios Theodorakis, Greece's foreign ministry secretary general responsible for EU affairs.
Mr. Theodorakis made the proposal during his address at a conference on European security in the post war era, organised by the Russian foreign ministry and the Russian Scientists' Academy, on the event of the 20-year anniversary of the signing of Helsinki's final act. Coalition of the Left and Progress (Synaspismos) party representative Panos Trigazis also participated in the conference.
Mr. Theodorakis also proposed the commencement of a political dialogue and close co-operation between the EU and the Commonwealth of Independent States, similar to the dialogue held between the EU and other nation groupings.
The conference takes place amidst rising tensions between Russian President Boris Yeltsin and the west in view of Nato's projected enlargement to include eastern European states, a move which caused the Russian president to speak of a "cold peace" and Russian analysts to call for an end in the "honey-moon" between Russia and the west.
Referring to European security issues, Mr. Theodorakis stressed the principle of "complimentariness" between organisations such as NATO and the Western European Union (WEU), adding this should be based on co-ordination, information exchange, mutual support and regular contacts, as opposed to going beyond set limits.
He also said the security concept could not be explained solely in military terms, but should include the economic, ecological and human factor. "Our perception of Europe excludes all notion of dividing lines or new borders, which being set more to the east, would divide anew the continent into two antagonising zones," he added.
A newly established defence council convened for the first time yesterday to discuss issues concerning the preparedness of the country's defence sectors in relation to developments in the greater region. The council, the highest body of the National Defence Ministry, deals with matters pertaining to defence, security, the functioning and structure of the armed forces and armaments.
Yesterday's meeting was chaired by National Defence Minister Gerasimos Arsenis. It will reconvene Monday to conclude discussions begun yesterday.
Commenting after the meeting, Mr. Arsenis reiterated that the armed forces stood at a high level of preparedness, but that developments in the region made it necessary "for us to discuss specific measures to improve readiness."
Mr. Arsenis clarified, however, that yesterday's two-hour meeting was not initiated by any specific event "yesterday, today or tomorrow" in Bosnia. Although Greece was closely following developments in Bosnia, he said, the situation there did not pose an immediate threat to Greece's security. In addition to the structure of various units of the armed forces and armaments, the council also discussed a joint Greece-Cyprus defence dogma.
President of the Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos yesterday called on the international community to assume its responsibilities toward Cyprus, urging "decisive support" for UN resolutions for attainment of a just and viable settlement of the problem.
In a statement on the 21st anniversary of the Turkish invasion and subsequent occupation of one third of the island republic, Mr. Stephanopoulos underlined that for 21 years, international legality was being "callously" violated and UN resolutions held in contempt.
Mr. Stephanopoulos accused Ankara of taking advantage of a tolerance shown toward Turkey and continuing to use the force of arms against Cyprus, while unacceptably putting forth claims which were inconsistent with every concept of fairness. By virtue of its behaviour, he added, Turkey had placed itself outside the circle of countries which respect international legality and remained a state which rejected democracy and failed to respect human rights.
"Greece will always be at the side of Cyprus in the struggle to restore its territorial integrity as well as to safeguard its sovereignty and independence, this is our fixed and unswerving position," Mr. Stephanopoulos said.
Main opposition New Democracy party leader Miltiades Evert asked Greek deputies participating in international forums to provide a fuller picture of "Turkey's unwieldiness in adapting to European democratic processes."
In a July 12 letter, Mr. Evert advocates the measure so it may become clear to everyone that the country (Turkey) remains "the great sick man, in opposition to democratic principles and beliefs." Mr. Evert expresses anxiety concerning developments in the neighbouring country from serious political, social and economic problems. "Fanatic religious forces and the underlining socio-economic tension are real threats. So is the refusal of the Turkish government to realise that the course toward democratisation is the only way out, but also the only way to a democratic Europe."
A bill for the protection of the monastic district of Meteora, considered an invaluable part of Greece's natural and cultural heritage, is being tabled in Parliament today. The bill defines the area as sacred - on the model of Patmos, where St. John the Divine wrote the Book of Revelations 1,900 years ago - and prohibits the use of land or the exercise of activities which might disturb the character of the area or impede monastic life.
A conference entitled "National Languages in the European Union - Present and future of the Greek language" will be organised in September by the Athens University in co-operation with Greek Eurodeputies.
The conference, scheduled for Sept. 29 through Oct. 1 under the auspices of the foreign and culture ministries, will be held with participation of members of the Europarliament, Commission officials and delegations from EU member-states. It will focus on the political, legal, financial and cultural aspects of languages in the EU, as well as information language and interpretation.
The conference will also discuss the international significance of the Greek language as a means to convey cultural values through the generations, as well as its potential to serve as a communication tool in foreign affairs.
Austrian Chancellor Franz Vranitsky awarded the Great Medal of Honour of the Republic of Austria yesterday to Dimitris Dimitrakoudis, the ANA's Vienna correspondent and Foreign Press Association (FPA) chairman.
Chancellor Vranitsky praised Mr. Dimitrakoudis' work and contribution during his 10-year tenure as FPA chairman, particularly his efforts for Vienna to acquire a modern federal press centre. The honoured journalist has in the past also received the Golden Medals of the Republic of Austria and of the city of Vienna.
The Austrian capital's FPA numbers 358 members, mostly specialists of the so-called 'Ostpolitik' of international news agencies. A total of 411 media outlets from 66 countries are represented.
A strong tremor jolted the quake-stricken regions of Kozani and Grevena yesterday, the Thessaloniki-based Aristoteleion Geophysics Laboratory announced yesterday. The quake's epicentre was located 25km Northwest to Kozani. It measured 5.3 on the open-ended Richter scale. The earthquake was felt in western Macedonia and in the prefectures of Pella and Ioannina. No casualties or damages have been reported.