Athens, 27/04/1995 (ANA): United Nations mediator Lord David Owen will hold talks today in Athens with Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias on the Bosnian crisis, Foreign Ministry spokesman Costas Bikas said yesterday.
Mr. Bikas also announced Mr. Papoulias' departure tomorrow for Tehran where he will discuss ways of bringing peace to war-torn former Yugoslavia with his Iranian and Bosnian counterparts, Ali Akbar Velayati and Irfan Ljubijankic. Mr. Bikas said the meeting is a continuation of similar talks between the three in Athens on March 8.
It was agreed at the Athens meeting that all efforts should be made to prevent any resurgence of the conflict, defuse the war climate in the region and support the peace initiative of the Contact Group. A four-month truce between the warring sides in Bosnia expires on Monday.
Mr. Bikas also said Greece, the only European Union member in the Balkans, was ready to offer its good services for peace in Bosnia.
Athens, 27/04/1995 (ANA): Greece recently became only the second country after Germany allowed access to Moscow's Pushkin Museum where part of the ancient treasure of legendary King Priam of Troy has been kept since 1958.
Announcing the results of a five-day visit by a Greek delegation to Moscow, Culture Minister Thanos Mikroutsikos said the exhibition of the treasure at the Pushkin Museum in February 1996 would be an international archaeological event of enormous importance. In addition, he said a Greek exhibition would be held in the museum on the subject of "Women in revolt -- from Medea to Sappho," the first such foreign exhibition at the museum.
According to the curator of the National Archaeological Museum, Aikaterini Dimakopoulou, who participated in the Greek delegation, all the artefacts comprising King Priam's treasure were in excellent condition. She said 259 pieces of the collection were being kept at the Pushkin Museum and a further 414 at the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. They include golden diadems, necklaces, earrings, swords, copper and silver bowls. Priam's treasure was unearthed in the ruins of Troy by German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann in 1873, then seized from Berlin's Ethnographic Museum by the Soviet Army in 1945.
Greece hopes to be the first country in the world to hold the exhibition of the treasure outside Russia, following a promise by Russian President Boris Yeltsin during a visit to Athens in 1993, but this probably requires a settlement of the dispute concerning ownership of the treasure between Russia and Germany.
Mr. Mikroutsikos said following the visit to Moscow, the door was open for further Greek-Russian cultural co-operation, including exhibition exchanges, conferences and the participation of Greek archaeologists in excavations of former Greek colonies in the Crimea. Agreements signed include the exhibition of 80 masterpieces of French 18th Century painters in the Athens National Gallery in March 1997, and one of 400 works of the Russian vanguard era, belonging to the Costakis Collection, scheduled to open on Dec. 7.
Athens, 27/04/1995 (ANA): Greek-Albanian relations are "extremely" important, not only for the two countries but for the Balkan region in general, foreign ministry spokesman Costas Bikas said yesterday. The spokesman echoed statements by Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias Tuesday in response to an interview with Albanian President Sali Berisha published in the Athens daily "Ta Nea."
Mr. Bikas said there was a new climate in relations between Athens and Tirana "which we hope will soon bring concrete results." Within this framework, the spokesman added, Mr. Berisha's statements in the interview on a number of issues of interest to Greece could not be seen other than in a positive light.
Mr. Bikas cited Mr. Berisha's references to the ethnic Greek minority in Albania as being a very important factor for friendship and co-operation between the two countries, the positive role of Archbishop Anastasios, head of the Orthodox Church of Albania, the opening of Greek schools of secondary education and the promulgation of new legislation on private education.
Istanbul, Turkey 27/04/1995 (ANA): Russian Parliamentary President Vladimir Soumeiko yesterday visited the Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos. Mr. Soumeiko, currently in Turkey at the invitation of the Turkish national assembly, was accompanied by the director of his private office Vladimir Nikitof, deputy Gevgeni Verbitski and Leonid Madzosin, Russia's consul general in Istanbul.
Athens, 27/04/1995 (ANA): Greece said yesterday that Turkey should put an end to its latest military operation by withdrawing its troops and showing respect "in deed" for Iraq's territorial integrity. Foreign ministry spokesman Costas Bikas made the statement when commenting on reports of a partial withdrawal of Turkish troops from northern Iraq.
Mr. Bikas said Greece's position was also the position of the European Union, which has said the time limit for the Turkish withdrawal had already expired. The spokesman reminded Ankara that Europe had linked a planned EU-Turkish customs union with a Turkish commitment for progress in terms of respect to human rights.
Turkey sent 35,000 troops to northern Iraq on March 20 to battle Turkish Kurd separatists. Military sources in Ankara on Tuesday said 20,000 troops had been withdrawn.
Athens, 27/04/1995 (ANA): The key to an improvement in Greek-Turkish relations is settlement of the 21-year-old Cyprus problem, foreign ministry spokesman Costas Bikas reiterated yesterday.
Mr. Bikas was replying to questions on a brief discussion between Turkish President Suleyman Demirel and Greece's new ambassador in Ankara, Dimitris Nezeritis, when the envoy presented his credentials Monday. The spokesman described the content of the discussion as being of a "formal" nature. "It is not Greece but Turkey which, with its illegitimate claims in the Aegean, manifested in deeds by violations of our national airspace, further dynamites Greek-Turkish relations," Mr. Bikas said.
Since 1988, he added, an appropriate legal framework has existed, based on agreements reached by Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias and his then Turkish counterpart Mesut Yilmaz, "which unfortunately is not being adhered to by Ankara." Mr. Bikas said Greece was continuing efforts for a "step-by-step rapprochement" with meetings of senior officials of the two countries during which "technical" issues were being discussed.
Athens, 27/04/1995 (ANA): The Athens Journalists Union (ESHEA) yesterday condemned the arrests and abuse by Turkish occupation authorities against Greek-Cypriot journalists covering the elections in the pseudo-state of Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash, in a letter to the International Federation of Journalists. The arrests, abuse and the confiscation of journalists' material are incidents which clearly go against the freedom of press. In the letter, ESHEA underlines and calls on the IFJ to play a leading role in dealing with such conditions.
Brussels, 27/04/1995 (ANA/F. Stangos): NATO's Military Committee of the country-members' chiefs of general staff discussed Tuesday the issue of reactivation of a regional alliance headquarters in Larissa, and an impasse caused by Turkey's refusal to implement a relevant December 1992 decision.
Sources said the Greek delegation, headed by Adm. Christos Lymberis, reiterated the position that the issue is not a bilateral Greek-Turkish difference, but one of implementing a unanimous Defence Ministers Council decision.
The Turkish chief of general staff cited his country's demands for simultaneous reactivation of a land forces headquarters and an air force sub-headquarters, along with the delineation of the limits of operational responsibility in the Aegean in favour of Turkey.
The issue will be taken up again during Secretary General Willy Claes' visit to Athens, scheduled for May 17.
Athens, 27/04/1995 (ANA): The Air Force General Staff declined a request by the United States that Greek F-16 "Fighting Falcon" fighter planes assume the role of F-104 warplanes recently withdrawn from active service. In the Greek reply, it was stressed that the nation's F-16 fleet constitutes a "national capital" and has a specific national mission.
Athens, 27/04/1995 (ANA): Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou was briefed for more than an hour at his residence in Ekali yesterday by Finance Minister Alexandros Papadopoulos on the state budget to date and on economic policy in general.
Speaking to reporters afterwards, Mr. Papadopoulos said that just as last year, the budget is being applied satisfactorily, a development he forecast would continue until the end of the year.
Replying to questions on a 18,000-drachma supplement recently awarded to public sector employees, Mr. Papadopoulos said it was a special matter "we are tackling and considering." According to reports, Mr. Papadopoulos notified Mr. Papandreou of his unwillingness to bow to outside pressure to ease economic policy through an increase in benefits, which could jeopardise the successful observance of this year's budget.
Meanwhile main opposition New Democracy party spokesman Vassilis Magginas stressed the need for pursuit of a policy of development, while at the same time he accused the government of only giving emphasis to the collection of taxes. "The collection of taxes policy of the government leads thousands of young people to unemployment, thousands of small and medium-size enterprises to close, the choking of the market and economic impoverishment of the farmers, pensioners, employees and industrialists," he added.
Athens, 27/04/1995 (ANA): Norway's Trade and Maritime Minister Grete Knudsen arrived in Athens for talks with European Affairs Minister George Alexander Mangakis, Foreign Ministry sources said yesterday. The two officials will meet today to discuss relations between EFTA member states, agriculture and fishing issues.
During her stay, Ms. Knudsen will also hold talks with Agriculture Minister George Moraitis, according to sources.
Athens, 27/04/1995 (ANA): The President of the Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos will be accompanied by the Minister to the Prime Minister's Office Yiannis Pottakis on his trip May 6-10 to Paris, London and Moscow, to represent Greece in events marking the 50th anniversary of World War II's end.
Government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos, asked to comment on recent reports citing a rift in relations between the government and President Stephanopoulos, said the government's policy is not comment on issues which concern the President of the Republic.
Athens, 27/04/1995 (ANA): Health Minister Dimitris Kremastinos has reached an agreement in principle with economic ministers for funding of a five-year National Health System (ESY) recreation programme totalling 121 billion drachmas.
Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Mr. Kremastinos said the meeting was held before the Easter holidays. The minister said he would meet Finance Minister Alexandros Papadopoulos and National Economy Minister Yiannos Papantoniou at the end of this week to decide when and how necessary funds would be found and allocated for changes in the health sector anticipated by a Health Ministry bill.
Mr. Kremastinos said an agreement had been reached during his first meeting with economic ministers that a economic and technical study being prepared be supported concurrently with the draft bill. It projects that a large part of the 121 billion drachmas will be saved through better management of pharmaceuticals and procurements at public hospitals.
"The average European consumes half the medicines we Greeks do. If there is proper management we figure that at least 70 billion drachmas will be saved," Mr. Kremastinos said, adding he has already contacted Commerce Minister Costas Simitis to examine methods of achieving greater transparency in hospital procurements.
Meanwhile, Health Under-Secretary Nikos Farmakis said about 12,000 new doctors, interns and administrative personnel would fill health service positions in 1995. Mr. Farmakis said 6,500 of them were interns and other staff who would primarily be appointed at health centres and intensive care units in central and regional hospitals. He also said 750 posts for doctors had already been proclaimed, but had not yet been allocated.
Melbourne, 27/04/1995 (ANA/S. Hatzimanolis): A Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) delegation attending the First International Conference on Cultural Diversity was refused a meeting yesterday with the prime minister of the State of Victoria, as long as it retained the title of 'delegation of the Republic of Macedonia'. They were told that only the term FYROM was acceptable. The event is held on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations.
The delegation is expected to meet Australian Foreign Minister Gareth Evans and discuss the possibility of establishing an embassy in Canberra. Well-informed sources said the delegation's request was unlikely to be met, unless they agreed to use the term FYROM and drop the use of ancient Hellenic symbols in the republic's flag, such as the Sun of Vergina.
Athens, 27/04/1995 (ANA): Athens Mayor Dimitris Avramopoulos met yesterday with the Ambassadors in Athens of Albania, Bulgaria, Romania, New Yugoslavia, Turkey, Slovenia and Croatia. "On the occasion of today's meeting with the ambassadors of south-eastern European countries, the new municipal authority's programme is being inaugurated which aims at making Athens not only a centre of diplomatic, economic and cultural activities, but also of political consultations at local administration level," Mr. Avramopoulos said afterwards.
He said he tabled a proposal calling for the first conference of mayors of south-eastern European capitals to be held in Athens in October. "The proposal aims at promoting an acquaintance programme for local societies in south-eastern European countries through the local administration institution and supporting efforts which have already started in both the economic, commercial and cultural relations sectors," Mr. Avramopoulos added.
Athens, 27/04/1995 (ANA): Athens Mayor Dimitris Avramopoulos will leave for Brussels today to attend a conference for mayors of European capitals. The conference will also be attended by European Parliament members, who will vote and sign a European cities' charter. Mr. Avramopoulos will return to Athens tomorrow.
Athens, 27/04/1995 (ANA): The Environment and Public Works Ministry has approved credits of 42 billion drachmas for new and supplementary projects on the vital Patra-Athens-Thessaloniki-Evzoni highway, the Egnatia Highway project and the Corinth-Tripoli-Kalamata roadway. Invitations to tender will be issued within two months.
Athens, 27/04/1995 (ANA): The Epirotiki Lines maritime company re-established its original ownership structure as its management bought back a majority stake purchased several months ago by US-based Carnival Group.
Tourism Minister Dionysis Livanos sent congratulations to Epirotiki president Andreas Potamianos, welcoming the development, which he says comes at a time when Greek tourism is facing a multitude of challenges. Epirotiki is Greece's largest owner of cruise ships.