Greece announced yesterday it was sending humanitarian aid to Serbian refugees fleeing Croatia. Two C-130 "Hercules" military transport planes will deliver medicine, food and clothing and carry doctors, National Defence Minister Gerasimos Arsenis and Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias told a press conference after a National Defence Council meeting.
"By order of Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou, Greece decided to send humanitarian aid to the suffering population," Mr. Arsenis said. The humanitarian aid will be distributed in co-operation with the United Nations in Yugoslavia. The Greek planes will carry out six or seven flights today. Mr. Papoulias called on the Greek people to support the refugees by contributing to a bank account opened for this purpose.
Referring to the prevailing political situation, Mr. Papoulias said no political solution can be achieved with military means. He said Greece was in contact with Balkan countries such as Bulgaria and Romania, and believes efforts by Russian President Boris Yeltsin could be decisive in defusing the crisis.
Mr. Papoulias expressed the Greek government's disagreement with the US stance, stressing that the most reliable effort to resolve the Yugoslav issue was the five-nation Contact Group's plan, a process which had been recently burdened by the Croatians' military intervention.
Replying to questions, Mr. Arsenis reiterated a recent statement he made that international organisations were unable to handle the recently transformed situation in the former Yugoslavia.
Commenting on reports, according to which Croatian President Franjo Tudjman and Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic have agreed to a partitioning of Bosnia, he said "scenarios exist but no information."
At the same press conference, Mr. Papoulias also explained a previous statement he made on the struggle presently waged by the Serbian people, saying that "without wishing to interfere in the domestic affairs in new Yugoslavia, we don't want a partitioning of the Serb nation, so it can tackle the problems of war."
Referring to the situation on the Krajina front, he said phenomena existed which (Greece) must watch, because much will depend on the unity of this front, adding he hoped the Serbian nation would win the struggle under way, which was crucial.
Earlier in the day, main opposition New Democracy leader Miltiades Evert predicted that fighting between Croatian forces and Serb minority troops would not spread. He made the statement after a meeting with the Croatian Ambassador to Athens Ivitsa Mastrouko and Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Charge d' Affaires Goiko Skopelia.
Mr. Evert said the Croats assured him that "the offensive will be limited to territory in Croatia," and that "Croatian forces, which prospectively entered Bosnian territory, will return to the Croatia-Bosnia borders," while "there will be no military action in eastern Slavonia."
Mr. Evert said the Croats are willing to give limited autonomy to the Serbs in Knin and Klisa, while calling for the return of refugees to their homes.
The ND leader sent letters yesterday to Croatian President Franjo Tudjman and Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic outlining ideas for a peaceful resolution of the crisis. Mr. Evert also called on international organisations to provide immediate humanitarian aid for approximately 200,000 refugees.
Commenting on the Greek government's handling of the situation, Mr. Evert claimed Croatian and Yugoslav diplomats told him that "they were searching for the Greek Foreign Ministry's officials, but could not find them."
Responding to Mr. Evert's statements, government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said: "It is impossible that ambassadors accredited to Athens make such remarks, which in any case have no bearing on reality, especially when discussing with the leader of the main opposition... Mr. Evert has exposed his interlocutors and himself."
Meanwhile, Political Spring party leader Antonis Samaras held a telephone discussion yesterday with Yugoslavia's Foreign Minister Vladislav Yovanovic, who briefed him on developments in the region.
Mr. Samaras also accused the international community's unprecedented passiveness concerning Croatia's continuing military action, adding that expulsion of populations was the worst form of violence. He called on the Greek government to point out, to the UN in particular, responsibilities of both the United States and Germany.
In another development, Communist Party of Greece (KKE) deputy Orestis Kolozov called on the government to denounce "the imperialists' conspiracy." He said the entire Greek nation should join in a powerful movement to demand "the withdrawal of the imperialists from the Balkans and non-involvement of Greece in operations against other peoples in the region."
The Coalition of the Left and Progress (Synaspismos) yesterday accused the government of inertia in connection with developments in the former Yugoslavia. Referring to the Croatian onslaught, Synaspismos said it showed the grave danger of a full-scale confrontation, adding that the major powers and "their insatiable interests" were using the countries in former Yugoslavia as a place for target practice, using the peoples of these countries as human targets.
National Economy Minister Yiannos Papantoniou yesterday predicted inflation will drop to 5 per cent next year. "The goal of the government's income policy will be to bring down inflation to 5 per cent," Mr. Papantoniou said in an interview to the Athens daily "Ta Nea."
Mr. Papantoniou said the first stage of the Greek economy's stabilisation is expected to end in 1996 and will be followed by a first year of development. With regard to employees' income, Mr. Papantoniou said decisions will be made following dialogue with all interested social parties. "The government (however) guarantees that there will be no loss in the income of employees," he added.
Asked how long the government will employ austerity measures, Mr. Papantoniou said improvements in the standard of living of employees will depend on economic development.
Meanwhile, a Political Spring (Pol.An) party spokesman branded Mr. Papantoniou's interview as a "desparate attempt to conceal the complete bankruptcy of the government's economic policy." Pol.An spokesman Notis Martakis said inflation's recorded drop in July was "fictitious" and "should command serious consideration and not celebrations."
He also dismissed as lacking "seriousness" a prediction by the National Economy Minister that inflation will drop to 7 per cent in December. Mr. Martakis said all economic indicators were fictitious, accusing Mr. Papantoniou for not revealing real figures. "Based on the existing economic policy," Mr. Martakis said, "any progress will be trivial and particularly fragile and any implementation of social policy incomprehensive.
The Hellenic Navy frigate "Limnos" is currently participating in naval exercises off Bulgaria. The exercises, dubbed "Breeze '95" are conducted within the framework of Nato's co-operation with eastern European countries, and are expected to conclude Aug. 14. Military manoeuvres are held with participation of the United States, Spain, Italy, the Ukraine, Romania and Turkey.
Bosnian Serb military Chief Ratko Mladic hired a leading Greek attorney to defend him against charges of war crimes imposed by an international tribunal, legal sources said yesterday. Alexandros Lykourezos, dubbed as the "Rolls Royce of Greek criminal lawyers," is currently in Belgrade working out final details of his "new business co-operation," according to a colleague of Mr. Lykourezos in Athens. She did not elaborate.
Foreign Ministry officials said they were unaware of Mr. Lykourezos' moves, declining to comment.
The Hague-based "International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia" indicted Gen. Mladic last month on charges of "genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity." At the top of a list of accusations, are the Bosnian Serb military chief's alleged order for a May 1995 attack on a Tuzla square and the seizure of 284 UN peacekeepers earlier this summer. Gen. Mladic was indicted together with another 23 Bosnian and Croatian Serbs, including Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic.
Mr. Lykourezos' associates did not say whether the prominent Greek attorney would also take on Mr. Karadzic's defence. So far, only one suspect, Bosnian Serb Dusan Tadic, is in custody of the international tribunal, set up by the United Nations in 1993.
The US presidential envoy on the Skopje issue, Matthew Nimetz, said efforts to end the dispute between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) have intensified recently.
"Efforts to resolve the issue have intensified, and in Skopje there is understanding for the Greek government's stance but, of course, there are differences," Mr. Nimetz said in an interview with the Athens daily "Ethnos," published yesterday.
According to Mr. Nimetz, FYROM President Kiro Gligorov "has many reasons to discuss the issue of the (republic's) name." "I believe there is good faith on this issue and both sides wish to live in harmony with respect for the issue of symbols, names and good neighbourly relations," Mr. Nimetz said.
Athens accuses Skopje of harbouring territorial claims on the northern Greek province of Macedonia and insists the landlocked neophyte Balkan state stop using the Greek province's name; refrain from using a Hellenic symbol (Star of Vergina) on its flag and delete expansionist language from the preamble of its constitution. In a bid to overcome Skopje's intransigence, Athens imposed trade sanctions against FYROM last year.
Mr. Nimetz characterised his talks with Mr. Gligorov last week as encouraging, adding that "the leadership of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) wishes for progress on the flag issue and wants to reopen trade and have good relations with Greece.
"I also believe Greece wants to see an end to this dispute with FYROM, because it has a negative influence on it (Greece) in the European arena, as well as on Greek trade," Mr. Nimetz added.
US President Bill Clinton's special envoy underlined that "the public opinion in Greece is emotionally linked to the issue, which it considers a matter of principle." However, the prevailing view in both countries is resolution of the issue, he added.
Meanwhile, in an announcement yesterday, the Political Spring (Pol. An.) party said the interview "was a confirmation that secret consultations between the government and the main opposition New Democracy party with the United States were held on the Skopje issue."
Russian Foreign Minister Andrei Kozyrev is due in Athens Sept. 8 for talks with the Greek government on bilateral issues and developments in the Balkans. While in Athens, Mr. Kozyrev will meet with his Greek counterpart Karolos Papoulias.
Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) Secretary Akis Tsohatzopoulos yesterday sent a letter to PASOK deputy Kyriakos Spyriounis, requesting his presence tomorrow before the party's disciplinary committee.
Mr. Spyriounis, a retired general, was called to appear before PASOK's established practice committee for statements he directed at Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou last week. Mr. Spyriounis urged the premier to resign from PASOK's leadership.
On Sunday, Mr. Tsohatzopoulos said Mr. Spyriounis' statements were "in full contradiction with an ethical code, statutory principles and obligations which stand for all the party members."
Former minister and current PASOK deputy Dimitris Tsovolas expressed disagreement with Mr. Spyriounis' referral to the disciplinary committee, saying "PASOK's problems will not be solved in this way." Mr. Spyriounis has yet to comment on his intentions.
Meanwhile, Press Under-Secretary Telemahos Hytiris avoided comment on Environment, Town Planning and Public Works Minister Costas Laliotis' statements in the Sunday edition of "Eleftherotypia," where the minister advised the premier's wife, Dimitra Liani-Papandreou, not to run for Parliament. In the interview, Mr. Laliotis said he would advise Mrs. Papandreou to "keep away from the mundane maelstrom of political and party oppositions."
Three shadowy Greek extremist groups said yesterday they were responsible for setting a huge fire that destroyed forests around Athens for three consecutive days last month, "because they wanted to punish the rich," according to a pamphlet sent to the private Sky television station. Police already suspected arson behind the destructive blaze that burned homes and destroyed woodlands on and near Mount Penteli.
The three groups, the "Raging Anarchists," the "Anti-Power Struggle" and the "Anarchist Group M. Kaltezas," warned of further terrorist actions aimed at upscale areas. In the pamphlet, a threat is made for "special treatment" of the prime minister's residence in Ekali.
The General Confederation of Workers of Greece (GSEE) yesterday publicised proposals it placed before Labour Minister Ioannis Skoularikis on the bill concerning the "settlement of issues of organisations supervised by the Labour Ministry."
GSEE expressed the trade unionists' dissatisfaction over the ministry's choice of disclosing the content of the bill to the press without previously briefing trade unions, but added it contains positive clauses based on proposals by working people.
GSEE's observations include safeguarding the distribution of the Labour Centres' resources, more favourable settlements for trade union permits and issues concerning grants in kind. GSEE said it has made proposals on general issues such as implementation of labour legislation, the legislative settlement of the problem posed by alien workers and abolition of discrimination between employees and workers in the event of dismissal.
Greece's Postal Service (ELTA) raised rates by 7.9 per cent yesterday. An announcement said domestic postal prices have increased to 80 drachmas. Stamp rates for Europe increased to 120 drachmas, while for non-European destinations 150 drachmas. For parcels weighing up to a kilogram, new rates were set at 350 drachmas.
Employees of the "Plastic Kavalas" company yesterday continued mobilisations against the pending closure of their plant, scheduled for the end of this month as announced by the Petzetaki group. Organisations from across Greece, including the General Confederation of Greek Workers (GSEE), called for the government's immediate intervention, while political parties supported the factory's continued operating.
The Rhodopi Prefecture has submitted to the European Community a study on utilisation and promotion of the lakeside region of Vistonida with the creation of an ecological park. The Community Council of Rhodopi, which supervises Vistonida, decided to develop 750 acres of the site and create a community enterprise to manage the proposed park. An initial credit for 350 million drachmas has already been secured for the park by community funds.
Greek fashion exports enterprises will participate in the CPD International Exhibition in Duesseldorf, Germany, Sept. 6-9. The Duesseldorf ready-made clothes exhibition is the biggest international clothes event in the world and attracts huge commercial interest.