Greece and Russia said yesterday that concerted international efforts should be undertaken for a speedy political settlement of the Yugoslav crisis, a Greek Foreign Ministry announcement said yesterday.
The announcement said that Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias had a telephone conversation with his Russian counterpart Andrei Kozyrev yesterday, exchanging views on the dire situation created in the wake of a recent Croatian offensive in the Krajina region.
According to the statement, the two ministers expressed their deep concern over dramatic developments in former Yugoslavia, which have created a huge humanitarian problem as tens of thousands of civilians have been forced to leave their homes.
It stated that both ministers shared a common view that concerted international efforts should be undertaken for the quickest possible settlement of the crisis in the former Yugoslavia, reiterating however, that a settlement must only be political. Both ministers agreed to continue their contacts and meet in Russia in the next few days. Mr. Kozyrev is due to pay an official visit to Athens on Sept. 8.
National Defence Minister Gerasimos Arsenis said yesterday evening that the Greek government was ready to undertake diplomatic initiatives either on a European Union, NATO, or United Nations level, to end the crisis.
Speaking to a private television station, Mr. Arsenis said, however, that the structure of the crisis and the state of military operations does not allow diplomatic initiatives to be taken, adding that the Croatian onslaught was not sudden but had been discussed on an international level.
According to an AFP dispatch from Moscow, quoting the ITAR-TASS news agency, Croatian Franjo Tudjman is ready to hold talks in Moscow with his Serbian counterpart Slobodan Milosevic, citing the Russian embassy in Zagreb.
Russian President Boris Yeltsin floated the idea of a meeting between two of the key players in the Balkans conflict Monday, following the Croatian offensive against rebel Serbs in the Krajina region. In Belgrade, Foreign Minister Vladislav Jovanovic said Mr. Milosevic was likely to accept the invitation to travel to Moscow for talks with Mr. Tudjman.
A C-130 "Hercules" military transport plane carrying humanitarian aid for Serbian refugees fleeing Krajina after a Croatian offensive, left Athens at noon yesterday for Belgrade. Informed sources told the Athens News Agency (ANA) that two more flights would take place today. National Defence Minister Gerasimos Arsenis and Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias announced Monday that the planes would carry out more humanitarian aid flights, delivering medicine, food, clothing and carrying doctors. The humanitarian aid will be distributed in co-operation with the United Nations in Yugoslavia.
In another development, main opposition New Democracy leader Miltiades Evert sent letters Monday to UN Secretary General Boutros Boutros-Ghali and Spanish Prime Minister Felipe Gonzalez, whose country currently holds the rotating European Union presidency, calling for the dispatch of humanitarian aid to the Serbian refugees of Krajina.
Mr. Evert called for the humanitarian aid to be sent to the government of Belgrade which, he said, due to the economic sanctions, was unable to handle the wave of refugees anticipated to flee to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
In another development yesterday, the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) said the Croatian offensive in Krajina "is creating an extremely dangerous situation and increases the possibility of a spread of the conflict."
In a lengthy announcement, the KKE said the United States and Germany were responsible for the situation in former Yugoslavia. "The peoples of former Yugoslavia are the victims of a well-organised plan, the spearhead of which in the present phase is Croatia. The plan is being implemented with military means and its objective is the complete subjugation of (those) people to the 'new order' of things," KKE said.
KKE also charged the government with being partly responsible for the situation in former Yugoslavia, saying its foreign policy in no way differed from that of the United States and European Union.
Coalition of the Left and Progress (Synaspismos) party leader Nikos Constantopoulos yesterday accused the United States, Germany and other European nations of the "dismemberment and mangling of former Yugoslavia and conversion of the United Nations and other international organisations into accessories," after a meeting held with Ukrainian Ambassador to Athens Boris Korneyenko.
"The government will have to understand that holding the tail-end of American policy, without our own (Greek) Balkan strategies, the consequences of events promoted by others will always exist," he said.
In the meantime, the government said yesterday that the Croatian Ambassador and the Yugoslavian charge d'affaires in Athens categorically denied claims by Mr. Evert that the two embassies were unable to communicate with the Foreign Ministry. "The Croatian Ambassador and the Yugoslavian charge d'affaires yesterday categorically denied - also in their contacts with the foreign ministry - yesterday's (Monday's) claims by Mr. Evert," government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos said.
Mr. Evert claimed Monday that Croatian and Yugoslav diplomats told him that "they were searching for officials of the Foreign Ministry but could not find them." "Mr. Evert has managed to expose both himself and his party since it appears that he is unable to distinguish between petty party gossip and international politics," Mr. Venizelos said.
In reply, Christos Iacovou, a foreign issues advisor to the ND leader said the government was trying "to justify its complete absence from the international diplomatic scene" while "degrading the country's international role." "The prime minister, the foreign minister and other government officials are shamelessly absent at a time when crucial events are occurring in our region, and have the nerve to seek alibis with statements aimed at diverting public opinion," Mr. Iacovou said.
Mr. Iacovou, who was present at Mr. Evert's meetings, insisted that the Yugoslav diplomat told the ND leader he had "problems communicating with Foreign Ministry officials."
Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou extended condolences to the family of former Communist Party of Greece (KKE) deputy Antonis Ambatielos. "I was informed of the death of the former deputy, veteran fighter and distinguished member of the KKE Antonis Ambatielos with particular regret. I express my deep condolences to his family and party," Mr. Papandreou said in a statement. Mr. Ambatielos' funeral will take place at the Anastaseos Cemetery in Piraeus at 5 p.m. today.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Costas Bikas said yesterday Greece honoured the rights of the Moslem minority in Thrace, which enjoys full religious freedom, including the legal process of electing a mufti. Mr. Bikas was replying to an announcement by the Turkish Foreign Ministry, where Turkey called on Greece to honour "muftis elected by the minority."
Mr. Bikas underlined Turkey's responsibilities for the shrinking of the Greek minority in Istanbul, Imbros and Tenedos as a result of severe Turkish persecution. "Information on the shrinking of the Greek minority in Turkey is adequate for one to realise who honours international justice and the international legality and who doesn't," Mr. Bikas added. The Turkish Foreign Ministry statement also called on Greece to "conform with its obligations as provided by bilateral and multilateral agreements." Mufti released
A Greek Moslem cleric was released from prison yesterday after serving six months for encroachment of religious authority, according to judicial authorities in Larisa. Mehmet Emin Agga, a self-proclaimed mufti of the Greek Moslem minority in Xanthi, was freed after paying off the rest of his 10-month prison sentence.
Mr. Agga unlawfully assumed the title of mufti (a Moslem religious title) in Xanthi, in the north-eastern region of Thrace. He appealed the court's decision and was released on 500,000 drachmas bail, but was jailed after refusing to pay the bond.
In an interview with the Turkish newspaper "Hurriyet," published last week, Turkish Prime Minister Tansu Ciller said that as long as "violations (of human rights) continue, Turkey cannot make concessions regarding its struggle to European Union (for the customs union)."
Following Mr. Agga's release, the Turkish Foreign Ministry issued an announcement yesterday calling on Greece "to conform with its obligations as these are provided for in bilateral and multilateral agreements and act with respect to the elected muftis."
The announcement further asked Greece to change its attitude, "which can be described as a violation of religious freedom and conscience of the 'Turkish minority' of western Thrace."
Under Greek law, the government has the right to choose the Moslem minority's two muftis from a list of candidates submitted by community leaders, in line with the prevailing practice in most Islamic countries.
Archbishop of North and South America Iakovos will visit Alexandroupolis on Sunday, accompanied by a major benefactor of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Istanbul, Panayiotis Angelopoulos.
Archbishop Iakovos' visit will take place at the invitation of Alexandroupolis Metropolitan Anthimos and will include a tour of Panageia Makris Monastery. He will visit his birthplace on the island of Imvros on Monday and officiate at a church service Tuesday, an Orthodox holiday.
Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos, also hailing from Imvros, will also be on the island the same day. Commenting on reports that Archbishop Iakovos might resign, Church circles did not rule out the possibility of important developments on Imvros on Aug. 15.
Distinguished Greek lawyer Alexandros Lykourezos said yesterday he had received written authorisation from Bosnian Serb military chief Gen. Ratko Mladic to take on his case after an international tribunal indicted him of alleged war crimes. Mr. Lykourezos made the statement on arrival to Athens after two-day talks with Gen. Mladic in Bosnia.
Mr. Lykourezos, considered one of Greece's top criminal lawyers, said he has been requested by Mr. Mladic to mobilise international support for war-ravaged Serbs in Bosnia. "The Serb people are living though a grave crisis and we must all help them. As Greeks we should mobilise support not only because of our common religion and traditional ties of friendship, but for geopolitical reasons," he said.
Mr. Mladic was indicted last month by the International Criminal tribunal for the former Yugoslavia on charges of "genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity." He was charged with another 23 Bosnian and Croatian Serbs, including Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic.
Mr. Lykourezos five years ago defended banker Giorgos Koskotas in the country's biggest political and financial corruption scandal.
International song and film star Olivia Newton-John is due to arrive in Thessaloniki today to take part in a documentary which could well be entitled "Dances with Bears." John Travolta's partner in the hit musical "Grease" will be the main narrator of a documentary about Greek nature and the mountains of Macedonia, produced by a joint American and Australian film crew.
During three days of shooting beginning today, Ms. Newton-John will be the guest of the "Arktouros" association for the protection of the brown bear, based at Nymphaio, Florina.
The half-hour documentary will be screened on American and Australian television. Wildlife officials put the number of brown bears still living in the wilds of Greece at no more than 200. Much of Arktouros' work involves finding bears in captivity with the aim of gradually reintroducing them to their natural habitat.
Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) executive committee Secretary Akis Tsohatzopoulos yesterday said government initiatives concerning the dispatch of humanitarian aid to former Yugoslavia were very important, adding that results of this policy will be announced in the fall. Mr. Tsohatzopoulos spoke to reporters following a meeting of the party's executive bureau, which convened under his chairmanship.
Changing issues, Mr. Tsohatzopoulos branded as "a systematic effort to exploit" the right of the premier's wife, Dimitra Liani-Papandreou, to run for Parliament. He said the efforts were made "at diverting public opinion and undermining PASOK's unity." Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou has said he'd back his wife if she decided to run for Parliament. His statement provoked increased tensions in the ruling socialist party, which is already torn by internal friction regarding the issue of party leadership succession.
With regard to EU Commissioner for energy-related issues and top PASOK cadre Christos Papoutsis' recent letter to Industry Minister Costas Simitis, Mr. Tsohatzopoulos said this was a "closed case." "The issue has been exploited enough," Mr. Tsohatzopoulos said, adding it has ended.
Earlier, Mr. Papoutsis told reporters that as the competent EU commissioner he had submitted the issue to Mr. Simitis "officially and with transparent procedures." "The European Union now waits for Mr. Simitis' answer," he added.
Mr. Papoutsis sent a harsh warning to Mr. Simitis stating that Greece was in danger of losing considerable amounts of Community funds due to delays in an EU-funded natural gas project. The Industry Ministry's press bureau responded the next day with a press statement stating several rebuttal points and adding that "Mr. Papoutsis will support Greek positions and interests wherever necessary, although this is not in his duties."
Commenting on PASOK deputy Kyriakos Spyriounis' referral to the party's disciplinary committee today, Mr. Tsohatzopoulos said he remained steadfast in his convictions and saw no reason to change his views on the issue.
In statements Monday, Mr. Tsohatzopoulos stressed the need for intervention of the party's pertinent committees with regard to statements by Mr. Spyriounis. Mr. Spyriounis was called to appear before the party's established party committee for statements he made directed against Mr. Papandreou, urging the premier to step down from party leadership.
In another development, PASOK deputy Vasso Papandreou (no relation) sent a letter yesterday to the party's central committee noting the government's "negative (public) image," which she attributed to "actions taken by non-governmental officials who have taken over a large part of state authority."
Referring to Mr. Spyriounis' issue, Ms. Papandreou said "such cases, despite their intensity, should be faced politically and not dealt with disciplinary measures."
Earlier in the day, Aegean Minister Antonis Kotsakas told reporters that Dimitra Liani-Papandreou's right to run for Parliament "is a non-expressed intention." "If and when it is expressed, the Greek people will make the decision," he added.
A leading socialist party member yesterday dismissed reports that the prime minister's wife was planning to run for office. "This issue is hypothetical and it is systematically being exploited in a bid to divert the public's attention and undermine the unity of the party," Mr. Tsohatzopoulos said. He made the statement at the end of the committee meeting.
Anti-terrorist police expressed reservations over the authenticity of a pamphlet sent to a private television station by three shadowy extremist groups claiming responsibility for starting a huge fire which destroyed forest land near Athens last month, sources said yesterday.
Police have been unable to verify the authenticity of the claims, since it is the first time the groups used a pamphlet to claim responsibility for actions. Up to now, the groups - the "Raging Anarchists," the "Anti-Power Struggle" and the "M. Kaltezas Anarchist Group" - have claimed responsibility only for setting fire to cars.
In the pamphlet, the groups said they set the fire last month because they wanted "to punish the rich" and warned of further terrorist action against affluent areas, including "special treatment" for Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou's residence in Ekali.