Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou officially inaugurated the 60th Thessaloniki International Fair last night in Greece's northern capital, saying "the pulse of Greece beats here".
"Here today, as every year, beats the pulse of creativity and development, the pulse of Greece," he told a glittering ceremony.
The premier emphasized the opening of new markets, particularly for northern Greece, and of prospects for the economy and the country as a whole in his wide-ranging speech.
Greece's position on the conflict in former Yugoslavia and developments in the Skopje issue were also covered in the speech.
Saying that he would refer in depth to the government's plans for the next two years, later, in his speech tonight, he noted "the phenomenon of the globalization of the economy creates a crisis which affects all".
"We need a climate of stability, security and optimism," he said. The government "is determined to proceed over the coming two years, with planning, vision and realism" with development, the fight against unemployment, increasing investments and in ensuring the profitable functioning of state and private enterprises. It would continue to work to reduce inequality, improve living standards, safeguard social cohesion and social peace, and " defend the interests of Greece and Hellenism".
He said Thessaloniki and northern Greece had a particularly significant role to play in the progress of the country and its economy.
"Here in Thessaloniki and at its Fair, one can realize that there are both achievements and innovations showing the Greece of tomorrow, the Greece of development and progress.
"In this development, Thessaloniki, Macedonia and all of northern Greece demands a leading role, because they safeguard both the Balkan and European dimension of the country," he said. He said the government's national policy aimed at the revitalization of economic activity in northern Greece, referring in particular to infrastructure projects and upgraded relations with Bulgaria. "We are proceeding with the opening of a new road axis with Bulgaria, which means that, in a short time, one can reach the s hopping malls of Bulgaria and the Balkan hinterland. The economic, social, tourist, merchant marine, banking and exchange activities of all of northern Greece will flower anew and receive a further boost," he said.
Likewise, he said, Greece and Bulgaria were in the final stages of an agreement on the Nestos River, which, he said, "will give new impetus to Greek-Bulgarian relations and contribute to the economic development and stability of all the region".
The premier reiterated Greece's long-standing position that the conflict in former Yugoslavia could only be resolved with dialogue and not arms.
"Our stance has been known from the start. We are against military intervention and for dialogue and a peaceful resolution. Our goal was and is the establishment of stability and peace in the wider region of the Balkans," he said.
It was his belief that Greece "contributed positively in many developments".
Saying he was guarded "as is appropriate in such situations", about the recent developments in the Skopje issue, he nevertheless said: " I have valid hopes that soon there will be new possibilities and prospects, with the safeguarding of our national sensitivities, for stability in the wider region."
"Our simultaneously responsible and steadfast position, together naturally with the continuing diplomatic efforts under the aegis of the UN, resulted in the dampening down of the intransigent stance and led us to talks next week in New York," he said.
He outlined Greece's priorities as a member of the European Union: "We are for equality of member-states of united Europe, for democratic and equal development, with a social character and content. (We are for) a Europe in which each member will have t he upper hand in regard to its national existence."
The ceremony was also addressed by president of HELEXPO-TIF Vassilis Kourtessis and Macedonia-Thrace Minister Constantine Triarides and attended, amongst others, by Cyprus President Glafcos Clerides, European commissioner Franz Fischler, many ambassadors, including US ambassador Thomas Niles and Australian state premier of Victoria Jeff Kennet.
The Thessaloniki International Fair has drawn over 3,000 exhibitors from both Greece and 50 other countries, with 16 of that number participating with state pavilions. Tonight, the premier will outline government achievements and plans at an official dinner in his honor.
Greece and Russia yesterday opened a new chapter in their bilateral relations in Thessaloniki, with the meetings Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou and Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias had with Russian Foreign Minister Andrei Kozyrev.
The two sides formalized the friendship and cooperation pact signed on June 30, 1993, and agreed on the setting up, within 30 days, of an inter-Balkan oil pipeline company, with the participation of Russian, Bulgarian and Greek concerns, that will promote construction of the Burgas to Alexandroupolis pipeline.
Following the setting up of the company, the Greek government will undertake the necessary moves to secure European Union financial support for a feasibility study of the project.
Yesterday's meetings also tackled the agreements for construction of an alumina plant and the provision of natural gas to Greece, and by extension to Albania.
At a press conference at Government House in Thessaloniki after the meetings, Mr. Papoulias described the agreements as "investments in strategic sectors of cooperation between Greece and Russia," and as "cooperation agreements of particular significance between Russia, Bulgaria, and Greece".
"All doors are now open for the implementation of the (pipeline) project," he added.
In the afternoon, the two men, accompanied by Russian Ambassador to Greece Valery Nikolayenko and senior Russian Foreign Ministry officials, visited the Russian pavilion at the Thessaloniki International Fair.
Greece said yesterday that it had become "used to" Turkey's vocabulary of artificial tension which did not contribute to the consolidation of stability in the region.
Asked to comment on statements by Turkish Premier Tansu Ciller, who said that Greek-Turkish relations, particularly the Cyprus problem, should be "re-examined", government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos, reiterating remarks by Cyprus President Glafcos Clerides, said: "If the Turkish side is ready to re-examine the issue in the sense that Turkish occupation troops will withdraw (from Cyprus) and Ankara accepts the basic elements of a viable, lasting and peaceful solution, then (Ms. Ciller's) statements are welcome.
"If not, then it is an indirect threat and our reply is that such statements expose Turkey even further in the eyes of the international community. Unfortunately, we are used to this vocabulary of artificial tension which does not contribute at all to the consolidation of stability in the region."
The government yesterday reiterated that the talks between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) next week in New York would not touch on the issue of the name of the neighboring state.
Government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos also stressed that Greece would not recognize the neighboring country under the name 'Macedonia' or any derivative.
"The essence of the dispute (between Greece and FYROM) is the issue of the name and in order for the dispute to be resolved Greece must agree, and Greece will not recognize (Skopje) with the name 'Macedonia' or any derivative," Mr. Venizelos said.
Mr. Venizelos confirmed that negotiations would begin on the name immediately following agreement on the issues to be discussed in New York, which he referred to as the "interim agreement".
An announcement yesterday said Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias would depart for New York today at 12:40pm from Athens airport.
Mr. Venizelos yesterday accused main opposition New Democracy leader Miltiades Evert of committing a political blunder and of political naiveti, referring to Mr. Evert's call to ruling party PASOK deputies Thursday to overthrow the government.
"Mr. Evert once again proves that he has nothing substantial to say. He is unable to formulate an articulate and responsible opposition proposal and, for this reason, (simply) increases his profile despite being captive to internal party criticism and internal party conflicts," Mr. Venizelos said from Thessaloniki.
He was referring to Mr. Evert's accusations late Thursday that the government was unreliable and incompetent, claiming that its handling of the issue so far "was reminiscent of the 1940s and 1950s, when others used to decide on behalf of Greece".
He called on ruling party deputies to withdraw their confidence in the government and also charged Political Spring party leader Antonis Samaras with personal responsibility for the way he handled the FYROM problem when he was foreign minister.
"(Mr. Evert) must realize that he is no longer a party deputy conducting domestic opposition ... but a responsible factor of the political system, judged daily by the people," Mr. Venizelos said.
He noted that the balance of a democratic state required an opposition which checks and counter-proposals and that public opinion not only judged the government on a daily basis but also the opposition.
Replying to Mr. Venizelos, ND spokesman Vassilis Manginas said: "The tragedy of Mr. Venizelos is that he represents a government that does not exist."
Mr. Manginas said that "never before has there been so much irresponsibility and incompetence".
"Those who accept the situation and support it are equally responsible and irreparably exposed to the Greek people which will condemn the disintegrating PASOK," he said.
Meanwhile, another New Democracy deputy, George Souflias, said that if the agreement on the small package is completed without the name "then what is most possible is the name being dragged through time with the ultimate result being that Skopje (FYROM) will be named plainly 'Macedonia'."
"If Greece insists on the position of no to Macedonia or its derivatives, I cannot understand in what way (FYROM President Kiro) Gligorov will be pressured into backing down from his position on the name when he will have secured the small package," he said.
ND deputy Evgenios Haitidis called on deputies of all parties elected in northern Greece to resign to ensure that their action will avert a solution to the FYROM issue that would be harmful to Greece.
UN mediator Cyrus Vance will convene meetings between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) to negotiate the issue of the name one month after an intermediate agreement between the two sides, expected to be signed next week.
This development is foreseen by diplomatic circles which stress that certain pending issues still exist, primarily of a legal nature, and that obstacles are not expected to arise on the signing of the agreement at an official ceremony at the UN, following two meetings between the foreign ministers of the two countries sponsored by Mr. Vance, likely to be held on Tuesday and Wednesday.
After the signing of the agreement, considered extremely important "since it resolves three of the main aspects in differences" between the two countries, it is anticipated that a committee will be set up to take measures of a practical and technical nature concerning trade and freedom of communication.
Diplomatic sources noted that FYROM, which was stating until now that the issue of the name was not negotiable, now accepts new talks under UN sponsorship focusing solely on the name.
In Washington meanwhile, State Department spokesman Nicholas Burns said the US was pleased that Greece and Skopje would meet in New York next week.
"United Nations mediator Cyrus Vance will begin talks between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) on Tuesday in New York. We are very pleased with this progress. It is something which (US Assistant Secretary of State) Richard Holbrooke has worked very hard to achieve, in his meeting with President Gligorov and Premier Papandreou. We are also very pleased to have supported the leading role played by the UN. It concerns a important side of efforts for the prevention of the expansion of the Balkan war," Mr. Burns said.
Meanwhile, the state premier of Victoria, Australia, Jeff Kennet said yesterday that the talks between Greece and FYROM in New York next week were a "historic opportunity which we should grab".
Speaking to reporters shortly after arriving at Thessaloniki international airport, Mr. Kennet expressed the view that the talks would have a "realistic outcome for the interests of Greece and FYROM" while at the same time contributing to security in the Balkans and the security of the two countries' borders.
Mr. Kennet, in the northern Greek port city for yesterday's inauguration of the Thessaloniki International Fair, expressed optimism that the talks would have a "happy end".
Breaking months of discreet silence while negotiations for the new international airport at Spata were going on, the head of the Hochtief consortium yesterday thanked the Greek Parliament for ratifying the agreement and said the company was satisfied with the changes made to the original.
Hans Peter Keitel, general director of the Hochtief company, yesterday presented the new company Athens International Airport S.A. (AIA) to the press.
The new company - which will assume the construction and operation of the new airport for 30 years - is owned jointly by the Greek state (55 per cent) and Hochtief (45 per cent).
The 3.2 billion mark project is scheduled to be completed in just under five years and 70 per cent of construction work will be assigned to third parties, including Greek contractors.
In its initial stage, the new airport will have two runways and a capacity of 16 million passengers a year. The airport will be built in such a way as to facilitate future enlargement and the possibility of its becoming bigger than London's Heathrow airport, with a capacity of 53 million passengers per year.
The airport will be able to facilitate 6,000 passengers an hour at the height of the tourist season.
Hochtief has invested an initial sum of 135 million ECU (6.3 per cent) while the Greek state will contribute 9.1 per cent of the total cost - primarily from the income of an airport departure tax - the European Union 18.8 per cent, the European Investment Bank 48 per cent and the remainder from a group formed by private banks, which, Mr. Keitel said, had shown great interest in the project.
The Greek state is providing the land and connections with national roads to Athens and the north as well as the infrastructure which will operate the airport.
Hochtief believes that the agreement will be profitable for all sides since, according to conservative assessments, as of 2010 at least 15 million passengers a year will be using Spata airport.
The governing board of AIA will have nine members of which four will be held by the Greek state, four by Hochtief and the ninth by a mutually-agreed independent figure, who will be appointed for a period of two years. The general director of the firm has not yet been named.
The Spata airport is the largest project ever undertaken by the Hochtief consortium. It is currently participating in the construction of the Jeddah airport in Saudi Arabia and the Beirut and Warsaw airports as well as virtually all German airports.
Greece and Russia yesterday said they agreed on the need for a peaceful resolution to the Bosnian war and that recent NATO air strikes were not helping the peace process.
A joint communiqui issued after Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias met with his Russian counterpart Andrei Kozyrev in Thessaloniki yesterday said their common belief was "that the Yugoslav crisis can only be solved through exclusively political means an d in accordance with the principles of international law and the resolutions of the United Nations".
The two sides expressed their "deep anxiety over the bloody conflict in the Balkans" and called on the parties to the conflict to show the "necessary political will" to find a way out of the deadlock, at their meeting yesterday in Geneva, which should also include a lifting of sanctions on Belgrade.
The two foreign ministers met shortly after Mr. Kozyrev, who arrived in Thessaloniki from Sofia, met with Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou.
Mr. Kozyrev had discussed the subject of an oil pipeline running from the Bulgarian port of Burgas to Alexandroupolis, that will channel Russian crude to Greece, during his visit to Sofia.
In his arrival statement, Mr. Kozyrev said "we have close contacts (with Mr. Papoulias) and it would be strange if we did not take Greece's views and opinions in our (peace) efforts on the Yugoslav problem".
"We are also looking forward to a political and peaceful solution (to the Bosnia crisis)," he added.
Speaking at the joint press conference after the meeting, Mr. Kozyrev expressed satisfaction over the talks and spoke of a decision for "joint efforts towards a political solution" of the problem in former Yugoslavia.
Mr. Papoulias praised the role played by Mr. Kozyrev in efforts to resolve the crisis, calling him a pioneer for peace in the region.
The communiqui also referred to the significance of Russian President Boris Yeltsin's proposal for a convening of a peace conference for the former Yugoslavia, and to Mr. Kozyrev's view that Greece's participation in such a conference would have a positive bearing.
The two countries, having a deep knowledge of problems in the region, the statement added, will not tire of efforts to contribute to the restoration of peace.
Communist Party of Greece (KKE) Secretary-General Aleka Papariga met President Kostis Stephanopoulos yesterday and briefed him on her party's positions on national issues and latest developments in the Balkans.
In a statement afterwards, Ms Papariga expressed disagreement over the role played by the US in the issue of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) and said that in the event an agreement on the name was reached and contained the term "Macedonia" or a derivative, its geographical dimension should be clarified to prevent irredentist designs.
Ms Papariga said the KKE had no reason to request a meeting of political party leaders to examine the FYROM issue but if one was called it would participate.
Ms Papariga briefed the president on her party's views on the crisis in Bosnia and the role played by the NATO alliance, saying that peoples and governments should react and have NATO leave the region. She said its aim was to create problems in the area through the rapid reaction force, have territory annexed from states and have borders in the region changed.
President of the Greek Parliament Apostolos Kaklamanis has sent letters to the French National Assembly and Senate presidents stressing the sensitivity of the Greek people and their representatives in Parliament on the resumption of French nuclear tests i n the South Pacific.
In letters to National Assembly president Philippe Seguin and Senate president Rene Monory, Mr. Kaklamanis underscored the "hazards to the ecosystem and human life itself from the French nuclear tests", as well as "the dangers to the security and peace of the peoples".
Mr. Kaklamanis called on his French counterparts to take "any action they deem appropriate", and said Greece hoped that French President Jacques Chirac would abide by "his commitment that France would sign a Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty" (CTBT banning all nuclear tests).
Mr. Kaklamanis sent the letters after 98 MPs from all political parties sitting in the House's third summer recess session handed him a signed protest earlier this week calling on him to take relevant initiatives.
Addressing the opening session of a symposium on "A new role for Parliament in a developing European Union", which began yesterday, he said that apart from the political, economic and social issues that continued to plague the planet, of major importance were also the "severe ecological problems created by human irresponsibility, greed and arbitrary action at the expense of the environment", in an obvious reference to France's resumed nuclear tests.
In a related development, twenty members of the ecological group "Mediterranean Network - S.O.S." demonstrated outside the French embassy in Athens protesting France's resumption of nuclear testing in the Pacific.
Wearing anti-radiation suits and masks, the protesters placed a piece of barbed wire in front of the embassy building and symbolically declared the area a radioactive zone.
No incidents were reported during the 20-minute protest.