Orthodox church leaders from around the world yesterday condemned the upsurge in nationalism and said the phenomenon was completely alien to Orthodox tradition.
The second assembly of the heads of the Orthodox Churches, currently meeting on Patmos, strongly condemned the phenomenon of nationalism in a message read to the thousands of participants of a mass at the Cave of the Revelation, where St. John the Divine received a vision of the Apocalypse.
Among those present at the service, officiated over by Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos, were President Kostis Stephanopoulos, Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou and his wife, Dimitra, and many cabinet members.
The message aimed at shattering illusions that Orthodoxy is identified with nationalism and underlined Orthodox tradition's outright condemnation of nationalistic fanaticism.
It also referred to Orthodox teachings regarding man's relationship with nature and stressed the Orthodox Church's contribution to the raising of man's awareness about nature which may assist efforts to protect the environment.
The assembly expressed concern about attempts to change the status quo of the Holy Places, demanding that the interests and "age-old rights" of Orthodoxy be taken into consideration, particularly in Jerusalem.
Taking part in the assembly were the heads or representatives of all the Orthodox Churches with the exception of the Orthodox Church of Russia.
Events celebrating the 1,900th anniversary of the writing of the Book of Revelation by St. John came to a close last night.
Included in the week-long celebrations was an international symposium on the relevance of the 1,900-year-old Book of Revelations to the crisis in the world environment, which was sponsored by Vartholomeos and held with the participation of religious and political leaders, scientists and environ-mentalists.
The events ended with an official dinner hosted by the Mayor of Patmos last night, with the presence of President Kostis Stephanopoulos and opposition Political Spring party leader Antonis Samaras.
Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou, who suffered a minor case of food poisoning and was forced to cut short his trip, did not attend the luncheon held by President Stephanopoulos earlier yesterday in honor of Vartholomeos.
Addressing Vartholomeos at an official lunch, President Stephanopoulos said Hellenism looked upon the Ecumenical Patriarchate as a spiritual lighthouse and a source of strength and love.
Vartholomeos awarded the "The Golden Eagle of the Apocalypse" to the president of the republic, the prime minister and the rest of the cabinet members.
Meanwhile, government spokesman Nikos Athanassakis criticized main opposition New Democracy party leader Miltiades Evert's absence from the events.
"Mr. Evert is the leader of the main opposition and that means he has an institutional role to play," Mr. Athanassakis said.
National Economy Minister Yiannos Papantoniou said last night that the Greek economy was no longer "the black sheep" of the international economic community but stressed that there was still work to be done.
"For the first time in a long time we are not considered the black sheep of the international economic community, which is a fact also reflected in reports by international organizations," Mr. Papantoniou told a meeting at the Hellenic-American Chamber of Commerce last night on prospects for the Greek economy and the new social state.
However, despite the Greek economy's considerable performance, Mr. Papantoniou said, "the path we have to cover is long and rugged" and what is necessary is "a radical change in mentality and conceptions."
He said the government would provide the surplus of resources resulting from the speed-up in development to support the social state and the improvement of social protection.
"The aim of the development process is social prosperity and especially support of the weaker social classes," he said.
He said, in his opinion, the creation of healthy enterprises should be encouraged instead of continuing to preserve "stillborn units", remuneration should be linked to productivity and privatizations should be speeded up.
He added that staff reductions in loss-making units should be accepted, the number of civil servants should be reduced considerably through restricted hiring and voluntary retirement and fiscal and tax duties should be ceded to prefectural and local self-administration to stamp out tax evasion.
Mr. Papantoniou reaffirmed that the privatization of industrial units belonging to the Organization for the Rehabilitation of Ailing Enterprises (OAE) or bank subsidiaries would continue, the Bank of Crete would be restructured and sold, the Hellenic Industrial Development Bank (ETBA) would be restructured, while banks under state control would be subject to selective share-conversion.
Mr. Papantoniou predicted that the completion of stabilization, strengthening the investment effort and speeding up structural changes would lead at the end of the next two years to growth rates exceeding 4 per cent and inflation in the region of 3 per cent.
Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou was resting at his residence in Ekali last night after a bout of food poisoning on the island of Patmos, Press Minister Telemahos Hytiris said.
Mr. Hytiris said the prime minister had recovered quickly from the food poisoning and did not need any particular medical treatment.
The prime minister cut short his trip to Patmos yesterday and returned to Athens, canceling a scheduled meeting with Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos during celebrations in Patmos.
Mr. Papandreou's yacht sailed to the nearby island of Samos, where a Falcon jet was waiting to take him to Athens.
On the prime minister's behalf, Mr. Hytiris thanked President Kostis Stephanopoulos, main opposition leader Miltiades Evert, Political Spring leader Antonis Samaras, former premier Constantine Mitsotakis and Athens Mayor Dimitris Avramopoulos for their concern.
Mr. Hytiris added that the media had overreacted to the premier's minor illness, adding "it could happen to anybody".
He denied that other officials who dined with the prime minister on Monday night showed similar signs of food poisoning.
Mr. Papandreou's sudden illness appeared the morning after dining at a local tavern where he ate mussels and other seafood, government officials said.
Mr. Papandreou's personal physician and Health Minister Dimitris Kremastinos said the prime minister was in good health.
"There is no cause for concern. Everything is going fine," he said. Mr. Papandreou, 76, underwent a heart valve change and triple by-pass surgery seven years ago.
Government spokesman Nikos Athanassakis denied that early elections would be held.
Mr. Athanassakis was replying to questioners yesterday on a statement by Public Administration, Interior and Decentralization Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos on a possible reduction in the country's administrative regions.
Mr. Athanassakis referred questioners to a statement by Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou that elections would take place at the end of the government's four-year term, adding that they would be carried out with the existing electoral law.
On the question of the number of administrative regions being reduced, he dissociated this possibility from any connection to elections, electoral system, etc. and referred the issue to the statement Mr. Tsohatzopoulos made on Monday.
Ruling party PASOK deputy Vasso Papandreou, head of the Greek delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, said yesterday she had called on main opposition New Democracy party leader Miltiades Evert and Political Spring party leader Antonis Samaras to launch demarches with their conservative European partners to prevent Skopje's accession to the body as "Republic of Macedonia."
Ms Papandreou said she had telephone conversations with Mr. Evert and Mr. Samaras urging them to do their best to prevent this eventuality.
"There was an immediate, positive response," she said. "This is a tough, national battle. We hope for a positive outcome with everyone's contribution."
She added the Greek delegation was striving hard in a particularly negative climate "to prevent a Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly from granting accession to Skopje under the name 'Republic of Macedonia'."
FYROM's accession is expected to be debated today at the Council's political committee, and the Council's Parliamentary Assembly.
Earlier yesterday, members of the Greek delegation - deputies Christos Rokofyllos and Aristotelis Pavlidis - and Cypriot House Speaker Alexis Galanos, opposed a British initiative for FYROM's accession to the Council of Europe under the name "Republic of Macedonia."
The first official effort for Skopje's accession to the European body as "Republic of Macedonia", came from the UK's Sir Peter Fray who raised the issue yesterday at the legal committee of the Council of Europe.
The Greek deputies submitted an amendment to his initiative suggesting that Skopje be admitted as Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia instead. The amendment, which also calls upon the body to encourage both sides to agree on the name issue in future negotiations, was passed 19 for and 13 against.
A recently-signed interim accord between Athens and Skopje with the aim of normalizing relations between the two countries, settled the issues of the flag and the constitution, but left the name issue pending solution in future negotiations.
According to the agreement, Skopje will remove the Vergina star, an ancient Hellenic symbol, from its flag and amend its constitution to ease Greek fears of irredentist designs against Greece's northern province of Macedonia.
In Skopje, however, President Kiro Gligorov issued an announcement saying that "in its relations and contacts with all states and international organizations, the 'Republic of Macedonia' will make use of its constitutional name."
The announcement is seen as an indirect reply to a letter addressed by Greece to UN mediator Cyrus Vance concerning the name issue.
The main opposition New Democracy party yesterday said it would call for a vote of no confidence in the government if European states recognized the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia under the name "Republic of Macedonia" and called upon Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou to visit European capitals in an effort to avert any such moves.
ND spokesman Vassilis Manginas said Mr. Papandreou ought to visit all European capitals "in an effort to convince them of the righteousness of Greek positions on the Skopje issue."
"In light of the new developments on the Skopje issue, and after what Mr. Papandreou told the EU summit in Majorca, New Democracy will use all available institutional means ... in an effort to prevent recognition of Skopje under the name of 'Macedonia', " Mr. Manginas said.
Earlier in the day, a ND Political Council meeting, chaired by leader Miltiades Evert, agreed to submit a vote of confidence proposal in Parliament, request an agenda discussion in Parliament on the Skopje issue, and ask that the recently-signed interim accord normalizing relations between Athens and Skopje be brought to Parliament for ratification.
ND said it would ask for a vote of confidence if even one European state recognized Skopje as "Macedonia."
"We are convinced by the (results of the summits at) Cannes, Majorca, the New York (Greece-FYROM interim) agreement, the humiliating correspondence between (Mr.) Papandreou and (Skopje President Kiro) Gligorov as well as the constant series of mistakes and inadequacies on the domestic front, that the government's stay in office is dangerous (for the country)," Mr. Manginas said.
In a reply to press questions regarding calls for early elections, Mr. Manginas said: "New Democracy is ready to face elections, whenever these are held."
The ND Political Council also discussed problems facing Greek farmers, while Mr. Manginas said the party's parliamentary group would give priority to unemployment, farmers' problems, the shipyards issue and forest protection-related issues.
Sources later said that former minister and ND deputy Dora Bakoyanni suggested that the opposition take a tougher line on the Skopje issue.
Meanwhile, Political Spring party spokesman Notis Martakis described as "blank shots" ND's decision to seek a vote of confidence if European states recognized FYROM as "Macedonia".
"Nobody can forget that ND contributed to the early recess of Parliament in order to avoid an agenda discussion (on the issue)," he said.
He added that ND had also rejected a Political Spring proposal for an extraordinary meeting of political leaders.
Political Spring has also submitted a proposal for a vote of confidence, pending in Parliament.
Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias held a meeting with his Russian counterpart Andrei Kozyrev on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly yesterday.
"(The meeting) was warm as are always meetings with Mr. Kozyrev and substantive in the sense that (Russian) Prime Minister (Viktor) Chernomyrdin's visit to Greece is confirmed," Mr. Papoulias said.
Mr. Papoulias was due to meet his Yugoslav counterpart Milan Milutinovic late last night Greek time.
Greece yesterday prepared a list of answers to tough European Commission questions on a plan to privatize the Skaramangas Shipyards.
The answers were drafted and finalized at a meeting of top-ranking ministers, officials said.
National Economy Minister Yiannos Papantoniou chaired the talks, attended by Finance Minister Alekos Papadopoulos, Industry Minister Anastasios Peponis and Industry Undersecretary Dinos Vrettos.
The Greek replies to the European Commission on the privatization plan, in which workers will buy 49 per cent of the firm and the Hellenic Industrial Development Bank will retain 51 per cent, will be handed to the European executive body tomorrow, an Industry Ministry announcement said.
On the occasion of today's World Tourism Day celebrations and the 20th anniversary of the founding of the World Tourism Organization, the Federation of Greek Tourist Enterprises (SETE) has issued a message stressing the importance of tourism in world social and economic development and underlining its ever-increasing contribution to world GDP and employment.
Referring to Greece, SETE said tourism constituted the top industry with both direct and indirect participation in GDP by about 9 per cent and in employment with 10 per cent and with tourist exchange covering 45 per cent of the trade deficit.
It went on to say that a radical and long-term handling of this year's crisis in Greek tourism required a national strategy based on qualitatively upgrading the tourist product, improving the country's infrastructure and training human resources to enable the Greek product to become competitive through necessary advertising.
The state will fund the Institute of Geological and Metallurgical Research (IGME) with 1.5 billion drachmas for the implementation of gold and manganese prospecting programmes, utilization of water supply in eastern Macedonia and Thrace and geothermal springs.
Eastern Macedonia and Thrace regional governor Haris Tsiokas said 300 million drachmas would be granted for research on the quality and quantity of water in the Evros and Rodopi regions.
He said the same amount would be provided for similar research in Kavala and Xanthi.
On the question of research concerning "geothermal fields" it was decided that such fields will be studied in the Chrysoupolis Nestou, Xylaganis Rodopis, Mitrikou Sappon lake, Thryloriou Rodopis and Alexandroupolis regions.
Gold and manganese prospecting in Rodopi and Drama will be financed with 325 million drachmas.
The Greek cotton issue was discussed by a Greek delegation and the European Commission at bilateral level following a proposal by the Spanish President of the Council of Agriculture Ministers, but Agriculture Minister Theodoros Stathis said "the results were not what we had expected."
Mr. Stathis promised to make every effort for better results to be found in time. In parallel, he said farmers needed better and continuous information and conceded that they were facing difficult problems.
Mr. Stathis said the payment of bigger downpayments for ginning Greek cotton than 29 ECU (for 100 kg) anticipated by the European Commission's cotton management committee was possible and must take place.
He invoked Greek estimates that production will amount to 1,120,000 tons and the excess of the maximum quantity guaranteed will be less than that assessed by the management committee. Consequently, an increase in downpayments will cover the joint responsibility penalty.
On his part, Agriculture Commissioner Franz Fischler supported Community assessments that Greek production will reach 1,400,000 tons, with the possible consequence of the biggest downpayment to Greece not being covered.
Mr. Stathis said the agriculture commissioner promised to exhaust Community assessment margins and would try to correct the management committee's position if this was possible. But he conceded that margins for "correction" were very limited.
The annual exercise of the Cyprus National Guard, codenamed "Nikiforos '95", is proceeding according to schedule with the participation of Hellenic Air Force planes, government spokesman Nikos Athanassakis said yesterday.
The spokesman made the statement when asked if the US had protested or expressed displeasure at the participation of Greek aircraft in the exercise.
The participation of the Greek warplanes is within the framework of the Cyprus-Greece joint defense pact.
Mr. Athanassakis said that he was unaware of any protest, adding that what was important was that the "joint defense dogma" was being organized and implemented as decided by the governments of Greece and Cyprus.
Meanwhile, National Defense Minister Gerassimos Arsenis canceled his visit to Patmos in order to attend the final stage of the exercise from the National Operations Centre.