Greece yesterday defended its decision to include Cyprus in its line of defense, saying it would bolster Greece's security.
"Sharing a common defense is not a hostile act, but an act of deterrence and an obligation to defend Greek borders and Hellenism," National Defense Minister Gerassimos Arsenis said.
He was speaking after Greek jet-fighters took part in an annual Cypriot military exercise code-named "Nikiforos '95".
The Greek planes took part in the Cypriot exercise within the framework of the joint defense doctrine agreed upon by Cyprus and Greece in November 1993, to confront Turkish expansionist designs.
Mr. Arsenis denied reports that a string of states and organizations had protested Athens' participation in the exercise. "We have not received any protests or warnings. NATO has been fully informed of the details of the military exercises," he told a news conference.
Mr. Arsenis said implementation of the new defense doctrine would boost the Greek arms industry and bolster the defense of the Aegean sea. "We made public the government's position on implementing our commitment to the joint defense doctrine long ago," Mr. Arsenis said.
Mr. Arsenis said conceptions might be different in other countries and places since implementation of the joint defense doctrine changed past correlations and strengthened Greece's negotiating position. "We take note of these observations but we set out our national course on the basis of our national commitments and our national interests," he said.
He reiterated that Greece desired cooperation with all neighboring peoples and wanted and could play a catalytic and stabilizing role in the region, but in order for these targets to be achieved, a strong and reliable defense was necessary.
Mr. Arsenis briefed the press on the armed forces activities, all conducted as part of the new joint defense doctrine and of a defensive nature.
The annual exercise code-named "Parmenion" was completed several days ago and the exercise "Toxotis-3" - conducted in the eastern Mediterranean and Cyprus - ended on Tuesday, part of which was combined with the Cypriot exercise "Nikiforos" which ended yesterday in Larnaca.
The Turkish Air Force made no obstructions during the combination of the two exercises.
The exercise "Filippos '95" is also underway in Macedonia.
Mr. Arsenis said that the eastern Mediterranean, where the "Toxotis" exercise was carried out, was a vital space for national interests and the defense of Hellenism.
He said combining the "Toxotis" exercise with the Cypriot "Nikiforos '95" exercise brought the coordination of the armed forces of Greece and Cyprus much closer and implemented the joint defense doctrine in practice.
Mr. Arsenis said the defensive arming of Cyprus helped both the island and the Greek arms industry and helped in its fortification as well as the defense of the Aegean.
Referring to a statement by US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Holbrooke that strong pressures would soon be exerted to have the Cyprus issue resolved, Mr. Arsenis said that Mr. Holbrooke meant that pressures should be exerted on Turkey since it di d not comply with UN resolutions, resulting in the stagnation of the Cyprus issue for years.
Mr. Arsenis said that the strengthening of Cyprus' defense would give the island a better negotiating position at the discussion table. He reiterated that there were 40,000 occupation troops on the island and expressed support for the island's general demilitarization with necessary safeguards for the Cypriot side.
Referring to the Bosnian issue, Mr. Arsenis reiterated Greece's steadfast position on the non-participation of Balkan countries in a UN peacekeeping force.
He said Greece had expressed its wish to provide troops for a possible pullout of peacekeepers from the region or support a peace plan acceptable to the parties involved on condition the UN agreed to this and the Greeks were wanted by the warring sides.
Mr. Arsenis disclosed that Cyprus' defense minister would come to Greece soon, adding that programmes were going ahead for joint exercises to be conducted with Egypt, Israel and Syria.
Press Minister Telemahos Hytiris said that the US had expressed "interest and concern at a low level" over the participation of Greek warplanes for the first time in the Cyprus National Guard's annual exercise "Nikiforos '95".
Mr. Hytiris said, however, that the exercise had been completed and that the US concern was connected with "the concern of a third party", a clear reference to Turkey. "The focus of US interest was that diplomatic efforts underway in the region, including those relating to Cyprus, should not be upset," Mr. Hytiris said.
The participation of Greek warplanes in this year's exercise was within the framework of the Cyprus-Greece joint defense pact.
An ANA dispatch from Turkey yesterday said Ankara was continuing its criticism of the joint military exercise.
Turkish foreign ministry spokesman Nurredin Nurkan described as "unacceptable" the establishment of an aeronautical base in Paphos, as well as the participation of Greek warplanes in the exercise.
"This situation is not acceptable and constitutes a contradiction in terms of the international agreements concerning Cyprus," he said.
He added that "the establishment of these bases and the conduct of this kind of exercises are obstacles to efforts aimed at finding a solution and will lead to the perpetuation of partition."
Meanwhile, main opposition New Democracy party leader Miltiades Evert said yesterday the concern expressed by the US over the Hellenic Air Force's participation in the Cyprus military exercise was "inopportune".
The US "should primarily address the Turkish occupation army (in Cyprus). When they do this then it can address us," Mr. Evert said after talks with the Archbishop of Cyprus Chrysostomos.
The Cypriot prelate said talks focused on the dangers facing Cypriot Hellenism from the continuing Turkish occupation of the northern part of the island republic.
The Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly yesterday agreed to the accession of Skopje under the name "Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia."
The development came in the wake of intense efforts by the Greek parliamentary delegation to avert the accession of the neighboring country to the organization under the name "Republic of Macedonia."
An amendment to a report by deputy Lenge Cornette calling for Skopje's accession with the name "Republic of Macedonia" was rejected by the political committee at noon by 17 to 13 and was later rejected by the Council's plenary session. Most leaders of political groups and committees taking the floor hailed the interim agreement reached in New York between Greece and FYROM, adding that accepting Skopje as "Republic of Macedonia" would undermine the substance of later negotiations on the name anticipated by the interim agreement.
The head of the Greek delegation, Vasso Papandreou, stressed Greece's desire to fully normalize relations with FYROM by also settling the issue of the name and called on deputies not to create additional obstacles by adopting the name "Republic of Macedonia."
Her statement was hailed by Ms Cornette before voting began.
Apart from Ms Papandreou, the Greek delegation was composed of three PASOK deputies, three New Democracy deputies, and one deputy each from the Political Spring party and Communist Party of Greece.
Hailing the outcome of the vote afterwards, Ms Papandreou told the Athens News Agency "it is undoubtedly a very big success for the Greek delegation which worked with unanimity and unity."
She said it was a success of a defensive nature, adding that one should realize how negative the climate was and how urgent the need was to set out a national policy on the issue with the Council of Political Leaders and parliamentary debate. "Time is against us," she added.
New Democracy deputy Aristides Pavlidis told the ANA "arduous, tough and persistent efforts by our delegation ultimately produced results."
Greece said yesterday negotiations on procedural issues in the recently signed interim accord between Athens and Skopje would begin next week. The announcement was made by government spokesman Telemahos Hytiris.
Mr. Hytiris supported PASOK deputy Vasso Papandreou's initiative to seek support from main opposition New Democracy president Miltiades Evert and Political Spring leader Antonis Samaras in efforts to prevent Skopje's accession to the Council of Europe a s "Republic of Macedonia."
Ms Papandreou, the head of the Greek delegation to the CoE Parliamentary Assembly, had telephone conversations with Mr. Evert and Mr. Samaras on Tuesday and called upon them to exercise influence with their European conservative parties to prevent Skopje's accession as "Macedonia."
Mr. Hytiris attributed the success of efforts so far to the coordinated efforts of the government and parliamentary representation and expressed the hope that the effort in Strasbourg would also be successful.
Meanwhile, an ANA dispatch from Montreal said that Canada would not establish diplomatic relations with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia before the implementation of the interim accord.
According to the dispatch, Canadian Foreign Minister Adres Ouellet told Greek community circles that the status quo between FYROM and Canada would not change until the Greek government agreed that relations between the two countries had achieved full normalization.
The main opposition New Democracy party's Executive Committee reiterated yesterday that the party would call for a vote of no confidence in the government if European states recognized the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia under the name of "Macedonia ".
ND leader Miltiades Evert said that such recognition would not be tolerated by the Greek people "and it is necessary to state both inside and outside (the country) that we shall submit a no-confidence motion."
The ND leader said that the decision stemmed "from the unacceptable statement of the prime minister in Majorca pleading with (Greece's) European partners not to recognize Skopje with the name 'Macedonia' in the following 20 days".
During the Executive Committee meeting, according to informed sources, he described the Greek-Albanian dialogue as a fiasco and said that the Cyprus problem had reached an impasse due to Turkish intransigence.
Commenting on talk of early elections, Mr. Evert reportedly said: "We will win the elections. We have the appropriate programme, the proper people, and I believe beyond doubt that the ND government will be productive."
Greece yesterday said it supported the immediate admission of the Russian Federation to the Council of Europe.
"Greece supports the immediate admission of the Russian Federation to the Council of Europe and hails the decision by the competent bodies of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe for the resumption of procedures examining the Russian candidacy," a foreign ministry announcement said.
"Greece is following with particular interest the internal democratic reforms in the Russian Federation and believes this country's admission, as soon as possible, to the Council of Europe not only will reinforce democratic procedures but will also contribute to further incorporating Russia into the European family with which it is linked through multiple ties," the statement concluded.
There was progress in Greek-Albanian relations, stalled recently over disagreement between Athens and Tirana over education for the ethnic Greek minority, when Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias met with his Albanian counterpart Alfred Serreqi here yesterday.
"There was progress in the sense that there will soon be a meeting of three-member committees ... so that we can see how many students there are," Mr. Papoulias told reporters after the hour-long meeting here, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly .
"The Albanian government claims numbers different to those we have from the consulate in Gyrokastr. That's where we have stopped," he said.
"There is goodwill (for the promotion of Greek-Albanian relations) from both sides, but nevertheless this is a very important issue," he said.
Asked whether there was a time-frame for the education issue and the agreement on seasonal laborers, Mr. Papoulias said: "This (seasonal laborers issue) will also exist, but at the moment the issue of schools (for the ethnic Greek minority) has exclusive and urgent priority, before the school year begins."
Mr. Papoulias was scheduled to meet with his Bulgarian, Romanian and French counterparts later yesterday.
Ankara has claimed that the exclusion of Greek officials from an international military exhibition organized in the Turkish capital last week was in "retaliation" for the exclusion of Turkish diplomats from a similar event in Greece last year. The organizer for the Greek exhibition "Defendory '94" disputed the Turkish claims, saying high-ranking Turkish officials did in fact attend the bi-annual event.
Greek Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias yesterday expressed his great hope for a speedy and peaceful solution to the Yugoslav problem.
Speaking to the press after meeting with his Yugoslav counterpart Milan Milutinovic on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting, Mr. Papoulias said there had been agreement on the general principles, which would form the basis for further steps in the peaceful procedure.
"We have great hopes; let us hope we will not be proven wrong on the way," Mr. Papoulias said.
The Greek minister stressed the decisive role of the United States in the issue, saying that all European states "support this (peace) effort, but the United States play the decisive role in this."
Mr. Papoulias said that the current US initiative aimed at a cease-fire in the region. When this is achieved, agreements will then be implemented, he added, stressing "that there is a great distance from the signing of a cease-fire agreement to its actual implementation."
Mr. Milutinovic said that yesterday had been a "very important" day, being, in essence, a follow-up to the Geneva meeting on the broadening of basic principles. "Fortunately, we have completed this phase very successfully," he said.
"We are very confident," he added, "because this agreement, is once more, a justification of the existence of the Republic of Serbia".
"The next step," he said, "will be the signing of a kind of a general agreement for a cease-fire in the region, not only in Sarajevo, but in the whole of Bosnia."
"If everything goes well," he added, "(the drafting of) the map will be discussed, which even if it is not a serious problem in itself, could create certain issues".
The minister also forecast that if everything goes as planned the final conference may be convened in a couple of weeks.
Mr. Milutinovic also praised Greece's peace initiatives in the region.
"A few years ago, Greece was criticized for what it stood for," the Yugoslav minister said. "Now, everyone supports the same (views) held by Greece in order to ensure peace."
Speaking on the role of the US in current developments, Mr. Milutinovic said:
"Naturally, the United States has made great efforts and has been very helpful. But the Moslem side has put many obstacles in this last phase and delayed their consent to this basic agreement, which has been formed in Geneva... I think they don't really wish for a solution. But this cannot be said for all Moslems."
"It is a fact that the road to peace has opened, and that this course must reach its end," he said.
Bosnian Serb Army General Staff Chief Ratko Mladic addressed a message of thanks to the Greek people for aid offered to Bosnian Serbs.
"The aid you sent was sent with your heart and the Serb people will not forget this," Mr. Mladic said.
Taking advantage of the presence of Greek journalists in Banja Luka, Mr. Mladic addressed the message of thanks to the Greek people for the aid and for understanding they are showing for the Serbs' struggle in Bosnia.
He said the Bosnian Serbs were at a difficult and crucial phase because they were experiencing combined attacks by the Croats and Moslems and the Croatian regular army who were well-trained and armed by certain Western and Islamic countries.
"Despite all this, however, we are continuing our struggle, fulfilling our duty to our history, our nation and Orthodoxy," Mr. Mladic said in his message to the Greek people, calling on them to send aid of all kinds to Bosnian Serbs at this crucial phase of the Bosnian crisis.
US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Holbrooke referred to the Cyprus issue and the recent agreement between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) in a telephone intervention from New York at the opening of the Hellenic-American Leadership's conference in Washington on Tuesday.
Mr. Holbrooke was initially due to appear before the delegates but did not ultimately attend for reasons beyond his control. He spoke by telephone instead and replied to various questioners.
General coordinator Andrew Manatos introduced Mr. Holbrooke to delegates.
Mr. Holbrooke said that after the Bosnian issue, the Cyprus question would become his top priority issue.
On the question of the recent agreement between Greece and FYROM, Mr. Holbrooke said it constituted an important step towards a final settlement to the conflict, but added that a great deal of ground had yet to be covered.
Referring to the name of FYROM, an issue as yet unresolved, Mr. Holbrooke said that this country was referred to officially in the US as FYROM, reiterating his government's known position that reference to the country as "Macedonia" was not made intentionally but under pressure of time and particularly when relevant statements were made on TV.
Replying to the representative of the American Hellenic Educational and Progressive Association (AHEPA), who sharply criticized US foreign policy related to Greek national issues, Mr. Holbrooke said:
"We have achieved limited progress on the Cyprus issue. The US deserves 95 per cent of credit because it brought Cyprus onto the European Union's list to become a member. We succeeded in having the '5' of (ethnic Greek organization) 'Omonia' released by Tirana. We have called on (Albanian President Sali) Berisha to back off on the Greek minority in southern Albania. We have exerted tough pressures for concessions on the Patriarchate. We are pressuring a great deal for the Halki Academy (of theology). We have achieved a great success concerning relations between Athens and Skopje (FYROM) which will bring tens of millions of dollars, probably millions of dollars a month to the Greek economy. And we did this in such a way so as not to forestall the Greek position."
"I do not think you can find a government of the past period which has tried to do more and has achieved more in the region," he added.
Elaborating on the agreement reached between Greece and FYROM, Mr. Holbrooke said Greek Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou was very courageous in this respect and did what he did because he thought it was in his country's best national interests and its economic interests. In addition, he realized that the situation in the Balkans, with the Serb war, was explosive and wanted to make a contribution to peace in the region which would be beneficial towards easing the situation.
National Defense Minister Gerassimos Arsenis will travel to the United States next Wednesday to participate in an informal meeting of NATO defense ministers. The latest developments in Bosnia are expected to be discussed during the meeting, in addition to the alliance's possible expansion and cooperation between NATO and the Western European Union (WEU).
Moreover, issues dealing with completion of the alliance's military framework in southeastern Europe will also be examined - a topic that will include discussion on proposed NATO military headquarters in Greece.
Mr. Arsenis reiterated yesterday that Greece wants the headquarters operational but will not consent to their operation under provisions changing the status quo in the Aegean - a position he believes is understood by NATO circles. The Greek defense chief said new proposals presented by the NATO secretary general may be more positive than previous ones rejected by the Greek side.
Mr. Arsenis also said Greece would not lift its veto on funding for the NATO headquarters in Izmir. He said the blockage of funding would begin in October if progress is not made on the issue of Greek-based headquarters. Concerning the proposed site for the headquarters of a multi-national NATO division in southeastern
Europe, Mr. Arsenis again voiced the government's interest in basing the headquarters in Thessaloniki, adding however, that the decision rests with NATO's military commander.
The latest technological developments in the world of mass media are opening new horizons in the field, away from the traditional dissemination of information, in addition to expanding news organizations' activities in other service areas.
The prospects for development, especially by news agencies, was highlighted by ANA General Director Andreas Christodoulides, who spoke yesterday at a seminar held in Thessaloniki for Balkan and central European journalists.
Mr. Christodoulides said news agencies should turn to new directions, something ANA has already begun.
Such fields - away from daily news reporting - are topical or specialized information supplied by data banks, which an agency creates with information it collects from daily news gathering and cooperation with other services.
"Media, either in the printed or electronic form, are not the only clients of news agencies," Mr. Christodoulides said. "Thousands of subscribers have been added, from schools and companies to professionals and social groups, such as physicians, individuals with common health problems, as well as private citizens who wish to be informed on certain issues."
The ANA general director gave the German DPA news agency as an example, noting that the DPA's mass media clients comprise only 50 per cent of its subscriber base.
"Microchip technology, satellite communications and fiber optics assist in the 'sale' of new services by news agencies toward any direction, swiftly and economically," he said, adding: "On the other hand, competition in the market place increases."
According to Mr. Christodoulides, news agencies should develop information flow with various methods in order to bring about the largest possible profit with the minimum cost.
The seminar is being held at the Centre for International European and Economic Law and concludes Friday.
PASOK Eurodeputy Yiannis Roubatis called for a freeze on credits to Turkey during a session of the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, responsible for the Europarliament's 1996 budget. Specifically, Mr. Roubatis proposed a freeze on the entire amount (ECU 322 million) forecast for the customs union between the EU and Turkey, saying the Europarliament has not given its required approval.
He also requested that Turkey not be included in programmes established for the EU's Mediterranean Policy, saying such support was established for non-EU Mediterranean states which do not wish to have the sort of relationship with the EU that Ankara doe s.
In addition, the Greek Eurodeputy called for Ecu 50 million emergency financial and other assistance to refugees in the war-torn areas of the former Yugoslavia. Mr. Roubatis said the aid should be disseminated fairly and indiscriminately, so as to assist all refugees.
The European Commission has rejected arguments by Bonn that German war reparations to Greece have been canceled out as a result of financial transactions between the two countries within the framework of the European Union.
In a written reply a few months ago to the Greek daily Eleftherotypia, the German Foreign Ministry claimed that no reparations were owing because "in the decades after the end of the war, new structures were created in Europe which secured considerable funds for Greece within the framework of the EU, NATO and elsewhere, the main provider of which is the Federal Republic of Germany". In a question to the Commission, Coalition of the Left and Progress Eurodeputy Alekos Alavanos asked whether Bonn 's claims were consistent with EU treaties.
The Commission replied that "the funds allocated to member states within the framework of Community policies come from the Community budget. This budget is financed from own resources (article 201 of the Treaty)". The reply in effect eliminates any legal basis for Bonn's position, since it makes clear that funds from the Community budget originate from the EU's own resources and not from any one member state.
Press Minister Telemahos Hytiris yesterday blasted as "shameful" a newspaper claim that the food poisoning which forced Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou to cut short a visit to Patmos had been fabricated.
"In actual fact, all the truth was made known about the premier's health from the first moment," Mr. Hytiris said.
The press minister said Tuesday that the media had overreacted to Mr. Papandreou's minor illness, adding "it could happen to anybody". The premier's personal physician and Health Minister Dimitris Kremastinos said Mr. Papandreou was in good health.
The premier's sudden return to Athens forced the cancellation of a scheduled meeting with Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos.
An article in yesterday's edition of the Athens daily "Adesmeftos Typos" claimed that the illness had been fabricated in an effort to avert "a blow against the premier's close circle of associates".
The article claimed that what had really "upset (Mr.) Papandreou's stomach" was the threat by another Athens daily, Avriani, to publish "a particularly scandalous" photograph of the premier's wife, Dimitra, yesterday.
Coalition of the Left and Progress leader Nikos Constantopoulos wished the premier a speedy recovery yesterday.
Mr. Constantopoulos added, however, that Mr. Papandreou's illness Tuesday showed that "the political system and political credibility are also ailing."
Main opposition New Democracy party spokesman Vassilis Manginas yesterday attacked the government for its criticism of main opposition leader Miltiades Evert's absence from events in Patmos.
The Patmos events, being of a unique religious nature, should have been approached with greater respect from the state, he said.
He was responding to a government spokesman's statement earlier that he was not aware of the "obvious" reasons that forced Mr. Evert to not attend the culmination of events marking the 1,900th anniversary of the writing of the Book of the Apocalypse by St. John the Evangelist.
The events were sponsored by the Ecumenical Patriarch.
Mr. Manginas noted that the most senior state official welcoming the Ecumenical Patriarch on Patmos had been Mr. Evert, adding that the prime minister's sudden illness on Tuesday, which cut short his visit to the island, meant that he was unable to meet with the Patriarch.
The government yesterday blasted as "sordid" the publication of nude photographs of the prime minister's wife by an Athens daily.
"The newspaper should be isolated for continuing this sordid activity," government spokesman Telemahos Hytiris said. "The newspaper... has poisoned the social, political and moral life of our country."
The statement came weeks after daily 'Avriani' began running a daily photo series of pictures of Dimitra Liani-Papandreou sunbathing on an island holiday 10 years ago.
'Avriani', once a fervent supporter of the ruling PASOK party, turned against Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou last year.
Publisher George Kouris has vowed to continue running the photos, in protest of what he calls her strong influence over the prime minister.
National Defense Minister Gerassimos Arsenis also condemned attacks against the premier's wife yesterday, saying they distracted the public from the real problems facing the country.
Transport Minister Evangelos Venizelos held lengthy talks with his Romanian and Bulgarian counterparts here yesterday.
During the informal meeting, held after a successful recent meeting on trilateral transport issues in Ioannina, northern Greece, several issues were discussed prior to a meeting of the council of European Union transport ministers, slated for today.
Representatives of central and eastern European nations will also participate in the meeting.
Specifically, the Greek government's priority in promoting the accession procedure for both Bulgaria and Romania was confirmed. Mr. Venizelos said both countries are connected to Greece by traditional and historical ties.
Other topics included:
-The problem of selection of a site for a second bridge on the Danube between Romania and Bulgaria.
-The serious problems caused for all three countries by a UN-sponsored trade embargo on Yugoslavia.
-Affirmation of an agreement for expansion of a ninth "Euro-corridor" beginning in Helsinki and ending in Alexandroupolis' port.
Mr. Venizelos said the three nations will sign a memorandum on Oct. 24 to promote the ninth corridor within the framework of the G-24 Group, which supports efforts of economic development in central and eastern European countries.
National Economy Minister Yiannos Papantoniou said yesterday that the decline in interest rates would continue until the end of the year and that the course of the economy in 1995 was in line with the government's targets.
Mr. Papantoniou discussed interest rates and other issues at a meeting yesterday with Finance Minister Alekos Papadopoulos, Finance Undersecretary Nikos Kyriazidis and Bank of Greece Governor Lucas Papademos. On the subject of interest rates, Mr. Papantoniou said after the meeting that "developments are expected according to the course of inflation," adding that there was room for further drops until the end of the year.
The course of the economy this year, he said, was fully in line with the targets set for inflation, interest rates and development which would be 2 per cent instead of the government's initial forecast of 1.5 per cent.
"Everything is going according to schedule," Mr. Papantoniou said, underlining that the government would follow the same course in 1996. Asked whether the central bank was opposed to the pace at which interest rates were falling, Mr. Papantoniou replied that "everyone is in agreement about the general policy on interest rates."