A.N.A. Bulletin, 13/05/96

From: "Greek Press & Information Office, Ottawa Canada" <grnewsca@sympatico.ca>

Athens News Agency Directory

ATHENS NEWS AGENCY BULLETIN (No 884), May 13, 1996

Greek Press & Information Office

Ottawa, Canada

E-Mail Address: grnewsca@sympatico.ca

CONTENTS

[1] Internal PASOK discussions intensified? Papandreou to meet Skandalidis today

PASOK leader and former prime minister Andreas Papandreou is scheduled to meet with PASOK secretary Costas Skandalidis this evening, the latter announced in Patra yesterday afternoon, saying Mr. Papandreou had called for the meeting in view of next month' s party congress.

A second meeting between the two men will be held on Wednesday, following tomorrow's session of PASOK's executive committee, Mr. Skandalidis said, adding that consultations will continue on the issue of a possible position for a party Vice-President.

At the same time, the party's collective units are scheduled to hold continuous meetings in an effort to find ways to reinforce party unity in view of the congress, reports state.

Prime Minister Costas Simitis' address to PASOK's Parliamentary group, where he called for "clear solutions", last week caused extensive discussions within the party.

However, the premier's intentions regarding his nomination for party vice-resident remained unclarified, at least at the official level.

Political rumors claim, though, that Mr. Simitis will be satisfied if he is elected PASOK Vice-President with reinforced responsibilities, and if PASOK founder and president Andreas Papandreou resigned his post.

Referring to the congress, Mr. Skandalidis said it aimed at an in-depth political discussion over serious issues.

"The question for PASOK is whether it will become the sum of personal strategies or remain the expressor of contemporary social needs," the PASOK secretary said.

Meanwhile, leading party officials commenting over the weekend on discussions surrounding preparations for the congress, tended to emphasize the need for party unity.

Interior, Public Administration and Decentralization Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos supported a trend of a collective leadership in an article in the "Sunday Eleftherotypia."

Mr. Tsohatzopoulos voiced his disagreement with proposals for replacement of PASOK leader Andreas Papandreou, hinting at the change in attitude of so-called modernizers regarding the collectivity issue. He said those who felt that the void of Andreas Papandreou could be replaced by someone else were "less than few."

"PASOK's continuity and prospects force us to create a new collective leadership, which can replace this void," he said, adding that "settling the pending issue of the absence of Andreas Papandreou from government responsibilities with the election of a prime minister and from the party responsibilities with the election of a collective leadership with distinct roles... does not aim at dual leaderships or a leadership compromise or ambition fullfilments.

"Instead they aim, together with the reinforcement of collective institutional organs and internal party democracy at all levels, to PASOK's unity and effectiveness."

Meanwhile, National Defense Minister Gerassimos Arsenis told the press in Katerini yesterday that a common political platform, a re-examination of political priorities, as well as clear goals were needed, particularly regarding foreign policy.

"...not only should we be able to secure our borders and our independence, but we need to be able to determine developments in the broader region in such a way as to further our own interests.

"This in itself gives us a platform for a Balkan policy, for a policy with regard to Turkey... there is no room to negotiate national issues with Turkey..." observed Mr. Arsenis.

In Thessaloniki, Justice Minister Evangelos Venizelos called for an effort to de-escalate tension in the party.

"PASOK is a large, unified party with room for all. It is a party of co-existence and joint effort. This is where we must concentrate our efforts," said Mr. Venizelos.

Meanwhile, Labor Minister Evangelos Yiannopoulos, referring to disputes over the need for a party Vice-President to be elected at the congress, reiterated his view that such a post was unnecessary.

Speaking in Patras Saturday, the minister expressed the belief that the party would emerge more united from the congress, although he believed it would have been better to postpone it until 1997.

[2] Kaklamanis begins four-day visit to Russia

Parliament President Apostolos Kaklamanis began an official four-day visit to Russia yesterday.

The Greek Parliament president was welcomed upon arrival in Moscow by the Russian Parliament's (Duma) president of the Greek-Russian Friendship Group, Telman Gdlian, who emphasized Russia's support for friendly countries, among which he said Greece held first place.

He also called for the need to revive "historical, political and cultural bonds" between the two countries, drawing attention to the "spirit of Orthodoxy" uniting both countries. Turning to a recent Greek-Turkish crisis in the Aegean and the Cyprus issue, Mr. Gdlian characterized as hypocritical the position of "certain" countries.

Mr. Kaklamanis expressed the Greek people's gratitude to Russia for being the first country in Europe to take a clear stand during the recent Aegean crisis. Russia, he added, had clearly stood beside Greece since the latter's position was governed by international law and conventions regarding the status of the Aegean.

He also referred to what he said was a genocide being perpetrated by Turkey against its Kurdish population, as well as Turkish policy against Armenians and in Cyprus. Mr. Kaklamanis also made extended references to the 400-year Ottoman rule, when Greeks had regarded the Russian people as their brethren, firstly because of their common religion and secondly because of their common foe.

Turning to Greek-Russian relations, Mr. Kaklamanis said that although ties were very good, there was room for improvement, and called for closer relations between the two countries' Parliaments.

Mr. Kaklamanis told reporters that his talks in Russia would focus on Turkish aggressiveness in the Aegean, the Cyprus issue, plans for construction of an aluminum plant as well as co-operation in the sectors of natural gas and petroleum transport.

On his agenda are meetings with the leaders of both Russian Houses of Parliament, Patriarch Alexios II, leaders of the Russian Communist Party and the "Our Home is Russia" party.

[3] Greek-Bulgarian cross-border agreement signed

A protocol on cross-border co-operation was signed by Evros Prefect George Dolios and the Regional Administrator of Haskovo, Bulgaria, following an official visit by a Greek delegation to the neighboring Bulgarian city over the weekend.

The agreement provides for specific measures by both sides to further co-operation in the fields of local government administration, environmental protection, culture, the economy, health and emergency-management issues.

In addition, a permanent joint committee aimed at promoting relations will be established and will meet every three months. It will be headed by Haskovo's deputy governor and the Greek prefectural administrative committee's president.

During its visit, the Greek delegation met with local mayors and visited thermal baths at Pavel-Banja, as well as a rose-oil factory in Kazanlik.

[4] Samaras criticizes internal strife in PASOK, ND

Political Spring party leader Antonis Samaras on Saturday said internal party strife within the ruling PASOK and main opposition New Democracy parties is hurting the Greek people. He made the statement at Thessaloniki's Macedonia Airport, prior to his departure for Athens at the close of a two-day tour of western Macedonia.

Calling the internal political turmoil in Greece's two main political parties a "democracy problem," Mr. Samaras stressed the absence of the government and the main opposition, "at a time when people are faced with major, especially economic, problems."

[5] Stephanopoulos continues his US tour

President of the Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos was in San Francisco, the third stop on his US itinerary, on Saturday.

San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown welcomed the Greek President not only with the key to the city, but a bicycle, which Mr. Stephanopoulos has said he will use in his home town. Also present at the airport welcome were Orthodox Bishop Antonios and other members of the city's expatriate community.

Mr. Stephanopoulos had a private meeting later with Mr. Brown, followed by an official dinner, where he addressed a crowd of prominent members of the city's political community.

"Our country, despite the difficulties it faces in certain areas of foreign policy, has a stable democracy, its regime operates irreproachably and there is national unity," he stressed.

Late last night he departed for Los Angeles.

[6] Atlanta statements

In addressing a Greek community event in Atlanta on Friday evening, Mr. Stephanopoulos called on Greek-Americans to play a leading role in promoting Greece's national issues.

Mr. Stephanopoulos said the Greek-American community should exert its influence, which he said is also derived by its flourishing economic status, on Washington's political leadership regarding Greece's national issues.

In reference to his meeting with US President Bill Clinton, the Greek president said Athens was supported in its positions by truth and justice.

"Greece is undergoing difficult situations and as a little country it can not always provide the solutions. We claim nothing," he added, "except for the preservation of our independence and territorial integrity."

Mr. Stephanopoulos said "Greece does not always find solidarity, even from the European Union, where we belong, because economic interests often prevail over moral values."

Referring to Greece's relations with its Balkan neighbors, Mr. Stephanopoulos expressed hope that problems with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) would be settled, adding that Greece would be vindicated in its problems with Turkey, "since truth and legal order are on our side."

[7] ND lauds Stephanopoulos' US visit

Main Opposition New Democracy party spokesman Prokopis Pavlopoulos yesterday said President of the Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos' official visit to the United States has been "successful and particularly useful for the country."

"More so, since the visit was held at a time when the unfortunate and ambiguous government handlings have led our national issues to a dangerous impasse."

[8] Better Greek-Russian trade co-operation on delegation's agenda

Measures to reduce import-export duties on mutual interest products is on the agenda of a national economy ministry delegation that leaves today for Moscow.

The visit was decided at the second Greek-Russian symposium on co-operation in the fur trade, tourism and commercial relations, which ended in Greece's fur-manufacturing center of Kastoria on Saturday. Taxes on fur products (100 per cent of the products ' value) were seen as the greatest obstacle to developing joint ventures between Russian breeders and manufacturers in Kastoria and nearby Siatista.

Meanwhile, National Economy Under-secretary Christos Pachtas addressed the symposium on the government's plans for the region, noting the need for improved competitiveness to accompany increased funding. In particular, he made reference to the Krystalopigis-Kastoria highway, a new border station and construction carried out at Kastoria Airport to accommodate large aircraft.

[9] Berisha guarantees ethnic Greek minority's rights in campaign speech

In a campaign swing through southern Albania in light of the May 26 national elections, Albanian President Sali Berisha said over the weekend that his Democratic Party guaranteed respect for all the ethnic Greek minority's rights, as provided in international treaties.

The Albanian leader also pledged once more to find a solution to the education issue of ethnic Greek minority students.

Expressing satisfaction at the present course of Greek-Albanian relations, Mr. Berisha said he has been "convinced at the necessity of good relations between the two countries. I am very satisfied because we are heading there with serious steps."

Mr. Berisha added that a "full harmony between ethnic Greek minority members and ethnic Albanians" constituted the basic factor of good bilateral relations.

Referring to Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis' recent statements to Parliament regarding Greek-Albanian relations, Mr. Berisha said:

"I am satisfied because Mr. Simitis, too, has clearly proven why bilateral relations have frozen.

"The New Democracy government has indeed helped us a great deal, but certain officials in that (ND) government were against us," he added.

Stressing that the ethnic Greek minority had been more fiercely persecuted during the dictatorship in Albania, Mr. Berisha called on ethnic Greek voters to vote for the Democratic Party.

[10] Eurodeputy says PASOK supports Albania's Socialist Party in May 26 elections

PASOK Eurodeputy Yiannis Roubatis said here Saturday that the ruling PASOK party supported the Socialist Party in Albania's upcoming May 26 elections, except in the regions of southern Albania, where it supported the ethnic Greek minority party "Human Rights Union."

Mr. Roubatis made the statement when asked by reporters during a visit to the Gyrokastr. He added that the statement expressed official PASOK policy and himself personally.

[11] Ankara reacts to Pangalos' comments in Washington

A Turkish foreign ministry spokesman on Saturday warned of a "danger of mortgaging Greek-Turkish relations" to internal Greek party politics.

Foreign ministry official Omer Akbel made the statement in reference to Greek Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos' statements in Washington last week, according to which Turkey was not in a position to play the role of the representative of US strategy in the region, and that Ankara had serious problems with all its neighboring countries. Mr. Pangalos had also underlined instability in the neighboring country due to national (Kurdish issue), religious (Islamic danger) and socio-economic problems.

Attributing Mr. Pangalos' statements to domestic consumption in view of the upcoming PASOK congress, Mr. Akbel said they were "not friendly, but insulting to the Turkish people."

"We view the Bucharest meeting as the winning over of sensibility in Greek-Turkish relations and as the starting point of procedures which could lead to increased hope for the creation of a climate of ditente," Mr. Akbel said.

In another development yesterday, an ANA dispatch from Istanbul said the Turkish political leadership was concerned with delays in the delivery of American armaments to Turkey.

According to the dispatch, the Turkish foreign and defense ministers will raise the issue during their visits to Washington toward the end of the month.

Turkish press reports called the delay "a secret weapons embargo," adding that the United States administration was delaying the delivery of helicopters and other material which could be used in military operations in southeast Turkey.

The dispatch said the delay was due to checks by Washington in order to verify whether the material was being used in operations against civilians in the southeastern region.

Meanwhile, delays in the delivery of US frigates were due to Greek-American lobby pressure, the dispatch quoted Turkish press reports as claiming.

According to the articles, the Greek-American lobby successfully promoted its position that it is unwise to reinforce Turkey at a time when it continues to make threats in the Aegean.

[12] Greek seamen sentenced to life by Egyptian court

A Egyptian court in the Red Sea city of Suez sentenced three Greek seamen yesterday to life imprisonment (25 years) on drug smuggling charges, overturning earlier death sentence convictions. The three merchant seamen, Konstantinos Kastanias, Nikolas Zaggelidis and Anastasios Kontoyiannis, were crew members of the cargo vessel "Thanasis," which was seized while crossing the Suez Canal with two tons of hashish.

In addition, they were fined 500,000 Egyptian pounds and a customs fine of 117 million Egyptian pounds. They have already served seven years in prison.

[13] Cruise ship left for Nafplio after blocking of Piraeus port

The Bahamas-flagged cruise ship "Marco Polo" headed for the Peloponnese port city of Nafplio late Sunday evening after the ship was prevented from docking in Piraeus Saturday by seamen, who claimed the vessel was violating cabotage regulations allowing only Greek-flagged ships to complete round-trip cruises in Greek ports.

The Marco Polo was to have disembarked 700 mostly American passengers and pick up another 650 for its scheduled cruise to Istanbul via the Greek islands.

The move followed marathon negotiations between the Panhellenic Shipping Federation, the merchant marine ministry and the cruise ship's British -American owners.

Yesterday, the shipping union was continuing to meet, apparently unconvinced by the shipowners' assurances that the vessel would not carry out any more round-trips in Greek ports.

Passengers scheduled to disembark in Piraeus on Saturday had been on a cruise begun in India.

However, scores of merchant seamen blocked the Akti Xaveriou customs dock at the Piraeus port, thus preventing its passengers from exiting.

The federation, comprised of 14 seamen unions, warned that the cruise ship would "be prevented from docking at any cost."

Meanwhile, the shipping company on Friday appealed for a suspension of the cabotage regulation to the Council of State, while the merchant marine ministry's leadership was reported to be in constant communication with the ship management company in London.

In addition, representatives of the US Embassy in Athens, which also took part in negotiations, criticized the severe inconvenience to the mostly American passengers, according to sources.

Based on the original itinerary, after disembarking passengers in Piraeus, the cruise ship was scheduled to continue its cruise to the islands of Delos, Mykonos, Santorini, Iraklion, Crete, two Turkish ports and Istanbul.

Later in the day, a merchant marine ministry announcement said Minister Kosmas Sfiriou had called a meeting with the participation of the executive committee of the Panhellenic Shipping Federation with an aim of finding a solution.

This development followed a letter by representatives of the shipping company, who pledged that they will, henceforth, observe Greek cabotage regulations.

According to the announcement, the shipowners' representatives sent a letter to Mr. Sfyriou giving assurances that the company would not in the present or in the future organize a cruise in Greek waters, in a way which did not observe the Greek law.

Following this development, the minister had called the Panhellenic Shipping Federation executive committee to a meeting aiming at finding a solution.

Docking rights will be liberalized in 1998. According to EU decisions, only Greek vessels can organize cruises in Greek waters until the year 2004.

Even after 2004, when shipping companies from other EU countries will be allowed to establish coastal shipping lines in Greek waters, Greek legislation will have to be adhered to with regard to the granting of permits, crew compositions, obligations to the Greek state etc.

In another development yesterday, the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) issued an announcement criticizing the government and the merchant marine ministry, accusing them of "operating as representatives of shipping interests."

The announcement said the government was largely responsible for "the breaking of cabotage." KKE expressed its solidarity to the seamen's struggle calling upon them to "reinforce their struggle and their coordination against the government policy."

[14] Synaspismos adopts 'special foreign policy decision'

A Coalition of the Left and Progress (Synaspismos) political committee yesterday endorsed an initiatives programme and a special policy decision regarding Greece's foreign policy. The decision was app roved at the end of a weekend meeting and will be published in the next days. Synaspismos' central committee kicked off a two-day conference on Saturday focusing on the government's foreign policy and the party's position on the country's national issues.

In addressing the conference, which also focused on internal organization party issues, Synaspismos President Nikos Constantopoulos lashed out at the government, criticizing ruling PASOK's on-going internal party crisis. He added that an internal race for party leader head has reached beyond the party and paralyzed all aspects of government.

[15] Balkan News Agencies' delegation ends Brussels conference

A Balkan News Agencies' delegation visiting Brussels ended a series of talks with European Union and Europarliament officials on Saturday.

The delegation, headed by ANA General Director Andreas Christodoulides, was composed of representatives from national press agencies of Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Albania and Greece.

The visit took place with a view of presenting a draft plan for creation of an economic data bank for the Balkans and the EU countries, to be based in Thessaloniki, as well as reinforcing relations between news agencies in the European Union and the Balkans.

[16] Seminar covers Mediterranean basin development

A seminar organized by the Greek Committee of the International Democratic Solidarity (EEDDA) entitled "Mediterranean Countries-Development," forwarded the view Saturday that the Mediterranean, the meeting point of the Christian, Islam, and Judaism "is bending under the need for preservation of its national and cultural identity."

The seminar, held at the Panteion University, took place with the participation of several university professors and international experts.

In reference to the economic situation in the region, Prof. Petros Douskos stressed the need for structural adjustment programs funded by the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

He said existing policies were damaging the economic situation in the countries of the southern Mediterranean coast.

The seminar also focused on the trade status quo between the European Union and the Mediterranean basin countries.

The seminar pointed out that the Mediterranean countries' huge debt to the West made it dependent to northern European countries, as well as susceptible to political and economic blackmail.

End of English language section.