Athens News Agency: News in English (PM), 97-06-30

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr>

NEWS IN ENGLISH

Athens, Greece, 30/06/1997 (ANA)

MAIN HEADLINES

• Greece welcomes relatively orderly Albanian elections
• Cyprus President Clerides arrives in Athens
• Bulgarian President due in Greece for talks
• PM Simitis, Delors meet on socialist economic policies
• EU socialist ministers propose Ecomomic Coordination Pact
• Premier calls for serious consideration of pending EU expansion
• Greece says only mutually-acceptable name applicable for FYROM
• Venizelos to raise again issue of Parthenon Marbles' return
• Turkish businessmen on Rhodes for trade talks
• Greece beats Lithuania at European Basketball Championship
• Weather
• Foreign exchange

NEWS IN DETAIL

Greece said yesterday that it hoped the completion of the electoral process in neighbouring Albania next Sunday would result in a government of the widest possible consensus to undertake the work of restoring order to the country.

Foreign Undersecretary Yiannos Kranidiotis told reporters yesterday that the international community and Greece hoped that the elections would signal the beginning of the normalisation of political life in Albania and of the process of economic restructuring, development and prosperity.

The latest reports from Albania said the socialists had claimed to have won a resounding victory but no official results had so far been announced.

There was relative calm in the country both before and during the elections, called after weeks of violence in April sparked by the collapse of pyramid investment schemes.

Greece, Kranidiotis said, was pleased with the result, to which it had contributed decisively with important and continual diplomatic initiatives both on a bilateral and international level.

He added that he considered the Greek minority in the south of the country to be a bridge of friendship that would lead to closer bilateral relations, noting that the extension of the minority's rights would bolster the ties between the two countries.

His comments were echoed later by acting government spokesman Yiannis Nikolaou who said Athens was concerned about the restoration of normality in neighbouring Albania and that it was significant to Greece that the national poll yesterday had been conducted in as normal a climate as possible.

Nikolaou told reporters that Athens wanted to see the restoration and proper functioning of institutions in the neighbouring country, which would aid both bilateral relations and stability in the wider region.

"A strong government, supported by as many parties as possible, creates the conditions for the restoration of normality," he said.

The Greek government, he added, favoured no particular party in the search for the restoration of order and respected the wishes of the Albanian people.

Ruling party PASOK has relations with the Albanian Socialist Party similar to the relations it maintains with other European socialist parties, he added.

Alternate Foreign Minister George Papandreou also expressed his satisfaction that the elections yesterday had gone "relatively well".

"(Yesterday's poll) was the first step towards restoring nromality in Albania through a legal and democratically-elected government which will lead the country to economic and democratic restoration," Papandreou said as he arrived to attend a working luncheon for visiting former European Commission President Jacques Delors.

Relative calm prevailed, he said, apart from the "unfortunate and tragic incident at the Greek consulate at Gjirokaster, which however, was unrelated to the electoral process", referring to the death of a local employee on Saturday, after an attack on the building by an armed gang.

"There appears to be a healthy participation in the new Parliament of ethnic Greek Albanians whom I believe will deservedly respond to the new challenge of Albania for a democratic course, and respect for human rights, " Papandreou said.

National Defence Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos told reporters that the outcome had vindicated Greece's decision to participate in the multinational protection force.

Asked whether there was still a need for the deployment of forces in Albania, Tsohatzopoulos said this would be examined by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

Coalition of the Left and Progress leader Nikos Constantopoulos meanwhile sent a message of congratulations to Albanian Socialist Party leader Fatos Nano, calling the result "a significant step for democratic normalisation and the development of Albania", both factors which are tied to progress for the greek minority and the development of bilateral relations.

Cyprus President Clerides arrives in Athens

President Kostis Stephanopoulos met this morning with his visiting Cypriot counterpart Glafcos Clerides, who is in Athens for consultations ahead of his scheduled meeting with Turkish Cypriot leader Ruaf Denktash in the US on July 9.

Clerides and Prime Minister Costas Simitis will jointly chair a meeting of the Greek and Cypriot delegations tomorrow on the stance to be taken at the talks.

Clerides has previously said his talks in Athens aim at better coordination and not at any change in positions.

Clerides is also due to meet former prime minister Constantine Mitsotakis and the present leader of the main opposition party New Democracy, Costas Karamanlis, tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Foreign Undersecretary Yiannos Kranidiotis told reporters that Clerides' contacts tomorrow were an opportunity for Greece and Cyprus to confer on strategies and tactics.

Kranidiotis said he hoped for a positive outcome from the New York talks and confirmed that Greece's ambassador to Cyprus, Alexandros Sandis, would be heading the Greek diplomatic delegation to New York.

He left open the possibility of attending the talks himself, whether in New York or Geneva, if need be.

Bulgarian President due in Greece for talks

Bulgarian President Peter Stoyanov arrives Wednesday, heading a ministerial delegation, talks with the Greek government leadership and the signing of an agreement for the construction of a new bridge at the Kulata-Promachonas border post between the two countries.

Stoyanov will meet with President Kostis Stephanopoulos shortly before noon Wednesday, which will be followd by talks between the Greek and Bulgarian delegations at noon and a meeting between Stoyanov and Prime Minister Costas Simitis an hour later.

Mr. Stoyanov will meet with political party leaders in the afternoon, while Bulgarian Deputy Foreign Minister Stefan Tafrov will hold talks Alternate Foreign Minister George Papandreou, followed by the signing of the bridge agreement.

The Bulgarian government in April approved a proposal by Greece to construct a new bridge in the area of the Kulata-Promachonas border post.

President Stephanopoulos will host an official dinner for his Bulgarian counterpart Wednesday night.

On Thursday, Stoyanov will visit the Acropolos and lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

He will later meet with Parliament President Apostolos Kaklamanis and attend an official function at the Athens City Hall, winding up the official leg of his visit before flying to Thessaloniki, where Minister for Macedonia-Thrace Philippos Petsalnikos will host a dinner in honour of the Bulgarian delegation.

Stoyanov will fly by helicopter for a brief visit to the Mount Athos all- male monastic community Friday morning before flying back to Sofia in the early afternoon from Thessaloniki's Macedonia airport.

Stoyanov recently pledged that a rare 18th century manuscript stole from a Mount Athos monastery in the 1980s and recently located in Bulgaria would be returned to the holy community.

The 1762 manuscript "Slavo-Bulgarian History" written by Paissios Hiliendarios at the Aghios Georgios Zografos monastery on Mount Athos has been on display at the National Historical Museum of Sofia since September 1996.

PM Simitis, Delors meet on socialist economic policies

Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis today met with former European Commission president Jacques Delors to discuss creating a unified socialist policy ahead of European economic and monetary union.

During a working luncheon at a central Athens hotel, the two men also discussed Greece's problems in joining a single European Union currency.

Attending the meeting were members of the ruling PASOK party's executive bureau and senior government economy officials headed by National Economy and Finance Minister Yiannos Papantoniou.

The meeting followed a weekend conference in Athens of European Union socialist finance ministers that called for creation of an Economic Coordination Pact designed to link efforts in forging EU economic policy, and to counter-balance the Bonn-inspired Stability and Development Pact.

Simitis and Delors were due to address a debate in Athens later today entitled "The Europe we want".

EU socialist ministers propose Economic Coordination Pact

European Union socialist finance ministers and other European Socialist officials yesterday announced plans for the signing of an Economic Coordination Pact, designed to coordinate efforts related to EU economic policy and to counterbalance the Bonn-inspired Stability and Development Pact.

The socialist ministers and officials gathered over the weekend in Athens for a two-day conference on economic and social developments, organised by National Economy and Finance Minister Yiannos Papantoniou.

In addition, they discussed proposals for the strengthening of the social state, accelerating growth and boosting employment in the 15-member EU.

According to a communique, presented by Mr. Papantoniou during the press conference, the socialist finance ministers agreed to finding more resources in order to finance major infrastructure projects as well as the Union's small- to middle-sized businesses, which employ more than two- thirds of Europe's labour force.

The communique also pointed to the need for "more active policies to boost employment," and "fresh motives" to help the unemployed find jobs.

The participating ministers also agreed to strenghten the social state and to create a "renewed Social Contract", combining economic adjustment and social protection. Stressing that hopes should not fly high after the Athens conference, Mr. Papantoniou went on to say that the fresh European social agenda was merely the start of a difficult, political struggle towards the making of a European Union on the basis of growth, stability and social cohesion.

Premier calls for serious consideration of pending EU expansion

Addressing the meeting on Saturday, Prime Minister Costas Simitis said that the new European architecture should be re-examined, taking seriously into consideration the union's pending expansion.

Mr. Simitis said the course towards a federal Europe should not ignore the particularities of the smaller states.

Stressing that "flexibility" should not constitute the main focus, Mr. Simitis warned that this would lead to "a concentration of power in the hands of the larger states." In short, flexibility would allow some countries to forge ahead of ot hers, adopting specific policies and integrating more closely, without the threat of a veto from an unwilling partner.

The other, more reluctant, partners would be allowed to join in and catch up when they felt ready.

Turning to economic policy issues, Mr. Simitis emphasised the need for social cohesion, adding that the European socialists should focus economic policy on combatting unemployment.

Mr. Simitis further forecast that Greece would fulfill the criteria for participation in the Economic and Monetary Union in 1998 and would be in a position to participate in the EMU's third phase in 2001.

He stressed, however, that criteria should be the same for all EU member- states.

Greece says only mutually-acceptable name applicable for FYROM

Greece reiterated yesterday that the issue of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia's (FYROM) name is based on the search for a mutually- acceptable solution through negotiations, as foreseen in Article 5 of an interim agreement signed by the two countries.

The foreign ministry responded with an announcement to published statements by FYROM president Kiro Gligorov, who stated that FYROM has applied to the United Nations for recognition of its name as the "Republic of Macedonia".

In an interview published with the Sunday weekly "To Vima", yesterday, Mr. Gligorov said "I believe that on our side we have proposed a compromise, which helps both sides. It helps us to retain our dignity and the Greek government and Greek Parliament to demonstrate that up until the end they kept their promise not to recognise FYROM under a name that includes the term 'Macedonia'."

"Therefore, you can call our country by any name you wish," he concluded.

The interim agreement was signed by Greece and FYROM in New York on Sept. 13, 1995.

Venizelos to raise again issue of Parthenon Marbles' return

Culture Minister Evangelos Venizelos will discuss the issue of the return of the Parthernon marbles today when he meets his British counterpart.

Mr. Venizelos had a get-acquainted meeting with the British minister during the sidelines of ceremonies for the reopening of the Galleria Borghese Museum in Rome yesterday. He said he expects to raise the issue officially before the start of the Europea n Union (EU) culture ministers' meeting in Luxembourg today.

"I will explain the Greek position on the issue and present him with a text detailing the positions," he added.

He noted the importance of Britain's return to the status of full membership in the United Nations Educational and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) as of July 1.

The Greek minister attended a meeting of his counterparts from Mediterranean members of the EU - France, Italy, Portugal and Spain, who agreed to cooperate on cultural issues and signed a joint agreement calling, among others, for an increase in the EU budget allocated to culture, which they said currently stands at 0.0018 per cent of the total community budget.

Mr. Venizelos said he had proposed to his counterparts the establishment of a network of museums, one per country, to represent the unity of European culture.

Turkish businessmen on Rhodes for trade talks

A delegation of 83 Turkish businessmen are in Rhodes to discuss several cooperation prospects with local businesses regarding the tourism, trade and transport sectors.

The delegation, accompanied by 13 reporters, arrived on the island Saturday morning following an invitation by the Dodecanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Chamber President G. Karagiannis said the meeting was "a first step in bringing the two peoples together and taking the edge off tense relations".

Greece beats Lithuania at European Basketball Championship

Greece and Italy each booked places in the quarter-finals of the European basketball championship on Sunday with hard fought wins over Spain and Lithuania respectively. In one of the most exciting games so far Greece kept Lithuanian forward Arturas Karnisovas down to just nine points and came out on top 73-66.

WEATHER

FOREIGN EXCHANGE

(M.P.)

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