The Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in English, 99-04-15

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From: The Hellenic Radio (ERA) <ert.ntua.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Nato strikes against Yugoslavia

Nine explosions were heard this morning, three of them very strong, in the capital of Kosovo, Pristina and regions around it.

Belgrade was bombed early this morning and specifically the suburb of Rakovica where a military camp is found.

A bridge linking Nis with Pristina was destroyed and as the Tanjung news agency reported three people were wounded, while the state TV relay stations on the mountains Ovcar and Zlatibor were also destroyed.

The international public opinion was shocked at the news that Nato missiles hit a convoy of Albanian refugees on the road from Jakovica to Prizren in Kosovo, killing at least 75 refugees and wounding dozens of others.

Nato has confirmed the attack but top officials claim that Serb military vehicles were hit and the video on the attack in the pilot cabins of the planes will be studied.

The American pentagon spokesman Kenn Beicon has stated that the Nato commander, general Wesley Clark has information that Serb soldiers or policemen attacked the refugees some time after a convoy of the Yugoslav army had been attacked by allied planes.

The German defense minister Rudolph Scharping has claimed that Serb artillery and not Nato planes are responsible for the death of dozens of Albanian refugees in Kosovo when the convoy of refugees was hit.

Meanwhile, Serb president Milan Milutinovic described the Nato attack against the Albanian refugees as a hideous massacre and stressed that it could not have happened by mistake.

In Athens, all the opposition parties have issued announcements, expressing their abhorrence over the blind blow against civilians.

[02] EU summit on Kosovo and new European Commission chairman

The Greek prime minister Kostas Simitis said that two different views were expressed at the summit. A group of European countries including Greece and France claimed that the UN should take action on a settlement of the Yugoslav crisis, while Great Britain and Spain claimed that military operations should continue.

In an interview with London's Financial Times, the Nato secretary general Xavier Solana said that a meeting of the seven richest countries in the world and Russia was now expected to take place in the next few days, followed by a meeting of the UN Security Council.

For his part, the Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic has warned that if Nato decides to go ahead with ground operations the war will spread in the Balkans, because the countries from where the land forces will make the invasion will automatically get involved in war with Yugoslavia.

After the second part of the extraordinary EU summit on the election of the new European Commission chairman Romano Prodi yesterday, the Greek prime minister Kostas Simitis told a press conference that a strong European Commission was required for the progress of the European Union.

[03] Greek health ministry ready for refugees

Meanwhile, the Church of Greece and the Greek Red Cross continue sending humanitarian aid for the refugees to Albania and Skopje.

[04] Developments in Greece on the Kosovo crisis

Referring to the incidents that took place at the borders between Serbia and Albania on Tuesday, Mr Reppas said that Athens advised the countries bordering with Yugoslavia to show calm, self-control and great responsibility, adding that actions that could aggravate the crisis should be avoided.

Meanwhile the Greek General Navy Staff has announced that the destroyer ship Themistoclis will sail from the naval port in Salamina to replace the destroyer Kimon in the NATO permanent Mediterranean Navy force. The Greek destroyer will effect patrols, but will not participate in the operations against Yugoslavia.

The crisis in Kosovo was the object of talks the Greek president Konstantinos Stephanopoulos had yesterday with the opposition New Democracy party leader Kostas Karamanlis.

After the meeting, Mr Karamanlis called for a political leaders' meeting under the chairmanship of the president of the republic to discuss the multilateral crisis, which - as Mr Karamanlis said - is jeopardizing stability in the region.

Referring to the crisis in Yugoslavia, the leader of the Coalition of the Left Wing and Progress Nikos Konstantopoulos stated yesterday during a press conference that the EU summit in Brussels was an ultimate opportunity for the European Union to regain its prestige and credibility.

The European leaders, Mr Konstantopoulos said, are called to prove that the demolition has not been completed and that there is still time to reverse this course. Mr Konstantopoulos also reported that a delegation of his party will visit Skopje today.

[05] Cyprus' initiative for the realease of captured American soldiers

After the meeting, Mr Kyprianou stated that although the release of the three American soldiers held in Yugoslavia was achieved, it was believed that Cyprus had started again playing a role in international matters.

As Mr Kyprianou said, the Cyprus issue was also discussed during the meeting, adding that there were no new developments in the issue.

[06] Developments in the Cyprus issue and the S-300 missiles

In a written statement yesterday Mr Kliridis rejected the article, stating that it was putting at risk the relations between Athens and Nicosia and further drag Cyprus and Greece in an adventure of war.

President Kliridis concluded by saying that his own firm policy was and is the continuous development and the strengthening of the two countries relations, on the basis of sincerity, mutual respect and understanding.

The Russian ambassador in Nicosia Georgi Mouratof has stated that the proposals being prepared separately by the Russians and the Americans coincide, adding that efforts are being made to achieve coordination between the two parties. Mr Mouratof added that both parties agree that the solution to be found to the Cyprus issue should be based on the UN resolutions.

He also said that the time had come that these proposals were promoted and that a solution to the Cyprus issue be found.

Replying to the question whether the developments in Yugoslavia affect the efforts to solve the Cyprus issue, Mr Mouratof said that the Cyprus issue and the war in Yugoslavia were two different problems and should be dealt as such.

[07] Greece's economy is not affected by the Kosovo crisis

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