BRIEF GREEK NEWS BULLETIN (12/02/1996) 1o

From: Macedonian Press Agency <mpa@uranus.ee.auth.gr>

Macedonian Press Agency News in English Directory

BRIEF GREEK NEWS BULLETIN BY MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY

February 12, 1996

TITLES

NEWS IN DETAIL

[01] PASOK PARTY CONGRESS TO BE HELD IN JULY

According to the party's general secretary Kostas Skandalides, this decision represents an unconditional endorsement of the PASOK Executive Bureau recommendations.

Following the Central Committee's closing talks, Minister of Interior, Public Administration and De- centralization Akis Tsohatzopoulos stated that there was almost unanimous support of the party's decision to follow a unified and co-ordinated course. Mr. Tsohatzopouos added that part of the upcoming congress discussions will be the contents of an updated national strategy as well as the various political priorities.

Voting against the July scheduling of the congress were the Minister of Education George Papandreou and under-Ministers of Environment, City Planning and Public Works Elizabeth Papazoe and Emmanuel Loukakis.

[02] BOSNIAN SERBS SEVER COMMUNICATION WITH NATO

The officers, General Djordje Djukic and Colonel Aleksa Krsmanovic, were detained by the bosnian government on January 30, after having made a wrong turn into government-held territory outside Sarajevo. Their arrest was heavied by charges that the two men have committed war crimes.

The bosnian serb Justice minister Marko Arsic has stated that unless the serbian officers are released immediately, Muslims and Croats who cross through the serbian suburbs will be arrested.

[03] AHEPA CONVENTION STARTS WITH ND ECHELON TAKING PART

An echelon of New Democracy representatives is participating at the event, aiming at informing the overseas greeks of the latest developments stemming from the Imia crisis. The main opposition party's deputies who traveled to the United States are mmr. Byron Polydoras, Aristides Kaladzakos, mss. Dora Bakoyianni and Fani Petralia.

[04] TURKISH MILITARY ACTIVITIES IN AEGEAN ARE NOT THREATENING

Mr. Arsenis explained that such military exercises are conducted periodically by both countries.

[05] GERMAN OFFICIAL CALLS FOR CLARIFICATION OF E.U. BORDERS

The german official, who is expected to arrive in Athens tonight, said to the greek broadcast of Deutsche Welle that he finds it distressing that Greece, one of the Union's members and a NATO ally, has problems with a neighboring country, who is also a NATO ally and has recently signed a Customs Union with Europe.

The german alternate foreign minister differentiated his visit to Greece from the recent Aegean crisis by stating that it was part of the joint governments conference scheduled to take place in March.

[06] OVERSEAS HELLENISM COUNCIL PRESIDENT ON TURKISH THREAT

During his stay, mr. Athens, who is accompanied by various Council representatives, will meet with greek state officials in order to promote cooperation between the greek government and the Council regarding the greek-turkish crisis.

At the press conference, mr. Athens emphasized the close cooperation the Council enjoys with George Stefanopoulos, one of U.S. President Bill Clinton's advisors.

"This crisis has proven the greeks' wisdom in creating the Council. We plan to utilize the Council in order to protect and strengthen Hellenism, " mr. Athens concluded.

[07] COMMUNIST PARTY SECRETARY GENERAL SPEAKS IN THESSALONIKI

Responding to a reporter's question if she considers the recent Imia crisis a "frame up", as greek Premier Konstantinos Simitis has said, the KKE Secretary General stated that the policy of divide and rule, the policy of market shares also employs "frame- ups."

"The new imperialist order is not a frame up," ms. Paparega said adding that "already it has caused wars and victims in the Balkans and as such we cannot make talk of frame-ups."

Referring to the Premier's speech during PASOK's Cetnral Committee meeting, ms. Paparega commented that "nothing new was said, in the sense that the Aegean problem has been disconnected from PASOK, the government and the Premier."

[08] FINANCIAL TIMES REJECT HOLBROOKE'S CRITICISM OF EUROPE

The british newspaper "Financial Times" with the tart title "U.S. Polices the Aegean while the E.U. is Sleeping" recently published an article that analyzes the State Department's strategic interests in the mediterranean region.

Furthermore, the article attributes Europe's recent display of passivity to poor popularity afforded to the governments of Spain, England and France, as well as to the barely existing italian government, which currently holds the european community's presidency.

"Financial Times" further extrapolates some of mr. Richard Holbrooke's prior statements made in Congress through which he called the State Department's attention to Turkey's important strategic position, and stresses that during the recent bosnian crisis, american and turk officers often sided against other western countries.

"The closeness of american-turkish military relations, has been confirmed by the american President's insistance to first grant ATAMCV-S to Turkey and then to the other allies, despite the intense reactions," the article mentioned.

The british paper also points out that "while the U.S. and Britain maintained a rather neutral stance, another european country clearly supported Greece at the time the crisis had reached a climax, and that country was Russia."

[09] PASOK LEADER'S HEALTH SHOWS IMPROVEMENT

"Today mr. Papandreou underwent thoracic physiotherapy and dialysis. The patient has no fever and walked for an extended period of time," said the medical report.

The physicians are optimistic that if the overall improvement continue, the tracheostomy performed on Mr. Papandreou will be closed during the upcoming week.

[10] FYROM:NAME ISSUE IS POLITICAL SAYS FYROM PACIFIST

Giorgi Ivanov, representing the FYROM Peace Movement, stated that the name issue is neither essential nor critical, but rather constitutes a political issue and added that " we can put aside our national identity."

[11] BOMBING BLAME ON KURDS, ANOTHER TURKISH PROVOCATION ACT

In a declaration issued by the National Liberation Front of Kurdistan, these reports aim at sabotaging the developing friendships among the people of Greece, Cyprus and Kurdistan.

[12] HALF OF INSTITUTIONALIZED ELDERLY SUFFER FROM DEPRESSION

During the symposium, titled "Depression in the Third Age", it was also pointed out that various clinical symptoms found in elderly people make the diagnosis of depression often very difficult.

[13] FYROM:NO REACTIONS TO EXCLUSION OF LIBERALS FROM CABINET

FYROM Prime Minister Branko Crvenkovski, who recommended the Liberal Party's exclusion, announced the complete list of the new governmental structure, which comprises the Party for Democratic Prosperity (PDP) and the Socialist Party.

The ousting of the Liberals was expected by most in FYROM. Afterall, as the skopjian press reported, "divorce is preferable to a bad marriage."

[14] FYROM RECOGNIZED BY ARGENTINA

In a letter addressed to FYROM's President Kiro Gligorov, Mennem wrote that "the negotiations on establishing diplomatic realtions will be a beginning of a fruitful and close cooperation between the two countries."

[15] BELGRADE FINDS A COMRADE IN FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTRY

The succession is of a legal, political and economical nature, according to the french newspaper.

"Le Monde" wrote that France's Foreign Ministry estimates that, at least on a political level, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia should adopt the regime of the Former Federal Socialist Republic of Yugoslavia, since the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia is a successor state that shares the same rights and responsibilities of the other states.