Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 99-04-02
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, April 2, 1999
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] US MARINE PLATOON TRAVELS TO SKOPJE THROUGH THESSALONIKI
[02] BURNS: UNITED STATES SUPPORT INVIOLABILITY OF GREEK BORDERS
[03] THESSALONIKI IS "KEY SITE" FOR NATO, U.S. PENTAGON STATES
[04] KOSOVO REFUGEES IN GREECE ONLY ON EXTRAORDINARY OCCASIONS
[05] GREEKS CONDUCT TWO-HOUR WORK STOPPAGE IN PROTEST TO RAIDS
[06] M. STANLEY:KOSOVO CRISIS WILL NOT IMPACT GREECE'S EMU COURSE
[07] ANTI-WAR CONCERT WITH DALARAS, BREGOVIC IN THESSALONIKI
[08] REPPAS: GREECE HAS NOT BEEN ASKED TO PARTICIPATE IN GROUND
OPERATIONS
[09] MEETING OF THE GREEK NAVY GENERAL STAFF ON THE RUSSIAN SHIPS
THAT WILL SAIL ACROSS THE AEGEAN
[10] NATIONAL DEFENSE AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE
EXPRESSES CONCERN OVER THE NATO BOMBINGS
[11] THE CABINET MET TODAY
[12] SIMITIS: IN 2006 WE WILL LIVE IN A DIFFERENT GREECE
[13] THE UNITED STATES BACK THE INVIOLABILITY OF THE GREEK BORDERS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[14] THREE US SOLDIERS TO APPEAR BEFORE MILITARY COURT TODAY
[15] YUGOSLAVIA'S GENERAL ARMY STAFF LEADER REPLACED
[16] ETHNIC ALBANIANS FLEE KOSOVO BY THE THOUSANDS
[17] GREEK DEFENSE MINISTER MEETS WITH ROMANIAN COUNTERPART
[18] THE GREEK MINISTER OF DEFENSE IS IN SKOPJE
[19] NATO CONTINUES THE AIR STRIKES
[20] HOLBROOKE WANTS A RUGOVA - HILL MEETING
[21] US ANALYST FEARS A NATO BREAK-UP
[22] THE FOREIGN MINISTERS OF THE US, GERMANY AND FRANCE WANT TO
MEET WITH RUGOVA
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] US MARINE PLATOON TRAVELS TO SKOPJE THROUGH THESSALONIKI
A platoon of approximately 50 US marines arrived by US air
force planes in Thessaloniki yesterday, with FYROM being the final
destination.
According to reports, the platoon will join a marine force
already in Skopje in protecting the US embassy in FYROM's capital.
Meanwhile, planes transporting humanitarian aid to FYROM and
Albanian continue to land at Thessaloniki's "Macedonia" airport.
[02] BURNS: UNITED STATES SUPPORT INVIOLABILITY OF GREEK BORDERS
United States Ambassador to Athens Nicholas Burns has stated
that Washington supports the inviolability of Greece's borders.
Speaking to an Athens daily "To Vima", Ambassador Burns also
said that the Kosovo crisis will not create conflict between
Greece and Turkey.
"The United States support Greece's territorial integrity
and the inviolability of its borders, " Mr. Burns said.
"Of course, we understand the fact that Greece is the only
NATO members that is also a Southeast European country. The U.S.
do not believe that the Kosovo crisis will create a conflict
between Greece and Turkey. What President Clinton said was that
both country can be affected separately, albeit negatively, from
the conflict," he added.
[03] THESSALONIKI IS "KEY SITE" FOR NATO, U.S. PENTAGON STATES
Thessaloniki, with its port, airport and infrastructure, is
"of vital importance to for NATO's forces" a United States
Pentagon official stated during a press briefing today.
Briefing the Greek press correspondents in Washington, the
Pentagon's director of Defense Information Colonel Richard Bridges
stated that Greece's stance was "courageous", given the country's
geographical position in the region.
He further stressed that Greece's contribution to Operation
Allied Force is highly significant, both for the United States
and NATO, as it allows for the transport of NATO troops through
Thessaloniki's port and airport to FYROM.
Earlier today, a U.S. government official stated that there
are presently no plans to deploy ground troops to Kosovo, pointing
out that in the case of the Persian Gulf it took a number of
months to develop the multinational force.
[04] KOSOVO REFUGEES IN GREECE ONLY ON EXTRAORDINARY OCCASIONS
Greece will take in refugees from Kosovo only on
extraordinary occasions, stated the Minister of Macedonia-Thrace
Yiannis Magriotis prior to the Cabinet meeting today.
Undersecretary of the Interior George Florides also stated
that there are no problems and the Greek borers are being
sufficiently safeguarded.
Foreign Minister George Papandreou has reiterated Greece's
advocacy to resolving the Kosovo crisis through political means,
while the Undersecretary of Defense Dimitris Apostolakis stressed
that Greece is not alarmed by Turkey's interest in Albania.
[05] GREEKS CONDUCT TWO-HOUR WORK STOPPAGE IN PROTEST TO RAIDS
Greece's economic and commercial sectors are to come to a
standstill this afternoon as the country's largest labor unions
and organizations are to conduct a two-hour work stoppage in
protest to NATO's raids in Yugoslavia.
The General Confederation of Greek Laborers, the Civil
Servants Union and the retailers and manufacturers labor unions
have organized the stoppage, to be held between 1-3 pm.
As a result, the railway and marine transportation sectors
are to operate with a skeleton crew, while public agencies,
ministries and school will be closed.
At the same time, various bank accounts have been opened in
the country where the public may submit donations for the Kosovo
refugees.
[06] M. STANLEY:KOSOVO CRISIS WILL NOT IMPACT GREECE'S EMU COURSE
The present situation in Kosovo may indeed be unsettling,
but it will not rock Greece's course to the Economic and Monetary
Union, according to a Morgan Stanley Dean Witter Co. research
report.
According to the firm, Greece will be "on time" in the target
year of 2001, since "the cohesion course is more or less certain
and it would require quite an unfortunate combination of events
to halt it."
[07] ANTI-WAR CONCERT WITH DALARAS, BREGOVIC IN THESSALONIKI
An anti-war concert will be held in Thessaloniki this
evening, featuring the participation of some of the best musicians
the region can offer, and thousands are expected to flood the
city's Aristotle Square.
Goran Bregovic, George Dalaras, Stavros Kouyioumtzis and a
score of others
from Albania, Bulgaria and FYROM will sing for peace in the
Balkans, while the concert will be broadcast live by ET-3 and
Belgrade's State Television.
The event is organized by the Thessaloniki Residents
Initiative, which has expressed its solidarity to the war victims,
regardless of nationality and religion.
[08] REPPAS: GREECE HAS NOT BEEN ASKED TO PARTICIPATE IN GROUND
OPERATIONS
The view that the crisis in Kossovo will continue was
expressed by ministers of the Greek government given the fact that
NATO officials speak of an escalation of the air raids on
Yugoslavia.
Meanwhile, minister of press and government spokesman
Dimitris Reppas stated that Greece has not been asked to
participate in ground operations.
Mr. Reppas stated that according to the estimates of the
Greek government, 120.000 refugees are in Albania, 40.000 in
Skopje and other 40.000 in Montenegro.
Mr. Reppas stressed that if the wave of refugees swells the
UN must take action to send them to different countries. He said
that Greece is prepared to receive them in areas of northern
Greece, adding that the Greek borders are guarded and protected.
Finally, Mr. Reppas referred to the cleansing operations
undertaken by Slobodan Milosevic characterizing them as actions
that are in contrast with international law and are condemned by
every country.
[09] MEETING OF THE GREEK NAVY GENERAL STAFF ON THE RUSSIAN SHIPS
THAT WILL SAIL ACROSS THE AEGEAN
A Russian reconnaisance warship has left the port of
Sevastopol for the Adriatic and a meeting of the Greek Navy
General Staff has been held to discuss the issue of the Russian
warships that are expected to sail across the Aegean.
Tomorrow, the first Russian warship will pass from Bosporos,
while on April 4 will follow two cruisers and a frigate, on April
6 a destroyer, a frigate and a cruiser and on April 10 a tank
landing ship.
Meanwhile, according to data on the refugees provided by the
ministry of defense, 60.000 people have fled to Montenegro, 16.000
to Bosnia, 40.000 to Skopje, 20.000 to Serbia, 118.000 to Albania
and 280.000 have been displaced within the Kossovo borders.
[10] NATIONAL DEFENSE AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE
EXPRESSES CONCERN OVER THE NATO BOMBINGS
The permanent parliamentary committee on national defense and
foreign affairs issued a statement expressing its deep concern
over the continuing air raids and military operations that lead to
a tragic deadlock and can cause the political and economic
destabilization of the Balkan region.
Disagreement with this statement, that will be sent to all
the foreign national parliaments, has been expressed by the
Communist Party and the Democratic Social Movement which insisted
that the text should clearly condemn the NATO bombings.
The committee points out that there should be an immediate
cease fire by all sides as a necessary pre-condition for the
resumption of a political dialogue for the solution of the crisis
that will be based on the ideas of the Contact Group and will have
as main and non negotiable term the inviolability of the borders.
The European Union is also called to undertake initiatives
and contribute decisively to the promotion of a political
solution, the settlement of economic problems and the return of
the refugees to their homes.
[11] THE CABINET MET TODAY
The cabinet met today to examine the developments in
Yugoslavia and issues concerning the refugees and the distribution
of humanitarian aid as well as, the decisions of the Berlin summit
meeting.
The prime minister reiterated that there should be a
political solution and expressed the view that the crisis will not
spread. He also stressed that Greece respects its obligations
toward NATO but it maintains an autonomous political and
diplomatic presence in the region. On the Euro-parliament
elections the prime minister pointed out that it is not a
referendum but a crucial political battle and called for the
support of each party member.
Foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou referred to the issue of
Kosovo, while minister of national economy and finance Yiannos
Papantoniou referred to the outcome of the Berlin summit meeting.
[12] SIMITIS: IN 2006 WE WILL LIVE IN A DIFFERENT GREECE
Prime minister Kostas Simitis expressed the belief that by
the year 2006 we will live in a different Greece, speaking in the
cabinet meeting that examined the Agenda 2000 among other issues.
The prime minister stated that the sum of money allocated to
Greece constitutes a very important success of the Greek
government and clarified that it will be used for the improvement
of education, the creation of new job positions and the
development of the social state.
[13] THE UNITED STATES BACK THE INVIOLABILITY OF THE GREEK BORDERS
US ambassador to Athens Nicholas Burns stated to an Athens
newspaper that the United States back the inviolability of the
Greek borders and pointed out that the crisis in Kosovo will not
create a conflict between Greece and Turkey.
Meanwhile, US assistant secretary of state Mr. Talbott will
visit Athens on Sunday and he will meet with foreign minister
Giorgos Papandreou.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[14] THREE US SOLDIERS TO APPEAR BEFORE MILITARY COURT TODAY
Military court proceedings are to begin today for the three
U.S. Army soldiers who were captured by Serb forces on Yugoslav
soil yesterday.
According to the Yugoslav news agency Tanjug, four Tomahawk
missiles struck a military camp in Vrania last night, 300
kilometers south of Belgrade.
United State President Bill Clinton stated that he will hold
Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic personally responsible for
the three soldiers' fate. Meanwhile, Mr. Milosevic met with the
leader of Kosovo's ethnic Albanians Ibrahim Rugova in Belgrade
yesterday and both expressed their commitment to reaching a
political solution for the crisis.
[15] YUGOSLAVIA'S GENERAL ARMY STAFF LEADER REPLACED
Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic has reshuffled the
country's army leadership. The leader of the Yugoslav General Army
staff has been replaced by Gen. Miodrag Simic, while Gen. Radomir
Ristic will now serve as alternate minister of Civil Protection.
Meanwhile,. US envoy Richard Holbrooke, speaking on a U.S.
television program, stated that the Yugoslav leader is a
"formidable adversary". Mr. Holbrooke praised NATO's Operation
Allied Force, by stating that "this tragedy in Kosovo has been a
noble undertaking. "
[16] ETHNIC ALBANIANS FLEE KOSOVO BY THE THOUSANDS
Thousands of ethnic Albanians have fled Kosovo, crossing
either by foot or bus into neighboring Albania, FYROM and
Montenegro. The organization for Security and Cooperation Europe
stated that dozens of buses are required for the transport of
20,000 refugees presently at the Albanian border.
Approximately 14,000 are already in FYROM, while Greece has
sent humanitarian aid to Belgrade, Tirana and Skopje.
[17] GREEK DEFENSE MINISTER MEETS WITH ROMANIAN COUNTERPART
Greece's Defense Minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos, presently on
a tour through the Balkans, is to visit Sofia this morning where
he will meet with his Bulgarian counterpart Georgi Ananiev,
Foreign Minister Nadezda Mihailova and Prime Minister Ivan Kostov.
Later today, Mr. Tsochatzopoulos will travel to FYROM where
he will be received by President Kiro Gligorov, Prime Minister
Ljupco Georgievski, Foreign Minister Alexander Dimitrov and
Defense Minister Nikola Klusev.
In his talks with his Romanian counterpart Victor Babiuk in
Bucharest yesterday, the Greek Defense Minister reiterated
Greece's wish to see the Kosovo crisis resolved through peaceful
means.
Messrs. Tsochatzopoulos and Babiuk agreed that a solution to
the Kosovo crisis could only be reached through political and
diplomatic means, while they both emphasized their opposition to a
change in Balkan borders.
"No change in existing borders in Yugoslavia and, more
generally, Balkan countries is acceptable in the name of autonomy
or the protection of the rights of minorities," Mr.
Tsochatzopoulos said.
In turn, Mr. Babiuk said that his country is "treating the
NATO intervention as a means and not an end in itself."
NATO has intervened "to force (Yugoslav President) Milosevic
to the negotiating table," he said and added that "the operations
will continue until Milosevic changes stance."
Mr. Tsochatzopoulos said that "the developments in Kosovo are
of concern to the peace, stability and security of the Balkans and
so are an issue for all the countries of the region" and
reiterated Athens' position that Greece, as a neighboring country,
could not participate directly in the offensive because this would
be a destabilizing factor.
[18] THE GREEK MINISTER OF DEFENSE IS IN SKOPJE
Minister of defense Akis Tsochatzopoulos is in Skopje, while
earlier in the day he had contacts with government officials in
Sofia.
Mr. Tsochatzopoulos met with Bulgarian prime minister Ivan
Kostov, minister of defense Georgi Ananiev and undersecretary of
foreign affairs Mr. Dimitrov. The Bulgarian leadership expressed
opposition to the likelihood concerning the change of the existing
borders in the region but it is not in disagreement with the NATO
policy toward Belgrade.
President Stoyanov suggested the immediate accession of
Bulgaria, Romania and FYROM into the alliance for the creation of
a security zone around Yugoslavia.
Mr. Tsochatzopoulos in statements he made in Sofia
characterized as positive the meeting of Rugova with Milosevic and
called for an end to the ethnic cleansing operations in Kossovo.
[19] NATO CONTINUES THE AIR STRIKES
The United States and NATO stay firm in their decision to
continue the bombing of Yugoslavia, while their targets will be
expanded in the next 72 hours.
One person was killed and another was injured by the NATO air
strikes in southern Serbia this morning. Meanwhile, the numbers of
refugees, who are seeking shelter mainly in Albania and FYROM, are
on a dramatic increase.
The three US soldiers captured by the Serb forces will be
brought before a court-martial. The first of the 7 Russian war
ships has left the port of Sevastopol for the Adriatic.
[20] HOLBROOKE WANTS A RUGOVA - HILL MEETING
The French news agency, AFP, reported that US special envoy
to the Balkan region Richard Holbrooke has called on the Yugoslav
leadership to allow Kossovo ethnic Albanian leader Ibrahim Rugova
to meet with US ambassador to FYROM, who was also Washington's
official mediator in the Rambouillet talks, Christopher Hill.
Mr. Holbrooke stated to the US television network CNN that it
is imperative that Rugova meets with international politicians and
that he proposed the US ambassador to Skopje Mr. Christopher Hill.
Mr. Holbrooke added that he will have a telephone communication
with the Yugoslav leadership and he will ask for permission so
that Mr. Rugova visits Skopje.
[21] US ANALYST FEARS A NATO BREAK-UP
A US special analyst warns that there is a risk of NATO break-
up in case the operations in Yugoslavia fail.
According to the Austrian newspaper "Der Standart", the US
military analyst Ralf Peters of the Carlisle College predicted
that the north Atlantic alliance will break-up in case there is an
objective failure in Yugoslavia.
He stated that the countries of southern Europe will leave
NATO and this will have as a result the new division of Europe
this time along the Alps. Regarding the likelihood to use ground
forces in Yugoslavia, Mr. Peters stated that a well-trained force
of 40-50.000 men will be sufficient for a successful operation.
The US analyst also pointed out that it is a mistake to think
that the war is won by the one who has high-tech weapons systems.
On the prospect of an agreement, he believes that the signing
of a peace agreement on the ruins of Kosovo will be a failure for
NATO. This failure will be the start of a division within the
alliance. He also believes that the alliance has already made a
strategic mistake by avoiding to combine the air strikes with the
use of ground forces. He said that for political reasons there was
no such planning from the start and the result is that now the use
of ground forces is not feasible because the number of casualties
will be high in case there is hastened and bad preparation.
[22] THE FOREIGN MINISTERS OF THE US, GERMANY AND FRANCE WANT TO
MEET WITH RUGOVA
According to information, the foreign ministers of Germany,
France and the United States have invited Kosovo ethnic Albanian
leader Ibrahim Rugova to visit Bonn or Brussels immediately in
order to brief them on the situation in Kosovo, the drama of the
refugees and the prospects for the settlement of the crisis.
The foreign ministers of the three countries do not hide
their discontent over the Rugova statements made in the meeting he
had with Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic in Belgrade
according to which, the NATO bombings must end.
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