Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English, 96-12-13

Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: The Macedonian Press Agency at http://www.mpa.gr and http://www.hri.org/MPA.

BRIEF GREEK NEWS BULLETIN BY MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY

Thessaloniki, December 13, 1996

TITLES

[01] GREEK PREMIER IN DUBLIN TO ADDRESS EUROPEAN UNION SUMMIT

[02] AGRICULTURE MINISTER IN THESSALONIKI TODAY TO MEET WITH LOCAL FARMERS

[03] SERB PRESIDENT MILOSEVIC CALLS ON OSCE TO REVIEW LOCAL ELECTION RESULTS

NEWS IN DETAIL

[01] GREEK PREMIER IN DUBLIN TO ADDRESS EUROPEAN UNION SUMMIT

Dublin, December 13 (MPA)

The Summit is deemed as crucial, since the EU's "15" are billed to examine ways to promote the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) and the planned reform of the Maastricht Treaty, which is now entering its last phase expected to be continued until at least the end of June 1997.

Within the specrtrum of Maastricht's imminent revision, Greek Premier Kostas Simitis stressed the importance of securing Greece's borders being that these are the EU's external borders as well.

Moreover, the Premier will support Greece's positions regarding the EU's complex process towards a single currency and drachma's role within the system.

Meanwhile, two formal dinners to be hosted by the EU's Irish President Dick Spring, one this evening and the other tomorrow, are awaited with anticipation. This evening's affair will surely include talks among the "15" on the future of relations between Turkey and the EU, while present at tomorrow's EU Foreign Minsters dinner will also be Turkey's Foreign Minister Tansu Ciller. The strained relations between Greece and Turkey are expected to be at the center of these discussions.

Greece's Foreign Minister, Theodoros Pangalos, is expected to reiterate Mr. Simitis' position during his meeting yesterday with Dutch Premier Wim Kok, that is, prior to any dialogue with Turkey, this country must actively display its good intent towards Greece.

This position refers to the common statement issued by the EU's Foreign Ministers last July, wherein they called on Turkey not to resort to violence -or the threat of the use thereof- but, instead, to solve in a peaceful manner any whatsoever differences it deems it has with Greece, to resort to the International Court of Justice at The Hague for any territorial claims it has in the Aegean and to respect the rules and principles of International Law and international accords and agreements.

It is expected that both the Premier and the Foreign Minister will demand that this statement be included unabridged in the document of the common position to be presented by the EU member- states during the EU-Turkey Association Council.

The Greek Premier is also accompanied by the Ministers of National Economy and Finance Yiannos Papantoniou, Press and Mass Media Dimitris Reppas, alternate Foreign Minister George Papandreou and PASOK eurodeputy Yiannos Kranidiotis.

[02] AGRICULTURE MINISTER IN THESSALONIKI TODAY TO MEET WITH LOCAL FARMERS

Thessaloniki, December 13 (MPA)

Mr. Tzoumakas will also participate at the European Councils' Agriculture Minister's Council, to be held in Brussels on Monday, where he is expected to table the problems faced by the cotton producers in Central Greece's Thessaly and the farmers in Xanthi whose land was devastated by torrential floods recently.

Last night, protesting farmers lifted the roadblock that was obstructing access to Promahona's customs at Serres, while the number of farmers blocking access to Evros' customs has significantly been reduced and those who have remained are far more flexible in allowing the passage of cars and lorries. The customs at Ormenio, towards Bulgaria, and Kastanies, towards Turkey, remain blocked.

In the greater Thessaloniki region, farmers blocking the road to eastern Macedonia have freed the access, but instead have moved to the crossroads that give access to the airport "Macedonia" and the region of Malgara in western Macedonia.

The two roadblocks in the prefect of Rodopi are a thing of the past, while the roadblocks in Drama have been reduced from ten to four.

Meanwhile, although farmers in Thessaloniki and Achaia -in the Peloponnese- have apparently eased off in their protests, their counterparts in central Greece's Thessaly continue their mobilizations for the 16th successive day.

Today, the Association of Northern Greece's Exporters and Thessaloniki's Trade Association filed suits for economic damages against the country's protesting farmers for obstruction of transportation and against the state agencies for breach of duty.

The Government intends to face their protests with prudence, according to Prime Minister Kostas Simitis.

Main opposition party leader, New Democracy's Miltiades Evert, stated today that the Government is obliged to take a step back and said that a compromised has to be reached since there are no losers or winners in this story.

Aleka Paparega, Secretary-General of the Communist Party of Greece, today embarked on a three-day tour through Thessaly and will visit roadblocks in Larissa.

[03] SERB PRESIDENT MILOSEVIC CALLS ON OSCE TO REVIEW LOCAL ELECTION RESULTS

Belgrade, December 13 (MPA)

Meanwhile, Milosevic forwarded a letter to the U.S. State Department Secretary Warren Christopher wherein he supports the decision to rehold the elections in select municipalities.

Yesterday, Italian Foreign Minister Laberto Dini characterized as "unrealistic" the demands of the F.R.Y.'s main opposition, the three-member coalition Zajedno (Together), to restore the annulled outcome of last month's local elections in those municipalities where Zajedno had prevailed.

Mr. Dini met with Milosevic, as well as the leaders of Zajedno.

Complete archives of the Macedonian Press Agency bulletins are available on the MPA Home Page at http://www.mpa.gr/ and on the U.S. mirror at http://www.hri.org/MPA/

Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article