Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English, 97-06-04

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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, June 3, 1997

TITLES

[01] GREEK PREMIER TO PARTICIPATE IN EUROPEAN SOCIALIST PARTIES CONFERENCE

[02] THESSALONIKI TO HOST BALKAN FOREIGN MINISTERS CONFERENCE ON MONDAY

[03] GREEK FM: GREECE WILL AID ALBANIA DURING ITS EARLY ELECTION PROCESS

[04] PRESIDENT OF GREEK PARLIAMENT DEPARTS FOR FINLAND TODAY

[05] GREEK ALTERNATE FM: MAASTRICHT'S REVISION PLAN IS SATISFACTORY FOR GREECE

[06] IPEKCI PRIZE ON GREEK-TURKISH FRIENDSHIP AWARDED THIS EVENING IN ISTANBUL

[07] TURKEY DENIES REPORTS THAT IT VIOLATED CYPRUS' FIR YESTERDAY

[08] ALBANIAN PM ASKS US, EUROPEAN AMBASSADORS TO LIFT EMERGENCY STATUS

NEWS IN DETAIL

[01] GREEK PREMIER TO PARTICIPATE IN EUROPEAN SOCIALIST PARTIES CONFERENCE

Stockholm, June 4 (MPA)

Among the topics to be discussed at the Conference will be the approach between the Sosialists and the center-left following the election outcomes in Britain and France, a factor that creates new terms in light of the Maastricht Treaty's revision.

Equally significant is the Summit Meeting of Amsterdam which is to be held on June 16, while, at the end of the month, Athens will host a conference concerning the opportunities of the center- left and the "social Europe", an event to be attended by various European leaders, such as the Premiers of Sweden, Portugal, Denmark, Norway and Finland. Also, Britain's newly-elected Premier Toni Blair will present an address, while there is a likelihood that France's new Premier Lionel Jospin may attend. Also, Spain's Felipe Gonzalez will be present, along with NATO's Javier Solana and the European Commission's former President Jacques Delors.

The session will be opened by Mr. Persson, to be followed by an address given by the President of the European Socialist Party Rudolf Scharping. A.F.

[02] THESSALONIKI TO HOST BALKAN FOREIGN MINISTERS CONFERENCE ON MONDAY

Thessaloniki, June 4 (MPA)

The two-day meeting will feature the participation of FMs from Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, FYROM, Greece, Romania, Turkey and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, while participating as observers will be the United States, Russia, Britain, France and Germany.

Also, over twenty countries and international organizations will be represented at the Conference, among them Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Italy, Slovenia, Moldova the Ukraine, Sweden, the United Nations, Council of Europe, European Commission, World Bank and CEDEFOP.

Heading the Greek delegation will be the Greek FM Theodoros Pangalos, while it has not yet been confirmed if Turkey's FM Tansu Ciller will lead her country's delegation.

The Foreign Ministers leading the remaining Balkan countries' delegations will be as follows: F.R.Y.: former Ambassador to Athens, Minister Milan Milutinovic; Bulgaria: newly-appointed FM Nadejda Michailova; Romania: Endrei Severin; Albania: Adrian Starova; FYROM: Blagoyia Hatzinski, this being the first time an FM from FYROM will officially visit Greece. A.F.

[03] GREEK FM: GREECE WILL AID ALBANIA DURING ITS EARLY ELECTION PROCESS

Tirana, June 4 (MPA)

Mr. Pangalos stated that "the West's interest for your country is not merely a diplomatic phrase, it is an affair of viable significance for Albania's integrity and for the existence of a stable democracy."

"Greece will aid at a bilateral level, as well as within the framework of the European Union and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, so that your country will be granted the necessary aid for the elections and the recovery of its economy."

In turn, Prime Minister Fino referred to the current situation in his country and to the recent bombing attacks in Tirana and requested aid for his country's police forces. Moreover, he reiterated his government's request that the size of the multi-national force currently deployed in Albania be augmented.

Athens has already stated that it will be willing to increase the number of Greek soldiers participating in the eight-nation peacekeeping force assigned to Albania.

Albanian President Sali Berisha received Mr. Pangalos and requested that his gratitude be conveyed to the Greek Premier Kostas Simitis for Greece's help. Mr. Berisha also requested that the international force's presence in his country be increased.

Mr. Pangalos also met with his Albanian counterpart Arian Starova whom he invited to participate at the upcoming Foreign Ministers meeting to be held n Thessaloniki. A.F.

[04] PRESIDENT OF GREEK PARLIAMENT DEPARTS FOR FINLAND TODAY

Athens, June 4 (MPA)

The meeting is to be held in Helsinki between June 5-7, and Mr. Kaklamanis is expected to brief his counterparts on the outcomes of the comparable meeting of house speakers held in Athens last April under the initiative of the Greek Parliament.

Moreover, Mr. Kaklamanis will speak on the role of national assemblies in European institutions and the process of the EU's enlargement, giving particular emphasis to Cyprus' bid to join the Community. A.F.

[05] GREEK ALTERNATE FM: MAASTRICHT'S REVISION PLAN IS SATISFACTORY FOR GREECE

Brussels, June 4 (MPA)

Mr. Papandreou stated that the new Treaty presents an overall improvement on matters concerning "a common foreign policy and security policy", albeit some points remain to be clarified.

Mr. Papandreou stated that "on general terms the revision ensures more decisive input on behalf of the EU, with the concurrent safeguard that the viable national rights will not be harmed, since each member-state will be able to refer to this provision in order to exercise its veto power if it should deem that its national interests are seriously harmed."

However, the alternate FM added that in regards to the defense sector, "the results are more moderate than we wished for since there is severe resistance on behalf of many member-states concerning the Western European Union's gradual integration into the Community."

At the same time, he added, "a fight is given on the issue of protecting the EU's external borders."

The alternate FM also stated that the most critical chapter of this revision is that of the institutional reforms in light of the expansion, adding that Greece will stay firm on its position regarding institutional equality among the member-states.

"We will insist to the end on maintaining one commissioner for each member-state, as well as the maintenance of a "voice" of the smaller member-states in the Council, in spite of the pressures exerted by the stronger and wealthier member-states for increasing their influence within the Council." A.F.

[06] IPEKCI PRIZE ON GREEK-TURKISH FRIENDSHIP AWARDED THIS EVENING IN ISTANBUL

Istanbul, June 4 (MPA)

Greek Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs George Papandreou and his Turkish counterpart Onur Oymen will be awarded the Prize for their efforts to concerning the establishment of a Greek-Turkish dialogue.

Following the ceremony, Mr. Mitsotakis is expected to travel to Ankara where he may meet with Turkish President Suleiman Demirel. A.F.

[07] TURKEY DENIES REPORTS THAT IT VIOLATED CYPRUS' FIR YESTERDAY

Washington, June 4 (MPA)

The Cypriot government's spokesperson Manolis Christofides informed the United States Embassy in Cyprus yesterday that three Turkish F-4 aircraft violated the Cypriot air space above the occupied city of Deryneia.

US State Department spokesperson Nicholas Burns stated that "Ankara has admitted that Turkish warplanes flew in the region but it claims that they did not violate Cyprus' air space."

Mr. Burns stressed that if such flights were conducted, then in reality they are a deviation of the Turkish government's decision to halt military flights above Cyprus."

Moreover, the US official hailed Nicosia's and Ankara's decisions, drawn two months ago, to enforce a military filghts moratorium as "expeptionally valuable" and conveyed Washington's hope that these decisions will continue to stand.

Earlier, Mr. Christofides stated that the Cypriot government does not intend to alter its decision and accused Turkey of having opted to perform provocative actions and to violate international law. A.F.

[08] ALBANIAN PM ASKS US, EUROPEAN AMBASSADORS TO LIFT EMERGENCY STATUS

Tirana, June 4 (MPA)

According to press reports, the Albanian Premier asked the Ambassadors for their support in lifting his country's emergency status and for shortening the voting process, a sore point between the Democratic Party and the Socialists. A.F.

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/

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