A.N.A. Bulletin, 22/06/96

From: "Greek Press & Information Office, Ottawa Canada" <grnewsca@sympatico.ca>

Athens News Agency Directory

ATHENS NEWS AGENCY BULLETIN (No. 918), June 22, 1996

Greek Press & Information Office

Ottawa, Canada

E-Mail Address: grnewsca@sympatico.ca

CONTENTS

[1] Turkish war planes fly over free areas in Cyprus; Athens won't follow provocations

The national defense ministry responded coolly yesterday to the latest violations of Cyprus airspace by Turkish war planes, saying Athens would not follow Ankara in carrying out "sensationalist acts".

According to ministry sources, two pairs of Turkish F-4 fighters yesterday morning violated Cyprus airspace and flew over the cease-fire line on the divided island.

The Turkish planes fired their guns in the Turkish-occupied northern part of the island, causing alarm among Cypriots in the free areas of the republic.

Cypriot Defense Minister Costas Eliades said the flights were part of the illegal Turkish military exercise, code-named "Toros". He said that in one case a the Turkish fighters crossed about 300 meters into the free areas of the republic.

A senior national defense ministry official in Athens said that Greece was "closely and discreetly" following developments but would not "follow Turkey in the sensationalist acts it is carrying out".

The official said the ministry did not at present consider it necessary to dispatch Greek fighter planes to Cyprus.

On Wednesday, National Defense Minister Gerassimos Arsenis said that Greece moved in accordance with its own programme, was monitoring developments and would act accordingly.

[2] Simitis goes on the offensive in Florence: Greece's national integrity is no less important than Britain's mad cow affair

Prime Minister Costas Simitis raised the issue of Turkish provocations against Greece on the first day of the European Union's half-yearly summit, stressing that the borders of a member-state were being threatened. Government spokesman Dimitris Reppas told reporters that Mr. Simitis had raised the issue after British Prime Minister John Major had put the "mad cow" problem to EU leaders.

"If Mr. Major considers the cow issue to be especially important for Britain, then all should understand just how important a problem of safeguarding national integrity is for a member-state," Mr. Simitis said.

The prime minister underlined that the security of a member-state's borders (i.e. Greece's) was being threatened by another country (Turkey) which aspired to become a full EU member.

According to informed sources, Greece would like the summit's text of conclusions to contain a reference to Turkey's behavior towards Greece.

In particular, if there is a reference in the text to solidarity with Britain over the mad cow problem, Greece will ask its EU partners to declare their solidarity with Athens on the issue of Greek-Turkish relations.

Noting that Britain had recently frozen a number of EU programmes, Mr. Simitis told his EU counterparts:

"You must understand the difficult position in which Greece may find itself due to your indifference and unwillingness to help resolve the problem of Greek-Turkish relations."

According to informed sources, Mr. Simitis's reference to British policy annoyed Mr. Major and Foreign Secretary Malcolm Rifkind who ostentatiously removed their headphones while the Greek premier was speaking.

Mr. Reppas said that Mr. Simitis had presented "clear and detailed information" to his counterparts concerning Greek-Turkish relations and had set out Greece's policy, stressing that "the problems cannot be solved by threats of force, by trying to create a climate of tension and crisis".

Mr. Simitis added that such a tactic not only undermined Greece but "might also undermine the course of the EU". He also left open the possibility of Greece adopting similar tactics to those being used by Britain with regard to the mad cow problem, namely blocking the completion or implementation of EU policies and programmes.

The Greek premier also underlined that due to Turkish provocativeness, Athens was forced to use enormous funds for its defense in order to maintain a deterrence capability, a fact which was undermining the country's economic development. According to Mr. Reppas, Mr. Simitis's intervention yesterday and his speech on Thursday on Greek-Turkish relations at a European Socialist Party (ESP) session had "created positive impressions and brought favorable reactions".

Meanwhile, Mr. Simitis today expressed support for the upgrading of the role of the European Parliament, and within this framework requested that the assembly be fully informed of the precise allocation of funds under the EU MEDA programme to enable it to block its implementation in countries which violate human rights.

Mr. Reppas expressed Greece's satisfaction over a European Parliament resolution making reference to certain Mediterranean countries "which do not desire relations of good-neighborliness with other member-states". "This reference," Mr. Reppas said, "is clearly directed to Turkey and Greece will exploit this position".

[3] Presidency pessimistic about MEDA

Foreign Under-secretary Pierro Fasino yesterday expressed his belief that Greece was not prepared to give an inch at Florence in the issue of ratifying the MEDA financial programme.

Speaking to a press gathering shortly after the beginning of the summit's sessions, Mr. Fasino said "the stance of the (Italian EU) Presidency on this issue is clear and we have repeatedly expressed our concern over the stance of the Greek government."

"We are trying to convince the Greeks to alter their stance without having, to date, succeeded, and I do not believe that something like this will happen during the EU summit in Florence," he said.

He said it was possible that something might change in the "immediate future.. in the next few weeks".

The issue of the MEDA programme will be brought up for review at the next Council of Foreign Ministers on July 15 in Brussels.

[4] Simitis: Turkey failing to normalize relations with Athens

Ankara has made no steps in the direction of normalization of relations with Greece, Prime Minister Costas Simitis told reporters, encapsulating the essence of his intervention during the European Council session yesterday.

"The European Union was created because everyone wanted peace in Europe, wished the abolition of nationalist explosions, and wanted to get away from the causes of war and conflicts," he said.

The Turkish stand, he continued, "brings us back to that era."

He called on Greece's partners to mobilize, and citing Yugoslavia as an example, said: "Not everything evolves as expected, there must be development of policies."

Mr. Simitis said there had been no reactions from his counterparts, but noted "general positive responses."

He referred to the issue of Greek-Turkish relations in the context of the common external and security policy. He said there had to be enrichment of aims, clarification of the rules of prevention dealing with conflict in the framework of the inter-governmental conference, application of the rules of international law, safeguarding the inviolability and indivisibility of borders as well as the basic principles of solidarity.

[5] President to address CoE Parliamentary Assembly on Tuesday

President of the Republic Kostis Stefanopoulos leaves for Strasbourg on Monday to address Tuesday's Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly.

[6] Second phase of WEU exercise scheduled for late June

The second phase of the map exercise "krisi DEE 95/96", part of Greece's participation in West European Union (WEU) activities, will start today.

The exercise will focus on processes for settling crises, such as securing the provision of humanitarian aid.

All full members and agencies of the WEU will participate in the second phase, due to last until June 28. The third phase of the exercise has been scheduled for the first half of December.

The first phase of the exercise was conducted last December.

[7] Parliament goes into summer recess

Parliament went into its summer recess yesterday following the signing of the declaration closing the Parliament's third session by President of the Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos.

Parliament's summer session will convene on July 9. There will be subsequent summer sessions for August and September. Parliament will convene for its fourth and final session on the first Monday in October, in accordance with the constitution.

[8] Commission agrees commercial relations with FYROM

Following four-month-long talks, the European Commission, acting on behalf of the Union, yesterday agreed on a commercial co-operation pact and a transit agreement with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM).

The two sides also agreed on the establishment of regular dialogue.

According to the commerce agreement, which is accompanied by a financial protocol, the European Investment Bank will participate in the financing of infrastructure projects in FYROM to the tune of 150 million ECU.

[9] Evert opens ND national conference by forecasting early elections

Main opposition New Democracy party leader Miltiades Evert predicted early elections and called on party cadres to mobilize so the party is prepared.

"The country needs a renewed and self-sufficient ND" Mr. Evert said yesterday, inaugurating his party's sixth National Conference, before adding that "there are battle positions for all. Exclusions cannot be allowed and desertions cannot be pardoned. All of us bear national responsibility toward the people and a personal responsibility toward our party".

Mr. Evert defined the party's ideological and political bearing and presented the priorities of its government programme in education, public administration, the national economy, agricultural development and in the sector of small and medium-size enterprises. He also reiterated his proposal for creation of a national foreign affairs and defense policy council.

"The government's continuous back-tracking has decreased the fighting spirit of the people; personal diplomacy, acrobatics and the lack of coordination maximize great dangers already existing", he added.

Mr. Evert said his party sought an improvement in relations with Turkey and set out preconditions for dialogue with the neighboring country, saying "on condition it was specific, based on international law and international agreements and should not harm our sovereign rights".

He said public life was being infected continuously with scandals and fraud, adding that politics would not be left in the hands of organized interests, pledging that "we will cut the bond between contractors and the mass media".

Mr. Evert said Greece needed a powerful, long-term and efficient government and added that "hard truths" should be said regardless of how much they hurt.

"If the mobilization of all constituted a party obligation to date, as of today it constitutes a national duty", he said.

Referring to his intra-party critics, Mr. Evert said there was no longer space for grumbling and introversion, as the time for battle had arrived.

He said ND was a party breaking barriers, which did not entrench itself and appealed to all "without dogmatism, fanaticism and exclusions".

ND Vice-President Ioannis Varvitsiotis criticized party dissidents, saying that "we have no political differences and therefore what is intra-party friction due to?" adding that "election victory is ours and we have no right to sacrifice it on the altar of personal ambitions which are outrageous one way or another".

Calling Prime Minister Costas Simitis "inadequate", Mr. Varvitsiotis said "the last ND government was clearly superior to all PASOK governments and, of course, the next should be better than the last".

[10] Mitsotakis statements

Honorary New Democracy party president C. Mitsotakis agreed with Mr. Evert's prediction that early elections are possible, stressing that "at this fluid and uncertain moment, it is certain that the great democratic liberal party is the only hope for this country".

Referring to internal party issues, he stressed that a necessary precondition was for the party to maintain its unity, invite back all those that distanced themselves in recent years and open up to voters of other parties, as was successfully done in 1989-90.

For there to be unity with enlargement, the party must function democratically ... securing to all participants the possibility of free expression, disagreement and criticism within the bounds of decency".

Concluding, the former prime minister said New Democracy must state the truth, trim the state and clash with interwoven interests.

"The flame we lit together for a different Greece remains alive in the hearts of millions of Greeks who followed us. This fire we must stoke again, to turn it into a burning wave that will sweep away inertia and indifference, passivity and self-seclusion, and give again life and meaning to politics and prospects to this country.

"We can win the election, but the difficulty is how to govern afterwards. The only way to achieve this is the truth, to say clearly that the Greek people will need to work more and harder than in the past and make smaller demands on the others and greater ones on themselves".

[11] Skandalidis optimistic upcoming PASOK congress will unify party

Ruling PASOK party secretary Costas Skandalidis expressed optimism "that the process and conclusion of the (PASOK) congress will be unifying", following yesterday's executive bureau meeting.

The executive bureau ratified a report on the activities of the central committee (due to convene today) to be presented at the congress.

Procedural issues for the upcoming congress were also discussed, while Mr. Skandalidis said an agenda had been prepared as well as issues to be put to vote.

Mr. Skandalidis said the central committee would ratify the report and proposals on political positions as well as the charter and main points of the agenda.

He added that he would meet party leader Andreas Papandreou in the next few days, possibly tomorrow, and would request a meeting with Prime Minister Costas Simitis.

Mr. Skandalidis declined any comment on reports that Mr. Simitis was seriously considering the possibility of opposing the initiation of the post of Vice-President.

Replying to a question, Mr. Skandalidis said the premier had not yet made any statement, adding that he himself was waiting to listen to Mr. Simitis, and take note of his views on these issues.

Mr. Skandalidis said many verbal proposals were made at the executive bureau meeting concerning the duties of the Vice-President as well as on who should head PASOK during the next elections.

[12] Briefing on archives of overseas Greeks given

A briefing on the Archives of Overseas Greeks (AAE) took place yesterday in Patra University. The AAE presentation was conducted by Washington University professor Andreas Dimarogonas, while a demonstration on how the archive operate was carried out by Patra University professor Thomas Hondros.

The overseas Greeks archives catalogue expatriate Greeks using linguistic processing of electronic telephone directories of countries in which ethnic Greeks live.

The archives began as a research project at the Patra University and later at Washington University in Saint Louis. On the occasion of the founding of the Council of Overseas Hellenism, the foreign ministry incorporated this activity into the council's aims.

[13] Balkan news agencies gather for second general assembly in Vouliagmeni

Athens News Agency (ANA) is hosting this weekend's second general assembly of the Association of Balkan News Agencies (ABNA), at the Asteras resort in the seaside suburb of Vouliagmeni.

Attending the conference will be the general directors of the following news agencies: Anadolu (Ankara) Mehmet Akarca; ATA (Tirana) Ilir Zhilla; BIP (Sofia) Stefan Velev, who is also ABNA secretary-general; BTA (Sofia) Milen Vaikov; MPA (Thessaloniki) Spyros Kouzinopoulos; MPB (Skopje) Milovan Stefanovski; Rompress (Bucharest) Neagu Odroiu; Tanjug (Belgrade) Slobodan Jovanovic, and ANA (Athens) Andreas Christodoulides, the current ABNA president.

The observers will also attend: Fevzi Kahraman, the general director of the Ankara-based independent IHA news agency and Ali Ibraimoglu, the IHA news coordinator.

At the general assembly a representative of the Bosnian news agency is also expected.

[14] Recession blamed for decrease in the number of European tourists

The latest decrease in the number of tourists visiting the country is expected this season, given that European countries which traditionally comprise Greece's largest tourist markets - Britain, France and Germany - are in the midst of an economic recession.

This was announced by the directors of the National tourism Organisation's (EOT) foreign branches during a conference held Thursday and yesterday in Athens.

Based of figures currently available through local EOT services and estimates by large tour operators, a drop in the number of visitors from Britain is expected to total 18 per cent, compared to a 5 per cent reduction in Turkey and a 21 per cent decrease in Cyprus.

Tourists from Germany are expected to fall by 10-20 per cent; from Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg and France by 7 per cent each, and from the Netherlands by 10 per cent.

However, the fall in bookings from Britain and Germany will probably be compensated by last minute bookings and special offers.

An increase in reservations has been noted from the United States (up 25-30 per cent), Canada (25 per cent), Italy (8-10 per cent), Japan (5 per cent), Russia (20 per cent), the Czech Republic (more than 10 per cent) as well as Israel (more than 5 per cent).

Meanwhile, EOT Secretary General Vasilis Kourtesis announced during the conference that the structure of EOT offices will be changed in 1997, with modern tourist marketing methods being used more effectively.

[15] Greek food month in Israeli supermarket chain a resounding success

The "Greek Foodstuffs Month" held in the major Israeli supermarket chain "Super Sol" was such a success that it was extended for a further two weeks, finally ending on June 15.

The event was part of the Greek Export Organisation's (OPE) efforts to facilitate the penetration of Greek products in the Israeli market. A total of 18 large Greek companies in the foodstuffs branch took part in the presentation at 120 supermarkets belonging to the Super Sol chain. Typical foods featured included olives, halvah, yogurt, feta cheese, canned fruit, vegetables and fish, biscuits, confectionery and traditional drinks such as ouzo and mastic brand. During the six-week presentation, Super Sol imported Greek foodstuffs worth approximately 4 million dollars. In the run up to the event, Super Sol launched a highly successful advertising campaign costing 600,000 dollars. Greek exports to Israel rose by 33 per cent in 1995 over 1994 and its is believed that there is considerable room for higher sales in the foodstuffs branch.

Following its enormous success, the venture is expected to be repeated in other Israeli chain stores.

End of English language section.