From: "G.R." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Athens warns of 'Euro-force' veto if sovereign rights infringed HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --------------------------- At 0:50 -0500 12/15/01, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: >[01] Athens warns of 'Euro-force' veto if sovereign rights infringed > >Athens, 14/12/2001 (ANA) > >Athens stressed on Thursday that it would reject any agreement over a >proposed 'Euro-force' if the European Union's position doesn't consolidate >the country's sovereign rights at this weekend's EU Laeken summit. > >'If the text satisfies us, we will vote for it," Greek Foreign Minister >George Papandreou told members of Parliament's foreign affairs and defense >committee on Thursday morning, shortly before he was to depart for Belgium >to join Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis. > >Arriving in Brussels, Simitis was due to discuss European defense issues on >Thursday with his Belgian counterpart Guy Verhofstadt, the current head of >the European Council. > >According to sources, Papandreou would also be present at the meeting, >along with his Belgian counterpart Louis Michel, NATO Secretary General >Lord George Robertson and EU High Commissioner for Defense and Foreign >Policy Javier Solana. > >In Athens, meanwhile, Papandreou told Greek deputies that even if Greece >did resort to a veto, 'this does not mean that discussions would not >continue'. > >Papandreou spoke before a Greek Parliament committee where nearly all of >the ruling PASOK party's deputies rejected a recent high-profile US-British >compromise deal with Turkey as "unacceptable'. > >In fact, 30 PASOK deputies declared in a written statement that they backed >the government's position of using a veto in the event of an 'arrangement' >that "nullifies the autonomous entity of Euro-defense and contravenes the >decision of the Nice summit". > >Communist Party of Greece (KKE) deputy Orestis Kolozov endorsed the veto >idea, while Coalition of the Left and Progress (Synaspismos) deputy Maria >Damanaki said that displays of "bravado", such as use of the veto, were not >helpful. > >Karamanlis: On his part, main opposition ND leader Costas Karamanlis took >the Greek campaign on the "Euro-force" issue to the European People's Party >(EPP) fold during the political grouping's summit in Brussels, as he tabled >the matter in an off-the-agenda discussion. > >The ND emphasized that "certain circles" are attempting to include Turkey >in the "Euro-force's decision-making process ... a country (Turkey) that is >not part of the European Union." > >"What kind of Euro-army would this be if it couldn't operate in the Aegean >and Cyprus if necessary; one that would leave Greece, an EU member-state, >exposed?" he asked. > >"Don't those espousing these views remember or know that Greece is a >country under threat? These are unacceptable things; I consider that it is >not only inconceivable for us to accept this, but even to compromise." > >Finally, he said it was the Greek premier's duty to categorically reject >any such notion. > >When EPP President Wilfried Martens reportedly asked Karamanlis during the >session whether both the government and main opposition in Greece shared >the same viewpoint on the "Euro-force" issue, Karamanlis replied that it >was a "common Greek position", sources said. > >Gov't spokesman: In later statements, the government spokesman reiterated >that Athens wasn't ruling out the possibility of amending or supplementing >the recently unveiled US-British formula to allay Turkish disagreements >over the establishment of a "Euro-force" by European Union member-states. >Such a force would have close ties to NATO, of which Turkey is a member. > >According to spokesman Telemachos Chytiris, if the changes requested by >Athens are not made then the issue will be delayed. > >PASOK deputies' text: The statement released by the 30 PASOK party deputies >reads: > >"We, the undersigned deputies, feel the need and obligation to express our >deepest concerns over what is presented as an 'unofficial' >English-US-Turkish agreement, which not only ex-cludes Greece and Cyprus >from the common defense system - of which we will contribute approximately >10 percent - but also does not safeguard our country from the possibility >of a Turkish military action. We consider it imperative that clear, >specific and binding answers be given to (Parliament's) foreign affairs >committee, and for us to express our own views and positions". > >The deputies' text also lists four of positions: >- -- It must be made clear to our partners that the proposed arrangement >abrogates the autonomous entity of a Euro-defense and contravenes the Nice >summit agreement. For us, whatever form of exclusion of Greece and Cyprus >from the Euro-defense will cancel out one of the two primary reasons for >our participation in the European structure, namely, the economy and >defense. >- -- We back the (Greek) government's position to veto any such arrangement. >- -- Rejection of this 'agreement' must be unequivocal without any vagueness >and differing wording that would result in pretexts for a new round of >friction and a further exacerbation of Greek-Turkish relations. >- -- The entire spectrum of Greek-Turkish relations must be re-examined, >taking into account the fact that Turkey is escalating its irrational >demands, and with its claims for our exclusion from the Euro-defense it >(Turkey) essentially raises the right of an armed intervention against our >country". --------------- >Athens, 14/12/2001 (ANA) > >The government announced on Thursday that it would build 17 prisons and >correctional facilities by 2006, along with three new drug rehabilitation >centers. > >Justice Minister Philippos Petsalnikos made the announcement to reporters, >while saying that the new penitentiaries will be able to house another >4,760 inmates. > >The budget for new prisons was placed at 110.5 billion drachmas, 21 billion >for the three new drug rehab centers. > >Petsalnikos said 8,633 people are currently incarcerated in Greek >correctional facilities, of which 3,936 are foreign nationals, including >2,002 Albanian citizens. > >Additionally, out of the total prison population, 3,578 people are serving >time for felony drug convictions, he said. _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. 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