Speaking at a briefing meeting with the presidency of the European Parliament's socialist group, he reviewed the situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Yugoslavia, the Balkans, targets of the Greek presidency, and developments in central and eastern Europe, Russia, the Middle East and South Africa. Being a Balkan country with its own sensitivities, Greece is well aware of the problems in the region, and is much closer to those problems than any other partner is. Mr. Papoulias said there was no secret contact with mediator Cyrus Vance. Alternate Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos also met with the presidency of the European Parliament's socialist group, providing a briefing on institutional reforms, enlargement and co-ordination between the European Union's Greek presidency and the European Parliament. Government spokesman Evangelos Venizelos yesterday replied to Skopjan President Kiro Gligorov's request for an urgent summit with Premier Andreas Papandreou, recalling.
Greek positions are well known.
What matters now is for Skopje to take same practical steps. The Political Committee of the European Union's Council of Foreign Ministers, will meet in Zappeion Hall on Monday and Tuesday next week. The Political Committee consists of the general directors of foreign ministries of the 12 member-states, who will prepare the agenda of the Council of Foreign Ministers. The socialist parliamentarians arrived in Athens for talks with government officials on the programme of the Greek presidency. The European Socialist agreed with the priorities set by the Greek presidency, particularly with the emphasis it had placed on combating unemployment, promoting the social dimension of Europe, implementing the White Paper and contributing to the institutional democratisation of the European Union, he said.