[ALBSA-Info] Greece Says Willing to Mediate in Yugoslavia/Russia, Greece Offer to Mediate in Yugoslavia

[Gazhebo at aol.com]

1. Greece Says Willing to Mediate in Yugoslavia

ATHENS, Sept 30 (Reuters) - Greece said on Saturday it was willing to help 
broker a solution to the political crisis in Yugoslavia and would send 
observers to recount votes from last week's election if asked. 

``We are ready to take any necessary initiative in close cooperation with all 
parties concerned in Yugoslavia and also with our (European Union) 
partners,'' said Greek foreign ministry spokesman Panos Beglitis. 

The Yugoslav opposition has already called on friendly nations, particularly 
Greece, to persuade President Slobodan Milosevic to agree to an impartial 
recount of Sunday's presidential poll. 

Opposition leader Vojislav Kostunica won last week but official tallies gave 
him less than the 50 percent needed for an outright victory. Kostunica says 
the count was a fraud and has refused to take part in a second round of 
voting on October 8. 

Kostunica has already rejected a call by Greek Foreign Minister George 
Papandreou to consider taking part in the second round, which the opposition 
says would legitimise first round frauds and allow Milosevic the chance to 
steal victory. 

Papandreou returned from Sydney on Saturday morning and was due to call 
Hubert Vedrine, foreign minister of France, which currently holds the 
rotating presidency of the EU. 

However, Beglitis said Greece had not yet formally responded to the call from 
Kostunica to dispatch vote counters, a move that Milosevic appears unlikely 
to agree to. 

Greece has long had close ties to fellow Orthodox Serbs, but in recent years 
has distanced itself from Milosevic's government and has sought to promote 
democracy in the Balkans. 

Kostunica has also called on Russia to pressure Milosevic to go, dropping the 
neutral stance it has adopted since the vote. Western countries have backed 
the opposition's version of events and have called on Milosevic to give up 
power. 

On Saturday Russian President Vladimir Putin said he was prepared to dispatch 
Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov to Belgrade to meet ``participants in 
Yugoslavia's political process.'' 

Milosevic would suffer a major blow if the Kremlin were to withdraw its 
support. 

******

2. Russia, Greece Offer to Mediate in Yugoslavia

By Fredrik Dahl

BELGRADE, Sept 30 (Reuters) - Russia and Greece, traditional allies of the 
Serbs, offered on Saturday to help resolve the political standoff between the 
Yugoslav opposition and President Slobodan Milosevic. 

But it was not clear how foreign mediation would break the impasse over the 
results of last week's presidential election, which the opposition says are 
fraudulent and should be recounted under international supervision. 

Weekend rallies are planned as the opposition continues to try to force 
Milosevic to recognise that its leader, Vojislav Kostunica, secured outright 
victory last Sunday. 

Official results said Kostunica won, but with less than the 50 percent needed 
for an immediate triumph, forcing a runoff vote on October 8 that the 
opposition has pledged to boycott. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin said he was ready to send Foreign Minister 
Igor Ivanov to Belgrade for consultations with both sides, but only if the 
Milosevic government accepts. 

``If Belgrade agrees, we are prepared for even more active participation in 
the process of resolution and the process of agreeing positions,'' Putin said 
in brief televised excerpts of comments to Russian journalists. 

Greece made a similar offer of mediation and said it was willing to send 
observers to monitor a new vote count, a prospect Milosevic is unlikely to 
agree to. 

``We are ready to take any necessary initiative in close cooperation with all 
parties concerned in Yugoslavia and also with our (European Union) 
partners,'' said Greek foreign ministry spokesman Panos Beglitis. 

In Belgrade Milosevic started his second round election campaign, appearing 
at a Yugoslav army ceremony in Belgrade to praise the military for resisting 
NATO ``aggression'' during last year's bombing campaign to force Serb troops 
out of Kosovo. 

A ROLE FOR MOSCOW 

The Yugoslav opposition has been actively courting Moscow, which so far has 
taken a neutral stance towards the election, unlike the West, which backs 
Kostunica's claim to outright victory and has urged Milosevic to quit power. 

Opposition leaders have sent their version of the vote count to Moscow to try 
to convince the Kremlin to condemn Milosevic, a move that would inflict 
serious damage on his authority. They have also reached out to Greece for 
help. 

``It is obvious that we have reached a situation in which some sort of 
arbitration, in the sense of expertise, is needed,'' the head of the 
opposition Democratic Party, Zoran Djindjic, told Reuters by telephone in 
Belgrade. 

U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright welcomed Russia's offer and said 
she would soon speak to Ivanov. 

``I think that the Russians need to make clear also that they understand that 
this has been a procedure in which the opposition has won,'' she said during 
a visit to Iceland. 

But Russia still appeared reluctant to take sides in the dispute, with Putin 
saying the Yugoslav people should determine their fate without interference. 

Western diplomats said the Russian move had been expected. 

``They have indicated that they were going to take an initiative, to play a 
role,'' the envoy said. A solution that allows Milosevic to give up the 
Presidency but take some other role was being considered, he said. 

``It is a risky political game for the Russians,'' he added, ``but if anyone 
is to succeed, it is them.'' 

The diplomat said Kostunica had spoken to Ivanov on Friday, and Kostunica was 
in favour of a Russian role. ``I don't think they are on anybody's side,'' he 
added. 

Fellow Orthodox Greece has distanced itself from Milosevic in recent years, 
opening lines of communication to the opposition and campaigning for 
democracy in the Balkans. 

Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou telephoned Kostunica this week to 
advise him to consider taking part in the second round, a call that was 
rejected. 

He was later due to consult Hubert Vedrine, foreign minister of France, 
current holder of the rotating presidency of the EU. 

BELGRADE RALLY 

A large rally is planned for Belgrade on Saturday evening, as the opposition 
tries to gather momentum behind its call for a widespread campaign of 
boycotts, strikes and protests. 

Around 20,000 people gathered in the capital on Friday afternoon, well down 
on the 100,000 one opposition leader had said were needed to properly kick 
off the campaign, and on the 200,000 who rallied in Belgrade on Wednesday 
evening. 

Milosevic's tight grip on the media, particularly in the capital, was slowing 
the opposition's message, with most Serbs relying on word of mouth to spread 
news of the campaign. 

But in a relatively strong start to the non-violent campaign, students walked 
out of schools in a string of towns run by the opposition, taxi drivers 
blocked traffic, workers at several companies went on strike and cinemas and 
theatres closed in the capital Belgrade and elsewhere. 

The opposition has called an initial five days of protests, but more could 
follow as Milosevic and his backers have made it clear they will defy 
pressure to cede power after 13 turbulent years marked by wars, isolation and 
economic decay. 

Most attention is focused on Monday, when the opposition will try to bring 
Serbia to a standstill at the start of the working week.