[ALBSA-Info] Greece – Solidarity with Skopje

[Gazhebo at aol.com]

Solidarity with Skopje
Papandreou heralds joint NATO-US initiative to protect FYROM's borders

Foreign Minister George Papandreou expressed Greece's full support for the 
Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia in the face of Albanian rebel attacks, 
during meetings with government officials in Skopje yesterday.

Meanwhile, FYROM President Boris Trajkovski vowed to drive out Albanian 
rebels fighting his troops near the mountain village of Tanusevci, on the 
northern borders of Greece's tiny neighbor, where three government soldiers 
were killed on Sunday.

"We will not negotiate with terrorist, militarist elements who spread racial 
and ethnic hatred," Trajkovski told Parliament in Skopje. "No inch of 
Macedonian territory will be ceded."

Across the frontier in Kosovo, members of the international KFOR peacekeeping 
force arrested six suspected Albanian rebels, one of whom had apparently been 
spying on KFOR positions.

Papandreou conveyed to FYROM Prime Minister Ljubco Georgievski a message from 
PM Costas Simitis, who expressed regret at the "terrorist" killings of the 
three soldiers.

"Greece considers the sovereignty and territorial integrity of FYROM to be 
essential for regional stability, and unreservedly condemns all acts of 
violence that aim to destabilize the region," Simitis's message read.

"The Greek government is working closely with its NATO and European Union 
partners. It calls on the international community to urgently take suitable 
and specific measures in order to avoid a further escalation of the 
situation," the PM added.

Georgievski expressed gratitude to the Greek government for its support, 
adding that Skopje would be pleased if Greek troops were among the 
international forces FYROM wants to police a buffer zone in southern Kosovo, 
from where the rebels are believed to be operating.

Asked whether additional troops would be deployed in such a buffer zone, 
Papandreou said: "It is too early to discuss such measures. We have troops in 
Kosovo at the moment. You can count on help from Greece at any time."

During his meeting with Georgievski, Papandreou heralded an impending joint 
NATO and US initiative intended to provide immediate support to Skopje and 
protect its borders with Kosovo.

"It will send a message to those who believe that they can play with violence 
and stability in the region," he said. But Papandreou, who discussed the 
matter with a series of international officials before flying to Skopje, did 
not divulge the content of the initiative to journalists.

While in the FYROM capital, he also met local Albanian leader Merdoc Thaci. 
Papandreou told journalists that he was encouraged by the fact that the 
Albanian leadership had condemned the activities of their armed fellow 
Albanians.