Greek P.M. genial about poll

Press, 29 May 1985, Page 10

Greek P.M. genial about poll

By

HENRY KAMM,

of “The New York Times” (through NZPA-Reuter) loannina, Greece

The Greek Prime Minister, Dr Andreas Papandreou, said yesterday that Greece’s relations with the United States and its European allies would enter “calmer seas” if his party wins a General Election on Sunday. Dr Papandreou, relaxing in his hotel suite at loannina, near the Albanian border between two rallies in a gruelling election campaign, said that he was confident his Socialist Party would win an absolute majority in the 300-member Parliament.

Less partial analysts say that the race against the New Democracy Party is

closer but tend to give an edge to the Socialists. Dr Papandreou said that lack of public interest in foreign relations, as evidenced by a campaign centred almost exclusively on domestic issues, showed that Greeks wanted, above all, “responsible handling” of foreign policy. “They don’t want adventures. Our allies can expect calmer seas, but on fundamental questions that require solution they will find our position remains unchanged.” Dr Papandreou did not specify the issues, but the tenor of the 45-minute interview suggested that he meant Greek objections to Western policies towards the Turkish-Greek dispute, which have sharply limited Greek participation in the

military activities of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. He agreed that the change between his victorious 1981 campaign, during which he put himself at odds with Greece’s allies by indicating that he would leave N.A.T.O. and the European Economic Community and expel American military bases, was deep. Greek membership in the two organisations is no longer put into question. Dr Papandreou refused to say whether the four big American bases, as well as smaller installations, would be closed at the end of 1988, when this becomes an option to be exercised by either party under the agreement they signed in 1983.

He referred to his public statements. The latest, the Socialist platform, set as a goal “removal of the U.S. bases, in accordance with the timetable of the agreement.” It contains no fixed timetable.

He said also that foreign investment, including that by multinational companies, was welcome in Greece and that he did not plan to “statify,” or nationalise, in the private sector. Emphasising non-doctri-naire economic pragmatism, he said that he planned no more than “indicative” central planning, similar to that practised in France even before the present Socialist Government. “The thing that transcends everything is productivity,” Dr Papandreou said. “It is very low.”