- Title: GREECE: GREEK TROOPS LEAVE FOR MACEDONIA.
- Date: 23rd August 2001
- Summary: (W5) NEAR SALONIKA, GREECE (AUGUST 23, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. SV: ANTI NATO PROTESTORS AT ALESTALOUCA MILITARY CAMP 0.05 2. MV: POLICE GUARDING ENTRANCE 0.08 3. GV/CU: PROTESTERS WRITING ON FENCE NATO MUST LEAVE THE BALKANS (2 SHOTS) 0.26 4. SV: ANTI NATO PROTESTERS HOLDING BANNERS OUTSIDE CAMP, CHANTING 'GREEK SOLDIERS SHOULD NOT GO OUTSIDE GREECE'S BORDERS' AND 'NO SOLDIERS TO YUGOSLAVIA. WE DON'T WANT TO FIGHT FOR THE UNITED STATES AND GERMANY' 0.34 (W5) ATHENS, GREECE (AUGUST 23, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 5. MV/MV/PAN: MACEDONIAN FOREIGN MINISTER ILINKA MITREVA AND GREEK FOREIGN MINISTER GEORGE PAPANDREOU SHAKING HANDS (2 SHOTS) 0.51 6. GV/MV: VARIOUS OF MEETING BETWEEN MITREVA AND PAPANDREOU (2 SHOTS) 0.59 7. GV/PAN/MV: MITREVA AND PAPANDREOU WALKING INTO NEWS CONFERENCE/ MEDIA (2 SHOTS) 1.15 8. CU: SOUNDBITE (Macedonian) MITREVA SAYING: "We expect that NATO and its troops collect the weapons from ethnic Albanian rebels. We think that this will create the conditions for our security forces to take control, something which will help refugees and people who have temporarily left their homes to return." 1.32 9. SV: REPORTERS 1.37 10. MCU: SOUNDBITE (Macedonian) MITREVA SAYING: "Finally I would like to say that we will give peace a chance in Macedonia, but in case there is a need to use violence, our country's forces will definitely defend every part of our territory."/ CUTAWAYS (3 SHOTS) 2.12 11. MV/CU: SOUNDBITE (Greek) PAPANDREOU SAYING: "We condemn any attempt of solving a problem with violence and particularly via terrorist acts and we back political solutions to any existing problems." (2 SHOTS) 2.41 12. CU/GV: MEDIA (2 SHOTS) 2.45 13. CU: SOUNDBITE (Greek) PAPANDREOU SAYING: "Greece is sending 400 troops to join the NATO mission. We call on everyone to help with the demilitarisation process and for the truce to be preserved." / CUTAWAY (3 SHOTS) 3.01 (W5) NEAR SALONIKA, GREECE (AUGUST 23, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 14. GV/CU/MV: SOLDIERS WITH GREEK FLAG AND PRIESTS HOLD ORTHODOX RELIGIOUS CEREMONY BLESSING TROOPS/ TROOPS LINED UP (3 SHOTS) 3.24 15. MV/GV: VARIOUS OF RELATIVES WATCHING CEREMONY (2 shots) 3.38 16. SV/CU/SV: CU SOLDIER'S INSIGNIA/ PRIESTS BLESS SOLDIERS WITH HOLY WATER/ PRIESTS BLESSES TANKS (3 SHOTS) 3.57 17. GV/MV: SOLDIERS PARADE AS RELATIVES APPLAUD (2 SHOTS) 4.13 18. MV/CU: SOLDIERS AT RECEPTION WITH THEIR FAMILIES/ LITTLE GIRL (2 SHOTS) 4.25 19. MCU: SOLDIER WITH HIS DAUGHTER 4.27 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 7th September 2001 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: NEAR SALONIKA, GREECE
- Country: Greece
- Reuters ID: LVA6TWMHOIDKJUI2V8MX38WCVEX6
- Story Text: Greek troops prepared themselves to join their British
and Dutch counterparts to take part in NATO's 'Operation
Essential Harvest' in Macedonia.
Greek troops on Thursday (August 23) were preparing to
leave for Macedonia.
They are to take part in NATO's "Operation Essential
Harvest".
411 Greek soldiers are due to take part in the mission.
Ten departed on Thursday. The rest will begin leaving early on
Friday (August 24).
The troops will take 140 vehicles with them to Macedonia.
Anti-NATO protesters demonstrated outside the military
camp Alestalouca, near Salonika.
The protestors were holding banners and painted anti- NATO
slogans on the fence of the military base.
As relatives came to say their last goodbyes to the
soldiers the protesters were chanting;
"Greek soldiers should not go outside Greece's borders"
and "No soldiers to Yugoslavia, we don't want to fight for the
United States and Germany".
In Athens Macedonian foreign minister Ilinka Mitreva and
her Greek counterpart met for meetings. After their meeting
Mitreva said in a news conference:
"We expect that NATO and its troops collect the weapons
from ethnic Albanian rebels. We think that this will create
the conditions for our security forces to take control,
something which will help refugees and people who have
temporarily left their homes to return."
She added about the peace process:
"Finally I would like to say that we will give peace a
chance in Macedonia, but in case there is a need to use
violence, our country's forces will definitely defend every
part of our territory."
Greek foreign minister George Papandreou said in the
conference:
"We condemn any attempt of solving a problem with violence
and particularly via terrorist acts and we back political
solutions to any existing problems."
Orthodox priests at the military base blessed the soldiers
and the vehicles they are taking with them.
Afterwards the soldiers paraded in front of their families
and had a chance to say goodbye.
British and Dutch troops already arrived in Macedonia for
the operation on Thursday.
NATO, which will deploy a total of 3,500 troops, gave the
green light for the mission on Wednesday (August 22). The
mission to Macedonia is expected to last just 30 days, but
Balkans experts have voiced doubt that it can get in and out
in such a short time.
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