Greece Closely Watching Developments in YugoslaviaGreece is closely watching the developments in Yugoslavia following both President Slobodan Milosevic and opposition candidate Vojislav Kostunica failed to obtain a majority of the votes required in the first round of the presidential elections."We are watching closely and with particular attention post-election developments in Yugoslavia," Foreign Ministry spokesman Panayotis Beglitis said Friday. Greece's sensitivity on democratic developments in Yugoslavia was known, as well as the initiatives Greece had undertaken in this direction, the spokesman said, adding that Athens was ready to undertake again similar initiatives in cooperation with all the interested parties in that country, with their European partners and the international community. Yugoslavia's Federal Electoral Commission announced that the second round of presidential elections would take place on October 8, but Kostunica has refused to enter the presidential run-off because he insists that he has gained more than 50 percent of the votes. Rejecting Greece's appeal for him to participate in the second round of presidential elections, Kostunica Friday called on Athens to contribute its efforts to secure a recount of last Sunday's ballots. |
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