Slobodan, Vuk, Radovan

While awaiting Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic, who is to arrive on an unofficial visit to Greece, official Athens is quite openly revising its positions regarding Belgrade and Serbian leaders.

``According to reliable information,'' Athens knows that Milosevic will spend September 4-5 on Corfu, attend the official opening of the Serbian Museum and visit the cemetery on Vitus, but the Athenian part of the programme only says it is ``very probable'' that he will meet ``senior government officials'' despite the unofficial character of his visit.

Serbian opposition leader Vuk Draskovic was at the same time received by Greek Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis, while Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic has been informed that his visit to the Greek island of Zakinthos was unwelcome. Draskovic's private visit to Greece began two weeks ago and unconfirmed sources say that the expenses of his recovery (from injuries sustained after Belgrade demonstrations June 1) on the island of Limnos have been paid by the Greek Foreign Ministry. The details of his ``incognito'' visit were revealed last week-end by no other than the Greek state TV, which first announced and, a day later, carried a ten-minute interview with the ``leader of the united opposition of Belgrade Serbs'' in its prime time, right after the evening news. ``Milosevic's state TV openly qualified Prime Minister Mitsotakis as the enemy of the Serbs,'' Draskovic told the Greek public. ``However, I have to underline: that is not the opinion of the Serbian people at all. Mr. Mitsotakis is a friend of all Serbs, not only of Mr. Milosevic,'' he said.

``My political aim will be achieved when a democratic Serbia is established,'' which must, as soon as possible, ``build a common state roof for all the republics of the former Yugoslavia, except Slovenia and Croatia--at the moment.'' All problems, ``above all those of Moslems, of Serbian heritage and of Albanians in Kosovo, must be resolved through a democratic dialogue, not through war,'' Draskovic said in his interview.

Two days later, in Athens, ``Prime Minister Constantine Mitsotakis received Serbian opposition leader Vuk Draskovic (...) to discuss developments in the Balkans and Greco-Serbian relations,'' the semi-official Athenian news agency reported. Draskovic expressed reservations about the proposed division of Bosnia into three mini national states because this ``could open doors to confederation of Serbia.'' He is also against the setting up of a Moslem state ``in the heart of the Serbian nation, since they (Moslems) are of Serbian descent and belong to our political sphere; I believe that the setting up of a Moslem state would isolate them from their roots,'' he continued.

Meanwhile, Radovan Karadzic was invited to visit Greece, become a citizen of honour of Zakinthos and take part in the festivities on St. Dionysius Day. After the Greek Embassy in Belgrade had on several occasions informed him that it had been receiving messages threatening his life and the security of the island, Karadzic told the island Mayor: ``I am postponing the visit, but I am of the impression that some people do not want me to visit Greece and are spreading false information.''

At the same time, Athens announced that it was prepared to take on 500 children from Bosnia ``of whatever religion and nationality'' for hospital treatment, while another 17 countries together offered to treat merely 1250 children. This is significant headway, since not only official Greece, but the local Red Cross as well, have so far mostly been discreetly absent from humanitarian actions, leaving them to church channels and private initiative.