Discords between Greece and Skopje have not a territorial, but a political character

The Greek embassy reaction to the interview with Sergei Baburin
You have once published the interview with Sergei Baburin, chairman of People’s Will national revival party, who said about political problems of the Balkans and in particular stated that “Greeks say that Macedonia is a part of Greece. Till 1991, Macedonia was one of Yugoslav republics.”

I ask you to inform your readers that this view is false. Neither Greece nor a Greek politicians stated that Macedonia, a part of former Yugoslavia, is a part of Greece. Greece has never pretended to Yugoslav territory.

Greece has always stated and states now that Skopje has no right to take for its own Greece history and to call its country Macedonia and their people – Macedonians. Discords between Greece and Skopje have not a territorial, but a political character.

Slavs, Albanians, and Wallachs, who live in this republic have no connection to Alexander the Great, King of Macedonia, and to his kingdom, while the Skopje choice of national name has always caused a false opinion that our country has territorial claims to Macedonia.

I understand that Mr Baburin who wants to make impression of “an expert on the region” does not have a clear idea about this issue. Though, I would like to ask you to publish my letter not to mislead visitors of your site.

Spiridon Khatzaras, Press Adviser of Greek Embassy to Russia

Translated by Vera Solovieva

Read the original in Russian: http://www.pravda.ru/main/2002/08/13/45632.html