Grecia protesta ante Macedonia por una imagen insultante de la bandera griega

La embajadora griega en Macedonia ha presentado una protesta formal ante el gobierno de este país por la presencia en la capital, Skopje, de unos carteles anunciadores de una exposición en los que se muestra la bandera griega con la cruz transformada en una svástica.

Demarche over flag insult

Greece's ambassador to the FYROM, as expected formally lodged a demarche with the government here on Sunday evening in protest of several billboard ads appearing on Skopje's streets that insulted the Greek national symbol

Amb. Alexandra Papadopoulou also demanded that the ads be immediately removed, following instructions by the Greek foreign ministry earlier on Sunday.

The demarche emphasised that Greece's struggle against fascism and Nazism during WWII was not disputed by anyone, warning that such actions posed an obstacle to the advancement and development of good-neighbour relations in the region.

There has been no reaction over the billboard ads by the FYROM government, which depicted the blue Cross morphed into a Swastika.

"This unacceptable poster, which was circulated via a private initiative and put up on Skopje's streets, directly insults our country's national symbol and our struggle against fascism and Nazism," a foreign ministry spokesman tersely said on Sunday afternoon in response to a press question.

The posters ostensibly promoted a photography and graphic arts exhibition set to open at the Skopje cultural and informational centre, which is under the aegis of the municipality of Skopje.

The ads were also condemned by the FYROM pro-government newspaper "Vecer", which printed the desecrated Greek flag on its front page under the banner headline "Shame", warning that the posters had exceeded all moral boundaries and incited ethnic and religious hatred.

ANA/MPA