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Anti-albanian
and xenophobic manifestations are harmful
05.03.2007
The Albanian Helsinki Committee,
the Albanian Human Rights Center, the Center for
Civic Legal Initiatives, and the Albanian Human
Rights Group (hereafter referred to as the
signatory organizations), by means of this
public declaration, react with profound
indignation and publicly denounce recent
anti-Albanian, nationalistic, and xenophobic
manifestations by Greek soldiers who, during
training, sang songs that incite hatred toward a
neighboring country such as Albania.
According to our organizations,
such acts have seriously offended Albanians
everywhere, including our emigrants living in
Greece who are gradually integrating into the
Greek democratic society.
The signatory organizations
consider it necessary to highlight the fact that
such phenomena, while separate, are recurring.
If allowed, they harm the good relations between
the two countries.
Our organizations consider such
behavior not only punishable, but also very
disturbing. We take not of the fact that they
take place in a very important sector such as
the army and not just specific persons or
segments that are relatively uncontrollable. It
is intolerable that organized and commanded
groups of a NATO member army feature such
outbursts of hatred toward the Albanians, a
country aspiring integration into Euro-Atlantic
structures.
It is precisely this reason why
our organizations call upon the Albanian
Government to not only demand explanations from
the relevant Greek authorities, but also
guarantees that such cases will not be repeated
in the future.
We have confidence that the Greek
Government will condemn such manifestations. On
the other hand, we not with satisfaction the
correct positioning of part of the democratic
Greek press, which, like in the past, in this
case too, has positioned itself correctly toward
such manifestations.
We also have the conviction that
counterpart human rights organizations in
Greece, through their reactions, will contribute
to the further strengthening of friendship and
cooperation between our two nations.
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