Greek Church calls for partition of Macedonia and Bulgaria

Wednesday, 7.11.2007 Macedonia

Skopje/Washington /07/11/ 13:18

Greek Orthodox Church undermines the good neighborly relations between Greece and Macedonia with stunningly naive and irresponsible calls for shifting of borders in the Balkan.

The United Macedonian Diaspora (UMD) condemns the recent statement made by Metropolitan Bishop Anthimos of the Greek Orthodox Diocese of Thessaloniki, calling for the “return” of portions of geographic Macedonia to Greece.

In the statement, Bishop Anthimos alludes to the territory of the Republic of Macedonia as well as parts of geographic Macedonia in Bulgaria.

"The Metropolitan’s comment are troubling not only to the Republic of Macedonia but, also, to Bulgaria, as the Republic of Macedonia, Greece, and Bulgaria each hold only a portion of geographic Macedonia.""

A call for the partition of at least two other Balkan states by a major Greek Orthodox Church leader is simply unacceptable and certainly does not advance the “good and neighborly” relations that Greece claims that it wants with the Republic of Macedonia," UMD said.

"Most remarkably and ironically, the Metropolitan’s statement comes at a time when Greece has been increasing the pitch of its unfounded and politically motivated claims of “irredentist propaganda” by Macedonia against Greece arising out of the so-called “name dispute” between the two nations. His statement is stunningly naive and irresponsible," UMD said.

During the world conference on inter-religious dialogue, held in Ohrid recently, the participants prayed for good health of Greek Archbishop Hristopoulos, who is in hospital in the US. The prayer was initiated by Macedonian Foreign Minister Antonio Miloshoski.

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