Thinks Ambassador of Greece to Ukraine Dimitris Contoumas
Interviewed by The Day's Larysa IVSHYNA and Oleksa
PIDLUTSKY
"Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Greece Dimitris Contoumas
has recently started his work in Ukraine. The Day became the first
representative of the Ukrainian mass media he visited. His Excellency noted
that The Day is the only Ukrainian publication resembling the serious
Greek newspapers he is accustomed to in his native country. And the discussion
turned out to be quite free of officialese.
"Your Excellency, what made Greece take a special stand with regard
to the Kosovo conflict, which is different from the position of most NATO
members?"
"Greece is the only EU country which is simultaneously a NATO and Balkan
country. Thus, on the one hand, we feel our belonging to the Western community,
and on the other hand, our historical relations with the Serbs, like with
other Balkan peoples, are measured not in centuries but in millennia. Most
Balkan peoples have the same faith, Orthodoxy. And every people, not only
the Balkan people, should carefully study its history so that to be able
to put right accents in the present. If on the other side of the Atlantic
people have a rather vague idea of where Kosovo exactly is, they cannot
picture what is actually going on there. Everybody thought the war was
far away, but in fact it is at our door. Greece has found itself in a predicament.
Naturally, we disapprove, one hundred percent, of what Milosevic is doing
in Kosovo. But we cannot agree with how this problem is being solved.
"We are being told that there are 'smart' bombs which are different
from the usual stupid bombs. But we will never agree that besides bad bombs
there are also good ones. Children's smiles and tears are the same everywhere.
Bad children just do not exist. And we very much hope that this war will
soon be over.
"Greece takes the Kosovo crisis very hard: serious damage has been done
to tourism, exports, and the very atmosphere in society has been poisoned.
But the most concerns are caused by the environmental impact of the war:
so-called smart bombs employ uranium elements which make it possible for
them to hit targets deep in the earth. And those uranium particles remain
in the air and water, and the rivers flowing to the south, like the Vardar,
bring them into northern Greece. In addition, there is the old Kozlody
nuclear power plant in Bulgaria which has Chornobyl-type reactors. It is
difficult even to imagine what will happen if such a 'smart' bomb accidentally
hit this facility.
"Of late, our Parliament discussed this issue. And all - the Communists,
the Right, the Left - unanimously stood up against the policy now pursued
with regard to Yugoslavia. We continuously have demonstrations and protest
rallies. For instance, a journalists' protest held recently has condemned
the bombardment of the television center in Belgrade, when civilians and
journalists were killed. Their CNN colleagues had vanished from there in
advance - they knew about the bombardment but did not warn other journalists.
Greece has a special psychological mood: all people are unanimous in advocating
peace."
"The NATO Charter stipulates that all major decisions shall be made
in consensus. Hence, Greece in principle could have blocked the decision
to bomb Yugoslavia, just as Russia vetoed a UN Security Council on using
force against Milosevic. But in your case this never happened. Moreover,
a recent NATO summit in Washington adopted a very tough declaration on
Kosovo in the spirit of 'war until victory.' And it was signed by the heads
of state and governments of all NATO members, including Greece. Is there
any contradiction here with what you have just said?"
"Greece is a small country and I do not think we could effectively prevent
the beginning of the bombing. Greek recognize the fact that its security
was assured by NATO since 1950. Our country had quite often addressed NATO
with regard to its relations with Turkey. Incidentally, July 20, 1974,
when the Turks invaded Cyprus, the NATO General Secretary Mr. Joseph Luns
was on vacation. In addition, you should not forget that Milosevic had
done a lot of things he should not have in any case.
At the same time, Greece is the only member (besides Portugal) of the
Alliance, which is not taking part in the NATO military operation against
Yugoslavia. We have stated that Greece will work actively in this field,
but only after a peaceful settlement [of the crisis]. And NATO has recognized
this specific position of Greece and taken it into consideration. But we
do allow the transit of arms and military units of our NATO allies from
the Greek port of Thessaloniki to the Former Yugoslavian Republic of
Macedonia, where NATO troops are stationed. However, not long ago a NATO
truck convoy, instead of the highway leading to Skopie, found itself in
the vegetable market in Thessaloniki, for some Greeks had changed the road
signs."
"Well, that was real sabotage..."
"To a certain extent, yes, if you like the word. But sabotage with a
smile. Two weeks ago Greece proposed its own peace plan and submitted it
to the EU and NATO."
"World information agencies have virtually overlooked your proposals."
"Our plan stresses that all military actions in Kosovo by both parties
should be stopped immediately without any preliminary conditions. And this
should have been done not even yesterday, but the day before yesterday.
This should be followed by a comprehensive settlement [of the crisis],
employing only diplomatic means. Also, our plan puts much stress on the
mechanism of rehabilitating the facilities ruined in the war, and possible
ways of humanitarian aid. Incidentally, we provide it even today. The only
non-government organization now giving humanitarian aid in Pristina is
a team of Greek doctors. They offer help both to Serbs and Albanians regardless
of the victims' ethnic origin."
"Recently we published the views of European intellectuals concerning
the crisis in Yugoslavia. Most of them simply expressed joy that they live
in NATO member countries and thus cannot be subject to bombardment. What
is happening to Europe, its elite?"
"I think we live in a time, which can be called the time of "Blue jeans,
Coca Cola, and CNN". Personally, I do not object to these three things,
for I also use them. But let them be left to those who invented them. Because
the history of mankind is not constant. Greece, just like Ukraine, is a
country with a very long history. It is a country based on traditions.
And because of that our countries cannot live according to the rhythm and
models of other countries. The culture of a country, the culture of its
relationships must progress. I am in no way anti-American, at least because
for ten years I went to an American school. In Greece, of course. But I
think the historical wealth that our countries, Ukraine and Greece, possess
is something very few other countries in the world have.
"Do you think some European leaders belonging to the postwar generation
treat the issues of war and peace rather thoughtlessly?"
"Well-known German General Klaus Naumann - Head of the Military Committee
in NATO said in Brussels that we had made a serious mistake, expecting
that Milosevic would surrender within a few days. And I am very surprised
that the Europeans, and especially the Germans, who have always persistently
maintained their position, advocating the right of Europe to a European
life, could so easily be misled. This could not have occurred when such
titans as Helmut Kohl and Francois Mitterrand held power in their countries.
One might get the impression that the new leaders did not properly read
the history of World War II, at least the part dealing with partisans'
movements in occupied Europe. This is the main source of danger, that of
universal unity, of false unity."
"Once they used to say that each generation must have its war. Can
we now say that each generation must have its own Balkan war?"
"Three new members have joined NATO, the euro has been introduced, and
almost simultaneously military action in Yugoslavia began. It is not mere
coincidence. This action was supposed to take place. If it had not occurred
in the Balkans, then it would have somewhere else, for instance, in Liechtenstein."







