Serbian-Greek friendship

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Greek-Serbia relations

Greece	Serbia

Serbian-Greek friendship (also Serbo-Greek friendship or Greco-Serbian friendship; Greek: Ελληνοσερβική φιλία, Ellinoserviki Filia, Serbian: Српско-Грчко Пријатељство, Srpsko-Grčko prijateljstvo) has traditionally been strong due to cultural and historical factors and has played an important role in bilateral relations between the two nations, especially during the wars of the 1990s.

According to RTS (Serbian State TV) "more than 50% of Serbs" view Greece as a friendly country,^[1] making it the highest ranked country in a list of countries that Serbs regard as friendly. According to a poll from the pro-Western tabloid Blic, 16% of Serbian citizens view Greece as a friendly country while only 9% view Russia - a fellow Orthodox Slavic country - as a friendly country.^[2] Due to the lack of similar polls by the Greek media it is unknown exactly how many Greeks view Serbia as a friendly country but during the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia polls revealed that 98% of the Greek population (which coincides with the ethnic Greek population) were completely opposed to the bombing.

Contents 1 Cultural 1.1 Orthodoxy 1.2 Byzantine Heritage 1.3 Organizations 2 Historical 2.1 Balkan wars 2.2 World War I 2.3 World War 2 2.4 Yugoslav wars 2.5 Assistance to Bosnian Serbs 2.6 Nato bombing of Serbia 2.7 Friendship during other Wars 2.8 Republic of Serbian Krajina Government in Exile 3 Other Factors 3.1 Greeks in Serbia 3.2 Serbs in Greece 3.3 Humanitarianism 3.3.1 Aid to Serbs from Serbia Proper 3.3.2 Aid to Bosnian Serbs 3.3.3 Aid to Krajina Serbs 3.3.4 Miscellaneous Aid 3.4 Greek forest fires in 2007 4 Bilateral Relations 4.1 State 4.2 Church 5 Confederation 6 References 7 External links

[edit] Cultural

[edit] Orthodoxy

The strong Orthodox Christian presence in both Serbia and Greece, has since the wars for independence, played a strong hand in providing a common goal for the two nations and a sense of unity among nationalists from both countries. Most notably with the Hilandar monastery in Mount Athos.

[edit] Byzantine Heritage

Another important aspect of Serbian-Greek friendship is the common cultural heritage that the two nations have inherited from the Byzantine Empire. The Serbs were greatly influenced by the Hellenic culture of the Byzantine Empire, particularly under the reign of Serbian emperor Stefan Dušan. Dušan, who had himself crowned as "Emperor of Serbs and Greeks," made both Serbian and Greek the official languages of his empire, wrote charters and signed in Greek, and adopted Eastern Roman law as the foundations of his empire.^[3] The expansion of his Serbian Empire into Greek lands and his attempts to capture Constantinople were not so much in order to subjugate the Greek Empire but rather to fashion a Serbian-Greek Empire through a synthesis of the two. Dušan, therefore, "took pains to woo the Greek inhabitants of those provinces [that he had acquired in Macedonia and northern Greece]. His code of law, or Zakonik, proclaimed the equality of Greeks and Serbs in all his dominions and confirmed the privileges bestowed on Greek cities by Byzantine Emperors of the past whom Dusan was pleased to regard as his imperial predecessors. His administrators were adorned with the Byzantine titles of Despot, Caesar and sebastokrator and his court was a model of that in Constantinople. He minted a silver coinage in the Byzantine style; and churches and monasteries in the Slav as well as the Greek provinces of his Empire were decorated by artists of the best Byzantine school."^[4] Acknowledging this cultural heritage, former vice-president of Republika Srpska, Dragan Dragic, stated that Serbs' roots stem from Hellenic civilization and that the two peoples are united through Orthodoxy.^[5] Greek politicians have, likewise, expressed these sentiments. Secretary General for European Affairs Dimitrios K. Katsoudas, in an address regarding Serbia, stated that "Greece and Serbia are two countries linked by ancient and inextricable bonds. Our relationship is lost in the depths of time. Serbian culture and religion were greatly influenced by our common roots in the great civilization of Byzantium."^[6] This bond was also increased with the numerous marriages between Serb and Greek royalty, such as the marriages of Jelena Dejanović Dragaš to Emperor Manouel II Palaiologos and Eirene Kantakouzene to Prince Đurađ Branković.

[edit] Organizations

It is estimated that there are dozens of organizations situated throughout both nations and a smaller amount in the diaspora, but because few of them have established foundations on the internet, it is difficult to keep an accurate tally of how many truly exist. Generally, however, prominent Greek-Serbian organizations have been known to meet with government officials and political figures, religious leaders, and fellow Greek-Serbian groups in order to strengthen mutual relations, sponsor cultural and historical celebrations, establish economic initiatives, and coordinate various humanitarian efforts. Smaller Greek-Serbian organizations generally organize local recreational activities. On July 28, 2006, 18 members of the Serbian parliament took the initiative of establishing a Serbian Greek friendship group, and are looking to increase parliamentary cooperation between both nations.^[7]

[edit] Historical

[edit] Balkan wars

In the First Balkan War of 1912-1913, Greece, Serbia, Montenegro and Bulgaria (Balkan League) defeated Turkey (Ottoman Empire) and divided Macedonia between themselves.

In June 1913 Serbia and Greece signed a defensive pact opposing to Bulgaria's expansionist goals. Eventually on June 16 of the same year Bulgaria attacked both countries. Being decisively defeated by Greeks in the Battle of Kilkis-Lahanas and by Serbs in Bregalnica Bulgaria retreated into defensive positions until Romania entered the war by attacking Bulgaria and threatening Sofia resulting in the latter's defeat. Greece and Serbia found themselves being the winner parties by having successfully fought the war side by side.

[edit] World War I

During the First World War, Corfu served as a refuge for the Serbian army that retreated there by the allied forces ships from the homeland occupied by the Austrians and Bulgarians. During their stay, a large portion of Serbian soldiers died from exhaustion, food shortage, and different diseases. Most of their remains were buried at sea near the island of Vido, a small island at the mouth of Corfu port, and a monument of thanks to the Greek Nation has been erected at Vido by the grateful Serbs; consequently, the waters around Vido island are known by the Serbian people as the Blue Graveyard (in Serbian, Плава Гробница), after a poem written by Milutin Bojić after World War I.^[8]

[edit] World War 2

Please help improve this section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion.

In 1941, during the Helleno-Italian War, when Hitler demanded passage around the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes to attack Greece, Prince Pavle (Regent of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia) attempted to appease Hitler by offering a non-aggression pact but, ultimately, signed the Tripartite Pact that would allow German passage. In return, the Greek city of Thessaloniki was promised to Yugoslavia. Two days later the army overthrew the regime with the popular support of both the Serbian people and the British. Although it is arguable that this had more to do with the Serbs' anti-German sentiments rather than a love for Greece, the fact remains that the Serbian people still remembered Venizelos' response to Vienna's suggestion for Greece to attack and invade Serbia decades earlier: "Greece is too small a country to do such big malice".^[9] Despite the fact that the new Yugoslav government again tried to appease Hitler (given that the country was surrounded on three sides) with neutrality and promises of adhering to previous agreements, the Serbian people were enthusiastic in denouncing the Tripartite Pact and Serb crowds paraded the streets of Belgrade shouting slogans like "Better War than the Pact".^[10] Hitler was not pleased and, immediately following the coup had decided to invade Yugoslavia -- no longer trusting their proclamations -- and divide the Yugoslav territories of the Adriatic coast, Banat, and Macedonia between Italy, Hungary, and Bulgaria, respectively. After the fall of Yugoslavia, the Serbian people were punished with genocide by the pro-German Croatian Ustashi and, following the war, with the advent of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia which actively persecuted both the Serbian national and religious identity for decades.

[edit] Yugoslav wars

In mid-1992, the UN responded to Serbian offensives in the former Yugoslav republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina by declaring a full embargo on trade with Serbia by all member nations. The sanctions placed Greece, which had recognized the independence of Bosnia and Herzegovina shortly after its declaration in 1992, in a difficult position. Serbia was an important trading partner with strong religious and historical ties to Greece, and Serbia had initially supported the Greek position on the Macedonia naming dispute. Beginning in 1992, the Konstantinos Mitsotakis and Andreas Papandreou governments, fearing that the Bosnian war would spread in a direction that would involve Turkey, Albania and Greece, undertook long series of peace-negotiations with Serbia's president, Slobodan Milošević, Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadžić, and the Bosnian government without results. Meanwhile, food, oil, and arms were reported moving from Greece into Serbia in violation of the UN embargo. Before, during, and after its 1994 presidency of the EU, Greece was the only EU nation to back the Serbian position that Serbian forces had entered Bosnian territory in response to Bosnian provocations. In early 1994, Greece incurred the displeasure of its European allies by voting against NATO air strikes on Serbian positions. Greece also refused the use of its NATO air bases at Preveza on the Ionian Sea for such attacks and refused to supply Greek troops to the UN peacekeeping mission in Bosnia. In NATO, Greece's position was diametrically opposed to that of Turkey, which supported the Bosnian Muslims.

In December 1994, after official talks with Milošević in Athens, Papandreou reiterated that the positions of Greece and Serbia on the Bosnia issue were virtually identical. A Milošević proposal for a confederation of Greece and Serbia with the Republic of Macedonia failed to gain support among any faction in Greece.

[edit] Assistance to Bosnian Serbs

According to University of Amsterdam professor 'C. Wiebes', the Hellenic National Intelligence Service (EYP) systematically sabotaged NATO operations in Bosnia in the mid-1990s, in an attempt to aid Bosnian Serb nationalists. In his report for the Dutch government, entitled Intelligence en de oorlog in Bosnie 1992-1995, Wiebes claims that EYP leaked classified NATO military plans (to which, as an allied intelligence service, it had access) to the Serb Bosnian leadership, and often to General Ratko Mladic himself, during the summer of 1995. Eventually, Wiebes states in the report, NATO allies ceased sharing NATO military plans with the Greek authorities.

Besides some dozens of Greek volunteers fought along Bosnian Serbs in the Bosnia war and helped capturing Srebrenica. According to a report in the Greek daily Ethnos, they raised the Greek flag over the town's destroyed Orthodox church. Since the start of the war, about 100 Greeks have fought in a "guard of volunteers" based in Vlasenica, in central Bosnia.^[11] The Greek Volunteer Guard, or GVG, soon became a regular fighting unit with its own insignia - a white double-headed eagle on a black background. In September 1995, four of its members received the White Eagle medal of honor from then-Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadžić.

Most volunteers were recruited in Belgrade, but liaison offices were also set up in Athens and Thessaloniki. A student working in one of the offices said he received many calls from patriotic-minded candidates and claimed to have fought himself in Bosnia for six months. He added the Greek authorities "never caused any problems" and that the Hellenic National Intelligence Service was in touch with the volunteers, the cause of their volunteering was reported "in the name of Orthodoxy."^[12]

[edit] Nato bombing of Serbia

NATO's bombardment of Yugoslavia caused a strong popular reaction in Greece, Prime Minister Costas Simitis sought a political solution to the Kosovo conflict. Greece refused to participate in the strikes against Yugoslavia. Polls revealed that 98% of the Greek population (which coincides with the ethnic Greek population) were completely opposed to the bombing.

[edit] Friendship during other Wars

Serbs and Greeks, while constantly warring in the early stages of Serbian history around the medieval times, have generally been on the same side in most modern conflicts. Also, a Serb from Montenegro commander named Vasos Mavrovouniotis was a very influential factor in the Greek War of Independence and is also seen by some as someone who represents the common military goals of nationalist Serbs and Greeks alike because although he was a Serbian, he helped the Greeks free themselves of the Ottoman yoke. In both Balkan and World Wars, Serbs and Greeks fought on the same side. Many in both nations regard countries such as Albania and Turkey as "common enemies," a factor that may contribute to friendship between the two nations.

[edit] Republic of Serbian Krajina Government in Exile

It has been reported that the Russian nationalist politician Vladimir Zhirinovsky supports the Republic of Serbian Krajina Government in Exile, and that some Greek nationalist politicians have called for Greece to veto any Croatian attempt to join the EU if the Republic of Serbian Krajina legislators demands are not met.

[edit] Other Factors

[edit] Greeks in Serbia

The fact that marriages between Serbs and Greeks living in Serbia or Montenegro are quite common, is both a cause and result of the close bonds shared by many Greeks and Serbs.^[13]

[edit] Serbs in Greece

An estimated 200,000 Serbs visit Greece annually.^[14] However, between the period of January 2001 and November 2001, a record 350,000 Serbs visited Greece.^[15] Many Serbs visit Greece because of the important Serbian heritage found in the country. Some of the cultural and religious sites especially important to Serbs include Chilandar Monastery in Mount Athos,^[16] Zeytinlik Cemetery in Thessaloniki,^[17] and the island of Corfu.^[18]

[edit] Humanitarianism

Following the outbreak of war in the Balkans, Serbs received tremendous humanitarian aid from Greece and Cyprus, as well as the Churches of Greece and Cyprus, beginning in the early 1990s. This aid came from all sectors of Greek society: from the state, from the Church, from various organizations, and from the public. The majority of the aid focused on helping Serbs from the Republika Srpska, the Republic of Serb Krajina, and Serbia proper who had suffered as a result of the wars that ravaged those areas.

[edit] Aid to Serbs from Serbia Proper

In late July of 1995, it was announced that the Greek-Serbian Friendship Society would be distributing humanitarian aid in the form of rice to Serbia by mid-August. According to the president of the organization, Panayiotis Mihalakakos, the total cost of the project exceeded 5 million drachmas and the Piraeus Port Authority had co-sponsored the initiative and provided necessary packaging and transportation of the cargo.^[19]

In March of 1999 businessman Stavros Vitalis secured the participation of 250 Greeks to leave for Belgrade in order to offer any kind of help they could to the Serb people. Among the 250 people were lawyers, doctors, and other professionals. Stavros Vitalis was reported as saying that they were on the side of the Serbs because they regarded them as friends and brothers.^[20]

On 25 October 1999, Serbia's Minister of Health Leposava Milicevic received a delegation from the Greek-Serbian Friendship Society "Ancient Greece." The delegation was led by the organization's president Laios Constantinos. The meeting with the health minister produced a number of initiatives regarding humanitarian aid drives, health protection, and medical supplies.^[21]

In April of 1999, the municipality of Kalamaria collected 50 tons of humanitarian aid consisting of food and medicines. The mission was headed by mayor of Kalamaria Christodoulos Economidis. The Greek Ministry of Health issued a special permit that allowed blood donated by volunteers from the municipalities of Kalamaria, Pentalofos, and Florina, along with the monks of the Serbian monastery of Hilandariou in Mount Athos, to be included in the humanitarian drive.^[22] During that same month, representatives of the Athens-based Society of Greek-Serbian Friendship announced that they would be sending a 16-truck convoy of humanitarian aid consisting of food and medical supplies, and worth over 2 million German marks, to Serbia on 20 April. The friendship society's efforts were reported as ongoing, with continued collection drives and relief aid convoys leaving at regular 20-day intervals. The friendship society also informed the press that it had engaged lawyers to bring charges against NATO leaders before the Greek Bar and the Hague International Court for their aggression against Yugoslavia and the innocent civilian lives that had been lost as a direct result of the aggression.^[23]

On 7 May 2006, a charity dinner was organized by Lifeline Hellas Humanitarian Organization in Thessaloniki under the patronage of Crown Prince Alexander II and Crown Princess Katherine for the purpose of helping to reduce shortages of important equipment in hospitals by upgrading the Neonatal Intensive Care Units in Belgrade, Nis, Novi Sad, and Kragujevac and thereby saving the lives of newborn infants. This was the second event of its kind organized in 2006, following the successful charity dinner organized in late January in Athens. Numerous companies and organizations, as well as eminent families and members of the business community of Thessaloniki, cooperated and supported the humanitarian event. Speeches were made by President of the Board of Directors of Lifeline Hellas Mr. John Trikardos, Crown Prince Alexander, Crown Princess Katherine, Minister of Macedonia-Thrace Mr. George Kalaitzis, General Consul of Serbia and Montenegro in Greece Mr. Radomir Zivkovic, Prefecture of Thessaloniki Mr. Panayiotis Psomiadis, Vice Mayor of Thessaloniki Mrs. Kolovou Lemonia (on behalf of the Mayor Mr. Papageorgopoulos), and President of the American College Anatolia Mr. Richard Jackson. Other distinguished guests included members of the Greek Parliament and former ministers and government officials of the Greek government.^[24]

[edit] Aid to Bosnian Serbs

On 4 October 1995, it was announced that a "peace train" carrying 10,000 tons of humanitarian aid consisting of clothing, pharmaceuticals, and food would leave Greece on 26 October to aid Bosnian Serb refugees. This effort was organized by the "Macedonian-Thrace Coordination Committee for Aid to the Orthodox Serbs of Bosnia" and had been established at the initiative of the Balkan Strategy Development Institute and the Greek-Serbian Association. The committee's members included prefectures, northern Greek cities, local municipalities, chambers, and public and private enterprises.^[25]

On 5 December 1995, 70 tons of humanitarian aid consisting of olive oil, flour, baby food, and medicine were sent to the Bosnian Serbs in the region of Prijedor by the municipality of Neapolis. The effort was headed by mayor of Neapolis Mr. Hadjisavas.^[26]

On 22 February 1996, 200 tons of humanitarian aid consisting of food, clothing, and medicine gathered by the Athens Association of Greek-Serb Friendship arrived in Republika Srpska. The aid was accompanied by a delegation led by the association's chairman Mr. Konstantinos Christopoulos.^[27]

On 3 July 1997, humanitarian aid consisting of clothing and foodstuffs arrived in Doboi. The aid was accompanied by a 10-person delegation from the municipality of Peristeri in Athens, including mayor of Peristeri Giorgos Panopoulos. The delegation was welcomed by mayor of Doboi Drago Ljubitsic who stated that the friendly ties between the Greeks and the Serbs would last forever and that no one will be able to interrupt them.^[28]

[edit] Aid to Krajina Serbs

On 7 August 1995, Greek Defense Minister Gerasimos Arsenis announced that Greece would be sending humanitarian aid consisting of medicine, food, and clothing to Serbian refugees from Krajina. The first two planes carrying the aid left on 8 August. Greece also announced that Greek doctors would be sent to the region and that some of the wounded would be allowed to be treated at Greek military hospitals. Regarding the conflict itself, the government criticized the West for its role. Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias condemned the Croatian offensive and Deputy Foreign Minister for European Affairs Georgios Alexandros Mangakis criticized the United States and Germany for backing Croatia's offensive against the Krajina Serbs.^[29]

[edit] Miscellaneous Aid

During the 1990s an initiative for Greek families to host Serbian children -- especially those who were refugees, orphans, had lost family members during the wars, or came from poor families -- was established in order to help children forget their hardships for a while and overcome psychological problems caused by the traumatic experiences they had lived through. In 1999, a Greek delegation of the Greek-Serbian Friendship Society "Ancient Greece," after meeting with Serbian Minister of Health Leposava Milicevic, was reported as having launched such a program.^[30] However, reports of Serbian children being hosted in Greece precede this initiative by several years. Cooperation between the Greek Red Cross and the Serb Red Cross for the hosting of Serbian children is said to have been established in 1993.^[31]

One of the earliest hostings of Serbian children recorded in the media dates to late 1995 when 50 Bosnian Serb children from Zvornik spent Christmas and New Year's with Greek families. Another 50 Bosnian Serb children from the same town arrived in Thessaloniki on 10 January 1996 for a two-week vacation with families in Kavala and Imathia.^[32] In July of 1998, a total of 540 orphans and children of refugees from Republika Srpska and Serbia left for Greece and were hosted over the summer by various municipalities and communities in the country. It was the fourth hosting mission that had been organized by the Central Union of Municipalities and Communities of Greece in cooperation with the Red Cross that year. In total, the Central Union of Municipalities and Communities of Greece had been responsible for hosting more than 2,000 Serbian children by that point. Greek Ambassador to Belgrade Panayiotis Vlassopoulos stated that hospitality for these children in Greece constituted only a portion of the humanitarian aid which Greek local governments and organizations have been providing for Yugoslavia since war erupted. He added that these initiatives contribute to the strengthening of Greek-Serbian relations.^[33] In 1999, the Yugoslav Red Cross and a Greek-Serb friendship society organized the hosting of children between the ages of 8 and 12 by families in Kavala for a nine-month period. The children were accompanied by their teachers so that they'd be able to keep up with their studies. The mayor of Kavala, Stathis Efifillidis, was quoted as saying that, "All the residents of the city have shown their love for the children."^[34]

The hosting of Serbian children did not end in the 1990s and is still ongoing in the 2000s. In 2002, Greek families hosted Serbian orphans from 20 December 2002 to 6 January 2003.^[35] Greek families again hosted orphan Serbian children in the summer of 2003, from 10 July to 10 August. The hospitality program, like many others, was held with the cooperation of the Greek Red Cross and the Yugoslav Red Cross.^[36] In 2006, a total of 216 children of refugees, children who lost a parent in the war, and children from poor families spent Christmas in Greece within the framework of the hospitality programme for Serb children held by the Serbian and the Greek Red Cross. It was the second time that year that Serbian children were hosted. Since the Greek and Serbian Red Cross launched the hosting of children from Serbia in 1993, an estimated 16,000 children have stayed with Greek families. As a result, very close friendship ties have been forged and, in most cases, contact between the children and the host families continues.^[37]

The Orthodox Churches of Greece and Cyprus have also been a great source of humanitarian aid to the Serbs. When, in September of 1996, Patriarch Pavle of the Serbian Orthodox Church visited Cyprus, he presented Archbishop Chrysostomos of the Church of Cyprus with an icon of the Virgin Mary as a token of appreciation for the help and support the Church of Cyprus and the people of Cyprus had shown to the people of Serbia. Archbishop Chrysostomos praised the close relations between the Churches of Serbia and Cyprus, remarking that the presence of Patriarch Pavle was proof of the unity and brotherhood between the two Churches. Patriarch Pavle compared the situations that Greeks in Cyprus face to those that Serbs face, saying that both Cyprus and Serbia were struggling for their freedom. He also reaffirmed Serbian support to the Greeks of Cyprus.^[38] During his official visit to Serbia in September of 2001, Archbishop Christodoulos announced that the Church of Greece would be donating 150 million drachmas for the mission of the Serbian Orthodox Church and another 100 million drachmas for the construction of the church of Saint Savvas. In an address at Belgrade's Cathedral, Archbishop Christodoulos referred to the help which the Greeks had offered to the Serbs.^[39] For all of his activities and assistance to the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Serbian people, Patriarch Pavle conferred the medal of Saint Sava of the First Order to Archbishop Christodoulos. At the ceremony Patriarch Pavle was quoted as saying that, "The Greek Church has always sympathised with the troubles we have been in, rendering us support as well as aid in medicines and food".^[40] Likewise, Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica awarded Archbishop Christodoulos the highest medal of the Yugoslav Federation for the help of the Greek Church towards the Serbian people during the last decade.^[41] The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America also supplied humanitarian assistance to Serbs. In 2004, Hellenic College and Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology (HC/HC) raised over five thousand dollars to assist in the rebuilding of the Orthodox Seminary of Saints Cyril and Methodius in Kosovo after the seminary was burnt by Albanians. During the first days of Holy Week, the Rev. Protopresbyter Nicholas Triantafilou, President of HC/HC, announced that offerings collected during the week would be designated for this cause as well as coordinating relief efforts.^[42] It is also worth noting that, following the catastrophic fire at Chilandar Monastery in Mount Athos, the Greek authorities coordinated the collection of donations and the rebuilding effort. Most of the expected cost, estimated at over 30 million euros, will be provided by Greece. By June of 2004, the government had already disbursed 300,000 euros for the first phase of the work.^[43].

[edit] Greek forest fires in 2007

Following the Greek forest fires in 2007, Serbia sent six M-18 Dromader and one Antonov An-2 firefighting planes, 6 firefighting all-terrain vehicles, 55 firefighters, and put specialized military units on alert in case they were needed to assist the Greek Army battling fires and clearing out the debris. According to Assistant Minister of Interior Predrag Maric, over 300 firemen signed up for Greece in less than an hour.^[44][45][46]

The 7th September,2007, Defense Minister, Dragan Sutanovac and the Ambassador of Greece to Serbia, Kristos Panagopulous, welcomed the pilots and technicians of JAT Airways who assisted in extinguishing the fires in Greece, at the Lisicji jarak airport. Sutanovac stated that Serbia had acted upon the request of the Greek Ministry of Defense, and he thanked JAT Airways and the representatives of the Serbian Ministry of Defense who, as he added, helped selflessly the brotherly nation of Greece. Minister Sutanovac said that he was also interested why the planes of JAT had not been used for extinguishing fires in Serbia this summer, adding that the Ministry of Defense was not the bearer of this work. The Ambassador of Greece said that that day showed once again the excellent cooperation between the two nations thanking everyone who had taken part in extinguishing fires. He also remarked that in the last ten days, Serbian pilots and technicians showed great skill in extinguishing fires, which moved the whole of Greece and the Greek nation in particular. “I am here to convey Greek President and Government’s warmest regards. We shall never forget your brotherly act,” the Ambassador of Greece to Serbia Kristos Panagopulous said.

On the initiative of Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Alexander II and Crown Princess Katherine, an important charity event in aid of victims of the tragic Greek fires, occurred on 24 September 2007 at the Ekali Club in Athens, in cooperation with the Hellenic Basketball Club Association (ESAKE), Lifeline Hellas and with the support of Vlade Divac, distinguished NBA player. The charity was honored with the presence of famous basketball players who were glad to support this humanitarian event. Among many the event was attended by: Vlade Divac, Predrag Danilovic, Zarkο Paspalj, Dusan Ivkovic, Wayne Cooper, Scott Pollard, Grant Napiere, Chris Webber, Glen Rice…

Crown Prince Alexander II and Crown Princess Katherine continued their noble efforts on 29 September 2007, when they visited the Messinia region and the municipality of Andania to deliver Serbian donations of clothes for children as well as baby equipment to the victims of the forest fires in Greece.

[edit] Bilateral Relations

[edit] State

Following the dissolution of the state union between Serbia and Montenegro, Serbia inherited the rights and obligations of the union and, as a result, the existing bilateral contractual framework with our country. Out of the many Greek-Serbian bilateral agreements, it is worth pointing out the agreements on mutual judicial relations, scientific and educational cooperation, tourism development, air transport, international road transportation of passengers and goods, and economic and technological cooperation.

There are regular high-level visits between the two countries, such as Foreign Minister Ms. Dora Bakoyannis the visit to Belgrade (20 April 2007), on which she was accompanied by Deputy Foreign Minister Mr. Stylianidis, and the recent official visit (19 June 2007) to Athens of Serbia's new Foreign Minister, Mr. Vuk Jeremic. There are also frequent contacts between the two countries ministries and agencies on various matters concerning individual sectors.

Greece is one of Serbia's main EU trade partners. Bilateral trade has increased significantly over the past few years. According to the data of the Bureau of Economic and Trade Matters of Greece's Embassy in Belgrade, Greek direct investments in Serbia (from 1996 onwards) amount to $1.2 billion. There are investments in all sectors, but mainly in the industrial and banking sectors. It is worth noting the presence of 150 Greek-Serbian companies, as well as 120 purely Greek businesses that have created some 25,000 jobs.

[edit] Church

As to be expected, the Church of Greece has had excellent relations with the Church of Serbia, including acquiring and giving humanitarian aid to Serbia during all of the wars. However, these relations have extended also to the Serbian state. Regarding the latter, the Church of Greece has supported "Serbian positions even on the matter of the secession of Montenegro from the Federation."^[47] Likewise, the Serbian Orthodox Church has supported Greek national positions on Cyprus.^[48]

[edit] Confederation

Despite strained ties during Tito's rule of Yugoslavia, Serbian-Greek relations reached the point where the creation of a state for Serbs and Greeks was seriously proposed by Milošević in 1992^[49] and later by Karadžić in 1994. According to the proposal, Greece, Serbia, and the Republic of Macedonia would all be members of the tripartite confederation. In 1994, Serbian President Slobodan Milošević invited Greek Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou to consider the longstanding proposal of the Athens-Belgrade-Skopje confederation. Papandreou characterized the idea as "a pioneering, interesting proposal" but noted that it had not yet been examined. Main opposition New Democracy party leader Miltiadis Evert, who had also met with Milošević, said that all Balkan countries should instead gain accession to the European Union. Political Spring party leader Antonis Samaras said that the proposal was "interesting but should be thoroughly examined."^[50]

These proposals failed to gain any significant response from the Greek government, mostly because of the precarious state of Yugoslavia at the time. A book by Greek journalist Takis Michas called "Unholy Alliance: Greece and Milošević's Serbia" provides serious evidences of these initiatives.

The position of the Republic of Macedonia regarding the tripartite confederation was widely supported by politicians and intellectuals. Immediately following Milošević's renewed call for a loose confederation between Greece, Serbia, and the Republic of Macedonia, Macedonian Socialist party president Kiro Popovski deemed the longstanding proposal as a "present utopia but a feasible future prospect."^[51] In 2001, former president of the Republic of Macedonia Kiro Gligorov noted the wide support for the proposal amongst ethnic Macedonian intellectuals: "This begun when Yugoslavia was beginning to fall apart, when intellectuals and politicians gathered in order to examine the perspectives that we had for our country. Our common position was that a confederation with Greece was the best solution." Macedonian novelist Ante Popovski in an interview with the French newspaper "Libération" on 27 March 2001 stated, "I am supporting the idea of a confederation with Greece. We shall not be in danger of losing our identity, because our language is entirely different from the Greek one, while it resembles with the languages of the two other large neighbors, the Serbs and the Bulgarians."

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Serbo-Greek brotherhood group on HI5
• Serbian-Hellenic Brotherhood
• http://www.serbianna.com/blogs/michaletos Weblog on Greek - Serbian relations by Ioannis Michaletos

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