PROTEST RESOLUTION BY 31 VLACH MAYORS AND COMMUNE PRESIDENTS AGAINST STATE DEPARTMENT REPORT
(original Greek text at:
http://www.mpa.gr/article.html?doc__id=17444455)
Thessaloniki, 28 February 2001 (23:27 UTC+2)
The recently issued U.S. State Department report provoked a vehement reaction from 31 Vlachophone mayors and presidents of mountain communes in Greece. A resolution passed today by the mayors and community presidents cites the following:
Concerning the recent report by the American State Department on our country, we the undersigned Mayors and Commune Presidents, as elected representatives of the Local Government Organization, state that:
1st We protest the direct or indirect characterization of Vlachophone Greeks (Vlachs) as a national, linguistic or other minority.
2nd We declare that we ourselves, the Vlachophone Greeks, have never requested to be recognized by our country as a minority because we have always been a historically and politically integral part of the Hellenic nation.
3rd The existence and use of a second linguistic idiom, the consequence of a protracted Greco-Roman cultural tradition on mainland Greece, does not constitute a reason to characterize it as a minority language with the familiar political and other repercussions this entails.
4th We condemn any and all exploitation of a purely cultural element for political purposes or other motives, and its conversion into a factor to ethnically or otherwise differentiate the Vlachophone Greeks.
5th We express our displeasure and question forthwith the data upon which the authors of this report have based their findings, and challenge them to produce this documentation.
6th We categorically declare that we will act as a body to oppose whomever intentionally misinforms and misrepresents the historical and current facts concerning the collective national identity of Vlachophone Greeks.
This protest resolution has been forwarded to the United States State Department and communicated to the President of the Hellenic Republic, the Speaker of Parliament, the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Official Opposition, Political Party Leaders, and the Council of Europe, and is signed by the following Mayors and Commune Presidents.
1. Ioannis Hasiotis, Mayor of Veria, Imathia
2. Achilleas Evangelou, Mayor of Kleisoura, Kastoria
3. Athanasios (Nikos) Kapsalis, Mayor of Livadi, Larissa
4. Alexandros Kachrimanis, Mayor of Metsovo, Ioannina
5. Nikolaos Yioutikas, Mayor of Axios, Thessaloniki
6. Dimitrios Koulinas, Mayor of Polykastro, Kilki
7. Yeorgios Yitsos, Mayor of Evropos, Kilki
8. Yeorgios Makris, Mayor of Prosotsani, Drama
9. Nikolaos Zacharakis, Mayor of Kleinovos, Trikala
10. Christos *rude word*, Mayor of *rude word*, Trikala
11. Dimitris Basios, Mayor of Ano Pogoni, Ioannina
12. Sotiris Spyridakis, Mayor of Anatoliko Zagori, Ioannina
13. Ioannis Papapoulios, Mayor of Goryiani, Grevena
14. Ioannis Filos, Mayor of Kastania, Grevena
15. Alkiviadis Lantavos, Community President of Matsouki, Ioannina
16. Dimitrios Frangos, Community President of Pefka, Thessaloniki
17. Christos Nitsiakos, Community President of Aetomilitsa, Ioannina
18. Nikolaos Mertzos, Community President of Nymphaio, Florina
19. Stergios Raptis, Community President of Greater Aspropotamos, Trikala
20. Konstantinos Moutsioulis, Community President of Fourka, Ioannina
21. Achilleas Dokos, Community President of Avdella, Grevena
22. Efthimios Goulas, Community President of Distratos, Ioannina
23. Athanasios Stangoyiannis, Community President of Vovousa, Ioannina
24. Ioannis Kapetis, Community President of Milea, Ioannina
25. Nikolaos Gatzoyias, Community President of Kalarita, Ioannina
26. Ioannis Argyris, Community President of Syrakos, Ioannina
27. Yeorgios Platsoukas, Community President of Vathypedo, Ioannina
28. Konstantinos Tzimas, Community President of Samarina, Grevena
29. Apostolos Zioboras, Community President of Perivoli, Grevena
30. Panayotis Tsakalis, Community President of Grammos, Kastoria
31. Fotis Kilipiris, Community President of Livadi, Kilki