Commemorative event Meeting of the North Atlantic Council at the level of Heads of State and Government Washington, 23 Apr. 1999

Statement by the Prime Minister of Greece, Constantine Simitis Ladies and Gentlemen, Fifty years ago in 1949 the government troops entered a Greek village and killed two young people. Asked why, they answered: "They were Bulgarian communists". Two days later the rebels came and they also killed two young people. Asked why, they said: "They were American fascists". NATO was and should be an effort to put an end to such practices and to such mentalities. NATO should be an effort to secure co-operation, peace and prosperity. I think it is a great aim and we must work for it.