Greece on Monday condemned an organized attack against three Greek tourist coaches in FYROM the previous night, warning that such actions hurt relations between the two peoples.
A group of some 20-30 people attacked three Greek tourist coaches in downtown Ohrid as they were waiting for Greek holiday[m]akers to return from a tour.
According to local media in FYROM, the assailants spray-painted various ant-Greek slogans on the coaches, while eye-witnesses said they also threw stones and sticks, causing damage to one of the coaches.
The incident was also condemned by Ohrid residents, who noted that such actions mar the lake-side town's tourism image.
The incident was being investigated by Ohrid police.
In Athens, foreign ministry spokesman George Koumoutsakos strongly condemned the "organized attack by unidentified perpetrators against Greek visitors and their property".
"Such actions unfortunately harm the communication betweel peoples, and are the visible result of the ethnicism and the bigotry against Greece that is purposely being cultivated recently in Skopje," Koumoutsakos said.
Greece, he added, "calls on the authorities of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to protect the Greek citizens who visit their country, and for the arrest and punishment of those guilty of yesterday's (Sunday's) unprovoked attack".
~ Athens News Agency ~
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