DISMANTLING MONUMENT TO LIBERATOR SOLDIER IN TALLINN ABOMINABLE

ITAR-TASS News Agency, Russia
May 8, 2007 Tuesday

The dismantling of the monument in Tallinn to the Liberator Soldier
who rid the city of the Hitler occupation "is abominable," Russian
ambassador to Athens Andrei Vdovin said here on Tuesday at the ceremony
of the presentation of gifts to veterans of the Second World War
residing in Greece and to veterans of the Greek national resistance
movement. Present at the ceremony at the Russian centre of science and
culture in Athens were representatives of the embassies of Armenia,
Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan.

"What is now done in Estonia to the monument to the Russian soldier
is abominable," the ambassador said. "I believe the persons who have
arranged for this are far from the kind they are sometimes presented
in the West. We are shocked at what has happened in Tallinn, but
I think this is not the end of the story. We have all witnessed a
truly patriotic surge in Tallinn and in Moscow, and, the main thing,
we have learned the lesson of these days."

In this connection the ambassador recalled the address of a group of
famous Greek citizens to the chairmen of the European Parliament and
the Council of Europe to demand juridical and political assessment of
Estonia’s actions. "Indeed, the Greeks spoke as men should," Vdovin
remarked. "I would like to mention particularly Mikis Theodorakis
(the outstanding Greek composer – Itar-Tass), Manolis Glezos (member
of Greek parliament) and their supporters," Vdovin said.