PANHELLENIC FEDERATION OF CULTURAL ASSOCIATIONS OF

VLACHS

FOUNDED IN 1985

http://www.vlachs-popsv.gr/ e-mail: panhellenicfeder.vlachon@gmail.com

Larisa 3 November 2010

Ref. No.:21

Letter to the Council of Europe

To: -The Honorable Secretary General of the Council of Europe

Mr. Thorbjorn Jagland

Cc: - The Honorable President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of

Europe, Mr Mevlüt Cavusloĝlu
- The Honorable Commissioner for Human Rights
of the Council of Europe, Mr. Thomas Hammarberg
- The Honorable Committee of Permanent Representatives
of the of Council of Europe
- The Honorable President of the Council of Local and Regional Authorities
of the Council of Europe, Mr Keith Whitmore
- The Honorable Committee on Culture, Science and Education
of the Council of Europe

- His Excellency the President of the Hellenic Republic

- His Excellency the Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic
- His Excellency the Speaker of the Hellenic Parliament
- His Excellency the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Hellenic Republic
- The Honorable Representatives and Deputy Representatives
of the Hellenic Parliament to the Council of Europe

Ladies / Gentlemen / MPs - Members of the Council of Europe

Following the 16th of November 2009 (Ref. No 44) Letter of the Panhellenic
Federation of Vlach Cultural Associations to the Council of Europe and on the
occasion of the recent activities of the self-styled “Council of Aromanians", we would
like to express once again our undisputable condemnation on behalf of the entire
Vlach speaking population of Greece, rallied and represented in secondary and
collective level by the institution of the Panhellenic Federation of Vlach Cultural
Associations, against any external attempt aiming at the recognition of the
Aromanians (Vlachs) as an independent and distinct ethnic group, cut off from the
historic roots of Hellenism, of which as a matter of fact it constitutes an integral part

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throughout the ages.

At this point it is appropriate to clarify some key points:

A. The "Council of Aromanians’’ claim to monopolize the representation of all

Aromanians on international level, starting with their recent failure to obtain the status
of participatory organization within the Council of Europe, of course without having
the slightest legitimacy or mandate. Which electoral process led to the emergence of
the self-styled 'Council of Aromanians"? When and who was informed of their
actions, goals and aspirations? When was the Panhellenic Federation of Vlach
Cultural Associations invited to participate in these processes?

B. The up to now moves and motives of those handful, outlandish and self-appointed
protectors and defenders of the rights of the Greek Vlachs have conspicuously ignored
the existence of the Panhellenic Federation of Vlach Cultural Associations as well as
any possible reaction on behalf of the Greek Vlachs, given the fact that Greece is the
birthplace and the historic and timeless metropolitan center for all the Vlach-speaking
Hellenism gathering up to this day the greatest presence of the overwhelming majority
of the Vlach-speaking element. The secret activities of this group unveil their real
motives as well.

C. The commitment of the Panhellenic Federation of Vlach Cultural Associations on

the preservation of the Aromanian (Vlach) linguistic heritage and the authentic and
genuine cultural identity of the Vlach-speaking Hellenism, calls for a radical reaction
of the Panhellenic Federation and its more than 100 members, vis à vis any effort of
manipulation and extra-determination of the identity of the Vlach-speaking Hellenism
as attempted by the introduction of the newly born term “Makedonaromanian” from
the" Council of Aromanians or Makedonaromanians", as they call themselves. The
aforementioned goals to undermine the right to selfdetermination of the Greek Vlachs
and the entire Vlach community with arbitrary historical concepts and groundless as
well as unrealistic epithets are collectively rejected and condemned.

D. On Sunday, August 15th 2010, in Moschopolis - Korce, Albania, the self

proclaimed “Council of Aromanians" sought to mobilize a number of people of
Vlach origin from all the countries where the Vlach-speaking diaspora is found,
fraudulently seeking to ensure its “democratic legitimacy” without of course outlining
in advance its real aims and aspirations. Thus, the vast majority of those who were
present in that event, that in no case exceeded 1,500 people contrary to what falsely is
reffered to the Newsletter of the "Council of Aromanians" stating that over 10,000
people joined the festivity (revealing video confirming the aforesaid is attached to the
present), attended the event thinking that they participated in a typical folk reunion of
cultural and traditional music content. Besides, no one except for the few perpetrators
of this staged performance, knew from the begining that a typical music and dance
Vlach reunion could ex post facto be called a "great assembly" in order to form a false
basis of legitimacy for a handful group of people.

In this context, very revealing is the confutable response/reaction of the Cultural

Association of Vlachs of Veria, Greece (see attached), a delegation of which attended
the festivity considering that they had originally been invited to a typical music and
dance Vlach reunion similar to the dozen ones held every year in areas where the

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Vlach-speaking element is located.

Furthermore, it is worth noting that most of the participants who visited Moschopolis
come from the historic Aromanian (Vlach) diaspora across the Balkans. They
basically visited the site in the framework of a pure touristic and historical interest,
since Moschopolis was one of the most important and historic birtplaces of the
Hellenic Enlightment in the 18th century, until its first destruction in 1769 by the
Ottomans because of its energetic involvement in the great Greek revolution that took
place in the period 1769-1771, creating in connection with its enormous intellectual
range within all Greeks and the entire Vlach-speaking Hellenism, a living legend to
this day.

E. We should also emphasize on the practices of the “Council of Aromanians” related

to the adoption of the alleged “declaration” of 15th August "by all the participants” to
the abovementioned festivity”, bringing in mind the most “unforgettable” and worst
propaganda methods in the recent european history. In reality and to have a full
picture of the facts, in that afternoon and after the participants had already left the area
of the festivities, by the noon of that day, once the usual greetings to such an event
and the rudimentary musical and dancing performances had taken place, the
organizers all alone "adopted" behind closed doors the so-called “declaration”, in
apparent contrast to what is said by those handful people about a unanimous adoption
of the “declaration” by over than 10.000 participants. Moreover, it is worth noting the
absence of relevant audiovisual evidence confirming the claims of the "Council of
Aromanians" regarding the adoption of the “declaration” by acclamation. It is also
important that the vast majority of the participants are still unaware of this
“declaration”.

Ladies / Gentlemen / MPs - Members of the Council of Europe

Having full confidence in the frankness of your judgement, we are absolutely

convinced that you will not allow some individual and irrational voices to affect the
collective identity and national consciousness of hundreds of thousands of Greek
citizens. It is obvious that the handful group of the self-proclaimed "Council of
Aromanians" expresses only its few members and in no way the Vlach-speaking
Hellenism and the Vlach community across the globe. The Panhellenic Federation of
Vlach Cultural Associations is in absolute disagreement towards the founding
principles, the goals, the aspirations and the policies of the self-styled “Council of
Aromanians" which neither democratic legitimacy nor of course real geographical
representation disposes.

On the occasion of this letter, we would like to reiterate our previous invitation in
order for you to visit our country, offering us the pleasure to accompany you to our
picturesque ancestral villages and present you in the most tangible way our traditions
and our cultural patrimony. We are confident that you will handle the issue once again
with due care, fully understanding the concerns we express, showing at the same time
due respect for our obvious and natural right to self-determination as Greeks of Vlach
(Aromanian) origin.

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 +-We always remain at your disposal for any further information and
communication.

Sincerely Yours,

For the Panhellenic Federation of Vlach Cultural Associations

The President The Secretary

Michalis Mageirias Nitsiakou Angeliki

Panhellenic Federation of Cultural Associations of Vlachs

1 Socrates Street, 45221 Ioannina Greece
Tel. 00306932855599
http://www.vlachs-popsv.gr/
e-mail: panhellenicfeder.vlachon@gmail.com