SAZU Calls on Italian Govt to Heed Historical Studies
Responding to reignited debates about post-war history, which has pitted Italy against Croatia, the Slovenian Academy of Arts and Sciences (SAZU) called on Italian authorities to thoroughly study the history of bilateral relations and heed the 2001 report of the Slovenian-Italian historical and cultural commission.
In Thursday's press release, SAZU expressed its concern over statements by Italian President Giorgio Napolitano on Italy's day of remembrance for the victims of post-war killings by anti-Fascist movements.
Napolitano labelled the foibe as the "most barbaric act of the century" and one of "Slavic bloodthirstiness".
Napolitano's speech prompted a sharp response from Croatian President Stipe Mesic, who said that the comments contained "hints of open racism, historical revisionism and political retaliation".
On Wednesday, Slovenian President Janez Drnovsek sent a "personal letter" to Napolitano regarding the development but would not disclose its contents.
SAZU also called on further studies on the history of events in the region that followed WWII based on existing materials of both Italian and Slovenian historians and archives.
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