Greece, France hit out at 'new' seven wonders

ATHENS (AFP) - Greece and France hit out on Monday at the naming over the weekend of seven "new" wonders of the world after neither the Eiffel Tower nor the Acropolis made it onto the list.

"Monuments do not have to parade on a podium like in a beauty contest," Greek Culture Minister Georgios Voulgarakis told a news conference.

The private initiative, voted on by 100 million people around the world by Internet or phone ahead of a huge ceremony on Saturday in Portugal, "has nothing to do with the true value of monuments," Voulgarakis said.

A French foreign ministry spokeswoman said that France preferred the way UNESCO, the UN body for culture, chose its world heritage sites.

"France prefers the conception of UNESCO, which has included on its world heritage list 851 sites including 31 in France," spokeswoman Pascale Andreani said.