110th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. RES. 356

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) should stop the utilization of materials that violate provisions of the United Nations-brokered Interim Agreement between the FYROM and Greece regarding `hostile activities or propaganda' and should work with the United Nations and Greece to achieve longstanding United States and United Nations policy goals of finding a mutually-acceptable official name for the FYROM.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

May 1, 2007

Mrs. MALONEY of New York (for herself, Mr. WEXLER, Mr. GALLEGLY, and Mr. BILIRAKIS) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) should stop the utilization of materials that violate provisions of the United Nations-brokered Interim Agreement between the FYROM and Greece regarding `hostile activities or propaganda' and should work with the United Nations and Greece to achieve longstanding United States and United Nations policy goals of finding a mutually-acceptable official name for the FYROM.

Whereas on April 8, 1993, the United Nations General Assembly admitted as a member the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), under the name the `Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia';

Whereas United Nations Security Council Resolution 817 (1993) states that the dispute over the name must be resolved to maintain peaceful relations between Greece and the FYROM;

Whereas on September 13, 1995, Greece and the FYROM signed a United Nations-brokered Interim Accord that, among other things, commits them to not `support claims to any part of the territory of the other party or claims for a change of their existing frontiers';

Whereas a pre-eminent goal of the United Nations Interim Accord was to stop the FYROM from utilizing, since its admittance to the United Nations in 1993, what the Accord calls, `propaganda', including in school textbooks;

Whereas a television report in recent years showed students in a state-run school in the FYROM still being taught that parts of Greece, including Greek Macedonia, are rightfully part of the FYROM;

Whereas some textbooks, including the Military Academy textbook published in 2004 by the Military Academy `General Mihailo Apostolski' in the FYROM capital city, contain maps showing that a `Greater Macedonia' extends many miles south into Greece to Mount Olympus and miles east to Mount Pirin in Bulgaria;

Whereas in direct contradiction of the spirit of the United Nations Interim Accord's section `A', entitled `Friendly Relations and Confidence Building Measures', which attempts to eliminate challenges regarding `historic and cultural patrimony', the Government of FYROM recently renamed the capital city's international airport `Alexander the Great';

Whereas the aforementioned acts constitute a breach of the FYROM's international obligations deriving from the spirit of the United Nations Interim Accord, which provides that FYROM should abstain from any form of `propaganda' against Greece's historical or cultural heritage;

Whereas such acts are not compatible with the Article 10 of the United Nations Interim Accord regarding `improving understanding and good neighbourly relations', as well as with European standards and values endorsed by European Union member-states; and

Whereas this information, like that exposed in the media report and elsewhere, being used contrary to the United Nations Interim Accord instills hostility and a rationale for irredentism in portions of the population of the FYROM toward Greece and the history of Greece: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives--

(1) urges the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) to observe its obligations under Article 7 of the 1995 United Nations-brokered Interim Accord which directs the parties to `promptly take effective measures to prohibit hostile activities or propaganda by state-controlled agencies and to discourage acts by private entities likely to incite violence, hatred or hostility' and review the contents of textbooks, maps, and teaching aids to ensure that such tools are stating accurate information; and

(2) urges the FYROM to work within the framework of the United Nations process with Greece to achieve longstanding United States and United Nations policy goals by reaching a mutually-acceptable official name for the FYROM.

Έλληνες, Ελληνίδες,

Η Υπουργός των Εξωτερικών της Ελλάδας κ. Ντόρα Μπακογιάννη βρίσκεται τις ημέρες αυτές στην Washington όπου πραγματοποιεί συναντήσεις με την Αμερικανίδα ομόλογό της Κοντολίζα Ράις, τον αναπληρωτή υπουργό των Εξωτερικών κ. Τζων Νεγρεπόντε, με τα μέλη του Congressional Hellenic Caucus και άλλους αξιωματούχους της Αμερικανικής κυβερνήσεως προκειμένου να τους ενημερώσει, μεταξύ άλλων, για τις θέσεις της Αθήνας στο θέμα της ένταξης της π.Γ.Δ.Μ. στο ΝΑΤΟ.

Είναι υψίστης σημασίας, καθώς περνούμε στην τελική φάση των διαπραγματεύσεων για την ονομασία της π.Γ.Δ.Μ. εν όψει των συζητήσεων για την ένταξή της στο ΝΑΤΟ, να επικοινώνησουμε άμεσα, ως Αμερικανοί πολίτες με την Αμερικανίδα Υπουργό Εξωτερικών εκφράζοντας τις δικές μας θέσεις. Επισημαίνουμε ότι εάν η π.Γ.Δ.Μ. ενταχθεί στους κόλπους του ΝΑΤΟ χωρίς να προηγηθεί διευθέτηση του ονόματός της η διαπραγματευτική ικανότητα της Ελλάδας έναντι της π.Γ.Δ.Μ. θα αποδυναμωθεί. 

Είναι ιστορική μας ευθύνη, ασκώντας τα νόμιμα πολιτικά μας δικαιώματα ως Αμερικανοί πολίτες να αναζητήσουμε την υποστήριξη των θέσεων μας από τους Αμερικανούς εκπροσώπους μας. Οι θέσεις μας ταυτίζονται με το συμφέρον των Η.Π.Α. στην ευρύτερη περιοχή των Βαλκανίων. Υπογράψτε και στείλτε την επιστολή που δημοσιεύεται παρακάτω στην Αμερικανίδα Υπουργό των Εξωτερικών κ. Κοντολίζα Ράις.

Είναι επίσης υψίστης σημασίας, να επικοινωνήσουμε με τα μέλη της Βουλής των Αντιπροσώπων και τους γερουσιαστές των περιοχών μας και να τους ζητήσουμε να υποστηρίξουν τα ψηφίσματα SR300 της Γερουσίας και το HR 356 της Βουλής. Και τα δύο ψηφίσματα  καλούν την π.Γ.Δ.Μ να τηρήσει την Ενδιάμεση Συμφωνία που έχει συναφθεί με τα Ηνωμένα ΄Εθνη, να λάβει εγκαίρως κατάλληλα μέτρα που θα απαγορεύουν εχθρικές ενέργειες από τις κρατικές της υπηρεσίες, να αποθαρύνει ενέργειες ιδιωτικών φορέων που ενδεχομένως μπορούν να προκαλέσουν βία, μίσος, ή εχθρότητα, και να προχωρήσει στην αναθεώρηση του περιεχομένου σχολικών βιβλίων, χαρτών και άλλων σχολικών βοηθημάτων προκειμένου αυτά να περιέχουν ακριβείς πληροφορίες. Τα ψηφίσματα επίσης καλούν τη π.Γ.Δ.Μ να συνεργαστεί με την Ελλάδα εντός του πλαισίου της διαδικασίας των Ηνωμένων Εθνών με σκοπό να πραγματοποιηθούν οι από μακρού τεθέντες πολιτικοί στόχοι των Ηνωμένων Πολιτειών και των Ηνωμένων Εθνών προκειμένου να επιτευχθεί κοινά αποδεκτή λύση για το επίσημο όνομα της π.Γ.Δ.Μ.

Έλληνες και Ελληνίδες,

Η περιφρούρηση της πατρογονικής μας κληρονομιάς είναι υποχρέωση όλων μας. Ενεργείστε σήμερα. Ως Ελληνισμός ξεπερνούμε τα 3.000.000 στις Η.Π.Α. Εχουμε τεράστια δύναμη. Ας την εξασκήσουμε.

Είμαστε υπόλογοι έναντι των μελλοντικών γενεών

Μανώλης Βεληβασάκης, Πρόεδρος του Ελληνοαμερικανικού Εθνικού Συμβουλίου

Θεόδωρος. Σπυρόπουλος, Επίτιμος Πρόεδρος του Ελληνοαμερικανικού Εθνικού Συμβουλίου

Νίνα Γκατζούλη, Πρόεδος της Παμμακεδονικής Ένωσης Αμερικής

Hon. Condoleezza Rice                                                                                                                     February 14, 2009

US Secretary of State

STATE DEPARTMENT

Washington, DC

Re:  Name Issue for the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

Dear Madame Secretary:

I write to you to express my strong concerns regarding the administrations continuing failure to properly address the name issue regarding the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) as it relates to our interests and that of our most important ally in the BalkansGreece.

The U.S. has important interests in Southeast Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean. The projection of U.S. interests in the region depends heavily on the stability of the region. Therefore, the U.S. has an important stake in fostering good relations among neighboring countries in the region. To this effect, Greece is of vital importance in the region by virtue of among other factors, its geographic location and by being home to the most important naval base in the Mediterranean Sea, Souda Bay, Crete. There are thousands of visits by U.S. military ships and planes to Souda Bay and its adjacent air base annually. This sentiment has been expressed several times by our government in the past few years, by President Bush and by you, Madame Secretary.

Stability in the Balkans is not only critical for overall U.S. interests, but also because it serves the interests of every country in the Balkans. Greece is by far the most stable country, politically and economically, in the Balkans and the biggest investor with over 22 billions dollars.  By contrast, FYROM is of limited significance to the national security interests of the United States.

Yet, FYROM continues to provoke Greece usurping history which has been Hellenic for thousands of years, while FYROM refuses to negotiate in good faith over the name issue.  Unfortunately, actions over the years such as distortion of geographic maps, naming its airport Alexander the Great, revisionist textbooks in schools, and inflammatory comments by top government officials, encourages new generations in FYROM to cultivate hostile sentiments against Greece. Further, this continuing systematic government policy will hinder FYROMs accession to both the EU and NATO. This is the real threat to stability in the Balkans, to the detriment of U.S. interests.

We wish to remind you that currently there are over 100 members of the Congress who have signed onto H.Res. 356, calling on FYROM to cease it hostile activities or propaganda against Greece.

As you prepare to meet today with Greeces Foreign Minister, Dora Bakoyianni, we know that a main topic on the agenda will be the FYROM name issue and how this continuing unresolved issue threatens the forthcoming expected application of FYROM to join NATO. It is evident however that the total Greek American community is against a permanent name for the neighboring state which would include the name Macedonia/Macedonian.  The U.S. supports FYROMs admission to NATO.  Greece obviously objects to admission without a resolution to the name issue, and has stated it will use their veto, if necessary, which Greece is within her rights to exercise.   The immediate settlement of the name issue, in a way that is acceptable to Greece, will allow the United States strongest ally in the Balkans to be the driving force for FYROMs membership to NATO and ultimately to the European Union.

FYROMs passport to NATO and the European Union is Greece.

Therefore, we call upon you, Madame Secretary, to please use your influence with FYROM to impress upon them to negotiate in good faith with Greece to resolve the name issue that would clearly differentiate that country from, Macedonia the northern province of Greece and its Hellenic history and for FYROM to cease immediately their irredentist propaganda against Greece, which violates the UN-brokered Interim Accord, as stated in Article 7 paragraph 1 of the Accord, signed in New York on September 13 1995 between FYROM and Greece.  Only in this way will the interests of all parties be satisfied.

We write to you in the interests of the United States and for the support of our long-time and loyal ally Greece, who is our most important strategic partner in the region and the key country for stability in the region.

                                                                          Respectfully yours,

                                                                        Signature:___________________

Name:______________________

Address:____________________

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