Dear
All,
Please read AHEPA's letter to President George W. Bush and US Draft
Resolution, initiated by the Co-Presidents of Congress' Hellenic Caucus,
Representatives Carolyn Maloney and Michael Bilirakis, urging the FYROM to
stop propaganda against Greece.
We are grateful to our AHEPA Brethren and Representatives Carolyn Maloney
and Michael Bilirakis for their support to such an important issue which
concerns all Hellenes and Philhellens.
With esteem,
Nina Gatzoulis
Vice-President of the Pan-Macedonian Association USA
October 26, 2005
VIA FACSIMILE
The Honorable George W. Bush
President of the United States
The White House
Washington, DC 20500
Re: Visit of Prime Minister of
Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
Dear President Bush:
I am writing on behalf of the American Hellenic Educational Progressive
Association (AHEPA), the nation's largest and oldest American-based Greek
heritage grassroots membership organization, on the occasion of tomorrow's
visit of Prime Minister Vlado Buckovski to The White House.
Mr. President, on October 3, you affirmed the strategic partnership
between the United States and longtime ally Greece in the Balkans upon
receiving the credentials of newly appointed Greek Ambassador Alexandros
P. Mallias. Indeed Greece, as a member of the European Union, NATO, and
the United Nations Security Council (2005-06), and the wealthiest nation
in the area[1], is a viable source for stabilization in the Balkans.
As your White House statement of September 7, 2005 indicated, the Former
Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (F.Y.R.O.M.) is "succeeding in the
process of Euro-Atlantic integration." Our position is to
encourage this direction because it is in the best interest of the United
States and Greece. As the United States' strategic partner in the
Balkans, Greece can certainly aid the process-and has-as a trade partner
and top investor in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
However, an unresolved issue that prevents relations between Greece and
F.Y.R.O.M. from reaching its apex is over the name of the latter country.
The name-recognition issue between the two countries is a sensitive one,
especially for the Greek government and its citizens, who seek to preserve
the cultural and historical significance of its Macedonian province. In a
speech presented at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
yesterday, The Honorable Dora Bakoyannis, mayor of Athens, indicated that
textbooks in F.Y.R.O.M. ".continuously present Greek Macedonia, the
historic Macedonia, as a land under Greek occupation." Moreover, as
further indication of the issue's seriousness, Greek Foreign Minister
Petros Molyviatis said: "We have the right, on the basis of the 1995
interim agreement, to oppose the neighboring country's accession to
international organizations under any name other than that of 'Former
Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia.'" [2] However, despite these concerns the diplomatic will
exists on the part of the Greek government to resolve the issue.
Therefore, we request that you communicate the importance of the
name-recognition issue to Prime Minister Buckovski. In doing so, the
United States will be serving its own best interest by contributing to the
political and social stability in the Balkans as well as to economic
development in the region.
Respectfully submitted,
Gus J. James, II
National President
http://www.mpa.gr/article.html?doc_id=552321
US DRAFT RESOLUTION URGES FYROM TO STOP PROPAGANDA AGAINST GREECE
Washington, 1 November 2005 (16:48 UTC+2)
A draft resolution calling on the Former Yugoslav Republic of
Macedonia (FYROM) to put an end to its negative and nationalistic
propaganda against Greece and cooperate with the United Nations and Athens
to find a mutually acceptable name, was tabled in the US House of
Representatives by the co-presidents of the Congress' Hellenic Caucus
group, Representatives Carolyn Maloney and Michael Bilirakis.
According to the "GreekNews", the draft resolution refers to the
UN General Assembly decision to accept FYROM to the organisation under the
name Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia in April 1993, to the 817/1993
Security Council resolution for settling the dispute over the new state's
name, and to the 1995 Interim Agreement between Athens and Skopje.
It is also pointed out in the resolution that FYROM "has allowed the
dissemination of negative and nationalistic propaganda through school
books that teach pupils that parts of Greece - including Greek Macedonia -
belong to FYROM, and through maps that show a "Great Macedonia"
extending to Mount Olympus in Greece and to Mountain Pirin in Bulgaria in
the east, thus consolidating, among parts of its population, enmity
towards Greece."
