A nationwide campaign through the National Coordinated Effort of Hellenes (CEH) in Washington, seeking to mobilize U.S. Congressmen to express their concern to Secretary of State Colin Powell that the U.S. will refer to FYROM as the οΏ½Republic of Macedonia,οΏ½ was announced yesterday by CEH Chairman Andrew A. Athens.

Mr. Athens, who is also President of the World Council of Hellenes (SAE), and CEH President Andrew Manatos, announced an appeal to all SAE delegates in the United States, to members of the church communities and other organizations to contact the Senators and House Representatives in their states.

οΏ½Our plan is direct and simple, yet very effective in the United States,οΏ½ Mr. Athens said. οΏ½We are asking U.S. Congressmen from both parties to sign a statement of concern addressed to U.S. Powell. If constituents ask, Congressmen generally would respond. We have the statement in Washington and when Congressmen return to the capital starting next week, CEH will meet them to collect their signature.οΏ½

οΏ½The sudden unilateral departure from the long-standing U.S., UN and EU policy, is extremely counterproductive. Such actions run counter to GreeceοΏ½s outstanding efforts to bring peace and stability to the Balkans,οΏ½ according to CEH leaders Philip Christopher, Vice Chairman, who is also President of PSEKA; Panicos Papanicolaou, also President of Cyprus Federation of America; Nikos Mouyiaris, Executive Vice President of Pancyprian Association of America; and Charles Marangoudakis, President of UHAC New York.

οΏ½We are hopeful that the personal statement by His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios to President Bush on this matter, my own appeal to the President, and the forthcoming efforts of other Hellenes will help counter the damage done by the announcement,οΏ½ Mr. Athens said after his meeting Friday morning in New York with Deputy Minister Panayiotis Skandalakis and Hellenic federations including the PanMacedonian Federation of U.S. and Canada.