WASHINGTON, D.C., November 5 -- As a follow-up to yesterday s announcement that CEH would be working with leaders in the U.S. Congress to generate a response to the new controversial U.S. policy regarding FYROM, CEH leaders released the following two letters to Secretary of State Colin Powell that are being circulated for signature in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.
 
We again strongly encourage Greek-Americans across the country to contact their two Senators and their Member of Congress and ask them to sign the respective letter to Secretary Powell.  In the first several hours since these letters were circulated, we have already helped secure over 10 Senators and Members to sign these letters, said CEH leaders.
 
Senator Paul Sarbanes (D-MD) is circulating the letter in the U.S. Senate.  In the House of Representatives CEH is working with Congresswomen Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) and Shelley Berkley, of the House International Relations Committee, as well as Congressman Michael Bilirakis (R-FL) and Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), the co-chairs of the Hellenic Caucus, to spearhead this effort.
  
Andrew A. Athens, Chairman, National Coordinated Effort of Hellenes (CEH); National Chairman, United Hellenic American Congress (UHAC); World President, World Council of Hellenes Abroad (SAE)
Philip Christopher, Vice Chair, National Coordinated Effort of Hellenes (CEH); President, International Coordinating Committee--Justice for Cyprus (PSEKA); President, Pancyprian Association of America
Andrew E. Manatos, President, National Coordinated Effort of Hellenes (CEH); Executive Board Member, UHAC and PSEKA
Panicos Papanicolaou, Supreme President, Cyprus Federation of America
Nikos Mouyiaris, Executive Vice President, Pancyprian Association of America
Charles Marangoudakis, President, UHAC New York; Executive Board Member, PSEKA
 
 Letter being circulated for signature in the U.S. Senate by Senator Paul Sarbanes

November XX, 2004

The Honorable Colin Powell
Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20520

Dear Secretary Powell:
 
We are writing to express our deep concern over the Bush AdministrationοΏ½s unilateral decision to recognize the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) as the Republic of Macedonia.  This counter-productive departure from long-standing U.S. policy is ill-advised and ill-timed and we urge you to reconsider this decision.

Greece and FYROM have been deeply engaged in a mutually beneficial process of strengthening bilateral relations on numerous fronts.  Only recently the Greek and FYROM foreign ministers jointly announced their intention to accelerate U.N.-sponsored efforts to resolve the differences over the FYROM name, and the two countries are moving forward with plans to establish reciprocal economic and trade missions. 

Our policy objective should be directed at supporting the strong and stable bilateral and multilateral relations that democratic countries in the Balkan region are developing between and among themselves.  This abrupt shift in U.S. policy with respect to Greece and FYROM introduces negative dynamics into the situation and runs counter to that objective.

We look forward to your response.
 
Sincerely,
 
 
Letter being circulated for signature in the U.S. House of Representatives
 
November 19, 2004

The Honorable Colin Powell
Secretary of State
Department of State
2201 C Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C.  20520

Dear Secretary Powell:

We are writing to express our great concern with the decision that the State Department will now refer to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) as οΏ½the Republic of Macedonia.οΏ½  This sudden, unilateral departure from the long-standing US, UN, EU and NATO policy is counterproductive.  Such actions interfere with the very successful efforts of our long-time ally, Greece, to bring economic prosperity to FYROM and bring peace and stability to the Balkans.  Greece is the number one investor in FYROM and these two countries have been strengthening bilateral relations on many fronts. 

This is more than an issue of a name for the Greek people.  As you may recall, over 50,000 Greek-Americans attended a May 31, 1992 memorial service in Washington, D.C. for the 42,000 Greek citizens who lost their lives at the hands of people living in what is today FYROM.  When those lives were lost, our Secretary of State, Edward Stettinius, Jr., called οΏ½talk of a Macedonian nationοΏ½unjustified demagoguery representing no ethnic nor political realityοΏ½ and οΏ½a cloak for aggressive intentions against Greece.οΏ½

The momentum of this incendiary movement had, in recent years, been dampened down by U.S. intervention and by U.N.-sponsored efforts to resolve differences over FYROMοΏ½s name.  In fact, recently the Greek and FYROM foreign ministers jointly announced their intention to accelerate these U.N. efforts.  This unilateral U.S. action mitigates away from peaceful, constructive efforts to negotiate this issue.  As well, it contradicts the historical facts about Macedonia and unnecessarily injures the culture of our faithful ally, Greece.

We respectfully request that the State Department return to the long-standing policy of referring to FYROM as such.  In addition, we strongly urge you to work hard to assure that no other UN countries break with this UN policy and to strongly support, as we understand Archbishop Demetrios has requested, UN-sponsored efforts to reach a solution on the name that is acceptable to both the people of Greece and FYROM.

Sincerely,