Dear Senator,
Congressman:
It was with
great concern that I read of U.S. Undersecretary for Political Affairs
Nicholas Burns' remarks supporting the efforts of the Former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) to seek recognition under the name
"Macedonia." As you know, the Hellenic Republic has expressed serious
objections to this and has made it clear the name issue conceals FYROM
designs on the Greek province of Macedonia.
Greece has
been a strong ally of the United States and deserves the support of the
American government and the American public when it comes to issues
which touch on Greece's territorial and cultural integrity. Mr. Burns'
comments were not well received in Athens nor by the Greek-American
community, and when provided with the opportunity to clarify his
remarks, the U.S. State Department confirmed that Washington fully
supports his views.
It is my hope
you and your colleagues in Congress will take this opportunity to
express your support for Greece’s position and to continue promoting the
ongoing UN initiative to mediate the crisis before Greece is forced to
veto FYROM's effort to join the European Union and NATO. While the Bush
administration clearly wants to transform a weak FYROM state into an
active and engaged member of the European community, this cannot be done
at the expense of Greece, which is seeking to preserve the historical
and cultural value of Macedonia as a province of Greece.
Please know
this is an issue of great importance to the Greek-American community.
Your friendship and assistance in the past have helped to strengthen the
US-Greek alliance and I hope you will once again act to protect this
important strategic relationship.
Sincerely,
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