[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 54 Introduced in House (IH)]







104th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 54

Expressing the sense of the Congress relating to diplomatic recognition 
             of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 3, 1995

Mr. Solomon (for himself, Mr. Bilirakis, Mr. Zimmer, and Mrs. Maloney) 
 submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to 
                the Committee on International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
Expressing the sense of the Congress relating to diplomatic recognition 
             of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

Whereas the United States has strong and enduring economic, political, and 
        strategic ties with the Hellenic Republic of Greece;
Whereas Greece has been a strategic ally of the United States in the Eastern 
        Mediterranean during every major conflict in the 20th century;
Whereas historical and archaeological evidence demonstrates that the ancient 
        Macedonians were Greek;
Whereas Macedonia is a Greek name that has designated the northern area of 
        Greece for over 2,000 years;
Whereas in 1944, the United States opposed the changing of the name of the 
        Skopje region of Yugoslavia by Marshall Tito from Vardar Banovina to 
        Macedonia as part of a campaign to gain control of the Greek province of 
        Macedonia and the major port city of Salonika;
Whereas the regime in Skopje has persisted in inflaming tensions between it and 
        Greece through a sustained propaganda campaign and the continued use of 
        ancient Greek symbols, including the Star of Vergina, in its flag;
Whereas the Skopje regime has refused to remove paragraph (49) from its 
        constitution, a reference to the 1944 declaration by the then communist 
        regime calling for the ``unification'' of neighboring territories in 
        Greece and Bulgaria with the ``Macedonian Republic'';
Whereas Greece has no claim on the territory of the Former Yugoslav Republic of 
        Macedonia and has repeatedly reaffirmed the inviolability of all borders 
        in the area in general and among the two countries in particular; and
Whereas it is in the best interest of the United States to oppose any 
        expansionist or irredentist policies in order to promote peace and 
        stability in the area: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of the Congress that the President--
            (1) should not have granted diplomatic recognition to the 
        Skopje regime that insists on using the Greek name 
        ``Macedonia'' in the name of its country, the Former Yugoslav 
        Republic of Macedonia; and
            (2) should reconsider this decision and withdraw diplomatic 
        recognition and any consideration of financial assistance to 
        the Skopje regime until such time as the Skopje regime--
                    (A) renounces its use of the name ``Macedonia'' in 
                the name of its country;
                    (B) removes objectionable language in paragraph 
                (49) of its constitution;
                    (C) removes symbols which imply territorial 
                expansion, such as the Star of Vergina in its flag;
                    (D) ceases propaganda against Greece; and
                    (E) adheres fully to the norms and principles of 
                the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe.
                                 <all>