[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 356 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 356

 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Former 
 Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) should stop the utilization of 
   materials that violate provisions of the United Nations-brokered 
  Interim Agreement between the FYROM and Greece regarding ``hostile 
activities or propaganda'' and should work with the United Nations and 
Greece to achieve longstanding United States and United Nations policy 
  goals of finding a mutually-acceptable official name for the FYROM.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 1, 2007

 Mrs. Maloney of New York (for herself, Mr. Wexler, Mr. Gallegly, and 
 Mr. Bilirakis) submitted the following resolution; which was referred 
                  to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Former 
 Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) should stop the utilization of 
   materials that violate provisions of the United Nations-brokered 
  Interim Agreement between the FYROM and Greece regarding ``hostile 
activities or propaganda'' and should work with the United Nations and 
Greece to achieve longstanding United States and United Nations policy 
  goals of finding a mutually-acceptable official name for the FYROM.

Whereas on April 8, 1993, the United Nations General Assembly admitted as a 
        member the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), under the name 
        the ``Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia'';
Whereas United Nations Security Council Resolution 817 (1993) states that the 
        dispute over the name must be resolved to maintain peaceful relations 
        between Greece and the FYROM;
Whereas on September 13, 1995, Greece and the FYROM signed a United Nations-
        brokered Interim Accord that, among other things, commits them to not 
        ``support claims to any part of the territory of the other party or 
        claims for a change of their existing frontiers'';
Whereas a pre-eminent goal of the United Nations Interim Accord was to stop the 
        FYROM from utilizing, since its admittance to the United Nations in 
        1993, what the Accord calls, ``propaganda'', including in school 
        textbooks;
Whereas a television report in recent years showed students in a state-run 
        school in the FYROM still being taught that parts of Greece, including 
        Greek Macedonia, are rightfully part of the FYROM;
Whereas some textbooks, including the Military Academy textbook published in 
        2004 by the Military Academy ``General Mihailo Apostolski'' in the FYROM 
        capital city, contain maps showing that a ``Greater Macedonia'' extends 
        many miles south into Greece to Mount Olympus and miles east to Mount 
        Pirin in Bulgaria;
Whereas in direct contradiction of the spirit of the United Nations Interim 
        Accord's section ``A'', entitled ``Friendly Relations and Confidence 
        Building Measures'', which attempts to eliminate challenges regarding 
        ``historic and cultural patrimony'', the Government of FYROM recently 
        renamed the capital city's international airport ``Alexander the 
        Great'';
Whereas the aforementioned acts constitute a breach of the FYROM's international 
        obligations deriving from the spirit of the United Nations Interim 
        Accord, which provides that FYROM should abstain from any form of 
        ``propaganda'' against Greece's historical or cultural heritage;
Whereas such acts are not compatible with the Article 10 of the United Nations 
        Interim Accord regarding ``improving understanding and good neighbourly 
        relations'', as well as with European standards and values endorsed by 
        European Union member-states; and
Whereas this information, like that exposed in the media report and elsewhere, 
        being used contrary to the United Nations Interim Accord instills 
        hostility and a rationale for irredentism in portions of the population 
        of the FYROM toward Greece and the history of Greece: Now, therefore, be 
        it
    Resolved,  That the House of Representatives--
            (1) urges the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) 
        to observe its obligations under Article 7 of the 1995 United 
        Nations-brokered Interim Accord which directs the parties to 
        ``promptly take effective measures to prohibit hostile 
        activities or propaganda by state-controlled agencies and to 
        discourage acts by private entities likely to incite violence, 
        hatred or hostility'' and review the contents of textbooks, 
        maps, and teaching aids to ensure that such tools are stating 
        accurate information; and
            (2) urges the FYROM to work within the framework of the 
        United Nations process with Greece to achieve longstanding 
        United States and United Nations policy goals by reaching a 
        mutually-acceptable official name for the FYROM.
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