[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 300 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 300

Expressing the sense of the Senate 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 
  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 FYROM.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             August 3, 2007

  Mr. Menendez (for himself, Ms. Snowe, and Mr. Obama) submitted the 
 following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
                               Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Expressing the sense of the Senate 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 
  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 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 FYROM;
Whereas, on September 13, 1995, Greece and 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 
        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 FYROM still being taught that parts of Greece, including Greek 
        Macedonia, are rightfully part of 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 
        Airport'';
Whereas the aforementioned acts constitute a breach of FYROM's international 
        obligations deriving from the spirit of the United Nations Interim 
        Accord, which provide that FYROM should abstain from any form of 
        ``propaganda'' against Greece's historical or cultural heritage;
Whereas such acts are not compatible with Article 10 of the United Nations 
        Interim Accord, which calls for ``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 FYROM toward Greece and the history of Greece: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (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 FYROM to work with Greece within the framework of 
        the United Nations process to achieve longstanding United 
        States and United Nations policy goals by reaching a mutually-
        acceptable official name for FYROM.
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