[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 154 (Friday, October 12, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2122]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    RESOLVING THE OFFICIAL NAME OF THE FORMER YUGOSLAV REPUBLIC OF 
                               MACEDONIA

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 12, 2007

  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Madam Speaker, finding an internationally-
acknowledged name for the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) 
is an issue that threatens the peace of the Balkans and the stability 
of the region.
  Particularly troubling is the ongoing insensitivity displayed by 
officials of FYROM with respect to provocative propaganda and rhetoric 
that is offensive to Greece.
  The latest example of this occurred on September 25, when Dr. Srgjan 
Kerim, President of the United Nations General Assembly and a native of 
FYROM, introduced to the Assembly, FYROM's President as ``President of 
the Republic of Macedonia.''
  Resolution of this issue could bring substantial stability to the 
region and pave the way for further integration of FYROM into the 
international community.
  I would therefore like to bring to the House's attention excerpts 
from the following article that appeared in the September 27, 2007 
issue of The National Interest by His Excellency Alexandros P. Mallias, 
Ambassador of Greece to the United States.
       When U.N. General Assembly president H.E. Dr. Srgjan Kerim, 
     a native of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 
     (FYROM), introduced on September 25 the president of his home 
     country, Mr. Branko Crvenkovski, he implied that the national 
     interest of FYROM prevails over his duties to the UN body. He 
     therefore addressed Mr. Crvenkovksi as the ``President of the 
     Republic of Macedonia.''
       Some people may think that what happened in the UN 
     constitutes a minor or isolated incident. Nevertheless, this 
     is not the case--this has deeper roots both on a regional and 
     international level. Challenging UN resolutions and decisions 
     and ignoring commitments undertaken through international 
     agreements, as FYROM has systematically done by violating the 
     US-brokered Interim Accord with Greece, is a bad precedent. 
     This is a violation of the principle of good-neighborly 
     relations and puts sustained regional stability in jeopardy.
       Dr. Kerim, obviously acting under instructions from his 
     government, has irreparably damaged his standing and 
     credibility as president of the General Assembly. He did not 
     respect the resolutions of the body over which he is 
     presiding nor of the Security Council of the United Nations, 
     the organization he has been called upon to serve.
       The actions of Dr. Kerim and FYROM are a clear indication 
     of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia's lack of 
     respect for international law and international institutions. 
     They are also a blunt violation of the US-brokered Interim 
     Accord.
       Many Americans may think this is a minor issue. But the 
     history of the region, not to mention of Europe as a whole, 
     demonstrates that whenever irredentist claims are left 
     unaddressed, the seeds of future conflicts are sown. Europe 
     today is governed by the rule of law; the completion of the 
     European project in the Balkans--and the extension of a zone 
     of peace and prosperity--rest upon the willingness of 
     governments to live up to their international commitments. 
     Obligations are like a tapestry; even pulling on what might 
     appear to outsiders to be a small and insignificant thread 
     can end up unraveling the entire work. We have too much 
     invested in the stability of the region to allow this to 
     happen.

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