ACTION ALERT

TO: AHI Chapter Presidents, Congressional Contact Team Leaders, Members and Friends
FROM: Nick Larigakis, AHI Executive Director
DATE: January 22, 2008
Re:

PLEASE CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVE AND TWO SENATORS TO COSPONSOR H.RES. 356 AND S.RES.300 REGARDING FYROM

BACKGROUND:

H.Res 356/S.Res. 300

On May 1, 2007, Representative Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) introduced H.Res. 356 which urges FYROM to stop utilizing materials that violate provisions of the UN-brokered Interim Agreement between FYROM and Greece regarding “hostile activities or propaganda” and should work with the United Nations and Greece to achieve longstanding US and UN policy goals to find a mutually-acceptable official name for FYROM.

Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) introduced the Senate version, S.Res. 300, on August 3, 2007. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) and Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME) are cosponsors of S.Res. 300.

Critical Issue in 2008

This issue will be very important in 2008 because the United States is strongly advocating for FYROM to be included into NATO and EU talks this year without a solution to FYROM’s name with Greece. The inclusion of FYROM into NATO or the EU without the resolution of the name with FYROM will make it difficult for Greece to negotiate with FYROM over its name. Greece has clearly stated that it will not support FYROM's membership to NATO unless a mutually acceptable solution is found prior to the NATO Summit in Bucharest, Romania in April.

Both resolutions addresses FYROM’s hostile acts such as renaming the capital city’s international airport to “Alexander the Great” or teaching students in FYROM’s state run schools that parts of Greece, including Greek Macedonia, are rightfully part of FYROM.

The original cosponsors for H.Res 356 are Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Robert Wexler (D-FL), and Elton Gallegly (R-CA). Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Barack Obama (D-IL), and Olympia Snowe (R-ME) are original cosponsors for S.Res. 300. H.Res. 356 currently has 101 cosponsors while S.Res. 300 has 3.

H.Res. 356 and S.Res. 300 urges FYROM to:

  1. To observe its obligations under Article 7 of the 1995 UN-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.
  2. Urges the FYROM to work within the framework of the UN process with Greece to achieve longstanding United States and United Nations policy goals by reaching a mutually-acceptable official name for FYROM.

The American Hellenic Institute urges you to contact your representative and senator to cosponsor and support H.Res. 356 and S.Res. 300.

A list of cosponsors for H.Res. 356 and S.Res. 300 are included below.

Cosponsors of H.Res. 356

Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Robert Wexler (D-FL), Elton Gallegly (R-CA), Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), John Sarbanes (D-MD), Rush Holt (D-NJ), Chaka Fattah (D-PA), Henry Brown, Jr. (R-SC), James Langevin (D-RI), Shelly Berkley (D-NV), James McGovern (D-MA), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Doris Matsui (D-CA), Patrick Kennedy (D-RI), Joseph Crowley (D-NY), Zachary Space (D-OH), Donald Payne (D-NJ), Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT), Lincoln Diaz-Balart (R-FL), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY), Jesse Jackson, Jr. (D-IL), Diane Watson (D-CA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Michael McNulty (D-NY), Mike McIntyre (D-NC), Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ), Albio Sires (D-NJ), Russ Carnahan (D-MO), Robert Andrews (D-NJ), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), Barney Frank (D-MA), Eleanor Holmes-Norton (D-DC), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), George Miller (D-CA), Darlene Hooley (D-OR), Michael Doyle (D-PA), Nita Lowey (D-NY), Steve Israel (D-NY), John Duncan (D-TN), Peter Roskam (R-IL), Martin Meehan (D-MA), John Tierney (D-MA), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Loretta Sanchez (D-CA), Janice Schakowsky (D-IL), Allyson Schwartz (D-PA), William DelaHunt (D-MA), Henry Waxman (D-CA), Bobby Rush (D-IL), Danny Davis (D-IL), Hilda Solis (D-CA), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Christopher Shays (R-CT), Anthony Weiner (D-NY), Robert Scott (D-VA), Madeleine Bordallo (D-Guam), and Mark Steven Kirk (R-IL), Michael Arcuri (D-NY), Peter T. King (R-NY), Nick J. Rahall (D-WV), Gary Ackerman (D-NY), Jim Costa (D-CA), Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Grace Napolitano (D-CA), Gene Green (D-TX), Vito Fossella (R-NY), Jane Harman (D-CA), Susan Davis (D-CA), Michael Honda (D-CA), Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ), Pete Stark (D-CA), John Yarmuth (D-KY), Darrell Issa (R-CA), Paul Hodes (D-NH), Sander Levin (D-MI), Tom Davis (R-VA), Ed Perlmutter (D-CO), Daniel Lipinski (D-IL), Phil Hare (D-IL), Joe Courtney (D-CT), Gregory Meeks (D-NY), Charles Rangel (D-NY), Betty Sutton (D-OH), Bob Filner (D-CA), Ginny Brown-Waite (R-FL), John Doolittle (R-CA), Timothy Bishop (D-NY), Steven Rothman (D-NJ), John Carter (R-TX), Edward Markey (D-MA), Phil Gingrey (R-GA), Tim Murphy (D-PA), Nikki Tsongas (D-MA), Luis Fortuno (R-Puerto Rico)

Cosponsors of S.Res. 300

Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Barack Obama (D-IL), Olympia Snowe (R-ME)

ACTION REQUESTED—CALL, FAX, or E-MAIL:

  1. To cosponsor H.Res. 356
  2. To cosponsor S.Res. 300

ATTACHMENTS:

  1. Information on how to contact your Representative.
  2. Information on how to contact your Senator.