Hellenic Electronic Center
with 37,000 Hellenes and 34 Hellenic Organizations
as Associated Members in the US and abroad
Dear Mr. Kerim,
The following letter is intended to urge you to bestow greater attention upon the acts of
aggression undertaken by FYROM against Greece, a respected member of the United Nations
since its inception that has contributed greatly to the ideals of the United Nations. We remind
you that Greece served under the United Nations in Korea during the early 1950's, and is entitled
to support from the UN General Assembly in its efforts to defend itself from the unacceptable and
provocative activities of FYROM. The government of Skopje has adopted an aggressive and
intransigent attitude toward Greece and has completely failed to act in accordance with the
spirit of good will that the Greek government demonstrated in 1995 when it signed an accord
with FYROM.
The recent naming of its airport for Alexander the Great by Skopje is an unacceptable provocation
toward Greece that claims the heritage and history of Macedonia. This is in direct violation of the
accord of 1995 in which Skopje was compelled to remove the Macedonian Sun of Vergina from its
flag. Furthemore, it is a matter of historical fact and attested to by historians and scholars of both
the classical period and of the Byzantine era that Macedonia is Hellenic. Geographically, Macedonia
is presently a province in Northern Greece and the false claims being put forward by the government
in Skopje are an act of blatant aggression. The falsification of history being put forward by the
government of FYROM represents a threat to the stability and peace of the Balkan peninsula, and
demonstrates that this government has territorial claims against United Nations member Greece.
We believe therefore, that the United Nations General Assembly should immediately begin to make
a greater effort to resolve this issue once and for all by assigning blame on the instigator and
condemning the territorial and historical claims being put forward against the Greek nation. The
intransigence of FYROM has been demonstrated by its failure to negotiate in good faith, and by
the failure to renounce its false claims to the Hellenic heritage of Macedonia. As such, we believe
sanctions and/or penalties should be imposed upon FYROM immediately unless Skopje agrees to
adopt a new name and to publicly repudiate the claims of its extreme and fanatical elements who
continue to maintain influence in that former Yugoslav Republic.
The Slav elements in FYROM have absolutely no connection to Macedonia or to Alexander the Great
in any way. The rewriting of history by FYROM emanates to the Communist period of Yugoslav
history and is mutually incompatible with both democratic principles and is a legacy of
the totalitarian rule of dictator Marshall Tito who sought to conquer the Greek province of
Macedonia during the 1940's. For the interests of the peace and stability of the Balkans, and to
fulfill its obligations which UN member Greece is entitled to under the United Nations charter, we
ask that efforts toward a resolution of this matter be intensified and that the authorities in
Skopje be unequivocally informed that its aggessive designs will be met with stern measures until
it comes to an acceptable settlement with Greece which will allow relations between these
neighbors to flourish.
Theodore G. Karakostas
