62ND PAN-MACEDONIAN UNION OF AMERICA CONGRESS ENDS

Greek News
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June 9 2008
New York

New York.- The 62nd congress of the Panmacedonian Union of America
ended here on Saturday May 31st, with the re-election of Nina Gatzouli
as the Union’s president and the ratification of a resolution stressing
that "we shall never accept any name for FYROM (the Former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia) that will contain the term ‘Macedonia’ or
its derivatives."

The delegates declared their "steadfast opposition" to the recognition
of FYROM by the United States with the name "Republic of Macedonia"
and called for "continuous propaganda on irredentism that is being
emitted by FYROM, including the appropriation and distortion of the
Greek cultural heritage of Macedonia, to stop completely."

During the official dinner, Archbishop of America Demetrios was
honoured with the "Filippio Award." Receiving the award, the primate
of the Greek Orthodox Church of America called on the delegates and
the expatriates in general to confront FYROM’s propaganda "that has
infiltrated government services and public libraries in the United
States."

Greek Ambassador to the United States Alexandros Mallias said on
his part that "your decision to honour Archbishop Demetrios with the
‘Filippio Award’ gives it a splendour and a moral base."

DECLARATION The Pan-Macedonian Association of the USA in a duly
convened meeting at its 62nd Annual Convention on May 29 to May 31st,
2008, in New York, NY USA declares the following: 1. We strongly
oppose the recognition of The Former Yugoslav Republic Of Macedonia
(The FYROM) as the "Republic of Macedonia" by the government of the
United States of America.

2. We demand that the continuous irredentist propaganda emanating
from The FYROM, including the falsification of the Hellenic heritage
of Macedonia, stops immediately.

3. We shall never accept an Orthodox Church with the term "Macedonia"
or its derivatives in its name.

4. We oppose the use of the name Republic of "Macedonia" in any
legal document within the Hellenic Republic, or by Hellenic interests
worldwide.

5. We condemn terrorism in all of its forms.

6. Turkey must respect the territorial integrity of the Republic of
Cyprus, which is a full EU member. Turkey must immediately remove all
its occupation troops, it must remove the illegal settlers who were
brought to Cyprus from the mainland of Turkey, return all properties
to the rightful owners and make all reparations to the Cypriots.

7. We regard the continued discriminatory acts, rules, and
policy of Turkey against the Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarchate
of Constantinople, a violation of freedom of religion that is
inconsistent with the country’s aspirations to become a member of
the European Union. We demand the reopening of the Theological
School of Halki, the restoration of the confiscated property of
the Ecumenical Patriarchate and we demand respect for the property
rights of Hellenes in Constantinople. The recent decision by Turkish
Supreme Court rejecting the ecumenicity of the Patriarch is contrary
to European Union Laws.

8. We demand recognition by the U.S.A. and Turkish governments of
the genocides against the Armenian, Assyrian as well as the Hellenic
genocide.

9. We condemn the continuous violations by Turkey of the Greek
territorial space.

10. We expect from the Republic of Bulgaria to return of the Holy
Relics that were removed from the monasteries of Drama and Serres.

11. We demand the return of the Parthenon Marbles to the place of
their origin.

12. The Kalash of the northern Himalayan region of the Hindu Kush
Mountains of Pakistan are Hellenic descendants of the armies of
Alexander the Great. The Kalash Indigenous people have sustained their
ancient culture and traditions since the 4th century B.C., yet they
are in danger of extinction. Being our Hellenic Macedonian brothers
and sisters, we support their efforts to sustain their ethnic values
and identity.

13. We support the Kalash proposal to "Bring the Glory Back" which
is, to apply the rule of Law of Alexander the Great, as the guideline
for the Security Council of the United Nations".

14. The retrieval of bones of Greek soldiers, who fell during WWII
battles in the mountains of Northern Epirus, is not an economic
transaction, but a humanitarian issue and our national duty. The
road of Albania to the European Union requires the RESPECT of Human,
Political, Cultural, Religious and Educational Rights of the Greek
minority.

15. The Albanians should cease all propaganda regarding the Chams if
Albania is to proceed in its Euro-Atlantic integration.

16. We urge all Greek-Americans to register to vote and exercise that
right in all upcoming elections. We also urge them to influence their
local, state and national Representatives to support the Hellenic
national issues and specifically support HR 356 and SR 300, regarding
the irredentist propaganda of the FYROM.

17. The Greek Parliament should not ratify any agreement for the
admission of the FYROM into NATO or the European Union even under
any name that includes the term "Macedonia" or its derivatives.

18. We disagree with the Greek political leaders in regards of the
previous decision of the political leaders which excluded the use of
the term "Macedonia" for the name of the FYROM.