The deputy Kostas(Gus) Bilirakis, member of the American Congress Committee on European Affairs and co-chairman of the Hellenic Caucus at the US Congress, expressed satisfaction that the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives in Washington approved the bill which includes some paragraphs which he had proposed in person concerning FYROM, the Cyprus Question and the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.
According to the new Parliamentary Bill No. 2683, the American support to FYROM depends on the willingness of the country to participate in discussions with the Greek government to resolve the issue concerning the country’s official name.
In addition, it forbids any American funds for the support of hostile activity or propaganda by the Scopian government or private institutions, including educational material with inaccurate information concerning the history or geography of Greece or FYROM.
Mr. Bilirakis adds that the Bill No. 2583, clarifies that the US policy supports measures which will contribute to the reunion of Cyprus and asks of the State Department to give a detailed list of projects and activities which are financed by USA under the scope of their efforts to unite Cyprus. According to the bill, 37 years after the illegal Turkish invasion and occupation of Cypriot territories, Americans continue to seek for a united and Cyprus, where the two communities will coexist in peace, security and stability.
The Greek American deputy from Florida finally noted that the new bill asks of Turkey to end all discriminations in particular concerning religious matters and to recognize officially the Ecumenical Patriarchate, in order to be able to run, with the right to settle the church organs succession without exterior interventions and the possibility to train clerical staff and to manage its economic issues and its property.
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