Note: This letter was sent to President Bush in 2004. The content of the letter is applicable today as much as it was then. The Macedonian American Council expects to see the Republic of Macedonia become the first example of serving the truth as "the daughter of time... with the justice at its side and the  authority of United States and President Bush behind the real values universal to all mankind. The civilization has a unique opportunity to help Greece to recognize and admit the truth and  the reality, and to face the Macedonian question with a wiser approach, one that guarantees the future of peace, prosperity and happiness of the people  in the Balkans where We all live for generations.

The Honorable

Mr. George W. Bush

President of the United States of America

August 4, 2004

Dear President Bush,

We would like to express our gratitude and deepest appreciation for referring to Macedonia by its true name in various statements, speeches you have made and in the official recent address regarding the greatest national holiday of Macedonians- ILINDEN.

We must say also that under your leadership the United States government adopted this favorable trend of using the name of Macedonia in recent bilateral agreements signed between the two countries. This is further supported with the bills and resolutions passed by the United States Congress. The City Council of Sterling Heights (MI)  in 2003 acted on the proposal by The Ethnic Community Committee (Advisory Board) and has unanimously passed a RESOLUTION recognizing Macedonia, the Macedonians, their culture, church, heritage, ancient and recent history, the first Republic in the Balkan 1903  by  introducing the Macedonian Culture Week ( first week in August).

As born Americans of Macedonian descent, it is our pleasure to bring to your attention an issue which is of profound importance for the peace and stability of the Republic of Macedonia – that is the full recognition of its constitutional name. This will not solve all the problems but it will be the first step in creating a more peaceful Balkan in service of South East Europe stability.

The Republic of Macedonia, the Macedonians and other nationalities that live on its territory, have been a faithful and reliable partners to the United States in the war on terror in Iraq and Afghanistan. They will continue to assist the United States as the leader in the global war on terror and in pursuing a safer and more peaceful international community.

Macedonia has made a significant progress in developing its relationship with NATO and EU. Despite all the challenges the country was facing, the last couple of years revealed the Republic of Macedonia as stable and functional European democracy. A wide-range reform process is currently being undertaken however that challenges the Macedonian Democracy. The so called "Ohrid Framework Agreement" was imposed on Macedonians under terrorist invasion and without the due democratic process while under constant pressure and treats of war. The large Macedonian Diaspora in United States (with full constitutional rights in Macedonia) was arrogantly and intentionally left out and its guaranteed constitutional rights were not exercised, its interests and democratic rights were not taken in consideration.

In response Macedonians from US, Canada and Australia even came to Macedonia for the elections 2002 and presented Macedonia with their own political parties (POMNI, Macedonian Alliance). Regrettably again the same were ignored by the election process. Despite all this, Macedonian Americans have given full support to your policies in relation to Macedonia, and is still given support to the current government of Macedonia that you have shown support for.

The State Department demands for full implementation and full dedication to the implementation of the Ohrid Framework Agreement, aiming at raising the quality of inter-ethnic trust and coexistence, [which is vital for developing a stable and prosperous Macedonia] has made the Government of Macedonia turn blind eye on the due process and is still ignoring even our very existence and our legal and constitutional rights in Macedonia. The implementation of the Ohrid Framework Agreement and as its part the proposed legislation for "decentralization" of local government will make our native villages and cities in Macedonia to be carved again without the due process. The Government of Macedonia, (under additional  "pressure" from EU) is behaving arrogant and turns blind eye on the rising dissatisfaction of its citizen, thus creating a false and for us unacceptable impression that the current administration is behind this serious infringement and denial of their Constitutional rights.

Against our will, this process is cementing and endorsing the accomplishments of the terrorists ethnic cleansing of the Macedonians and making us become minority, or disenfranchising us from our Constitutional rights in the native country of Republic of Macedonia, similar to the process once experienced and today’s reality in the lives of the Macedonians in parts of Macedonia under Greek, Bulgarian and Albanian control.

This seriously undermines our efforts of telling the truth about United States as the peace maker and protector of Democracy worldwide and our committed and unconditional support for your re-election.

The dispute regarding differences over the name between Republic of Greece and Republic of Macedonia is old and irrational, strange to modern practice of international relations. When the Republic of Macedonia declared independence in 1991, Greece immediately objected to its name and flag, claiming that the name Macedonia belongs to Greece and therefore, no country can use this name. Greece subsequently started a propaganda campaign against Macedonia in order to prevent it from receiving international recognition. And Greece is not the only neighbor that challenges Macedonian identity. Serbia refuses to acknowledge Macedonia’s Orthodox Church, and Bulgaria denies the existence of a Macedonian nationality.

The Government of The Republic of Macedonia has publicly, formally, and repeatedly disallowed any territorial claim on Greek lands since the Greeks first made their accusations. But that Government and no one for that matter  can not deny the existence of the Macedonians left behind the borders created 1913 (with the division of Macedonia following the Balkan Wars by the Treaty of Bucharest). Most of the victims of ethnic cleansing and genocide and refugees from those parts of Macedonia are US Citizen, or they live in Canada and Australia. Greece does not permit them entry while all of their properties have been confiscated and given to colonizing Greek settlers from the islands). It is unrealistic to think that Macedonia, a close US ally could be a threat to Greece. The idea that an independent Macedonia will somehow monopolize the name seems an overreaction to the situation. Macedonia’s government even changed the country’s flag and the Constitution as well [without the due process] and only to accommodate "outside factors".

The name Macedonia belongs to the Macedonians as much it belongs to Philip II of Macedon and his son Alexander III of Macedon (The Great).

Notwithstanding, the relations between Greece and Macedonia significantly improved over the last couple of years. Apart from the name issue, the cooperation in all other sectors is thriving, especially economic and trade cooperation. The importance of the name issue in the Greek internal politics has ceased to be a dominant issue that can supposedly threat the stability and security of that country. Rather, it increasingly grows to be a real peril for the young Macedonian democracy, since only the Macedonians depend on the name ‘Macedonia’ as the designation of both their state and their people.

The implications of the pending Kosovo final solution in 2005 could be disastrous for the stability and security of the Republic of Macedonia and the region if the Macedonian legitimate concerns over the name issue are not accordingly accommodated. While "extremism in defending one’s liberty is not a sin", some so called extremists/terrorist ( depending of the side one is on)  interpret the temporary name as a temporary country, thus endangering the territorial sovereignty and integrity of Macedonia, whereas a permanent name definitely represents a permanent country. Moreover, letting the name dispute remain annoying for the Macedonians will signal to Macedonia that the United States, as leader of the international community, may not be fully committed to preserving Macedonia as an integral state. By acknowledging the country’s name, the international community will carry on the peace and stability in Macedonia.

At this point in time, lack of progress in the negotiations between the Republic of Macedonia and the Republic of Greece regarding the name differences under present circumstances suggest that satisfactory solution does not seem feasible.

We strongly believe that the selection of a Macedonia’s name is the sole responsibility of its citizens and that in accordance with the international law there is no precedent for any government to dictate to any nation what its name should be.

In our opinion Dear Mr. President, the Greek side is in no position to demand concessions. Greece should admit guilt for the atrocities, for the ethnic cleansing and genocide of Macedonians (as Germany did for the Jews and so should the Albanians for their deeds in the Republic of Macedonia).

As Christians, and as written in the Holly Bible, Greeks should apologies and ask for forgiveness from the Macedonians for all the suffering they have endured. They also have to pay reparations to the victims and their families, recognize their property rights, and allow return to their villages and ancestral homes. Greece should stop the process of denial of the Macedonian minority rights and their unjust and racist prosecution. Greece should cancel its discriminatory visa practice for the Macedonians and open the border with the Republic of Macedonia and Bulgaria for the free flow of the Macedonians on both side of the border, free flow of people and goods. Finally Greece should recognize the name Macedonia and the Macedonians, their culture and history without any questions and unconditionally.

Greece should ask from Macedonia as a good neighbor to develop mutual way of life with open border concept similar to the one in US and Europe.

Macedonia should welcome such approach and Macedonians as true Christians should accept the apologies and forgive the past sins by the Greeks as an exemplary gesture in the violent Balkan same way as they accepted the amnesty for the Albanian terrorists in Macedonia.  They should also accept the reparations as a gesture of good faith and repatriate with their ancestral land in a blossom of democracy in the Cradle of Civilization.

Macedonia and Greece should find the common roots in their respectively reach history along with the other peoples of the Balkans and create unique model of  open society without  borders of division, but rather with respect  of the common values serving as an example for cohabitation  in the 21 st century Europe.

US, EU and NATO should generously support the project of reunification of the Balkan  in to a new millennium habitat of civilized man in the cradle of civilization.

This is as far Macedonians should be short of their own reunification of Macedonia ( if we were to follow the example of Germany) as the fatherland of Alexander of Macedonia (The Great) and all living and dead Macedonians worldwide.

This may not make sense to many (especially the Greek side), but under right circumstances, we believe that is plausible, just and maybe the only right and lasting solution to both sides. This may be also challenged in a form of US Congressional or US Senate subcommittee hearing that we would support and certainly attend along with many living victims or relatives of the  ethnic cleansing and genocide  over the Macedonians in the Balkan, predominantly in the Western Macedonia and in territories  currently under Greek and Bulgarian control, and along with historians and scholars  from Macedonia and United States, Canada and Australia.

 A European politician was recently quoted as saying that Macedonia is the best kept secret of Europe. We, as American should tell the truth as the ultimate tool for rectifying this.

You Mr. President remind us of the Great Alexander of Macedonia who was leading by persuasion and not by dictation, who started his long expedition outside Macedonia in order to save Macedonia from the danger that was coming. As a matter of fact he was quoted of saying "If we do not go into this fight and conquer these tribes, they will come after 2000 years and they will destroy Macedonia." Today 2300 years lather with the same vision you lead the war on terror to protect America’s future for the generations to come.

At this time, we would like to ask for your support and the support of the United States in persuading the Government of Greece to accept the constitutional name of the Republic of Macedonia. We firmly believe that now is the time to recognize the Republic of Macedonia by its constitutional name, which is the only morally correct option to undertake under the present circumstances.

In these turbulent times we face the challenge of serving the justice with the help of your authority and honoring the truth as the daughter of time. Don’t allow Macedonians to be forced again to accept to be victims (now in the Republic of Macedonia as well) and instead receiving reparations and compensation for what they have endured in the remote (1913) and very recent past (1999 US Kosovo war, 2001 Albanian terrorist invasion and at present) they must not be asked to give concessions in a repeat of history without precedent.

We do not want to live in a World that does not have Macedonia, in a world without Macedonians as a very reminder of the history of civilization.

Recognizing Macedonia by its constitutional name Republic of Macedonia will send a powerful signal that Macedonia and its citizens are wanted and needed in the family of nations. It will be message to all truth loving people that only the great leaders recognize and face the historic moments as great man.

Dear Mr. President. Let us conclude by reiterating the thought that we must not remain the mere spectator at what is happening. Let us conclude with a quote that no man is an island, an entity onto himself.  If Macedonia is destroyed, can Europe ever be the same?

Will she not be diminished, dishonored and humiliated?  And, for that matter, can the world ever be the same after the demise of Macedonia?

That's why we organize and unite in our struggle to save and preserve Macedonia, not only as a country, a nation state, a constitutional Democracy, but an idea, and an ideal founded on the inalienable universal principles of liberty, equality, justice and dignity of the common man, the same  principles that make our very United States of America the greatest nation on Earth and the last hope of so many.

Respectfully yours,

Macedonian American Council

Svetozar ( Steve)  Stamevski

Dr.Stojadin (Steve) B. Naumovski

Misko Vasovski

Kosto Tasevski

Deniel D.Simjanovski, MSF,JD,LLM