NEW YORK – His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America met with the representatives of the Executive Committee of the Pan-Macedonian Association in the United States and discussed with them issues relevant to the national concern of the name of FYROM (Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia).

Pictured with His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios (center) are (L to R) Sophia Stroumbakis (executive secretary), Dimitris Filippidis (supreme secretary),  Dimitris Chatzis (supreme president), Stelios Kirimlis (supreme vice-president), and Fotis Gerasopoulos (past president).

The representatives of the Pan-Macedonian Association informed the Archbishop on the progress of preparations for the 70th anniversary of the founding of the organization and their Congress, to be held June 23-25, 2016 in New York. The center of discussion was the intense efforts and hard work carried out by the Pan-Macedonian Association for the restoration of historical truth in relation to the use of the name “Macedonia” by the state of FYROM.

As part of their 70th Anniversary, the Pan-Macedonian Association begins a petition campaign in order to reverse the wrong decision of the American government in 2004 for provisional recognition of the country of FYROM as “Macedonia,” despite the established practice of the United Nations that uses the name FYROM.

“We continue to support the efforts of the Pan-Macedonian Association and particularly their new initiative to collect signatures on a petition which will ask for the reversal of recognition of FYROM with the name Macedonia,” said Archbishop Demetrios.