Australian Institute of Macedonian Studies calls for action against website breaching Prespa Treaty

·

The Australian Institute of Macedonian Studies (AIMS) has sent a letter to the Australian Government calling for action against a website and logo of the “Macedonian Communities Council of Australia” as it breaches the Prespa Agreement.

The work of AIMS involves research into Macedonian Hellenic history, institutions, and culture. They had a significant role in assisting various parties within the Hellenic (Greek and Cypriot) diaspora and Greek Government to resolve the name dispute between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), which resulted in the Prespa Agreement of 2018.

Under the Prespa Agreement, FYROM has been recognised internationally under the designation of the “Republic of North Macedonia.” This agreement now constitutes an International Treaty ratified by the United Nations, NATO and the European Union and was approved and fully endorsed by the Parliaments of the Hellenic Republic, as well as the Republic of North Macedonia. Moreover, this bi-lateral and International Treaty is also endorsed by the Australian Commonwealth Government.

The designation “North Macedonia” now constitutes the official nomenclature in the Constitution of their country, clarifying also that North Macedonia has no historical, territorial, or cultural connection with Greek Macedonia, Hellas and its history and culture. The Prespa Agreement applies “Erga Omnes,” which means all governments and their agencies, including that of North Macedonia, and other entities internationally have an obligation to abide by this agreement.

In their letter to the Federal Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs, Andrew Giles MP, the AIMS states that the logo used by the “Macedonian Communities Council of Australia” on its website, “aggressively illustrates irredentist and imperialistic ambitions” as it includes a map of a Greater Macedonia.

“The “Logo Map” unlawfully transects the international borders of Greece and stands as a revisionist provocation, vilifying all those Australian citizens of Greek background,” the letter reads.

The Institute also declared that the Logo Map “represents a breach of the Prespa Agreement as it erases any distinction between the country of North Macedonia and the northern province of Greece, Macedonia.”

“We are therefore lodging an official complaint, requesting the Commonwealth Government to take the necessary action needed to compel the website owners and its collective entity to completely remove or at least, modify the content of their illegitimate and provocative “Logo Map” in order that it complies with the Prespa Treaty,” the AIMS letter reads.

“We believe that these kinds of irredentist allusions should be constrained in Australia, in the interest of creating harmony among all ethnic communities. Nationalistic revisionist attitudes in this country should be legally hampered by the Commonwealth Government, availing ethnic unrest, radicalism, and fundamentalism.”

The President of AIMS, Professor Anastasios Tamis has signed the letter alongside the Institute’s head of information technology, George Lioukas.

The Institute is now undertaking a systematic campaign to oversee the compliance to the rules and clauses of the Prespa International Treaty by the Macedoslavs and the people of North Macedonia.

This comes as the Institute elevates its call for the appropriate use of the Prespa Agreement.

Advertisement

Share:

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH TGH

By subscribing you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Advertisement

Latest News

Father Dimitri Tsakas’ bold take on papal diplomacy in ‘Between Altars and Alliances’

Father Dimitri Tsakas, a Greek Orthodox priest, offers a rich, expansive, and intellectually sophisticated exploration of Pope Francis' diplomatic legacy.

Artificial Intelligence boosts wildfire detection in Cyprus

As Cyprus faces another intense summer with growing wildfire risks, the Municipality of Paralimni-Deryneia is adopting AI.

I understand Greek but struggle to speak it – how can I overcome that barrier

Understanding but not speaking is a common experience of heritage language or background language communities. 

Cyprus: Historical and political responsibilities of a national tragedy (Part 2)

In the previous article, we mentioned that with the Annan Plan we would now have a Federation of two states.

Melbourne seminar on Gemistos Plethon and the Eastern influence on the Western Renaissance

It’s hard to imagine that the great shift towards modern mathematical science was way back in the early 1400s.

You May Also Like

Greece rejects Turkey’s calls to demilitarise Aegean islands

In two letters to the UN Secretary-General, Greece has rejected Turkey’s call for Greece to withdraw its armed forces from the Aegean Islands.

73-year-old Greek woman dies after being struck by car in Oakleigh

A 73-year-old Greek woman has died in hospital after she was hit by a car in Oakleigh this week. Read more here.

Greek communities around Australia gather to celebrate Palm Sunday

Greeks across Australia marked Palm Sunday by attending church services, receiving palm crosses and dining on fish with family and friends.