House resolution referring to FYROM as 'Macedonia' axed
A resolution initially tabled with the US Congress' International Relations Committee welcoming four foreign parliamentary delegations here, including one from the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), was withdrawn after opposition by near two dozen committee members to use of the name "Macedonia".
The development comes after an intervention by three high-ranking members of the so-called "Hellenic caucus" in Congress -- Michael Bilirakis (R-FL), Caroline Maloney (D-NY) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL). Twenty-two out of 49 members of the committee expressed their opposition to the name "Macedonia" in the resolution.
On a state legislature level, a resolution tabled in Illinois' general assembly in support of the rights (religious, linguistic and self-determination) of "Macedonians" living in the Balkans was also thrown out following concerted efforts by ethnic Greek groups in the United States.
Caption: A file photo of US Congressman Michael Bilirakis. ANA-MPA / D. Panagos.


