Australia will continue referring to "Macedonia" as FYROM

Despite good bilateral relations Australia will continue referring to "Macedonia" as FYROM, the provisional acronym that the country used to enter the UN, visiting Speaker of Australia's House of Representatives told media in Skopje on Friday.
Everything is possible, “but it is least likely” that Australia's parliament launch an initiative to recognise Macedonia under its constitutional name, Jenkins said after meeting his "Macedonian" counterpart Trajko Veljanovski.

However Australia has allowed the considerable "Macedonian" community living in the country to self-identify and to describe their language as "Macedonian", Jenkins noted.

“It is something that Australia protects and believes that it is of great importance,” he said.

During Jenkins’s visit the two countries signed a social security agreement that will enable the Macedonian diaspora living in Australia receive pensions and disability insurance if they return to "Macedonia" and vice versa.

The Australian speaker also attended a reception hosted by President Gjorgi Ivanov.

Greece and "Macedonia" have been waging an 18-year-long battle over the country's name, with Greece insisting Skopje changes its name.

Canberra, which also has a significant Greek diaspora living in the country, recognises Skopje under the provisional UN reference, FYROM, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, a name that the country used in 1993 to enter the UN and avoid a Greek blockade.

However some 120 UN member countries, including Russia, China and the USA have recognised "Macedonia" under its constitutional name.


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