Australia “Least Likely” to Recognise Macedonia’s Name

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.