A recently released Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) briefing document – which advises Australian diplomats on how to deal with representatives of foreign states – gives a unique insight into the Australian government’s policies on dealings with FYROM and Cyprus.
First brought to the public’s attention by The Australian newspaper after being released through the Freedom of Information Act, the official guide to diplomacy sets out the path of contact to be followed by Australian diplomats when in contact with representatives of foreign states, political entities and organisations where ‘special considerations’ are involved.
The guidelines – dealing with the world’s most sensitive geopolitical affairs – make reference to issues that are of particular interest
ty and to the Greek diaspora in recent decades, namely FYROM and the occupied territories of Cyprus.
The guidance laid down makes interesting reading. Take this snippet about communications with Skopje.
“Although designated in its own constitution as the ‘Republic of Macedonia’, Australia uses the provincial reference ‘the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia’ in all its bilateral dealings with the state until the long running dispute over the name of the country is resolved between it and Greece.
“This follows the practice adopted by the United Nations in 1993 when the country became a UN member”.
The document goes on to remind diplomats that when Australia agreed to FYROM establishing resident diplomatic representation in Australia, it was on the basis “that each country would use its preferred terminology to designate the state”.
“Australia therefore accepts diplomatic notes or other documents (including travel documents) which use the country’s constitutional name, the ‘Republic of Macedonia’.
“When referring to the state, Australian representatives should spell out the name ‘the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia’. Representatives should avoid using the acronym ‘FYROM’ and should under no circumstances use the title ‘Republic of Macedonia’,” say the guidelines.
DFAT offers advice and rules of official contact for Australian diplomats for all international hot spots – in the Pacific, Latin America, Central Asia, the Middle East, Africa and in the Balkans.
In relation to occupied northern Cyprus, the advice given is: “Australia does not recognise the self-declared ‘Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus’ (‘TRNC’).
Any official contact with representatives of the TRNC should be confined to routine courtesies at social functions held by third parties. Any other contact should be of an informal nature only.”
The guidelines add that “Australia maintains diplomatic relations with the government of the Republic of Cyprus (which in practice exercises jurisdiction only in the south of the island) and accepts it as the sole legitimate government of Cyprus. Our High Commission in Nicosia has an office ‘annexe’ in the ‘TRNC’ from which it contacts consular and passport business.”
The document goes on to confirm that the ‘TRNC’ has established ‘representative offices’ in Sydney and Melbourne headed by community representatives, but that the Australian government does not accord these offices or their representatives official recognition or diplomatic status.