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    <div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 1/9/2018 12:53 AM, Alfred Laun via
      NCDXA wrote:<br>
    </div>
    <blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:CAB8Ke1x=RxVqoxM7CYSXSx5=ixepK_c9md2e=wNR67hsv5HmwA@mail.gmail.com">
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        <div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large">Fellow
          members of NCDXA:</div>
        <div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large"><br>
        </div>
        <div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large">The matter of
          whether Kosovo should be added by the ARRL to the list of DXCC
          entities has reportedly been passed on the to ARRL DX Advisory
          Committee (DXAC) for consideration.  I had been asked by my
          good friend, well-known DXpeditioneer Martti Laine, OH2BH,
          with whom I serve on the Board of Directors of the Yasme
          Foundation, to send a letter, as President of NCDXA, to the
          DXAC supporting this step.  However, I did not feel
          comfortable acting on behalf of NCDXA without first consulting
          our membership.</div>
        <div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large"><br>
        </div>
        <div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large">So I added
          the matter to the agenda for our meeting on December 16, 2017
          where the initiative was approved unanimously by those in
          attendance.  As can be seen in the minutes of that meeting
          which have been sent to you earlier, I was tasked with
          composing a letter to be mailed to the DXAC.  I have now done
          so, and I present it here for your information.  In case
          anyone has any suggestions for additions or corrections, I
          will wait until Friday January 12 before mailing off the
          letter by USPS post.</div>
        <div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large"><br>
        </div>
        <div class="gmail_default" style="font-size:large">The text
          follows herewith:</div>
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          <p class="MsoNormal"
            style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span
              style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New
              Roman","serif"">NATIONAL CAPITOL DX
              ASSOCIATION<br>
                         <span>        </span>          
              P. O. BOX 1149<br>
                               
              CLINTON, MD 20735-5149<br>
              <br>
              <br>
              Rick Roderick, Esq., President, American Radio Relay
              League<br>
              Dr. Gary Jones, Chairman, ARRL DX Advisory Committee
              (DXAC)<br>
              Chris Shalvoy, Atlantic Division Representative, DXAC<br>
              Gary Dixon, Roanoke Division Representative, DXAC  <br>
              <br>
              Dear Sirs:<br>
              <br>
              The National Capitol DX Association (NCDXA) is an
              ARRL-affiliated DX club, a
              Virginia non-profit corporation and the administrator of
              the ARRL Third Call
              Area Incoming QSL Bureau.  Members are located primarily
              in the greater
              Washington, D. C. area.<br>
              <br>
              It is our understanding that the DXAC is currently tasked
              with the
              responsibility of determining whether Kosovo should be
              added to the list of
              DXCC Entities.  At its regular meeting on December 16,
              2017 NCDXA members
              in attendance voted unanimously to petition the DXAC to
              add Kosovo to the list
              of DXCC Entities. <span> </span>Prior to sending this
              letter to you, the draft has been circulated to the entire
              NCDXA membership via
              the club reflector in an effort to make sure all members
              agree with this
              decision, and to provide the membership with a chance to
              comment and make additions
              or corrections to the proposal.<br>
              <br>
              While we realize that decision about this matter has been
              delayed in the past
              due to the desire not to offend powerful member societies
              of the International
              Amateur Radio Union (IARU) which opposed the addition of
              Kosovo to the DXCC
              Entities list, now that the IARU society members
              themselves have added the<i> Shoqata e Radio Amatorëve të
                Kosovës</i>
              (SHRAK) to the list of IARU member societies, we believe
              it is time to add
              Kosovo to the list of DXCC Entities.<span>  </span>It
              should be noted that the web site </span><a
href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_aircraft_registration_prefixes%20"
              moz-do-not-send="true"><span
                style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New
                Roman","serif"">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_aircraft_registration_prefixes
              </span></a><span
              style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New
              Roman","serif""><span>  </span>lists Z6 as
              the aircraft registration prefix
              for Kosovo (Kosovo listing right below Jordan on the
              list). <br>
              <br>
              Though we understand that most Serbians continue to oppose
              status as an
              independent nation for Kosovo, Serbian President<i>
                Aleksandar Vučić</i> himself has indicated a willingness
              to normalize
              relations between Serbia and Kosovo.  Indeed, Kosovo
              already has all of
              the trappings of an independent nation and in practice
              functions as such. 
              Currently the United States and 110 other members of the
              United Nations
              recognize Kosovo as an independent nation.<span> 
              </span>A number of Radio Amateurs have been licensed by
              the Kosovo authorities and have
              been eager to join the fun on the bands.<span> 
              </span>Unfortunately the fact that Kosovo has not been
              recognized as a DXCC
              entity causes them to be subject to occasional
              abuse on the packet clusters when their call signs are put
              out there. <br>
              <br>
              We believe that the addition of Kosovo as a DXCC Entity
              could be facilitated by
              reinstating the former consideration that being a member
              society of the IARU
              in itself qualifies the nation that society represents as
              eligible for status
              as a DXCC Entity.<br>
              <br>
              Alternatively, the DXAC could specify that any nation
              appearing on the
              Department of State's "Independent States in the World"
              list at </span><a
              href="https://www.state.gov/s/inr/rls/4250.htm"
              target="_blank" moz-do-not-send="true"><span
                style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New
                Roman","serif"">https://www.state.gov/s/inr/rls/4250.htm</span></a><span
              style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New
              Roman","serif""> qualifies that nation to
              be a DXCC Entity.<br>
              <br>
              It is our hope that you will give favorable consideration
              to our request. 
              Our club has just been shocked by the untimely and tragic
              death of our former
              President David Collingham, K3LP, who was elected to two
              terms as our leader,
              and we would hope that you would keep in mind David’s very
              active participation
              in DXpeditions all over the world as you make your
              decision. <span> </span><span> </span>Thank
              you very much for your time and attention to this matter.<br>
              <br>
                                            
              73, <br>
                                           
              <br>
                                            
              Alfred A. "Fred" Laun, K3ZO<br>
                                            
              President<br>
                                            
              National Capitol DX Association  </span></p>
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            style="margin-bottom:0.0001pt;line-height:normal"><span
              style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New
              Roman","serif"">73, Fred, K3ZO
                                           <br>
            </span></p>
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      <pre wrap="">_______________________________________________
NCDXA mailing list
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<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://mail.rickmurphy.net/mailman/listinfo/ncdxa">http://mail.rickmurphy.net/mailman/listinfo/ncdxa</a>
</pre>
    </blockquote>
    <p>Hi Fred:</p>
    <p>The letter looks ok to me. Let it go out.</p>
    <p>73, John, N4MM<br>
    </p>
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