Select a language
"Greece has announced that it will accept the use of "Northern Macedonia" as the name for the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM)," reports Bucharest daily Adevărul. The declaration by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dimitris Droutsas, could settle a 19-year dispute in which Athens has actively sought to prevent its neighbour from using the name Macedonia, which it insists properly applies to a province that historically belongs to Greece. Since Macedonia became independent in 1991, the row has served as a pretext for Greek opposition to Macedonia's inclusion in NATO and the EU. "If Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski rejects this proposal, he will be forced to explain to his people his reasons for blocking their future in Europe," added Droutsas.
