Athens livid at FYROM map
Following strong objections from Athens yesterday, the Foreign Ministry of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) removed a link on one its websites which took users to a map of the country showing sections of the country alleged to be under Greek occupation. Greek Foreign Ministry spokesman Giorgos Koumoutsakos said the inclusion of the link had been «provocative,» especially at a time when the EU was «seriously discussing and being troubled over its future and further expansion.» In April, Skopje rejected a UN deal that would have solved the dispute with Athens over the country’s name, by officially renaming it Republika Makedonija-Skopje. Greece, which has in the past threatened to veto FYROM’s EU talks, had reacted positively to the proposal. Another map showed FYROM’s territories extending to the Aegean and had removed all Greek placenames. After removing the link, Skopje issued a statement saying it was not responsible for material included on outside websites.
