Ire at Canada’s FYROM move
Athens expressed its «displeasure» yesterday at Canada’s decision to adopt the name «Macedonia» for Greece’s northern neighbor in what sources said was pressure being placed on the North American country to accept the name ahead of an upcoming NATO meeting. Foreign Affairs Minister Dora Bakoyannis was expected to contact her Canadian counterpart over the name «Macedonia,» which Greece has opposed since 1992, claiming that it could give the Balkan country territorial claims over Greece. «This decision does not satisfy us. Foreign Affairs Minister Dora Bakoyannis is expected to contact today her Canadian counterpart to express the displeasure of the Greek government and to confirm Greece’s steady and decisive policy on the issue of the name,» said Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesman Giorgos Koumoutsakos. «It is certain that this decision also displeases hundreds of thousands of Canadian citizens of Greek origin,» he added. Canada said that it intends to use the name «Macedonia» for bilateral dealings with Skopje and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) at international fora. Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis has indicated that he will block FYROM’s entry into both NATO and the EU unless a mutually acceptable solution to the name issue is found. Government sources said Athens was coming under further pressure on the name after Sunday’s national elections, as a December NATO meeting approaches which is expected to address the inclusion of new members. Skopje welcomed the move yesterday. «This is very good news for us and we welcome this gesture by Canada,» said FYROM Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski. PASOK leader George Papandreou accused the government of being unable to foresee developments on the name issue and being caught off guard.
