Greece accuses Macedonia of undermining name dispute talks

16/07/2008

ATHENS, Greece -- Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis on Tuesday (July 15th) accused Macedonian Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski of trying to undermine talks aimed at resolving the long-standing name dispute between the two countries. Bakoyannis was responding to a letter Gruevski sent on Monday in which he asked Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis to recognise the Macedonian minority in Greece. Bakoyannis warned Skopje that "such extreme nationalism sows wind and reaps a whirlwind". Greek government spokesman Theodoros Roussopoulos also criticised the move and said Athens's official response to Gruevski's letter would come shortly. (ANA-MPA, Kathimerini, Naftemporiki, To Vima, Makfax, BBC - 15/07/08)