It's 26 years since Yugoslavia broke into pieces and the republic of Macedonia came into being. In all that time, the new country has lacked an official, internationally agreed name, because of Greece's objections to the name "Macedonia".
Since 1994, diplomats have been trying to negotiate an end to arguably the world's strangest international dispute, in which Greece is objecting to Macedonia's name and refusing to let it join either NATO or the EU until it's changed.
Yesterday, at least 140,000 Greeks have taken to the streets of Athens in a protest about the decades-long dispute over the name Macedonia.
Many Greeks object to the country of the same name calling itself Macedonia, saying it implies a territorial claim on Greece's northern Macedonia region.
Protesters oppose Greek government proposals on resolving the issue.
Macedonia got into the UN by agreeing to be called The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) for all official purposes, but this was not intended to be a permanent solution to the problem, and created a new set of difficulties.
Ban Ki-moon, the former UN secretary-general, once got muddled and called the country the "Former Yugoslav Republic of Yugoslavia" by accident. "He said to me, 'You've got to solve this problem. It's driving me crazy,'" UN mediator Matthew Nimetz says.
Back to today, Greece's left-wing Syriza government says the issue is a diplomatic obstacle it wants resolved and has proposed agreeing to a composite name for the country which would include the word Macedonia but ensure a clear differentiation from the Greek region.
Macedonia argues that its people can be traced back to the ancient kingdom of Macedon, once ruled by Alexander the Great, and that the name "Macedonia" is therefore the logical option.
However, Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said last month that Macedonia would change the name of its airport from Skopje Alexander the Great airport, to show good will.
In organisations such as the UN, where talks have been under way, the country is officially known as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM)
At home, the Macedonian government calls the country it administers simply "Republic of Macedonia".
UN mediator Nimetz has suggested alternatives such as "Republic of New Macedonia".
A proposal to name it "Republic of Macedonia-Skopje" was reportedly accepted by Greece but rejected by Macedonia.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...ousands-join-macedonia-name-protest-in-athens
Since 1994, diplomats have been trying to negotiate an end to arguably the world's strangest international dispute, in which Greece is objecting to Macedonia's name and refusing to let it join either NATO or the EU until it's changed.
Yesterday, at least 140,000 Greeks have taken to the streets of Athens in a protest about the decades-long dispute over the name Macedonia.
Many Greeks object to the country of the same name calling itself Macedonia, saying it implies a territorial claim on Greece's northern Macedonia region.
Protesters oppose Greek government proposals on resolving the issue.
Macedonia got into the UN by agreeing to be called The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) for all official purposes, but this was not intended to be a permanent solution to the problem, and created a new set of difficulties.
Ban Ki-moon, the former UN secretary-general, once got muddled and called the country the "Former Yugoslav Republic of Yugoslavia" by accident. "He said to me, 'You've got to solve this problem. It's driving me crazy,'" UN mediator Matthew Nimetz says.
Back to today, Greece's left-wing Syriza government says the issue is a diplomatic obstacle it wants resolved and has proposed agreeing to a composite name for the country which would include the word Macedonia but ensure a clear differentiation from the Greek region.
Macedonia argues that its people can be traced back to the ancient kingdom of Macedon, once ruled by Alexander the Great, and that the name "Macedonia" is therefore the logical option.
However, Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said last month that Macedonia would change the name of its airport from Skopje Alexander the Great airport, to show good will.
In organisations such as the UN, where talks have been under way, the country is officially known as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM)
At home, the Macedonian government calls the country it administers simply "Republic of Macedonia".
UN mediator Nimetz has suggested alternatives such as "Republic of New Macedonia".
A proposal to name it "Republic of Macedonia-Skopje" was reportedly accepted by Greece but rejected by Macedonia.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...ousands-join-macedonia-name-protest-in-athens
