Greece is alarmed at what Athens sees as a lack of preparation from Skopje ahead of striking a deal over the FYROM name dispute.
“Which adjective do they [Skopje] want in front of the noun and describe it to their population?” Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias asked on Monday.
The Greek official spoke to Euronews in the aftermath of Sunday’s rally in Athens over the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia name dispute. Hundreds of thousands of Greeks protested against the use of the term ‘Macedonia’ in the Balkan country’s name.
Kotzias downplayed the number of the people at the demonstration: “I think that the rally was not as big as its organizers expected, considering that the entire center-right, right, and the extreme right-wing opposition supported it, as well as the church and other organizations,” he said.
The Greek minister — who reportedly received death threats last week ahead of Sunday’s rally — told Euronews that the Skopje government has not prepared its people for an agreement.
“I’m still waiting for Skopje, finally, to come out publicly and talk about the compound name… Which adjective do they want in front of the noun and describe it to their population?” Kotzias said.
“We are preparing the Greek public and as you can see, we are facing difficulties,” the minister said. “I do not see the same preparation on the other side and I have to say that I’m very concerned, even now, while we are having this interview.”
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