Macedonia's Prime Minister Nikola Gruevskion on Thursday hailed Canada's decision to recognize his country under the name of the Republic of Macedonia.
"We were informed yesterday by our embassy in Canada that the country has recognized Macedonia under its constitutional name," news reaching here from Skopje quoted the prime minister as saying.
He said it has been a good thing for Macedonia, as Canada is one of the most important countries in the world.
Greece expressed its displeasure on Thursday with the Canadian decision, as Macedonia is also the name of Greece's northern province, and Athens believes the name represents territorial ambitions.
Greece has been against the use of the name Macedonia since the republic broke away from the former Yugoslavia in 1991.
"We are not happy with the decision. Obviously this decision will also displease hundreds of thousands of Greeks in Canada," Greece's foreign ministry spokesman George Kounoutsakos said.
It was reported that Greece's Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis will contact her Canadian counterpart to complain about the decision.
Athens has adhered to the name "Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia," or FYROM, under which the country joined the United Nations in 1993.
Over 100 countries, including the United States, have recognized the country by the name of the Republic of Macedonia.
The United Nations will use the name of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia until it reaches an agreement with Greece.
Greece also threatened to block Macedonia's bid for EU and NATO membership if it doesn't get a satisfying result.
Source: Xinhua
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