Greek Migration Minister Yannis Mouzalas talks to the media at central Athens's Victoria Square, where many refugees and migrants had set up following their arrival in Athens, Greece, October 1, 2015. REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis
ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece played down on Wednesday a gaffe by its migration minister who failed to use the full name of northern neighbour the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) and said his focus must remain on tackling an escalating migration crisis.
Athens has long refused to accept its neighbour as just 'Macedonia' and the name dispute has frozen Skopje's efforts to join NATO and the European Union. Some Greeks fear accepting 'Macedonia' could provide a basis for territorial claims by that country on a northern Greek province of the same name.
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