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AFP
Athens
A quarter of a century after Greece saw an unprecedented million-strong march in its name row with Macedonia, nationalists are trying to whip up similar sentiment amid a new push to solve the festering issue.
Athens argues that its neighbour's name -- adopted after the Balkan country won independence in 1991 -- suggests that Skopje also has territorial claims to the northern Greek region of Macedonia.
The region boasts the important port cities of Thessaloniki and Kavala and was the centre of Alexander the Great's ancient kingdom, a source of Greek pride. Amid signs of a possible breakthrough, with new talks this week in New York between Greek and Macedonian negotiators, Greek nationalists plan to protest this weekend against any deal allowing Macedonia to use the name. Greece's objections have already hampered Skopje's bid to join the European Union and NATO. At the United Nations, Macedonia is known as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM).
