Greek Media Angry at IMF over Its Use of Word Macedonia

Greek media are angry at the International Monetary Fund after the financial organization labeled Macedonia merely as MKD in the invitation for the presentation of a new report on regional economic issues and risks. IMF uses the temporary reference "the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia", but Greek media are angry over a map that names all countries with a three letter abbreviation.

The Elefteros Tipos daily denounced the IMF even after the organization put an asterisk at the bottom of the map to say they are not responsible for the names they used.

"This further incriminates the Fund, because it means they were aware they will cause a disruption", the paper writes. Greece has initiated a decades long name dispute with Macedonia, blocking the country's membership in NATO and the European Union in an attempt to force it to change its name.

Greek nationalists and most of their media use the a word FYROM, they construct from the temporary reference name, to avoid using Macedonia or any abbreviations from the word Macedonia. But, as the MIA correspondent in Athens reports, Greek media have an actual reason to be angry at the IMF, as the negotiations with the creditors who keep Greece financially afloat are stuck yet again. Elefteros Tipos writes that IMF official Paul Thomsen, who is responsible for Europe, is also a member of the hated Troika of international creditors who are overseeing the implementation of the cost cutting measures and economic reforms that Greece was forced to undertake to avoid bankruptcy.