Greeks Speak Out Against New Statue in Skopje; Claim FYROM Trying to Steal Alexander's Heritage

The Balkan Insight website reports today (June 15, 2011) that Greek officials have spoken out, after the parts of a large equestrian statue of Alexander the Great arrived yesterday in Skopje -- capital of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) -- to be assembled there in the next few days. (FYROM became an independent nation in 1991 with the breakup of Yugoslavia.)

The monument was "an attempt to usurp Greek history," Greek Foreign Minister spokesman Gregory Delavekouras said in a statement. (Alexander the Great was born in the northern Greek territory called Macedon at that time.)

Delavekouras said in light of the ongoing dispute between FYROM's name -- Greece has a northern province that is also called Macedonia -- the "provocative statue undermines our bilateral relations and hampers the negotiations under the UN" aimed at reaching a compromise solution in changing FYROM's name.

In 2008, Greece prevented FYROM's accession to NATO over the unresolved name dispute. In 2009, Greece also blocked FYROM accession talks to join the European Union(EU).

The bronze equestrian statue of Alexander the Great -- the parts of which are now in FYROM's capital -- will be some 24 meters high when it is erected this month in Skopje's central square.