Greek border stickers on cars anger Macedonia

SKOPJE , Macedonia – Macedonia's foreign minister has complained to neighboring Greece, after Greek border authorities began placing stickers on Macedonian cars that have license plates with the country designator MK.

Nikola Poposki on Monday called the action "illegal and a pointless provocation."

The two countries have been locked in a name dispute since Macedonia gained independence from Yugoslavia in 1991. Athens says the name implies a territorial claim on its northern region of Macedonia — a claim rejected by its neighbor.

The sticker reads in Greek and English "Recognized by Greece as FYROM" — referring to the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia — the country's provisional name at the United Nations.

Greece has blocked Macedonia's accession to NATO over the dispute but more than 130 nations recognize the country as Macedonia.