While Athens and Skopje are working towards a solution on the long-standing name dispute between the two countries, the former foreign minister and current Vice President of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Antonio Milososki, is continuing to provoke Greece. Last week, the close collague of Skopje’s Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski is continuing to fuel controversy by holding an event in Ontario, Canada, in collaboration with the nationalist group United Macedonians for the anniversary of FYROM’s Day of the Republic/St. Elijah’s feast day (August 2).

Milososki addressed the room by extending a warm welcome before taking out a flag featuring the Sun of Vergina and a map of Greater Macedonia that includes Greek regions of Macedonia all the way to Mt. Olympus. The decor in the room included red flags featuring symbols of Vergina, maps of Greek regions and images of Alexander the Great and other figures from Ancient Greece.

This is not the first time that FYROM’s vice president has provoked Greece as he enjoys photographing himself with Greek symbols. Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias refered to the provocations during his recent visit to Skopje. Speaking to Proto Thema, Kotzias said: “We are not talking about a graphic ultra-right extremist. We are talking about the former foreign minister of Skopje and current vice president of that country’s parliament. He is a close colleague of PM Gruevski and was once his alter ego. Imagine the reaction of a government representative of parliament addressed a crowd of people having behind him a flag of ‘larger Greece’ with territory belonging to neighboring countries?”