Name dispute brings NATO head to Greece

ATHENS, Greece, March 3 (UPI) -- The head of NATO was in Greece Monday as a dispute over the name taken by neighboring Macedonia heated up.

Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer will see if he can cool down Greek opposition to the name "Macedonia," which could complicate Macedonia's plans to join the NATO alliance.

The Greek newspaper Kathimerini ran a poll over the weekend showing that 84 percent of Greeks favor their government vetoing Macedonia's ascension unless their neighboring country takes a different name. Greece contends that Macedonia is exclusively a Greek name and implies that Macedonia governs a Greek province of the same name.

Macedonia has thus far declined to adopt a new name for NATO purposes. Diplomatic talks between the two nations ended during the weekend with no solution.

Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis warned Monday that Greece would indeed exercise its veto at next month's NATO vote unless an agreement is reached on Macedonia's name.