Athens has strongly condemned offensive billboards that appeared in Skopje and featured the Greek flag with a swastika replacing the white cross, calling them a huge mistake made by those that invest in chauvinism and bigotry.

"This is an unacceptable poster which has been made public by a private initiative and presented on the streets of Skopje. It directly offends the national symbol of our country and our fight against fascism and Nazism," Greek Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jorgos Koumoutsakos said as cited by Athens News Agency.

"This incident demonstrates the huge mistake made by those that invest in chauvinism and bigotry," Koumoutsakos added.

Greece has been involved in long-standing dispute with Macedonia over the country's official name, which reportedly provoked the appearance of the offensive billboards.

Ahead of a NATO summit in Bucharest, Skopje declared the country wants to join the Alliance under the name Macedonia rather than as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (Macedonia), under which it was admitted to the UN in 1993.

At the same time Greece vows to veto Macedonia's effort to join NATO, saying the name is a vehicle that aims at annexing the northern Greek province of Macedonia.

Skopje says the dispute is absurd and Macedonia's name could not threaten Greek security in any way.

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