German Chancellor Angela Merkel has enraged Greek newspapers by calling "Macedonia" the country they state should be only referred to as "Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia".

"While "working" on solving the Greek debt crisis and pretend to be "a friend" of Greece, Mrs Merkel did not fail to remind everyone that she is, after all, German," the Greek Proto Thema has written, according to the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency.

The Macedonian MINA states several other outlets have expressed their disappointment with Merkel's use of "Macedonia" instead of "FRYROM".

"It is very important for Serbia to collaborate with Kosovo, for Bosnia to elect a government and for Macedonia to solve the name dispute with Greece," Merkel has commented on the Western Balkan states' prospects of joining the EU during her Zagreb visit, according to Proto Thema.

The notorious name dispute between Macedonia and Greece has been going on since the former declared independence in 1991. Greece is concerned that the recognition of Macedonia's name could allow it to have territorial claims for it since much of northern Greece is also in the geographic region of Macedonia.

The region includes parts of Bulgaria, too.

The dispute has led Greece to technically block Maccedonia's accession to NATO and the EU; it has been the reason that Macedonia is a member of the UN under the name "Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia."

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