Greek PM denies Macedonia 'ethnic minority' claim

The Greek prime minister rejected Friday a claim by neighbouring Macedonia that there were ethnic Macedonians living in his country, in the latest spat in a 17-year name dispute.
The two countries are locked in a battle over the right to use the name "Macedonia", which applies to the former Yugoslav state and a northern province of Greece.
In a letter to his Macedonian counterpart Nikola Gruevski, Greek PM Costas Karamanlis said "any allegations regarding the existence of such a minority are totally unfounded, politically motivated and disrespectful of the historic realities of the region."
"There is no 'Macedonian' minority in Greece. There never has been," Karamanlis said.