Greek foreign minister Dora Bakoyannis says that Macedonian prime minister Nikola Gruevski is attempting to secure domestic political gains through "short-sighted populism" in the dispute between Athens and Skopje about the use of the name Macedonia.

Speaking in Brussels on January 23 2009 at the European Policy Centre think-tank, Bakoyannis said that despite Greece's "good will and sincere efforts" in United Nations-brokered negotiations on the name dispute, the negotiations had not been successful.

According to a transcript of her statements on the Greek foreign ministry website, Bakoyannis said: "Greece is greatly concerned with the monopoly of use of the name Macedonia by FYROM and not so for sentimental reasons. Geographically more than 50 per cent of the broader region of Macedonia belongs to Greece."

"There should be a solution that reflects the reality of the ground. We want a mutually acceptable solution; an agreement without winners or losers."

Gruevski's government, which last year secured a decisive victory in parliamentary elections and this year is expected to win easily the presidential elections, appeared "set at securing political gains through short-sighted populism," Bakoyannis said.

"Recent decisions only serve to show the world that he does not believe in the negotiations taking place," she said.
 
"As far as we are concerned we must remain hopeful despite a lack of encouraging signs from the other side. Above all we hope that the leadership of Skopje will have the clarity necessary to take decisions for the good of its people, moving away from nationalist rhetoric and anachronistic practices."

She criticised the former Yugoslav republic's recent move to rename its main highway to "Alexander of Macedon", after the ancient conqueror whose origin and heritage is claimed by both countries.

Matthew Nimetz, the mediator appointed by the United Nations to resolve the name dispute, has announced that the two sides will meet in New York for further talks on February 11 2009.

On January 15 2009, Gruevski said that he could not foresee on a positive outcome of the name talks in 2009, because this did not depend solely on Macedonia.

Last year's failure to achieve a compromise was compounded by Greek ire at Skopje attempting to introduce additional issues into the matter, such as Skopje's claims regarding a Macedonian minority in Greece. Towards the end of the year, Skopje said that it was taking Athens to the international court in The Hague after Greece blocked Macedonia's Nato membership aspirations at the military alliance's 2008 Bucharest summit.

On January 28 2009, Greek daily Kathimerini reported that Greek authorities plan to build a statue to Alexander the Great in northern Iraq to mark the site of a key 331 BCE battle that led to the fall of the Persian Empire, Bakoyannis said.

Bakoyannis, who discussed the project on January 27 with her visiting Iraqi counterpart Hoshyar Zebari, said the host country has welcomed the erection of the statue near the oil-rich city of Mosul. According to Bakoyannis, Zebari, who is a Kurd, said of the proposed project, "It's a great idea and we back it."

The Battle of Gaugamela took place between Alexander and Darius III of Achaemenid Persia near present-day Mosul. It resulted in a massive victory for the Alexander's army of Macedonians and led to the fall of the Persian Empire.

Bakoyannis said that Greece also plans to help Iraq fund the reconstruction of looted and war-damaged museums.