World Bulletin / News Desk

Greece will "take the necessary measures to protect its national interest" after "interference" by Russian officials in the name dispute with the former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia, a government source told AFP on Wednesday.

"There was a problem of interference in the Macedonian dossier," the source said, while adding that Athens' traditionally good relations with Russia were unchanged.

According to Wednesday's Kathimerini daily, citing diplomatic sources, Athens intends to "immediately expel two diplomats including Victor Yakovlev, an employee at the Russian embassy in Athens."

In Moscow, a spokesperson for the Russian foreign ministry told AFP: "Tit-for-tat measures will be taken, as is always the case in such situations." 

Athens and Skopje signed an accord last month to resolve the decades-long dispute over the Balkan state's use of the name Macedonia, which is also the name of a northern Greek province.

The two nations came to an agreement to call the country the Republic of North Macedonia. Approved by the parliament in Skopje, it will next be put to a referendum.