Athens  - Athens on Monday condemned an attack on a group of Greek tourists in neighbouring Macedonia, saying such acts did not serve to improve already tense relations between the two countries.

The tourists were travelling in five buses in the city of Ohrid when they were reportedly attacked by about 30 Macedonian nationalists who threw stones and sticks at them. Two of the tourists were injured.

Reports said the attackers damaged the buses which had travelled from northern Greece and spray painted "United Macedonia" and "Alexander the Great" on the vehicles.

"These types of actions deter proper communication between the people," said Greek Foreign Ministry spokesman Giorgos Koumoutsakos.

The tourists were visiting Macedonia during a celebration over three days of the start of Lent.

Greece and its northern neighbour have been in a dispute over the latter's name since 1991, when Macedonia declared independence from Yugoslavia and was admitted to the United Nations provisionally as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM).

Athens says the name Macedonia implies territorial claims on its own northern province, also called Macedonia, where Alexander the Great was born.

It has called on Skopje to adopt a name such as "New" or "Upper Macedonia," but no mutually acceptable solution has been found.

Skopje prefers the name Republic of Macedonia.

The issue of the name has halted Skopje's bid to join NATO. Macedonia had hoped to receive an invitation to join the alliance earlier this year along with Albania and Croatia, but Greece blocked the move. (dpa)