Media reports late on Tuesday claimed the government of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) had renamed its main international airport and an important highway, removing references to Alexander the Great.
The move comes as an apparent goodwill gesture to Greece amid talks on finding a resolution to the two countries’ long-running name dispute.
The META news agency in FYROM reported that Prime Minister Zoran Zaev was to call the country’s E-75 highway the ‘Friendship Motorway and the capital’s airport the ‘International Airport of Skopje’.
Speaking at a news conference alongside EU Ambassador Samuel Zbogar, Zaev said:
“We are ready for a geographical heading.
“However, we have decided that any idea which will lead to a possibility for an agreement should be considered, i.e. whether the symbols will be MK, MKD … The rest would be done by the process of negotiations under the auspices of the UN and with the negotiator, Matthew Nimetz.”
Zaev added: “I am an optimist, but it will not be easy. We did not expect it to be easy, but we are committed.
“I believe that if we take care of our southern neighbor, they will take care of us, and we can come to a solution, while respecting the issue of identity.”
The move was first raised last month when Greek premier Alexis Tsipras met Zaev on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
It also comes two days after an enormous rally in the heart of Athens brought thousands of Greeks to the streets, opposed to the use of the term ‘Macedonia’ by the government in Skopje.
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