The prime minister of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia announced today that his country will change the name of its airport and numerous highways to help resolve a decades-long dispute with Greece over the ex-Yugoslav republic’s name.
Skopje’s international airport and several major public works are named after Alexander the Great, the Ancient Greek military leader that Greece’s northern neighbor have adopted as their own.
The name of the airport- Skopje Alexander the Great Airport- has particularly enraged Greeks because it is also the first impression many international travelers get when arriving in the capital city of the country, erroneously spreading false history that Alexander has some kind of relationship to the largely Slavic and Albanian population of FYROM.
“To demonstrate, in practice, that we are committed to finding a solution, I am announcing that we will change the name of the airport and avenues,” Zaev told reporters at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
“We don’t want to just solve the issue of the name, but to put the relations of our two countries on solid foundations,” he said.
The dispute with Greece has held up the country’s prospects of joining the European Union and NATO for over a quarter of a century.
The press conference with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and FYROM’s Prime Minister Zoran Zaev
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2 comments
Well said….
Chester Nimitz daughter Mary (1931-2006) was a Catholic nun and biology professor.
His eponymous son married a British Nicaraguan.
Matthew Nimetz has no relation to the former.