FYROM has officially scrapped any reference to Alexander the Great in its key infrastructure by renaming its main airport and highway as part of concessions reached with Greece.
New signs erected along the highway will instead bear the new name, “Friendship”. The airport will be simply renamed “Skopje International Airport”.
The move was designed to ease relations with Greece, in the hope that this would increase the chances of successfully concluding UN-sponsored bilateral talks on FYROM’s name.
It also opens up the possibility of Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias visiting Skopje soon as part of the first flight from Athens to the neighboring country’s capital in roughly 12 years, according to ministry sources, quoted by Kathimerini.
Direct flights between the two cities were suspended when a previous FYROM government named the airport after Alexander the Great.
Meanwhile, a Greek government spokesman has reiterated that the term ‘Macedonia’ will be included in the new name of FYROM.
Speaking to SKAI TV on Friday, Dimitris Tzanakopoulos said that it would be wrong to insist on the elimination of the term.
“It could be interpreted as an intransigent attitude from our partners, it would be difficult to explain to our partners,” the government spokesman said.
See all the latest news from Greece and the world at Greekreporter.com. Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow GR on Google News and subscribe here to our daily email!
