Sign of the times as Macedonia begins changes after name row with Greece
SKOPJE, Macedonia — Authorities on Saturday began altering signs at an airport and a highway after a dispute with Greece.
Macedonia decided this month to rename the country’s national highway from “Alexandros the Macedon” to “Friendship Motorway” while Skopje’s airport will be changed from “Alexander the Great International Airport” to “Skopje International Airport” as part of government plans.
Skopje Airport was named Alexander the Great Airport in 2006 under the administration of Nikola Gruevski but the move has been contested by Greece, which considered the placement of this name as a sign of Macedonia’s plan to reclaim lost territory.
The Greek authorities also considered the placement of Alexander the Great monument and Philip II in Skopje as inappropriate.
The name issue between the two countries started in 1992, a year after the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia declared independence from Yugoslavia and chose the name Macedonia, which is also the name of a northern Greek province.
Greece worries the use of the same name by the neighboring state could lead to territorial claims.
To Macedonia, solving the name issue with Greece is important as it is considered the main obstacle to starting talks for European Union and NATO accession.
Macedonian Prime Minister Zaev said after a meeting with his Greek counterpart Alexis Tsipras in Switzerland that his government would alter the signs to show its neighbor that Skopje had no such territorial ambitions.
Both countries consider Alexander the Great as their hero. Greece has a northern province called Macedonia, also the cradle of ancient Macedonia and its most famous leader, Alexander the Great.
Macedonia considers Alexander as part of its local identity.
The Macedonian government also decided to remove Alexander’s monument from the capital’s main square, saying that the monuments have caused great damage to the country and the citizens in terms of relations with neighboring countries.
But the opposition VMRODPMNE party has condemned the removal of the monuments, including that of the Macedonian revolutionary, Andon Qose, placed in front of the Supreme Court in Skopje.