Greece gets new proposal for Macedonia over name issue

Returning his visit to counterpart Dimitrov, with his visit to Skopje on August 31st, the head of Greek diplomacy Kotzias wants to take an important step in concluding negotiations on ending the name issue, which remains unresolved between the two states for nearly 3 decades.

Costias, like his predecessors at the head of the Foreign Ministry, will also go to Skopje via Thessaloniki, as his airport bears the name of Alexander the Great.

It is just one of the first demands of official Athens in order to restore normal relations with its northern neighbour, is removing the name of this airport, as well as some of the roads bearing the name of the great strategist, as the foreign minister of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia in Athens stated, for the name of the highway linking the north to the country's south.

As the right-wing Greek newspaper “Democracy” points out, Kotzias goes to Skopje this time to test whether there is will on the other side and brings a new proposal to the government “Zaev”, which first viewed Athens' demand for the destruction of Alexander the Great monuments, but has proved to be the cause for non-result, lack of funds.

Thus, according to the paper, Kotzias is expected to offer an economic assistance, which Greece will secure near the EU, taking over the collapse of Alexander the Great's statues, wherever they are located in Skopje.

However, Athens does not expect immediate results from this visit, as according to diplomatic circles, Zaev's new government -- with a fragile majority in Parliament -- has ahead of it the October local elections and will only have statements on restoring political confidence towards neighbours.