Athens welcomes pledge by FYROM's Zaev to move on name

The prime minister of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Zoran Zaev, said on Tuesday that Skopje is ready to accept a geographical qualifier to its name and that it has already followed through on pledges of good will to Athens.

Zaev said his cabinet decided on Tuesday to rename its capital's airport "Skopje International Airport" from the current "Alexander the Great International Airport" and to rename a key national highway "National Friendship Road" instead of the current "National Road Alexander the Macedonian."

If FYROM authorities make good on these pledges imminently, along with Zaev's promise to accept a geographical qualifier, the momentum in United Nations-mediated name talks could gather pace. 

The Greek Foreign Ministry welcomed FYROM's move to rename the airport and highway, referring to a "positive step toward reversing what has happened in...