Following the signing of the Prespes Agreement by Greece and North Macedonia earlier this year, the deadline is looming to rename monuments as well as remove the Star of Vergina from public places in North Macedonia, set to expire on 12 August, 2019.
Zoran Zaev’s government’s intention was acknowledged in an interview with newspaper Sloboden Pecat.
“At the session held on July 4, the Government of the Republic of N. Macedonia tasked the General Secretariat to ask the competent institutions to provide information on the monuments, public and other infrastructure facilities whose names are part of the ancient Hellenic culture and civilisation, in whose jurisdiction they relate to installation and maintenance, and who is the copyright holder, in terms of artwork,” the government told Sloboden Pecat.
“At the same time, the Government instructed the General Secretariat to ask the competent institutions to provide information where the symbol of the Vergina sun is used or embedded in public places. Corrective actions will be undertaken after the provision of the information, in accordance with the Prespes Agreement and within the stipulated time frame.”
The decision to remove the Star of Vergina has received much backlash from both locals and media in opposition to Zeav signing the agreement.
The controversial Prespes Agreement was ratified on 25 January, 2019 and came into effect on 12 February, 2019. It makes clear that North Macedonia has no connection or claim to Ancient Macedonian culture, including symbols.
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