Saturday, December 30, 2006

Airport Renaming Angers Greeks

Macedonia's recent decision to rename its main airport after Alexander the Great has drawn the ire of Greek officials.

Macedonia, Greece's neighbor to the north, wants to change the name of Skopje International Airport to honor the historic warrior, the BBC reported Friday.

Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis accused the Macedonians of trying to rewrite history by trying to change the airport's name, the BBC reported. Other Greek officials also dispute the attempted name change, claiming Alexander the Great is part of their unique cultural heritage.

International air traffic officials must approve any name change before it will be recognized.

Macedonia's Foreign Minister Antonio Milososki referred to the name change as a "goodwill gesture" of unity and told the BBC that the country had no intention to "monopolize the name."

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