The Prime Minister of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Zoran Zaev expressed his optimism that Greece and FYROM would reach a solution on the name dispute within 2018 in statements he made on Tuesday. The PM of FYROM also spoke on the phone with Greek PM Alexis Tsipras, Tuesday.

Zoran Zaev, the PM of FYROM said the previous governments of Nikola Gruevski had provoked Greece by erecting many statues of historical figures (Alexander the Great, Philip of Macedon etc), as well as renaming main roads and the airport of the country.