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<h1 class="entry-title">Zaev Recants “Macedonian Language” Remarks</h1>
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<div class="gmail-td-post-author-name"><div class="gmail-td-author-by">By</div> <a href="https://greece.greekreporter.com/author/nick/">Nick Kampouris</a><div class="gmail-td-author-line"> - </div> </div> <span class="gmail-td-post-date gmail-td-post-date-no-dot">Dec 4, 2018</span> </div>
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<br></div><img class="gmail-wp-image-556871 gmail-size-full" src="https://greece.greekreporter.com/files/Skopje-e1543943590790.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="438">One
of the controversial governmental buildings that were constructed
during Gruevski’s premiership between 2006 and 2016 in Skopje, in
imitation of Ancient Greek architectural styles.
<p>Following the <a href="https://greece.greekreporter.com/2018/12/04/anger-over-macedonian-language-in-greek-schools/">angry response</a>
from Athens over remarks allegedly made by the Former Yugoslav Republic
of Macedonia’s premier Zoran Zaev, the government in Skopje issued a
statement on Tuesday.</p>
<p>Zaev’s remarks, regarding the possibility of the ”Macedonian”
language being taught in Greek schools in the future, had allegedly been
made as he spoke to lawmakers on Sunday.</p>
<p>The new government statement says that ”as a country which aspires to
join the EU, we understand that countries take care of their own
citizens, and countries in the Balkans do not interfere in neighboring
countries on any given issue”.</p>
<p>The official statement went on to say, “We regret if (Zaev’s) comments were understood in any other way.”</p>
<p>The FYROM communique also notes that ”we are strongly committed to full implementation of the <a href="https://greece.greekreporter.com/?s=Prespa+agreement">Prespa agreement</a>, and all of our actions and statements are made in good faith to support the agreement.”</p>
<p>The statement also noted that ”language policies in both countries
are not determined by the Prespa agreement, and we understand and
respect that the question of what languages are taught in Greece is an
issue of internal affairs and domestic policy.”</p>
<p>Zaev, answering a question from an MP from the opposition right-wing
VMRO party, reportedly said on Sunday that the ”Macedonians” who live in
Greece will be able to be taught the ”Madeconian” language in Greek
schools, following the ratification of the Prespa agreement.</p></div></div></div></div>
<br>-- <br><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature">=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+<br><br> Harold F. Schiffman<br><br>Professor Emeritus of <br> Dravidian Linguistics and Culture <br>Dept. of South Asia Studies <br>University of Pennsylvania<br>Philadelphia, PA 19104-6305<br><br>Phone: (215) 898-7475<br>Fax: (215) 573-2138 <br><br>Email: <a href="mailto:haroldfs@gmail.com" target="_blank">haroldfs@gmail.com</a><br><a href="http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/" target="_blank">http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/</a> <br><br>-------------------------------------------------</div></div>