Macedonia ready to give up claims on Alexander the Great

Macedonia’s left-wing prime minister has said he is ready to renounce his country’s claim to the legacy of Alexander the Great to help solve a 26-year-old dispute with neighbouring Greece over the country’s name.

Zoran Zaev, who has been in power since the spring, said: "I give up (the claim) of Macedonia being the sole heir to Alexander. The history belongs not only to us, but also to Greece and many other countries."

Since its independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, Macedonia has claimed at least part of the heritage of the most famous ruler of the ancient Kingdom of Macedonia, infuriating Greeks who also view the name "Macedonia" itself as hiding expansionist claims against the Greek region of Macedonia.

Greece has vetoed Macedonia’s Nato membership as a result.