Nearly a year after the Greek government signed the controversial Prespa Agreement with the government of North Macedonia, which was touted by many as the solution to the long-standing name dispute, Greece’s neighbouring country continues to violate the terms of the deal.
In the latest provocative move, North Macedonia uses the term “Macedonia” without the geographic descriptor in a promotional tourism campaign.
Using the motto “Timeless Macedonia” in its promotional material to attract foreign visitors to the Balkan state, the campaign continues to revolve around ancient Macedonia, effectively usurping ancient Greek history by linking Alexander the Great with the small nation.
The move is a flagrant violation of the deal as it is explicitly forbidden in the Prespa Agreement to associate ancient Macedonia with North Macedonia.
Through the presentation of spectacular Hollywood-style spots, aired on local and international networks (CNN, EURONEWS, TRAVEL CHANNEL, etc.), Skopje attempted to present themselves as descendants of the ancient Macedonians, while promoting, besides tourism, the “Macedonian” wines. According to Skopje’s media, the production of each spot cost up to 180,000-200,000 euros.
The relevant macedonia-timeless.com website is considered to be the official tourist site of Macedonia, as it says on its first page, and provides tourist information about the country in 12 languages.
On the site’s YouTube channel, videos are still available that are in violation of stipulations in the Prespa Agreement by essentially presenting the neighbouring country as the heir of ancient Macedonia, its history and culture. The official page of the foreign ministry even directs visitors to macedonia-timeless.com, overlooking Prespa and erga omnes