Both the Macedonian Language Department and the Faculty of Philology have said there are no plans to close the department, no one would even think about closing it, Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said Monday when asked to comment on reports that the Macedonian Language Department would be shut down.

This year, he noted, that marks the centenary of the birth of Blazhe Koneski, we celebrate the year of Macedonian language and the Macedonian Language Department and scholars are working to further promote the language and attract more students to study there.

“Also, efforts are under way to digitize and affirm Macedonian language worldwide,” the PM added.

Asked by reporters at an event in Skopje to comment on the rejection of the Macedonian Academy of Arts and Sciences (MANU) to include North Macedonia into the name, Zaev said that the Prespa Agreement must be respected.

“The Prespa Agreement is the law. It was ratified in Parliament and laws have to be respected. When MANU asked us to withdraw the amendments, we did without asking why” Zaev said adding that according to the Prespa Agreement, all state-funded institutions have to rename, including MANU.

“A nice solution had been found in agreement with Greece and I believe we’ll find a nice solution to this, too,” he told reporters.