SKOPJE, North Macedonia — The remains of Alex Salmond, the former First Minister of Scotland who passed away unexpectedly during a conference in North Macedonia, are expected to be returned to Scotland shortly via a special flight, as announced by an official on Monday.

Salmond, the leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP), brought Scotland close to independence during the 2014 referendum. He died suddenly on Saturday at the picturesque lake resort of Ohrid, at the age of 69. His death occurred while he was participating in a panel discussion, where he collapsed during a lunch event, reportedly due to a massive heart attack.

Boris Josifovski, an aide to North Macedonia’s former president Gjorge Ivanov, who was responsible for organizing the forum, confirmed that the process for repatriating Salmond’s remains is almost complete. “Legal procedures and paperwork are nearly finalized,” Josifovski said on Monday. “There will be a special flight in the next few days, likely departing from Ohrid,” to return Salmond’s body to Scotland.

The official coroner’s report detailing the exact causes of Salmond’s death will be submitted to his family, according to North Macedonia’s judicial authorities.

Salmond led the SNP as it transitioned from the periphery to a central role in Scottish politics and served as First Minister from 2007 until 2014. In the independence referendum, the majority of Scots opted against independence, with 55% voting no and 45% in favor. Following the referendum, Salmond announced his resignation and was succeeded by his close ally, Nicola Sturgeon. Their later disputes became a significant focus within Scottish political discourse for an extended period.