“We will not give up even a millimeter. If not us, future generations will continue this struggle. Macedonian identity cannot be subject to concessions.”
This was stated by the Prime Minister of North Macedonia, BGNES reports.
He argued that circles in Bulgaria, which he linked to “Zhivkov-era thinking,” are pleased that politicians from SDSM remain active in the country.
According to him, these politicians seek attention but in reality undermine Macedonian identity. He stressed that key national issues cannot be resolved without VMRO-DPMNE.
The prime minister said his party will not support constitutional changes until there are clear guarantees for the rights of the Macedonian community in Bulgaria.
“We will not give up even a millimeter. If not us, future generations will continue this struggle. Macedonian identity cannot be subject to concessions,” he said during the opening of the “11 October” Cultural Center in Gazi Baba.
SDSM reacted sharply, accusing the prime minister of acting as a “proxy of Russia” and leading the country toward isolation. According to the party, the government is building ties with pro-Russian political circles, including Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, as well as through announced cooperation with Kazakhstan.
BGNES reminds that on March 29 the prime minister of North Macedonia said he was ready to wait decades to achieve his goals, adding that his government would not carry out constitutional changes that directly affect Macedonian identity.
In June 2022, North Macedonia accepted the so-called “French proposal,” approved by all EU member states. Under the negotiation framework, Bulgarians must be included in the preamble of the Macedonian constitution for accession talks with the EU to begin. The country must also comply with the 2017 Treaty of Friendship, Good Neighbourliness and Cooperation with Bulgaria, as well as its two accompanying protocols.
The protocol from the second intergovernmental conference, signed by ministers Teodora Genchovska and Bujar Osmani three years ago, stipulates that the next conference between Skopje and the EU will take place after Bulgarians are included among the constituent peoples in the preamble and two articles of the constitution.
The same protocol confirms that nothing in North Macedonia’s constitution should be interpreted as grounds for interference in Bulgaria’s internal affairs regarding individuals who are not citizens of North Macedonia – effectively meaning Skopje will not claim recognition of a “Macedonian minority” in Bulgaria.
It also implements measures against hate speech targeting Bulgarians and Bulgaria, rehabilitation of victims of the communist regime in North Macedonia, and the opening of archives of former Yugoslav secret services. | BGNES