North Macedonian Prime Minister Hristiyan Mickoski said that his country "will not kneel before Bulgaria", reported BGNES.
The leader of VMRO-DPMNE commented on today's statement of the head of GERB Boyko Borisov and the Bulgarian president Rumen Radev.
"I regret that such messages come from the eastern neighbour. I think that such messages are part of the Middle Ages, but in modern Europe in the 21st century, there were politicians like Radev. I am willing to sit (talk) with both of them. I wish Borisov to form the government because we come from the European People's Party. But the eastern neighbour must also know that the time has passed for politicians who bent their backs and knelt, signed everything that was put on the table, and at the same time robbed the people with a European flag. They have to get used to politicians who work around the clock and politicians who have no intention of bending their backs, no intention of signing everything. Politicians who are ready to talk with documents and facts. I am for building connections and bridges with neighbours and mutual respect. We can't be good neighbours if we don't have respect," Mickoski said.
Earlier today, President Radev stated that the masks have finally fallen.
"The new government in our southwestern neighbour has clearly shown that the greatest fear of the political class in this country is to recognize the very existence of the words "Bulgarian" and "Bulgarian" in the Republic of Macedonia," he said.
For his part, Borisov emphasized: "Treaties, especially international ones woven into the EU's negotiating framework, are respected."
Mickoski replied, "We cannot be good neighbours if we do not have mutual respect".
"It's not good neighbourliness if one side is humiliated and the other is happy. It's not good neighbourliness, it's a shame," he said.
Mitkoski pointed to the human rights court in Strasbourg for "the existence of a Macedonian minority in Bulgaria".
"Well, today we have an indisputable fact through the Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. 14 decisions of the Court have been issued that there is a Macedonian minority in Bulgaria, whose right is to organize in a non-governmental organization, not to be in the Constitution. Unfortunately, the right is obstructed by such types of politicians as Mr Radev
"I call for good neighbourly relations in both directions, for a joint solution, because we, as good neighbours, must discuss, based on arguments and facts, and not politicize and reduce the issue to low passions. This people (Macedonian) did a lot for the European future and I expect Europe to return the same to the nation and the country", added Mickoski
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