Bulgaria is a factor in the EU and the region that North Macedonia must take into account, Minister of Foreign Affairs Georg Georgiev said in an interview with bTV regarding the report of the European Parliament from which references to “Macedonian language and identity” were removed.

• EP adopts progress report on North Macedonia without phrase "Macedonian language and identity"

Responding to accusations by North Macedonia’s Premier Hristijan Mickoski, who claimed that 'Bulgaria’s goal is the destruction the Macedonian nation and identity', Minister Georgiev emphasized that Sofia did not allow the European Parliament to be used for Mickoski’s propaganda. North Macedonia’s prime minister is likely conducting a crisis PR campaign to justify himself to his own citizens, commented Georg Georgiev.

He also recalled that the historical dispute was left to historians when the Treaty of Friendship, Good Neighborliness and Cooperation was signed, while issues such as language and identity belong to the academic community.

Published and translated by Kostadin Atanasov

Photo: BTA