The Russian Federation is one of the factors that have an interest in keeping conflicts alive in the Western Balkans region in order to have easier influence.

Even the latest escalation of relations between Bulgaria and North Macedonia will be welcomed by third countries that see a chance to maintain a permanent conflict here, says the Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia Buyar Osmani in an interview with Radio Free Europe.

All about the topic:

Relations Bulgaria - Republic of Macedonia 828

Osmani again pointed out that the call for consultations in Sofia by the Bulgarian ambassador in Skopje is a disproportionate reaction, "as far as it is connected with the incident in Ohrid", in which the secretary of the association "Tsar Boris the Third" Hristiyan Pendikov was beaten, because the Republic of North Macedonia took "all possible measures". 

"We immediately identified the perpetrators and one of them is in custody.

The president, the prime minister, the minister of foreign affairs immediately condemned what happened.

I went to Sofia and expressed what the state should show our citizen and citizens, so I really don't see what the connection is between the case and the reaction (of Bulgaria).

In reality, there was a "careless reaction" among the public in the Republic of North Macedonia, but in general the institutions reacted as the state should react in such cases.

One cannot generalize from such an incident and draw conclusions about how the state behaves towards the communities," said Osmani, quoted by BTA.

Rumen Radev: The case of Hristiyan Pendikov is an expression of the decade-long policy of instilling hatred towards Bulgarians

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia identified the upcoming elections in Bulgaria as an aggravating factor, "because elections usually complicate sensitive issues and do not give diplomats space to do their job properly". 

"The season of provocateurs and political profiteers (in both countries) is open and now everyone is in action, but we need to stop this cycle of mutual deterioration and bring back the positive agenda."

I think that North Macedonia has so far done everything it needs to deal with an incident that could happen anywhere," Osmani pointed out.

Osmani said that there is no direct information of Russia's intervention in worsening relations between Bulgaria and North Macedonia, but that "there is an interest of third countries in keeping the conflicts alive or frozen in this region in order to more easily exert influence, this has been known for a long time."

According to him, the escalation of tension between the two countries is welcome for third countries "who will see a chance to maintain a permanent conflict here".

Asked who these third countries are, he answered - the Russian Federation.

In response to a question whether the constitutional changes in the Republic of North Macedonia to include Bulgarians in the preamble of the basic law, which is a condition for opening the negotiation chapters with the EU, would be accepted in such an atmosphere, Osmani replied that the constitutional changes are in the interest of the Republic North Macedonia. 

"Regarding the behavior of Bulgaria, analysts who monitor our relations ask themselves the question to what extent Bulgaria is interested in changes to the Constitution, because these changes are in our interest.

They will help the Bulgarian community, but they will be a turning point in our relations with Bulgaria in the interest of North Macedonia," said Osmani. 

In an interview with the publication "Nezavisim" during the week, the former ambassador of the Republic of (North) Macedonia to Bulgaria, Georgi Spasov, developed the thesis that "everything that has happened in the past week in Bulgarian-Macedonian relations is part of Sofia's "imperial ambitions" towards North Macedonia and the goal is not to accept the changes in the constitution and for the country to remain outside the EU for a long time".

"If anyone is doing anything to prevent a new veto (by Bulgaria) to withhold EU support to North Macedonia, it is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Our main goal is not to move on the wave of emotions, but to work in the direction of our long-term interest.

The biggest damage that can be done to the state is that in the EU they start to believe that there is public pressure on an ethnic community, that there is some kind of discrimination, violence.

This is our task," Osmani said.

Relations Bulgaria - Republic of Macedonia

Russia

Buyar Osmani