President Radev: North Macedonia systematically discriminates Bulgarians

The Head of State, Rumen Radev, expressed concern to the Commissioner for Neighborhood Affairs and EU Enlargement, Oliver Varhelyi, about the lack of progress on the issue of changing the Constitution of the Republic of North Macedonia and the inclusion of Bulgarians as a constituent part of the nation-building peoples. Radev met with Varhelyi at "Dondukov" 2 street, announced the office of the president.

"The inclusion of the Bulgarians in the Constitution is a mandatory condition for the Republic of North Macedonia to start negotiations on joining the EU. The RNM claim that they are working on the text for the inclusion of Bulgarians in the basic law, but personally I have not even seen a draft to amend their basic law", Vice President Iliana Yotova said earlier this month.

"Only through the observance of human rights and the principles of good neighborliness can the Republic of North Macedonia achieve progress in the process of European integration. We are witnessing increasing systematic discrimination, police, administrative and judicial arbitrariness towards Bulgarian associations, increasing crimes by hatred against Bulgarians and people with Bulgarian identity in the Republic of North Macedonia," said Radev.

The President noted the systematic pressure and encroachments on Bulgarians and Bulgarian clubs in the RNM in recent months, as well as the adoption of a law with retroactive effect on foundations and civil associations, on the basis of which only two Bulgarian clubs were closed out of 17,000 non-governmental organizations in the country.

"Bulgaria highly values the active work and rational approach of the European Commission and personally of the Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement to speed...