Jotova: Bulgaria must continue the same strategy toward North Macedonia

Bulgarian presidential candidate Iliana Jotova said that the institution of the president was the first to raise the issue of the rights of Bulgarians in the Republic of North Macedonia. She made the comment during a televised debate with her rival, Andrei Gyurov, ahead of the second round of the presidential election, which will be held on November 1.

According to Jotova, this issue was not included in the Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendship.

“Bulgaria’s approach toward the Republic of North Macedonia must remain unchanged. For a long time, relations with this country and its accession process to the European Union have not been treated as purely bilateral issues. This is a European policy toward the Republic of North Macedonia, while the European institutions are rigorously verifying whether the necessary criteria for continuing the process have been met,” Jotova said in the debate, broadcast by BNT.

She claimed that there had been no improvements since the signing of the Treaty of Good-Neighborliness, particularly with regard to hate speech and the treatment of people of Bulgarian origin. For Jotova, the decision to acquit those suspected of attacking Hristijan Pendikov is clear evidence of this situation.

“We will continue to ask our European partners to ensure that the agreement and the policies of the European Union are implemented. As for the national position, I am someone who will not move even a single centimeter away from the agreements reached, although Skopje is seriously trying to overturn several protocols,” Jotova said.

During the debate, Jotova also criticized former Prime Minister Kiril Petkov, accusing him of not knowing the contents of the agreement and of intending to travel to Skopje to change Bulgaria’s position.