Jotova: Bulgaria will continue to defend the rights of Bulgarians in North Macedonia

Bulgarian President Ilijana Jotova said her country would not abandon Bulgarians in the Republic of North Macedonia and would continue working to protect their rights.

Jotova attended the national ceremony marking the 123rd anniversary of the Ilinden and Preobrazhenie Uprisings, held in the Petrova Niva area.

In her speech, the Bulgarian president spoke out against divisions and hate speech, stressing that both politicians and society bear responsibility for opposing them.

“Today, we cannot fail to see another reality as well—the many wounds and divisions. In the Republic of North Macedonia, people speak about Bulgarians, even though our history is shared. What is there to divide us?” Jotova declared.

“We will not give up on you, and we will defend your rights—the rights of every person. For me, this is not a political statement, but the true meaning of the legacy of the people of Ilinden, who knew that freedom, statehood and the freedom of every individual can be achieved only through unity and solidarity,” she said.

Jotova also commemorated the sacrifices of the participants in the 1903 Ilinden and Preobrazhenie Uprisings, as well as the brief existence of the Strandzha Republic.

“We must not forget those 20 days of freedom or the Strandzha Republic. It was drenched in blood, while the long-suffering Bulgarian land was filled with unmarked graves. Nevertheless, Bulgaria rose again here,” the president said.