Jotova: Sofia will not abandon Bulgarians in North Macedonia and will defend their rights

Bulgaria’s President Iliana Iotova has once again drawn attention to the issue of the rights of Bulgarians in North Macedonia, assuring that Sofia will continue to support them and will not abandon them.

“We will not abandon you and we will defend your rights,” Iotova said at Petrova Niva, in the Bulgarian village of Stoilovo, where she attended a ceremony marking the 123rd anniversary of the Ilinden–Preobrazhenie Uprising.

During her speech, she linked the current situation between North Macedonia and Bulgaria with historical debates that for years have remained at the center of disputes between Skopje and Sofia.

Iotova said that Bulgarians in North Macedonia are currently facing a discourse in which “there is a great deal of hatred and division.” For this reason, she called on politicians and societies to oppose such language.

According to the Bulgarian president, the two countries share a common history, which should not be used to create further divisions.

“What is there to divide between the two countries?” she said, emphasizing that the protection of human rights should not remain merely a political declaration.

Iotova’s remarks came at a time when Sofia continues to demand changes to North Macedonia’s Constitution and the inclusion of Bulgarians in it. These demands are part of the conditions for the country’s progress toward the European Union.

Meanwhile, the Government of North Macedonia has requested further guarantees that any potential constitutional changes will not be followed by new conditions on the path to European integration.

The Bulgarian president did not announce any new concrete political step toward Skopje, but reaffirmed that defending the issue of Bulgarians in North Macedonia will continue to be part of Sofia’s policy.

Iotova also stressed the need to preserve historical memory for future generations, while adding that attention must also be paid to the future. /INA/