Influx of Anti-Bulgarian Rhetoric by the Macedonian Elite

Accusations against Bulgaria of provocation and calls for the suspension of the Good Neighborly Relations Agreement were voiced by Macedonian politicians and members of the public after the visit of Vice President Iliana Yotova and Prime Minister Kiril Petkov to Bitola last week, BGNES reported.

The reason for the stormy reaction was the opening on Saturday of the Bulgarian Cultural Center "Ivan Mihailov" in Bitola, which was attended by Foreign Minister Teodora Genchovska and MPs from various political forces.

As has been repeatedly emphasized, the dissatisfaction among politicians was due to the choice of the name of the club - "Ivan Mihailov".

North Macedonia's president Stevo Pendarovski said that "naming a cultural site of a person who is a proven collaborator of the fascist regime of World War II does not help the rapprochement between Sofia and Skopje."

Macedonian Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski also took a stand on the issue, saying that Ivan Mihailov is a controversial historical figure who is perceived differently in the RNM by different people. He called on the Bulgarian authorities to allow the opening of a cultural center for Macedonians in Bulgaria. During a press conference dedicated specifically to the issue, Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani said that "choosing the name of the Bulgarian cultural club was a provocation".

"The Republic of Macedonia made a strategic mistake by signing the Treaty of Good Neighborliness and Cooperation with Bulgaria, which put us at a disadvantage," said Maryan Gorchev, a former Macedonian ambassador to Bulgaria. The big problem, he said, is the adoption of the term "common history", which entitles Sofia to intervene...