English
The Macedonian Alliance for European Integration (MAEI), which represents Macedonians in Albania, strongly condemns the latest activities of the Bulgarian authorities in Pustec, which—as stated in the press release—use the guise of medical aid to once again carry out political propaganda and deny the Macedonian identity. Bulgaria is engaged in a campaign to get Macedonians in Albania to declare Bulgarian national identity, offering citizenships that ensure access to the EU labour market to the citizens of often poor border regions.
On September 11 and 12, Bulgaria sent a medical team from Sofia to Pustec via a military transport plane. The operation involved the Bulgarian Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Health, and Defense; Bulgarian members of Parliament from various political parties arrived alongside the medical teams. It was their statements that revealed the true political dimension of this visit. The Bulgarian MPs publicly declared that Bulgarian political parties are united when it comes to the so-called “Bulgarians” in Albania. “Why are a military transport plane, Bulgarian MPs, and a state delegation from Sofia required for medical check-ups in Pustec?” the MAEI statement asks.
They add that this no longer resembles an ordinary medical humanitarian activity. “Pustec looks like a war zone, with a heightened police presence, Bulgarian emissaries moving ostentatiously through the municipality and behaving like conquerors of Pustec, and Bulgarian flags displayed inside the medical center. But Pustec is not Bulgaria. Pustec is in the Republic of Albania, and its residents are Macedonians,” the MAEI statement reads. MAEI strongly condemns the conduct of Bulgarian representatives who publicly deny the existence of Macedonians in Pustec and declare them to be Bulgarians.
No medical service can justify denying the identity of the Macedonian community. People’s health must not be used as an instrument for assimilation and political propaganda. Medical staff in Pustec initially refused to receive the Bulgarian representatives but were forced to grant them access to the facilities under pressure from the Regional Medical Center in Korca. The conduct of the Municipality of Pustec is also shameful; it provides logistical support to representatives of a state whose institutions publicly claim that the Macedonians in Pustec are Bulgarians. Instead of standing up to protect its citizens and their identity, the local government welcomes Bulgarian representatives with girls in traditional folk costumes and the customary offering of bread and salt. The municipality of Pustec is located in the Republic of Albania. For all the needs of its residents—ranging from investments and infrastructure to health and social services—the local government should primarily turn to the Government of the Republic of Albania. “We are loyal citizens of Albania; we respect its laws and pay taxes in this country. Therefore, we do not accept Pustec being turned into a testing ground for the implementation of foreign national policies,” states MAEI.