Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov pleaded with Bulgaria not to allow the deterioration of relations with Macedonia, as result of the move by the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences to deny the uniqueness of the Macedonian language.

In a Facebok comment Dimitrov lists a brief history of how the Macedonian language was acknowledged as separate and unique in Yugoslavia, and in the United Nations in the 1970-ies, as well as by international linguistic experts.

The historic process which we began with neighboring Bulgaria leads to closeness and friendship, and should bring down our fears and prejudices while ensuring mutual acceptance of the period of shared and intertwined history that brings the Macedonian and the Bulgarian people closer, but also of the modern day fact that the Macedonian people speaks the Macedonian language. For this process to succeed, both sides need to have wisdom, be delicate, great in their understanding and respect the worries and the dignity of the other. It is easy to tear down, it is difficult to build up, Dimitrov says.