The statement of Portugal’s Secretary of State for European Affairs, Ana Paula Zacarias, about the Macedonian language, if reported accurately, isn’t at all consistent with the Portuguese proposal on finding a solution either by essence or by methodology, the government told MIA.

The government points out that such statements do not help in the process of building trust and mutual understanding.

The context and the moment are extremely sensitive and that is why we call on the representatives of the countries involved in the process and who do not fully know the situation in Macedonia and Bulgaria, to refrain from any qualifications or explanations of processes related to our national issues, the government added.

In the reaction, the government also indicates that the Macedonian language is one of the key identity features of the Macedonian people, an internationally recognized and codified language with its unique specifics, confirmed by the Prespa Agreement and inscribed on Macedonia’s ID card at the United Nations.