Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski said Thursday that next week the steps that will be taken regarding the registration of the citizens’ association “Vanco Mihajlov” in the country and the opening of the cultural center under that name in Bitola will be known. Previously, Kovacevski stressed, all aspects of this issue will be considered, after which a decision will be made on further steps.

According to him, the opening of this center on Saturday is, as he stressed, nothing more than a provocation, because it awakens the spirits of the past, given that it is a person who was a collaborator of both Hitler’s Germany and Mussolini’s Italy, but also Pavelic’s NDH.

Thus, that person cannot be a bridge for the future of friendship between the two nations and as a bridge for the European path of the country. This event is only a provocation, which does not lead to improving relations and finalizing a successful dialogue by reaching an agreement that will mean the rapid opening of negotiations with the EU, he said.

Kovacevski believes that we should build bridges of friendship with neighboring countries, and look to the future.

If we go back to people from the past who have different opinions in different countries, and according to what you say have different opinions, it will not be in anyone’s favor and will only affect bad relations between citizens and between the two countries. We are a country that is determined for EU membership and which through dialogue plans to do so and of course all EU member states should approve the negotiating framework as soon as possible, said Kovacevski.

With Bulgaria, the Prime Minister stressed, the solution should be sought and based on European values, maintaining the dignity of the citizens of both countries, their mutual respect, but also respect between politicians and all institutions in Bulgaria and in Macedonia.

If we do not lead the solution and the talks on those principles, then it is very difficult to reach a solution. I hope that there is room to sit down and conduct talks in the future on the basis of such principles, Kovacevski said.

Asked to comment on Bulgarian President Rumen Radev’s statement that Macedonian history is based on the lies of communism and not on historical facts, the prime minister said he had not seen it.