The Ilinden association from Tirana, which represents Macedonians in Albania, strongly condemned the statement from Bulgarian Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva that Macedonians must acknowledge they have “Bulgarian roots” before being allowed to open EU accession talks.

Bulgaria threatens to veto the opening of accession talks, that was expected by the end of this year, and demands a broadening of the 2017 Zaev – Borisov treaty. The demand is that Macedonia in some form acknowledges that its nation and language derived from the Bulgarian nation and language, and in return, Bulgaria would allow the country to use the term “Macedonian”, but devoid of its historic meaning.

The statement is unbecoming of a Foreign Minister. it is unacceptable that a Foreign Minister abuses her position to undermine the Macedonians and Macedonia. We strongly condemn the Bulgarian use of the veto in the European Union, the Ilinden association said in a press release.

Bulgaria is also pushing Albania to have Macedonians living there identify as ethnic Bulgarians.