Macedonians from the entire region fo Pirin Macedonia, as well as from the Republic of Macedonia and from Aegean Macedonia and Albania gathered in Melnik today to honor Jane Sandanski, the famous VMRO commander in this region.

From the annual gathering, Macedonian organizations who operate in Bulgaria sent out a call for an end to their discrimination.

The most painful problem for us is the continued negation of the Macedonian minority and discrimination and violation of basic human rights. Another important issue is the national aggression that is being carried out against the Macedonian nation in general, the policy of hatred and the blockade of the Macedonian Euro integration, said Stojko Stojkov, president of OMO Ilinden – Pirin, one of the main associations of Macedonians in Bulgaria.

Macedonian organizations in Bulgaria recently opened a cultural center in Blagoevgrad, the capital of Pirin Macedonia. The windows of the club were promptly smashed and it faces a regulatory push from the Bulgarian authorities to be closed. This is evident of the growing tensions between the two countries, as the bilateral relations are seen as worst since Macedonia’s independence.