The OMO Ilinden – Pirin organization that represents Macedonians in Bulgaria reacted strongly against the announcement from Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani that he will investigate the opening of their club in Blagoevgrad planned for Sunday.

Macedonians in Bulgaria have struggled for decades to organize any kind of cultural or educational events, let alone political groups or permanent clubs. After a spate of openings of Bulgarian clubs in Macedonia, named after Nazi collaborators, OMO Ilinden – Pirin decided to go ahead and open a club that will be named after distinguished poet Nikola Jonkov Vapcarov, who was killed by the Bulgarian authorities in 1942 for his socialist activities. But Osmani said that he will investigate the opening of the club, accusing the Macedonian organization of provoking Bulgaria at a time when Macedonia is desperate to avoid any further Bulgarian blockades of its uncertain EU path.

First and foremost, the club is being opened by the Association for the protection fo basic human rights from Blagoevgrad, an organization that has often come out in support of the Euro-integration of Macedonia and of maintaining good neighborly ties between Macedonia and Bulgaria. It is also supported by two prominent Macedonian activists from Toronto, Canada – Gligor Canev and Mincho Ostas, with the Macedonian Human Rights Movement International as an intermediary. But Mr. Osmani doesn’t care who opens or funds the club, but focuses on comments made by the intermediary in relation to other events. Is he looking for an excuse not to attend the opening? Is it an excuse why the Foreign Affairs Minister of Macedonia does not support Macedonians in Bulgaria?, The first diplomat of Macedonia gets his news from the yellow press that spreads covert Bulgarian propaganda in Macedonia. Not only is he not helping us, he is attacking those who do. What a shame, the head of the Macedonian diplomacy wants to investigate foreign citizens who act in their own country, with the help of citizens of a third country, the OMO Ilinden – Pirin association said.