VMRO-DPMNE President Hristijan Mickoski welcomed the vote in the Parliament and the adoption of the resolution he proposed. The resolution is a response to the declaration of the Bulgarian Parliament, and it draws red lines that the Macedonian Government will not cross in its negotiations with Bulgaria.

VMRO-DPMNE welcomes the acceptance of our resolution. We are satisfied that it was adopted in the form that it was proposed by our group in Parliament. I note that the text is based on scientific foundations and arguments, Mickoski said.

Zoran Zaev’s SDSM party initially rejected the resolution, then accepted it but slowed its adoption until it inserted the imposed name “North Macedonia” in it.

We are grateful to the parties that supported it sincerely, and those who were perhaps less sincere. We are rational. We know that the word of this Government won’t last for five minutes. But we believe that since the resolution is an act of our highest democratic body, it can’t and must not be broken. It is binding for this and for any future Government and President, Mickoski said.

The Bulgarian Parliament adopted a declaration in 2019 which calls on the Government to demand major concessions from Macedonia in the area of its national identity and history, and to block the opening of EU accession talks unless Macedonia agrees.

It is time that we make wise decisions and to protect the Macedonian national interests. Macedonia must learn how to build national consensus, and stop being dependent on the ignorance of some who create new disputes, trade with our identity, our historic periods, our heroes, language…, Mickoski said.