The existence of Bulgarian clubs in the country is not disputable, but they should comply with the law on associations regarding their names, for which the deadlines are running out, says President Stevo Pendarovski.

We don’t need to invent a way, because there is a law that we passed recently in our Parliament, with the support of both the government and the opposition, and quite quickly for Macedonian conditions. We agreed on the key content. The deadline is running out, for harmonizing the names of the clubs, you just have to respect the law without inventing new mechanisms for the existence of those clubs. They should exist, but they should also respect the feelings of Macedonians, of all Macedonian citizens, of all people living in Macedonia, and the best way to do that is to give names to the clubs that have nothing to do with the fascist past, said Pendarovski when asked to comment on the statement of Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani in relation to the Bulgarian clubs in the country with controversial names.

With the adopted amendments to the Law on Associations and Foundations, it is impossible to open associations and foundations whose programs, goals, activities and actions are aimed at the violent demolition of the constitutional order of the country, at inciting and calling for military aggression, as well as at inflaming national, racial, religious hatred. The already registered associations, and foundations, according to the amendments, are obliged within three months from the entry into force of the legal amendments, to harmonize their name and/or title, goals and activities in accordance with the stated provisions, or they are deleted from the Central Register, for which the Minister of Justice makes a decision.