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The Prime Minister of North Macedonia, Zoran Zaef, apparently trying to calm the reactions of Bulgaria so that his country begins the negotiations of accession to the EU, referred to the events that occurred during the Second World War, between 1941-1944. when the area was under Bulgarian occupation, causing a storm of reactions in Skopje.
“They are not fascists”
“Bulgarians are not fascists, but our friends … At the beginning of that period (Bulgaria) ruled the region, but then it joined the anti-fascists, it fought for freedom and democracy, it became part of the anti-fascist front.” The Bulgarian and Macedonian armies (that is, the partisans) liberated Kumanovo, Skopje and our entire region, “said Zoran Zaef in an interview with the Bulgarian news agency Bgnes.
Zoran Zaef revealed that some 20 inscriptions had recently been removed from monuments in North Macedonia that read “Bulgarian fascist occupation”. This statement was a surprise: the public opinion of his country did not know him.
In an earlier meeting with Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov (Reuters)
The Social Democratic Prime Minister of North Macedonia indirectly but clearly stated that the former Yugoslavia “divided” the peoples of Bulgaria and his country.
“Some kept us away”
“The task of politicians is to unite our people, because for many years, for decades, some people kept us apart. Several directions have done it, like the former Yugoslavia for a long time. “We have to be together because we are neighbors,” said Zoran Zaef.
His comments drew a storm of reactions in Skopje, from almost all sides.
The right-wing opposition party VMRO-DPMNE called Zoran Zaef’s remarks “scandalous” and warned him not to “think of jeopardizing Macedonian national identity.”
The reactions of the literary people of North Macedonia were also intense, as well as the people whose relatives took part in the anti-fascist struggle, fought against the occupier, even giving their lives, who stated that “Zaef distorts history and insults the country. ».
Historian Alexander Stoichev said that the historical facts could not be changed, adding that there was no doubt that in the period 1941-1944 the Bulgarian troops in present-day North Macedonia were fascists, occupying forces, in no way contributed to the liberation of the country. .
Distances
History teachers, intellectuals and journalists from Skopje have distanced themselves from Zaef’s remarks. In the same interview, Zoran Zaef said that North Macedonia had sent a letter to Bulgaria, in which it explicitly and unequivocally stated that it had no territorial aspirations or interfered in the internal affairs of other countries, and that it did not claim minority rights. 
On November 17, Sofia refused to approve the European Union’s negotiating framework for North Macedonia, effectively blocking the country’s accession talks, which were due to start in December, before the end of the German EU presidency.
Bulgaria has said that it cannot support the start of accession talks between the 27 and Skopje at this time, due to various open languages and historical differences between North Macedonia and Bulgaria.
However, the two governments assured that they are continuing their efforts to find a solution to these problems, so that North Macedonia’s accession negotiations can begin by the end of the year.
Pentarowski’s statements
Skopje considers that the attitude adopted by Sofia at this stage is not friendly. The president of North Macedonia, Stevo Pentarovski (of Zoran Zaef’s Social Democratic Party), stated a few days ago that “the current political elite of Bulgaria – government and opposition – is still dominated by the communist and communist mentality”.
When asked by the Bulgarian news agency to comment on Stevo Pentarovski’s statement, Zoran Zaef said that the President of North Macedonia loves Bulgaria, but has not yet gained enough political experience.
Source: ΑΠΕ
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