PM Zaev Responds to Latest Developments in Skopje-Sofia Relations

PM Zoran Zaev has responded to the latest stands from Bulgaria that the Bulgarian identity and language is harmed. As he said at a press-conference on Monday, the position presented by the western neighbour’s Defence Minister and Deputy PM, Krasimir Karakachanov, that there was no Macedonian identity before 1944, is offensive. Though Zaev’s message is that a solution with the neighbours will be sought, he said that senior officials in Bulgaria, if they were “Europeans”, should respect the historical roots, right to self-determination, and Macedonian identity and language. The PM expects Skopje’s EU path to be unblocked in the next six months. He also said alternatives such as European Economic Area integration weren’t necessary.