Pardew: Macedonia Is A Sovereign State and Should No Longer Be Disturbed

“Macedonia is a sovereign state and should no longer be harassed or commanded,” said former US Ambassador to Bulgaria, James Pardew, who is also one of the mediators in the Ohrid Agreement talks, in an interview with Bulgarian National Radio (BNR). Asked if the dispute between Sofia and Skopje was a big problem for Washington, he said it was a big disappointment. “I believe that it is in Bulgaria’s interest to be a guardian for the cause of the Republic of Macedonia to achieve EU membership. As much as some people do not like it, it is a sovereign state and should no longer be harassed or commanded, now that it has resolved the name dispute with Greece. It is much better for the Republics of Macedonia and Bulgaria to be close allies than to quarrel over history,” Pardew said. He also added that “Russia has decided to turn the Balkans into a strategic battle zone for influence with the United States and its allies”.