Maricic: It’s Not up to Us to Determine Minority Groups in Other Countries

New Deputy PM for European Affairs Bojan Maricic, commenting on Bulgarian PM Kiril Petkov’s statement that there is no Macedonian minority in Bulgaria, said that it is not up to North Macedonia to state what minority there is out there and where. “Definitions about what kind of ethnic groups there are and where they are located will not be productive at the moment. It is not up to us to interfere in internal affairs of other countries. Any group of people or ethnic community has the right to demand respect for their human rights through the European institutions,” Maricic said. PM Dimitar Kovacevski came out with similar positions, stating that one country should not meddle in the internal affairs of another. The statement of Maricic was criticised by VMRO-DPMNE. “While Bulgaria demands our country to register Bulgarians in our constitution, Maricic literally distanced himself from the Macedonian minority in Bulgaria. Who else but Macedonia should be interested about the right of Macedonian minorities in other countries? Does the statement of Maricic mean that he will ask from Bulgaria to not meddle in our internal affairs?” they reacted from VMRO-DPMNE.