On Thursday, for bTV, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev, commenting on the adoption of Rapporteur Thomas Waitz’s Report, leveled criticism at PM Hristijan Mickoski, saying MEPs knew what they were doing, that is, they were there to prevent that institution being exploited by “the North Macedonian PM” for internal-political purposes.
As he added, the neighboring country’s citizens deserve EU membership and, in that sense, deserve leaders that will lead them towards integration, but “North Macedonian PM” has created topics in order to additionally adjust society.
Asked about the allegations and the use of the term “North Macedonian”, Mickoski pointed out that significance shouldn’t be attached to “that boy”.
“That boy has been sent to draw my attention. I don’t think we should give him an opportunity,” he says.
Georgiev’s comments were criticized by SDSM leader Venko Filipce, too.
Over the matter, North Macedonia’s Foreign Ministry said it condemned the statements, adding that it expected Bulgaria to issue an appropriate apology in the interest of “preserving dignified and principled bilateral communication” between the two countries.
Also, the institution said it had summoned Bulgarian Ambassador Zhelyazko Radukov, who’d been conveyed an official protest and to whom the impropriety of Georgiev’s discourse had been pointed.