Borisov: There are efforts to return V Macedonia. Under Russia's influence

Former Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov said Saturday in Sofia that specific structures are trying to turn northern Macedonia under Russia's influence.

He did not specify who those structures are, but such claims linked them to the January 16th incident in Ohrid Macedonia, where a member of a Bulgarian club in this town was physically attacked.

“An act such as beating a Bulgarian fully puts the public on the side of the beat and can lead us in another direction that is fully in favour of Putin and his geostrategic plans for the Balkans.

I see here an attempt to turn northern Macedonia under Russian influence, deliberately, and this is becoming very active. Under no circumstances should you be deceived. The best thing for Bulgaria is for northern Macedonia and Albania to be in the European Union and NATO”, Borisov said at a news conference of the EBR party.

Former Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said he would insist that those responsible for beating Bulgarian club secretary “Cart Boris Treti” from Ohrid, Hristian Pendikov will be brought to justice, as it according to him “minizes the major efforts we have made for Northern Macedonia and Albania to follow the path of the European Union”.

Borisov said that Northern Macedonia has not included in the Constitution important things for Bulgaria and has not protected Bulgarians from aggression. He accused the Bulgarian government of diplomatic ignorance.

“They put under the carpet important topics that led to the escalation of relations between the two countries”, he said.

The former Bulgarian prime minister says that “who wants Bulgaria too much to veto” towards Macedonia's European integration.

Bulgarian media reported that the Parliamentary Commission for Foreign Affairs in the Bulgarian Parliament adopted a Declaration condemning <x0->acts of violence against Bulgarians, clubs and their organisations”.

The Declaration says that “changing the Constitution is a must for northern Macedonia to continue the process of European integration”.

On January 23rd, Sofia withdrew its ambassador from Skopje a sign of dissatisfaction with the incident in Ohrid.

Relations between Macedonia and Bulgaria have been tense for more than two years, after Sofia blocked Macedonia's EU integration in 2019 due to a historic, linguistic and identity dispute.

The blockade was exceeded in June 2022 and the country's negotiations with the EU began, but Bulgaria conditions the opening of chapters with Bulgarians' involvement in the North Macedonia Constitution, but the parliamentary majority currently does not have the necessary two-thirds majority in the Assembly.

The ruling parties in northern Macedonia are working for the expansion of the government even more Albanian opposition with the aim of increasing the majority, but without the votes of VMRO-DPMNE deputies, approval will be impossible.

Meanwhile, the Macedonian opposition says the changes will not be adopted while repeating calls for early elections. /rel