“The most important issue, the Macedonian language and Macedonian identity are guaranteed in the negotiation framework and therefore recognized and accepted in the EU. This is the first and absolutely the most important,” Zoran Zaev, the former Prime Minister of the Republic of North Macedonia, wrote on his Facebook profile.
According to him, the protocol that the two governments will sign is the way to overcome the open issues that are solvable.
“Building good and friendly relations with neighbors is essential for the peace, stability and prosperity of a region like the Western Balkans. Therefore, we on the Macedonian side and our colleagues on the Bulgarian side must work together to close the open issues,” Zaev wrote, adding that it is important to preserve the national dignity of both sides in the negotiations.
“Good relations with all our neighbors strengthen the Western Balkans, and cooperation makes us a serious factor as a region in front of all of Europe and the world. We have seen that through friendship and good neighborliness issues that have been open and unresolved for decades, even centuries, such as the progress we made with the Prespa Agreement, NATO membership, but also the realization of the autocephaly of our Macedonian Orthodox Church – Ohrid Archdiocese, are in the process of being resolved. In all three cases we have a direct confirmation of our local Macedonian identity. By starting negotiations with a verified and undisputed Macedonian language within the European Union, we will get another victory for identity and Macedonianism,” Zaev wrote.
The former prime minister sees no problem with the issues of non-discrimination and the elimination of hate speech because they “apply to all communities” and believes that this can be improved without the EU. A the inclusion of Bulgarians, Croats and Montenegrins in the country’s constitution is a step that must be taken and which will in no way harm either the state or society.
“We already have seven ethnic communities in our Constitution. With the constitutional changes, there will be 10 ethnic communities. Only out of malice, because of bad intentions or because of personal political gain can someone be against the introduction of three new ethnic communities in the Constitution,” Zaev writes and adds that he expects constructive consultations and support for this proposal from every responsible politician and citizen in the country.
“Let us be smart and wise and move forward as Macedonians with a recognized Macedonian language and identity, with our own Macedonian state, integrated in the Euro-Atlantic alliances, as a strategic definition of our entire people, of all ethnic communities,” concluded Zaev.
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