/ world today news/ More than 20 days ago, our prime minister mentioned that “in this world no one chooses only his parents and the president of Russia”, but no comment from the Kremlin followed. Did they not consider it necessary or did they accept it as insignificant to give it the attention of Moscow? But yesterday the spokeswoman of the Russian MFA, Zakharova, unexpectedly announced that “Borisov can apply for Russian citizenship, receive it and vote in the presidential elections in Russia.”
Those more skilled in diplomacy know that such, even belated reactions, are by no means accidental. As we say in our country on another occasion, “We slow down, but we don’t forget.” Zakharova’s words are undoubtedly being followed with attention all over the world, especially beyond the Ocean. There are reasons.
Since we live in times of “signal politics” or even “face politics”, there is no way to explain a reaction to Zakharova’s words as an “inappropriate joke” or something similar, as our foreign minister did in front of the national media. President Trump does not accidentally express positions on Twitter, and everyone concerned follows them, even if they are unflattering. President Erdogan did not deign to put the American flag behind his back at the meeting with Secretary of State Tillerson in Ankara, which was actually yesterday. At the opening of the reconstructed Bulgarian church “St. Stefan” in Istanbul, there were only Turkish flags. They pay and decide what and how.
But whoever can, reads the signals.
Some also ask why an interview on national television of Macedonian Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov is being translated with subtitles? Is this a signal that we have adopted this language? To our public, at least, no one has taken the liberty of explaining this matter, which has been at the heart of our age-old cause. There is no doubt that the minister’s words are not only perfectly understood by ordinary Bulgarians, but are also so measured in defending the interests of Skopje that it can be envied.
All kinds of signals – with brooches, with gifts during official visits of government delegations, with veiled words in speeches, but a problem arises when they are not read correctly or on time.
In this case, it is clear that Moscow is sending a signal that something has irritated it, that it has an occasion to express in the “modern” way its disapproval or its view of a given position, behavior, statement or action of ours.
Rather than calling it a “joke” because the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs hardly engages in “jokes” on such occasions, it is appropriate to think about why it is reacting right now. The meetings these days in Sofia, the debates in Munich on European security, planned visits of important guests to our country in March, April and May, where Russia is not present, our active foreign policy in the Western Balkans region, “shootouts” between the president and the prime minister or whatever there else, did they not give grounds for a signal that there is something that is not to the taste of the Kremlin? No matter how much we have our Euro-Atlantic orientation and politics, Russia is not a country we can afford to turn our backs on. Especially in a situation when the world is changing and geopolitics is leaning towards a new order. They say multipolar.
It is high time that we learn not only to refine opinions, words and actions, especially in foreign policy, but also to understand that, in addition to history, we must also be familiar with new concepts in diplomacy. With the tricks that are used if something does not suit the big ones. See how a corruption scandal unfolded in Greece, when protests against an agreement on the name of Macedonia created preconditions for prolonging the negotiations. It is not necessary to hastily give definitions that are not clear how and when they will be reacted to. There are always words about protecting dignity and asserting sovereignty, but this is a matter of professionalism, experience and good knowledge not only of one’s own history. Whoever can is aware.
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