The Minister without Portfolio for Bulgarians Abroad, Bozhidar Dimitrov, says Skopje is way ahead compared to Sofia in granting Macedonian passports. Photo by BGNES
The Minister without Portfolio for Bulgarians Abroad, Bozhidar Dimitrov, is convinced Skopje is leading a pro-Macedonian propaganda in Albanian regions populated with ethnic Bulgarians.
According to Dimitrov, the monitoring of the 3 such Albanian regions – Golo Bardo, Mala Prespa and Gora, shows Skopje is making all efforts to quickly grant Macedonian citizenship to about 100 000 ethnic Bulgarians living there.
“Unlike Bulgaria, which makes people wait for citizenship for 3 to 4 years, the Macedonians are granting passports in just 2 months and charge EUR 50. There will be a census of the Albanian population next year and Skopje is hoping to prove a large Macedonian minority presence,” Dimitrov says.
The number of Albanians wishing to obtain Macedonian citizenship is skyrocketing after the EU lifted the visa regime for Macedonians, according to the Minister.