The leader of the opposition VMRO-DPMNE, Hristijan Mickoski, called for "the entry of the Macedonians in the Bulgarian Constitution" if the Sofia authorities demand the entry of the Bulgarians in the RNM Constitution.

"We will have open relations with our neighbors. We have always been in favor of good relations with our neighbors but in strict compliance with the principle of reciprocity. If the Bulgarians want a change in the Constitution, then they must do the same," Mickoski told state television MRT.

“We are fully aware of the fact that there are radical structures on the political scene in some of our neighbors who use and abuse nationalism. They have very negative and at times hegemonic rhetoric towards Macedonia. And that is why we call for reciprocity. Because, as they say about love, two are needed. If we receive their respect, then they will have ours. But if we do not receive respect - that I did not exist in a certain historical period, or I was another and I spoke another language, they want to destroy my culture, traditions, customs, which were passed down from grandmother to grandson for centuries, these are not good neighborly relations," the opposition leader added.

“After Bulgaria opened the request for the inclusion of the Bulgarians from the RNM in our Constitution, then we have the right to ask them to do the same and change their Constitution and to include the Macedonians from Bulgaria in their Constitution, for which there is a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg and for which a resolution has been adopted in the European Parliament stating that they have the right to their own culture, the preservation of their customs. If they want us to change the Constitution, then they should be so good as to change theirs. This is the real reciprocity," Mickoski said. According to him, "it was better to talk about the construction of railways, highways, economic cooperation, tourism, and not about Gotse Delchev, the Ilinden Uprising or the organization established in Thessaloniki in 1893, whose first congress was in the town of Resen. Why talk about it at all."

/BGNES