Osmani does not like where the RSM’s relations with Bulgaria are going
Macedonian Minister of Foreign Affairs Buyar Osmani called for more intensive and constant communication with Bulgaria, BGNES reports.
When there is an empty space, a space without communication, then it is filled by someone else and it does not take away the agenda, the change of trajectory that was drawn in the month of July highlighted this one.
Osmani indicated that an agreement had been reached to activate the sectoral working groups, with teams from the two ministries working in the open in a week to develop a calendar with specific meetings of the five groups created at the beginning of the year. It will meet once a month to maintain constant communication and follow up on the planned implementationsays Osmani during a meeting with journalists.
He announced that he had already arranged an event with his Bulgarian colleague Nikolay Milkov.
Osmani defined as successful your visit to Sofia at the beginning of last week.
“The goal is not only to maintain normal communication, returning to the agenda, but also to have preventive diplomacy, because I am beginning to dislike the direction and dynamics of our relations with Bulgaria and especially after the big step we took this year. Since there is no regular government there, I want to talk with the official cabinet, but also with the political parties,” the foreign minister of the RSM issued.
Regarding the new law, adopted in a fast-track procedure by the Macedonian parliament, who is forcing the Bulgarian associations in the country to change their names, Osmani admits that it was his idea to seek the opinion of the Venice Commission on this matter, and in particular in the part of it that refers to the already registered associations in the past. According to him, this is problematic.
“Bulgaria is starting a serious campaign in the international offices regarding this issue and in particular in the Council of Europe. It will take all the arguments to prove that this is not the case. If there is one thing we are recognized for in the world, it is our attitude to communities and civil rights. For this reason, in order not to give arguments to anyone, I decided to propose to the agreement that I present myself to the Venice Commission, and if it says that everything is fine, then no one will have arguments against this law,” he commented.
In the recent months a powerful anti-Bulgarian campaign was organized in our western neighbor on the occasion of the two Bulgarian clubs – “Vancho Mihailov” in Bitola and “Tsar Boris III” in Ohrid. The first club was set on fire, a the culprit is released. At the opening of the second one stones and eggs were thrown.
On October 17, the Macedonian MPs approved the submission of the proposal from the opposition VMRO-DPMNE draft law to amend and supplement the Law on Associations and Foundations under a shortened procedure, and the proposal was adopted with complete unanimity by all deputies, 84 deputies without a single “against” or “abstention”.
The chief expert at the Foreign Ministry, Zhelyazko Radukov, explains that when the Law on Associations will enter into force depends on when it will be promulgated in the State Gazette of the RSM.
“Of course you’re going to ban the clubs, the question is whether it’s going to force a name change.” We cannot answer that because it will be a decision of each of these clubs. They will have the option to either change their names or suffer their rights in court. The Bulgarian state will support them in two cases,” he emphasized.