site.btaForeign Ministry Continues Following North Macedonian Opposition's Campaign against Bulgarian Clubs

Deputy Foreign Minister Kostadin Kodzhabashev told a briefing on Friday that the Foreign Ministry continues to closely follow how the opposition in the Republic of North Macedonia is fanning the campaign against the Bulgarian clubs there, instrumentalizing it for domestic purposes. Such conduct benefits only factors or third parties interested in hindering Skopje's EU integration.

Kodzhabashev commented on amendments and supplements to the Associations and Foundations Act and the Political Parties Act passed by the Parliament in Skopje on November 2. He said they were gazetted in the Republic of North Macedonia on November 8, whereby they entered into force. The Bulgarian Foreign Ministry has already issued a position on the matter. There are serious concerns that the legislative amendments, coupled with a unilateral interpretation of historical facts and figures, might restrict the right of association, Kodzhabashev said. He noted that a new commission on the names of persons was set up, whose opinion would be decisive.

He said legitimate questions arose, such as who will exercise control over the commission's opinions, will its decisions be appealable, and what criteria it will apply.

Significantly, the revisions of such an important law concerning civil society were adopted without prior broad public debate, Kodzhabashev pointed out. It remains to be seen whether the government in Skopje will send the Associations and Foundations Act to the Venice Commission for an opinion. "We believe, however, that if human rights were approached with due care and attention, such an important draft law should have been sent for an opinion in advance, as now the law is actually starting to be implemented," the Deputy Foreign Minister said.