Opening of clubs must be in the spirit of good neighborliness, says Osmani
Skopje, 31 October 2022 (MIA) - This recent cycle of instrumentalizing minority rights is not in the spirit of good neighborliness, Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani has stated commenting on this weekend's opening of a Macedonian cultural club in the Bulgarian city of Blagoevgrad.
"We have nothing against the opening of clubs here and there, according to the framework convention for the protection of the rights of minorities, the citizens have the right to association. According to the frequency of the establishment of these clubs, it's evident we're entering a competition, to instrumentalize the people. There are no good intentions," Osmani told TV24 on Monday.
The decisions to name the Bulgarian cultural clubs in Ohrid and Bitola after Tsar Boris of Bulgaria and Vanco Mihajlov respectively and the Macedonian club in Blagoevgrad are not in line with the spirit of good neighborly ties.
"The time when all this is happening and the way the opposition is trying to score political points is contrary to what we want to be doing. We want a normal cycle. The Bulgarian top governmental officials had made a mistake by coming here for the opening of the club [in Bitola] and we consider it a provocation," said Osmani.
The Macedonians in Bulgaria, he noted, gained nothing with the Blagoevgrad club, which has polarized the Bulgarian public towards them.
According to him, it will further harm the Macedonians in Bulgaria because they are part of the instrumentalization process, which does not promote minority rights.
"The opening of clubs has to be in the spirit of friendship and good neighborly ties," Minister Osmani stressed.