Skopje, 30 June 2023 (MIA) – No one can dispute the right of the church to protest, everyone has the constitutional right to this, but I find it odd this is the first time that the church is calling for a protest on this. I think the church and the country have faced much more difficult dilemmas, President Stevo Pendarovski told TV 24 on Friday, following Thursday’s protest staged by the Macedonian Orthodox Church – Ohrid Archbishopric (MOC-OA).

According to Pendarovski, the protest is unfounded because, he said, “the Government withdrew both the Law on Gender Equality and the Law on Registries from procedure, and requested a broader social debate.”

Asked if there is Russian influence in relation to MOC-OA’s protest, Pendarovski said Russian influence is present, but, he said, “it wouldn’t be right to take away the legitimacy of those who protested.”

“On whether there are such elements, yes there are such elements within the highest leadership of the Synod, and they know that. I know about it, and I’ve told the highest representatives of the Church about this. This is based on the reports of the bodies that work on this matter. Not only from the Intelligence Agency of North Macedonia, we are a NATO member state, and I receive reports from 30 other agencies, because we are a part of that joint system of intelligence and security. This partnership helps us a lot, and we have enough information to know what is happening, and not only in MOC,” said Pendarovski.

According to the President, people affiliated with the Russian services are present in the business community and the political parties as well.

“There are people in high positions in the business community as well who work for Russia, in the political parties we have people affiliated with the Russian services, and this isn’t new,” said Pendarovski.