Bulgaria Says No to Macedonia Becoming 'Northern Macedonia'

[poiuytrewq0987]

Bulgaria is strictly against the inclusion of a geographical term in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia's potential new name, Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has declared.

Borisov believes that names like "Northern Macedonia" would be completely unacceptable, since this geographical term would include Bulgarian regions, giving rise to territorial claims.

The Bulgarian Prime Minister told the TV+ private channel that different versions of FYROM's potential future name have been discussed with Bulgaria, including "Northern Macedonia."

"I said that we would not accept it, since tomorrow they will state that Blagoevgrad is Macedonian," Borisov pointed out, referring to a Southwestern Bulgarian city.

Macedonia is registered at international organizations as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia because of the name dispute, rather than Republic of Macedonia at Greece's insistence, which fears the name "Macedonia" might spur territorial claims for its northern regions.

Greece and international intermediaries have suggested that the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia should adopt a name such as "Republic of Northern Macedonia" or "Republic of Macedonia-Skopje", which have been rejected by the Macedonian authorities.

Commenting on Serbia's new President, Tomislav Nikolic, Borisov said he respected Serbia's choice and is ready to cooperate with him, as well as with Boris Tadic, who is expected to become Prime Minister. He reiterated that Bulgaria supports all countries from the Western Balkans in their European integration bids.

http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=140079

[poiuytrewq0987]

http://www.novinite.com/media/images/2012-06/photo_verybig_140108.jpg

Bulgarian Foreign Minister Nikolay Mladenov has reiterated Prime Minister Boyko Borisov's position that Bulgaria does not agree with FYROM calling itself "Republic of Northern Macedonia" as a way to resolve its name dispute with Greece.

Earlier on Friday, Borisov said the name "Republic of Northern Macedonia" is absolutely unacceptable for Bulgaria, referring to the Greece-Macedonia dispute for the name of the latter, in which Greece is concerned that Macedonia's state name could be used to make claims on Greek districts with the same geographic name.

Bulgaria's Foreign Minister Mladenov spoke at an international conference in Sofia entitled, "The Balkans in the Global World: Encouraging the Region's European Perspective".

He told Macedonian reporters that he does not like the "constant harassment" of Bulgaria on part of Macedonia, apparently referring to the anti-Bulgarian hate language often employed by Macedonian media and even some state officials.

"We were the first to recognize our neighbor under the name "Republic of Macedonia." We were the first sovereign state to recognize its independence, and there is no change in this respect," Mladenov declared.

The questions he got asked by the Macedonian reporters were as follows, "Why are you angry at the Macedonian leadership?"; "Why does the policy of disappointment on your part lead to a cold peace between Bulgaria and Macedonia, and there are no contacts between the two nations?"

"Bulgaria isn't intervening in the dialogue between Macedonia and Greece about the name dispute because this is a bilateral thing but when different options are put on the table, we too have our positions on that," Bulgaria's top diplomat explained.

Mladenov underscored his view that all countries in the Balkans must subscribe to the European rules, realizing their EU perspective.

"All of our issues – bilateral, historical, political, commercial, infrastructural, whathaveyou, can only be resolved in this context," he said.

Mladenov also reiterated Bulgarian PM Borisov's words that Bulgaria has always been backing up Macedonia's integration with NATO and the EU.

"Whether and how it will be realized – this is primarily up to Macedonia itself, and the reforms going on there, and, of course, the finding of a compromise solution with Greece on the bilateral dispute," he added.

"We've been living in the Balkans for a long time, we know each other very well, we know our customs, and habits," Mladenov concluded.

Macedonia is registered at international organizations as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia because of the name dispute, rather than Republic of Macedonia at Greece's insistence, which fears the name "Macedonia" might spur territorial claims for its northern regions.

Greece and international intermediaries have suggested that the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia should adopt a name such as "Republic of Northern Macedonia" or "Republic of Macedonia-Skopje", which have been rejected by the Macedonian authorities.

Since the early Middle Ages, all the way to the first half of the 20th century, Macedonia and its Slavic population were considered part of the Bulgarian nation not just by Bulgaria but also by its neighbors and the international community. This is why from its National Liberation in 1878 till 1944 Bulgaria waged five wars attempting to unite all of the Bulgarian-populated lands in the Balkans, including Macedonia – after the San Stefano Treaty of March 1878 providing one state for almost all Bulgarian-populated regions was revised three months later by the European Great Powers in the Treaty of Berlin leaving the regions of Thrace and Macedonia out of Bulgaria.

After both World War I and World War II, however, Serbia/Yugoslavia kept control of 40% of the territory of the geographic and historical region of Macedonia, the so called Vardar Macedonia (which in 1991 became the Republic of Macedonia), Greece retained about 50% of the region – the so called Aegean Macedonia, while only 10% of the region – the so called Pirin Macedonia – remained in Bulgaria.

The foundations of the contemporary Macedonian nation were invented in 1943-4 by Yugoslavia's communists at a special congress that also proclaimed the creation of a Macedonian language and a Macedonian alphabet designed to differentiate the dialects spoken in the region of Macedonia from the Bulgarian language and to underline the creation of a distinct Macedonian national identity. The rationale of communist Yugoslavia and of Serbia before that for the creation of a distinct Macedonian nation being to weaken Bulgaria.

In the recent years, however, with the democratic transitions in the region, the "ethnic Macedonian" identity has been eroded, with dozens of thousands of citizens of the Republic of Macedonia receiving Bulgarian citizenship based on their Bulgarian origin.

Unlike Greece, which gets enraged by FYROM's moves toying with the cultural heritage from the Antiquity period and is tangled with Macedonia in the notorious name dispute, Bulgaria's governments traditionally react to propaganda fits by Skopje with disregard, while the general public in Bulgaria accepts them with ridicule. To the extent that Bulgaria has made any claims towards Macedonia, those have boiled down to the refusal to allow Skopje to hijack Bulgaria's historical heritage from the Middle Ages and the 19th century Revival Period.

Bulgaria was the first sovereign nation to recognize the independence of the Republic of Macedonia in 1992.


Tags: FYROM, greece, territorial claims, Boyko Borisov, Blagoevgrad, Northern Macedonia, macedonia, name dispute, Macedonian media, Macedonian language, Berlin Treaty, San Stefano Treaty, Skopje, Bozhidar Dimitrov, name dispute, greece, Aegean Macedonia, Pirin Macedonia, Vardar Macedonia, Southwest Bulgaria, Blagoevgrad District, Georgi Dimitrov, USSR, Joseph Stalin, Soviet Union, Yugoslavia, Tito, Josip Broz Tito, Bulgarian Communist Party, Communist Bulgaria, communist regime, Macedonians, macedonia, FYROM, propaganda, Omo Ilinden Pirin, Nikola Poposki, Foreign Minister, Nikolay Mladenov

http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=140108

[Midori]

Like anyone here cares about their opinion :icon_rolleyes:

[Archduke]

Like anyone here cares about their opinion :icon_rolleyes:

We know that you are pro-serbian, but Bulgaria will be always connected to Macedonia, we are like Macedonia's big brother, and you have to care about our opinion, like it or not. ;)

[Midori]

We know that you are pro-serbian, but Bulgaria will be always connected to Macedonia, we are like Macedonia's big brother, and you have to care about our opinion, like it or not. ;)

I'm pro Yugoslavian, not pro-Serbian. And what you say isn't true at all. You can go to some Macedonian forum and ask them what they think about Bulgaria. Just don't say I didn't warn you...

Btw I respect your country, we are Slavic brothers and sisters, but you have to get over the fact that Macedonia isn't part of Bulgaria.

[Archduke]

I'm pro Yugoslavian, not pro-Serbian. And what you say isn't true at all. You can go to some Macedonian forum and ask them what they think about Bulgaria. Just don't say I didn't warn you...

It is true, you just can't realize it. We do everything good for Macedonia, and still there is hate. And your beloved "Yugoslavia" is guilty for this hate. You know, turko-mongols, tatars, asians etc. Also majority of croats and slovenes hate the yugo era, only serbs and serbo lovers like it, tell me if i am wrong.



Btw I respect your country, we are Slavic brothers and sisters, but you have to get over the fact that Macedonia isn't part of Bulgaria.

Where did i said that Macedonia is aprt of Bulgaria? :)

[Lithium]

Like anyone here cares about their opinion :icon_rolleyes:

Seems like you have some problems with us too, there must be a reason for your harsh reaction. Anyway, the interview was taken by Macedonian journalists :D

[Midori]

Seems like you have some problems with us too, there must be a reason for your harsh reaction. Anyway, the interview was taken by Macedonian journalists :D

Not at all. I'm just saying what the people here really think.

Would Bulgarians care about the Macedonians' opinion about their country's name? Not at all.

[Archduke]

Not at all. I'm just saying what the people here really think.

Would Bulgarians care about the Macedonians' opinion about their country's name? Not at all.

We will never have such a problems, after all we are not a fake country. :thumb001:

[Lithium]

Not at all. I'm just saying what the people here really think.

I can understand why, it must be because of the way your politics and medias present our country. I just read the news how the words of our prime minister have been changed by your medias. Even he says that it's not his business to deal with the name of your country, he only cares about the ridiculous territory claims it could lead to.

[Onur]

I'm pro Yugoslavian, not pro-Serbian.
If you are a pro-Yugoslavian then you are automatically pro-Serbian too, even if you don't like it or not.

[Midori]

If you are a pro-Yugoslavian then you are automatically pro-Serbian too, even if you don't like it or not.

Well I guess I'm pro-Bosnian, pro-Croatian and pro-Slovenian too :shrug:

[Midori]

I can understand why, it must be because of the way your politics and medias present our country. I just read the news how the words of our prime minister have been changed by your medias. Even he says that it's not his business to deal with the name of your country, he only cares about the ridiculous territory claims it could lead to.

I can understand why most SlavoMacedonians hate Bulgarians. You're constantly trying to make us feel something we're not. I respect you, but we don't have to care about your opinion, we are 2 different countries after all.

[Onur]

Well I guess I'm pro-Bosnian, pro-Croatian and pro-Slovenian too :shrug:
Well, with the same logic then one can say "I am pro-Ottoman because i like Croats, Greeks, Bulgarians etc."

Would it be OK?

[RoyBatty]

I'm pro Yugoslavian, not pro-Serbian. And what you say isn't true at all. You can go to some Macedonian forum and ask them what they think about Bulgaria. Just don't say I didn't warn you...


We all know this popular line of thinking amongst them already.

They hate on the Greeks, the Albanians, the Serbs and the Bulgarians yet they are basically Bulgarians + people of mixed Balkan origins who today (in particular) claim Greek History, National Heroes and Territory as their own.



Btw I respect your country, we are Slavic brothers and sisters, but you have to get over the fact that Macedonia isn't part of Bulgaria.

Everybody is painfully aware of this already.

It would just be so much better for everybody if the Skopjens stopped trying to steal the identity, history and land of others and rather pursued a rational path of inventing an identity for themselves.

[Lithium]

I can understand why most SlavoMacedonians hate Bulgarians. You're constantly trying to make us feel something we're not. I respect you, but we don't have to care about your opinion, we are 2 different countries after all.

Who said that you have to care about our opinion? In this case, the interview was taken by Macedonian journalists and even our prime minister said that it's not his business to "da se mesha" in the conflict for the name of your country. I doubt that any Bulgarian thinks you should care about our opinion. I personally don't care about your country's name, but I would if some territory claims come with it :D

[RoyBatty]

I can understand why most SlavoMacedonians hate Bulgarians. You're constantly trying to make us feel something we're not. I respect you, but we don't have to care about your opinion, we are 2 different countries after all.

They're basically saying what everybody else knows already, why make such a big deal out of it? Rather just stop the pretending and be rational about it.

[Onur]

The baboon from Londonistan, why you keep backing Greek stance vs Macedonians? Whats got to do with you?

At least i can say that my grandparents was from Ottoman Macedonia but what about you? Are you Greek or if you are from Londonistan, then are you a Greek Cypriot?

[Vojnik]

The Macedonian government must end name negotiations with Greece and forget the EU and Nato. The name must remain the Republic of Macedonia.

And regarding the Bulgarian prime ministers comments about land claims. No, there will not be land claims, we do not wish to claim any land and it is not possible to do so anyway.

[Queen B]

The Macedonian government must end name negotiations with Greece and forget the EU and Nato. The name must remain the Republic of Macedonia.

It would be great seeing FyroB end nagotiations :thumb001:;)

[Archduke]

The Macedonian government must end name negotiations with Greece and forget the EU and Nato. The name must remain the Republic of Macedonia.

And regarding the Bulgarian prime ministers comments about land claims. No, there will not be land claims, we do not wish to claim any land and it is not possible to do so anyway.

Not every Macedonian thinks like you. :rolleyes2:

[Kanuni]

The Macedonian government must end name negotiations with Greece and forget the EU and Nato. The name must remain the Republic of Macedonia.

And regarding the Bulgarian prime ministers comments about land claims. No, there will not be land claims, we do not wish to claim any land and it is not possible to do so anyway.

That would be a wrong decision.They are not giving you ultimatum to change the name.The name problem of Macedonia is a deadlock situation neither you want to give up neither the Greeks.

[Midori]

Not every Macedonian thinks like you. :rolleyes2:

I think like him. Some of us don't want anyone's land.
Edit: Or history.

[Vojnik]

Not every Macedonian thinks like you. :rolleyes2:

Every country has people with irredentist ideas. Those type of people are not in parliament to make land claims anyway. I think the vast majority of Macedonians just wish to work, feed themselves and their family and live a peaceful life with no issues.

I will say it again. There is no claims of land by the Macedonian government nor are they dumb enough to do so. By us keeping the name we freely chose after we gained independence from Yugoslavia has no irredentist thoughts along with it.

[poiuytrewq0987]

This recent move by Borisov is basically revenge for creating the Third Half movie of which was mostly financed by the Macedonian government.


Macedonian media are actively commenting on the recent statmeents made by Bulgarian Prime Minsiter Boyo Borisov, and more precisely about his position on the name dispute.

Bulgaria does not agree for Macedonia’s name to contain a geographical term, Prime Minister Boyko Borisov said on Friday.

According to him propositions such as Northern Macedonia are absolutely unacceptable, because from a geographical point of view parts of Bulgaria are included in this name. And this is a prerequisite for territorial claims to Bulgaria, he said.

The firm position of the Bulgarian PM did not pleased by media in Skopje, which interpreted his statements as they wished. The commentaries are connected only to the conclusion that Bulgaria is interfering in the name issue, missing to mention that Borisov said further that the countries in the Balkans should build their infrastructure and that Bulgaria has always backed and still supports Macedonia’s EU and NATO bid.

“One day it will be said that Blagoevgrad is Macedonian,” Macedonian Sitel TV nostalgically said in its commentary on the statement of Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov about the future name dispute talks.

The television remarks that Bulgaria is against the geographic term in Macedonia’s name, because this way there will be a risk of some territorial claims in the future.

Sitel comments that this way Bulgaria is interfering in the name issue between Macedonia and Greece.

The television says further that according to Macedonian political experts, it will be best to terminate the talks with Greece and Macedonia to concentrate on the economic issues and structural reforms.

Sitel also cites statement by Macedonian analyst Donev, who says that if the name issue with Greece is solved, then it will be Bulgaria’s turn. It is believed that Bulgaria is doing this because of internal problems.

According to Macedonian experts, a change of the name and the constitution will lead to change of the history, nation and language of Macedonia. Analysts think that none of Macedonia’s neighbours wants solution to the name issue.

The name North Macedonia is unacceptable for the Bulgarians, said Macedonian Vecer daily, which is close to the government of Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski.

The newspaper cites statements of Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, who said that such a geographic term could lead to some territorial claims in the future.

Vecer writes further that representatives of the Macedonian government and Foreign Affairs Ministry have not commented on Borisov’s statements. The daily newspaper recalled that the idea for a name with geographic term has been backed by leader of the Greek far-left party SYRIZA Alexis Tsipras.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov was provoked by Macedonian journalists during the Balkan Forum hosted by Sofia, Macedonian online news edition A-On comments.

The news edition thinks that the statement of the Bulgarian prime mistier about Macedonia, while speaking of the name dispute with Greece, and about The Third Half movie, came as a result of questions asked by Macedonian journalists.

A-On points at Borisov’s statement that there has never been a swastika on Bulgaria’s flag.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov is afraid that Macedonia will take away the Bulgarian town of Blagoevgrad, writes Macedonian online news edition Kirilica.

Kirilica remakes that Bulgaria finds a name with geographic term for Macedonia unacceptable, since this could lead to some territorial claims in the future.

In an article titled ‘Borisov afraid that the Macedonians may occupy Bulgaria’ the Macedonian online news edition Denesen.mk comments on the recent statements of Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov about the future change of the name of Macedonia and the consequences it could possibly bring.

Denesen writes further that a possible name with geographic term for Macedonia is absolutely unacceptable for Bulgaria, since with such a term could also cover territories, which belong to Bulgaria.

Macedonian news edition E-Reporter published an article titled ‘Borisov with a fly on his hat: Macedonia to claim Blagoevgrad, too’ in which it comments on the recent statements of Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov about the Macedonia’s name issue.

The news edition remarks that the Borisov has said that Bulgaria finds a name with geographic term unacceptable.

“Borisov is scared because the Macedonians may claim the town of Blagoevgrad” – this is what Macedonian 24 Vest online news edition says in a commentary on the recent statements of Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov about the Macedonia’s name issue.

According to the 24 Vest, any geographic term and geographic changes in the name of Macedonia are absolutely unacceptable for Bulgaria but the country still backs Macedonia’s European-Atlantic integration.

“Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov’s complexes, connected to the falsification (for decades) of the history of the country he governs, have nothing to do with my movie,” said Darko Mitrevski, director of The Third Half movie, speaking for online news edition .

“On the one hand it is a fact that Bulgaria was member of the Axis and a country with pro-Nazi regime during the WWII, a country responsible for the death of 11,000 Jews from Macedonia and Thrace in the gas chambers of the Treblinka extermination camp. This is information, which I announce for the first time. This information can be found online, on the websites of the Holocaust Memorial Museum, the Simon Wiesenthal Centre, the Israeli Yad Vashem Museum… Why doesn’t Boyko Borisov point at them but he rather focused on me? Since he cannot hit the donkey, he hits the packsaddle. This speaks of his character, not of me,” he added.

“On the other hand, The Third Half is not a hitlerite movie. In fact Borisov cannot say what kind of movie it is, since he has not watched it. Here we come to the end of his competence in the movies topic. What amuses me is his hurt statement – ‘where did you find this topic?’ In other words, Borisov does not deny what has happened – he is only angry that I decided to shoot a movie on this issue. In other words – he fault lies not with the naked king but with the child, who said the king was naked. And to avoid any misunderstandings – when I say ‘the king’ I do not mean Boyko Borisov. I mean the war criminal Boris III,” Mitrevski commented further.

The news edition comments that since the very beginning the movie has caused some ‘hormone reactions in Bulgaria’.

http://www.focus-fen.net/index.php?id=n280113

[poiuytrewq0987]

Borisov said his country objected to the idea of neighbouring Macedonia being renamed with a geographical qualifier, such as "Northern", as it might then encourage Macedonian territorial claims against Bulgaria.

http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/file/show/Images/Images.New/People%202/Boyko%20Borisov/Boyko-Borisov-Bulgaria-PM.jpg

The Bulgarian Prime Minister told TV+ channel that different versions of Macedonia’s potential future name have been discussed in Bulgaria, including "Northern Macedonia."

"I said that we would not accept this, since the next day they would say Blagoevgrad [in Bulgaria] is Macedonian," Borisov said, referring to the town in southwestern Bulgaria close to the Macedonian border.

Borisov’s remarks come at a time when such possible solutions appear only hypothetical, as UN-led talks between Macedonia and Greece have been stalled for over a year.

Since 2008 Greece has blocked Macedonia's Euro-Atlantic aspirations, insisting that use of the name "Macedonia" implies territorial claims to its own northern province of the same name.

UN-led talks between the two sides have so proved unsuccessful. Media have speculated in the past that a name like "Northern Macedonia", which would distinguish the country from the Greek province, could work as a compromise.

The historic region of Macedonia covers an area in the Balkans that is much larger than the present Republic of Macedonia.

Afteer the Balkan wars of 1912-1913, and the signing of the 1913 Treaty of Bucharest, the former Ottoman territory was split between Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia.

The modern Republic of Macedonia includes only the area that fell to Serbia and which later became an autonomous republic within Yugoslavia.

http://www.balkaninsight.com/en/article/bulgaria-says-no-to-name-northern-macedonia

[Vojnik]

The name Northern Macedonia implies the Republic of Macedonia. Pirin is east of Macedonia. So I don't understand why Borisov would even object to such a name.

[Papastratosels26]

Now they had no problem.

[Papastratosels26]

Have*

[CYKA]

why not Slavo-Macedonia or Bulgaro-macedonia