Skopje, 9 January 2025 (MIA) — That's a rude proposal, with no honest intentions, and it signals disrespect and non-recognition; so my comment on it is that it's based on frustrations, President Gordana Siljanovska Davkova said in a TV appearance commenting on Bulgaria's ultranationalist Revival party leader Kostadin Kostadinov's calling for the annexation of North Macedonia and South Bessarabia to Bulgaria.

"It is a rude proposal. Similar ones were floated at times over the course of history and, of course, they were not welcome," President Siljanovska Davkova said. 

"For you to propose Balkan federations and similar models, you need to nurture and show respect for your neighbors, elementary respect, which means to recognize the other and their uniqueness, and treat them as equals. 

"After all, that's the essence of the Treaty on the EU, of the Lisbon Treaty; the essence is in the preambles. The preamble to the Treaty of Friendship and Good Neighborliness between Macedonia and Bulgaria says that Bulgaria, as a member of the EU, will help Macedonia on its path to the EU. So this is a rude proposal," Siljanovska Davkova told TV Alfa.

Asked about the communication between her and official Sofia representatives, the head of state said that their dialogues were polite, albeit reserved.

"Our dialogues are polite. Our dialogues are measured. Our dialogues are done with some reservations, I admit, but among the Bulgarian people, among Bulgarian intellectuals and Bulgarian music and opera lovers, among Bulgarian artists, Greek ones... I recognize absolutely no problems between us, when it comes to this kind of communication. But we forget we are not kings and queens and we don't represent ourselves or our families, but we represent the citizens. So it makes sense for us to act in the spirit of what the Macedonian citizens and the Bulgarian citizens, or the Greek citizens want," she said.

Earlier on Thursday, Kostadinov in a Facebook post called on the Bulgarian government to officially assert its claims on North Macedonia and the Ukrainian territory of South Bessarabia, after voicing his support for US President-elect Donald Trump’s statements on Canada and the Panama Canal. mr/