Skopje, 6 October 2022 (MIA) – After the announced opening of the new Bulgarian citizens' association in Ohrid, as well as public calls for protests against it, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs urging all citizens, political and non-political groups to act in a responsible and composed manner, respecting the right of all citizens, regardless of their ethnicity, to exercise their constitutionally guaranteed freedom of association and expression. “North Macedonia, as a democratic country in which the freedoms and rights of citizens are elevated to the level of a fundamental value of the Constitution and statehood, will continue to respect the rights of all citizens and communities to express, nurture and develop their ethnic, cultural, linguistic and religious identity, as well as the freedom of belief, conscience, thought and public expression of opinion,” said the MFA. The Ministry asks all stakeholders to refrain from attempts to abuse their rights and freedoms, and to especially avoid provoking and denying the rights and freedoms of others. Political party Levica has called for a protest against Friday's opening of Ohrid-based culture club named after Bulgarian Tsar Boris III. Registration of Bulgarian associations named after controversial historical figures has caused tensions in the country over the past year, which culminated with the arson of the Vancho Mihajlov Cultural Center in Bitola.