Skopje, 23 January 2025 (MIA) - As long as we continue with this work, there is no obstacle that cannot be overcome. We will work every day, and I ask you to trust us, we will never allow either you or ourselves to be ashamed. This is the message that Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski sent to the citizens of Macedonia this evening in an interview for the MRT news.

When asked about his statement during the meeting with the diaspora, where he mentioned that the fight for the Macedonian issue is ongoing and called for everyone, both from home and abroad, to get involved, as the issue is still unresolved, a position that Athens considers provocative, Mickoski expressed surprise at such a reaction, saying, "Why did they feel targeted when no one was mentioned in my statement?" He stressed that he would not allow us to be provoked and that this issue should not turn into an endless process.

“My goals and my message are clear. As the Prime Minister, it would be irresponsible and a betrayal to the Macedonian people and citizens for me to claim that the Macedonian issue is resolved, especially when we are not yet part of the European family, and we started this process long before some of the current member states. This issue remains open,” Mickoski said.

Mickoski pointed out that the question is why we didn’t succeed at that time, and there are both objective and subjective reasons. However, he stressed that the main reason is the bilateral issues, which should not serve as criteria or conditions.

The core issue, he emphasized, is that we cannot claim the Macedonian issue is closed when the Court of Human Rights has made decisions and rulings for the Macedonians on the other side of the border in Bulgaria, stating that Bulgarian society does not respect basic human rights for the Macedonian community there.

Regarding investments from the Macedonian diaspora, Mickoski pointed out that there will be very promising news in the upcoming period concerning investments in our country. He stressed that this is a key goal for us, and we are putting a lot of effort into making it happen, as we need to move forward with decisive steps, which requires managing multiple processes simultaneously.

Photo: MIA archive