Skopje, 12 February 2025 (MIA) — Тhe government plans on strengthening the economy first so it can open consulates not only in Korçë but also in other cities around the world, Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski said Wednesday in Parliament in response to MP Dimitar Apasiev's question if there were plans to open a consulate in the Albanian city, where a local party advocating for upholding the Macedonian minority rights in Albania hosted a meeting with Macedonian politicians on Saturday.

"The economic abyss where we have found ourselves is precisely what has led to the Macedonian ambassador in Tirana getting a budget of 180 euros. And not only in Tirana. The Macedonian ambassador in Brussels gets a monthly budget of 300 euros and the Macedonian ambassador in the United States gets 300 dollars, because this is all this robbed, plundered Macedonia can spare. We are trying to consolidate it somehow so we can use that consolidated money to open not only a consulate in Korçë but also in many other places around the world," PM Mickoski said.

In the meantime, he said, there would be honorary consuls. He added he was ready to talk to anyone who had a constructive proposal regarding the matter.

"Macedonians not only in Albania, but also in Serbia, Bulgaria, Greece, Kosovo, and everywhere in the world, should know that they are one of the main priorities of this government," Mickoski said, urging talks to "come up with a strategy together on how to first strengthen Macedonia economically."

The prime minister also asked why the 700-800 Bulgarians who had identified as native Bulgarian speakers in the latest census should be included in the Constitution whereas Albania was not required to do the same despite the 8,000 Bulgarians counted in Albania's latest census.

"In the 2011 census in Albania, there were 5,500 Macedonians. Now there are about 2,300. You said 2,000, but I will correct you — there are 2,300. And there are around 8,000 Bulgarians now while in the 2011 census, there were zero Bulgarians in Albania," Mickoski said.

"We care about the Macedonian minority everywhere," he said. "The real question is why should Macedonia include the 700-800 Bulgarians who declared that their mother tongue is Bulgarian in our Constitution while the same condition does not apply to Albania, for them to include these 8,000 in their Constitution? That's the key question. I would like us to talk like citizens, Macedonians and others, not only Macedonians, but also Albanians, Turks, Bosniaks, Serbs, Roma and Vlachs. Let's see why we have let this happen. That's the key question." mr/