The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of North Macedonia expressed concern about the data from the census conducted in Albania in 2023 due to the "publication of preliminary data which, unfortunately, does not adequately reflect the real number of ethnic Macedonians in the country", reported BTA correspondent Marinela Velichkova, quoted by dariknews.bg.
In its announcement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Skopje expresses dissatisfaction and a strong reaction to the use of the term "North Macedonians".
The ambassador of North Macedonia in Tirana will be summoned "in order to clarify the shortcomings and inconsistencies in this process, to consider the possibilities for appropriate correction of the mistakes made and to find the most adequate ways for further joint actions and promotion of bilateral relations with Republic of Albania".
"In the coming period, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (of the Republic of North Macedonia) will cooperate intensively with the competent representatives of the authorities and with the representatives of the Macedonian community in the Republic of Albania regarding their cultural and social promotion within the Albanian society, which, for unfortunately, it was completely ignored by the previous political formation in our country", reads the announcement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of North Macedonia.
The media in North Macedonia published the many angry reactions in the country regarding the census in Albania, in which there are more people who declared themselves as Bulgarians than Macedonians. The reason for the negative reactions is the decreased number of people registered in the census in Albania in the column “Macedonians” – 2281, compared to 5512 in the 2011 census. In the census that took place last year in Albania, 7,057 citizens defined themselves as Bulgarians, and according to the chairman of the party in Albania, the "Macedonian Alliance for European Integration" Vasil Sterovski, the reason for this is “the pressure from Bulgaria on the Macedonians to register as Bulgarians and the condition for obtaining Bulgarian passports" and that Albania has recognized the “non-existent Bulgarian minority”.
In its announcement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Skopje expresses dissatisfaction and a strong reaction to the use of the term "North Macedonians".
The ambassador of North Macedonia in Tirana will be summoned "in order to clarify the shortcomings and inconsistencies in this process, to consider the possibilities for appropriate correction of the mistakes made and to find the most adequate ways for further joint actions and promotion of bilateral relations with Republic of Albania".
"In the coming period, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (of the Republic of North Macedonia) will cooperate intensively with the competent representatives of the authorities and with the representatives of the Macedonian community in the Republic of Albania regarding their cultural and social promotion within the Albanian society, which, for unfortunately, it was completely ignored by the previous political formation in our country", reads the announcement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of North Macedonia.
The media in North Macedonia published the many angry reactions in the country regarding the census in Albania, in which there are more people who declared themselves as Bulgarians than Macedonians. The reason for the negative reactions is the decreased number of people registered in the census in Albania in the column “Macedonians” – 2281, compared to 5512 in the 2011 census. In the census that took place last year in Albania, 7,057 citizens defined themselves as Bulgarians, and according to the chairman of the party in Albania, the "Macedonian Alliance for European Integration" Vasil Sterovski, the reason for this is “the pressure from Bulgaria on the Macedonians to register as Bulgarians and the condition for obtaining Bulgarian passports" and that Albania has recognized the “non-existent Bulgarian minority”.