Zaev Announced a Protest Note to Bulgaria and then Changed His Mind

By Frosina On Jul 26, 2019 0

Prime Minister Zoran Zaev yesterday (17 July 2019) at a press conference in the Government, among other things, gave another inconsistent statement, saying that he would not react with a Note of Protest for Sofia about the fact that the Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov recently called the President Stevo Pendarovski “North Macedonian”.

Prime Minister Zoran Zaev gave an inconsistent statement at a Government press conference, saying that he would not react through a Protest Note to Sofia about the fact that the Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov recently called the President Stevo Pendarovski “North Macedonian”.

One does not send a Note of Protest upon such an issue because a Note of protest is an act of hostility, and we are communicating with friends. They sometimes use words recklessly, but we talk. That is why a Note of Protest has not been sent.

[Source: Пресинг ТВ, date: 17 July 2019]

EXPLANATION:

This statement by the Prime Minister Zoran Zaev is deemed inconsistent in regard to his previous one (10 July 2019) in which he said that the government will send a Protest Note to Bulgaria because of the use of the terms “North-Macedonian politician” and “North Macedonian President” by Prime Minister Boyko Borisov on the margins of the Sarajevo Summit.

Namely, Zaev, one week ago (10 July 2019) responding to a journalist question said:

Of course, we will react to that. We will send a note for correcting the mistakes. Sometimes we make such mistakes even at home, and these mistakes are even made by experts. We are Macedonians who live in North Macedonia.

However, despite this announcement, Zaev retreated from his initial position saying there is no need to react with a note to Borisov’s statements, assessing it as a very strong reaction and an act of hostility. He also added that the Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikola Dimitrov suggested that a note would be a very strong reaction from our part:

We did not send a Note of protest for “North Macedonian President”. Dimitrov told me that this would be a very negative reaction from us, so we decided not to disturb the good neighborly relations, Zaev said.

SOURCES:

Presing TV (17 July 2019): Заев се премисли: Нема да испратат протесна нота до Бугарија за „Северномакедонци“(ВИДЕО) [Accessed on 18 July 2019]
mk (17 July 2019): (видео) ЗАЕВ ЗА „СЕВЕРНОМАКЕДОНЦИ“ ОД БОРИСОВ: Не, во Бугарија не праќаме нота, тие ни се пријатели [Accessed on 18 July 2019]
Makpres (17 July 2019): Иако најави, Заев ретерира за протестна нота до бугарија за северномакедонскиот претседател[Accessed on 18 July 2019]
mk (10 July 2019): Заев: Ќе реагирам кај Борисов за терминот „Северномакедонски“ политичари (ВИДЕО)[Accessed on 18 July 2019]
Faktor (10 July 2019) Заев: Ќе реагираме за „северномакедонскиот“ на Борисов [Accessed on 18 July 2019]

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