Call in Shtip for greater state care of Macedonians in neighbouring countries

Participants at the annual pan‑Macedonian gathering in Shtip called on state institutions to pay greater attention to Macedonians living in neighbouring countries, citing recent activities they say undermine local identity in Mala Prespa, Albania.

Calls for official action and protection of identity

Edmond Temelko, a Macedonian politician active in Albania, warned that some Bulgarian organisations are using humanitarian initiatives to reshape reality on the ground. He said visiting Bulgarian doctors who offer free medical check‑ups then present those actions as aid to a Bulgarian population in Mala Prespa.

"Now most recently we see that they play and even abuse people's health. Doctors come from Bulgaria, do free check‑ups, and then present it as humanitarian actions among the Bulgarian population in Mala Prespa. In reality there are no Bulgarians there, only Macedonians. We know who we are and we do not need anyone from outside to tell us," Temelko said.

Delegates at the meeting also noted hopes that a consulate will soon open in Korcha to assist the community in Albania.

Archimandrite Nikodim Carknjas urged Macedonian authorities to raise the issue more consistently on diplomatic and political levels. He said that attention is needed not only from ambassadors based in Skopje but also from the country’s top leaders.

"Our issue should always be mentioned. In Skopje there are American ambassadors, all sorts, French, all sorts from Europe. It is necessary for the prime minister and the president to call them or to find out what is being done with our Macedonians in the Aegean and in the Pirin," Nikodim Carknjas said.

The Shtip gathering, organised for 30 years, brings together Macedonians from Greece, Bulgaria and Albania with the stated aims of preserving Macedonian identity and strengthening ties among communities living beyond North Macedonia’s borders.

Photo: press material from the event