On October 2, 2024, Macedonian Human Rights Movement International (MHRMI) President, Bill Nicholov, and Macedonian human rights activist from Albania and President of the Macedonian Alliance for European Integration (MAEI), Vasil Sterjovski, met with Julia Cloutier, Deputy Director of Global Affairs Canada for European and Eurasian Affairs. Sterjovski is also the first Macedonian elected to parliament in Albania.

Nicholov explained that the overarching issue surrounding the exponential increase of anti-Macedonian activities in the Balkans is the forced name change demanded by Greece and illegally imposed by the United States and the US-installed Zaev regime in Macedonia. Gross violations of international and Macedonian law and human rights and civil liberties ensued in order to ensure the illegal imposition of the highly derogatory name “North Macedonia”, specifically designed to eradicate Macedonians’ identity, culture, and history in exchange for Greece lifting its veto of Macedonia’s US-imposed NATO membership bid.

Western, Canada included, backing of Greece’s demands gave carte blanche to Greece, Bulgaria and Albania to pursue their policies of negation of Macedonians’ identity and exponentially increase their violations of Macedonians’ human rights. Bulgaria expanded its attacks on Macedonians in Bulgaria, including against a cultural centre in Gorna Dzumaja, secret police threats and detainments of attendees of Macedonian commemorations, an explosion of anti-Macedonian hate speech by Bulgarian politicians and media, among much more.

Further, as explained by Sterjovski, Bulgaria has expanded its anti-Macedonian activities in Albania and demanded — and received — assistance from the Albanian government in its claim that the Macedonian minority in Albania is suddenly “Bulgarian”, in exchange for lifting of Bulgaria’s veto of Albania’s EU membership bid.

As Sterjovski pointed out, Bulgaria, abusing its membership in the European Union, uses various methods in its attempts to assimilate Macedonians and manufacture a “Bulgarian” minority in Albania, such as encouraging citizens of Albania — and charging them thousands of Euros — to get Bulgarian passports in order to use the privileges of the European Union. Bulgaria subsequently claims them as “ethnic Bulgarians”.

Bulgaria has repeatedly sent high-ranking officials to Albania to overtly interfere and cause provocations surrounding its anti-Macedonian activities and namely, its mass interference in Albania’s 2023 census in which both countries conspired to have Bulgarians appear as an ethnic minority for the first time in Albania’s history. All minorities in Albania have jointly condemned the census and called for a new census in which international monitors are present.

Nicholov condemned Western double standards in selectively applying human rights protections and not only omitting Macedonians, but purposely violating Macedonians’ rights.

MHRMI and MAEI called on Canada to condemn Bulgaria, Albania and Greece’s anti-Macedonian actions, to demand an immediate return of Macedonia’s name, and to ensure equal treatment and human rights protections for all Macedonians.

Macedonian Human Rights Movement International (MHRMI) has been active on human and national rights issues for Macedonians and other oppressed peoples since 1986. MHRMI demands respect for Macedonia's name, identity and human rights for oppressed Macedonians in the Balkans. For more information: 1-416-850-7125, info@mhrmi.org, mhrmi.org, twitter.com/mhrmi, facebook.com/mhrmi, instagram.com/MacedonianHumanRights #OurNameIsMacedonia