Macedonian Association “Ilinden”-Tirana condemns Sofia’s attempts to exploit the health of Prespa region residents

Macedonian Association “Ilinden”-Tirana strongly condemns Sofia’s attempts to exploit the health of the residents of the Prespa region.

On September 11, 2026, medical examinations were conducted by Bulgarian doctors at the state clinic in Pustec. It is evident to everyone that the Bulgarian state has exerted unprecedented pressure on Macedonians in the Republic of Albania for years.

It is also clear to Macedonians throughout the Republic of Albania that the campaign for free medical examinations is merely another ploy to entice the population of the Prespa region to declare themselves as Bulgarian.

Macedonian Association “Ilinden”-Tirana expresses its regret that high-ranking Albanian state officials, as well as the Municipality of Pustec, allow themselves to be blackmailed by Bulgarian politicians at the expense of Macedonians in the Republic of Albania, and that they submit to this blackmail. Furthermore, it is the Macedonian national minority in the Republic of Albania that pays the price for the blackmail Sofia directs at our state’s political leadership. The Macedonian Association “Ilinden”-Tirana calls upon Albanian and European institutions to address the unscrupulous attacks by Bulgarian envoys against Macedonians in the Republic of Albania.

We wish to remind you that the failure of state institutions to protect their own citizens has led to the assimilation of the Macedonian national minority in the Republic of Albania.

Macedonian Association “Ilinden”-Tirana