The Macedonian Alliance for European Integration (MAEI) party, which represents the Macedonians in Albania, submitted a request to the Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, in which it reiterates the constant concern for the Macedonian community in Albania, which “faces the constant efforts of the Bulgarian authorities for its assimilation, taking advantage of Bulgaria’s membership in the European Union”.
-Bulgarian authorities use various means and methods to assimilate the Macedonian community in Albania and create a non-existent Bulgarian community. A notable example is the activity of the “Bulgarian Memory” foundation and its president Milen Vrabevski from Bulgaria. Supported by various Bulgarian structures, this foundation corrupts Albanian officials through donations, with the aim of assimilating the Macedonians in Albania, according to the letter of the MAEI.
It is added that this foundation repeatedly claims and writes that it has the main credit for starting and organizing the entire process for the recognition of the Bulgarian minority in Albania in 2017.
– This fact alone speaks of the foundation’s involvement in the corruption of the Albanian authorities. Over the years, this foundation has created a network in Albania, infiltrating various institutions to advance their agenda of assimilation of the Macedonian community. This network, funded by the “Bulgarian Memory” foundation, is involved in the business of Bulgarian passports in Albania, it is further stated.
As is already known to the authorities but also to the entire Albanian public, it is emphasized in the letter, in the past two years in Albania, the local authorities for money have been issuing illegal certificates of Bulgarian origin to all Albanian citizens who apply for a Bulgarian passport in several municipalities, in order to use EU privileges.
Thanks to Top Channel television and the show “Fix Fare”, the party states, it has been proven that only the municipality of Bulqiza has issued thousands of such illegal certificates. Despite the actions against officials in Bulqiza municipality, this corrupt practice of illegally issuing certificates of Bulgarian origin continues unabated in other municipalities in Albania, controlled by the Bulgarian Memory Foundation network.
In addition, according to MAEI, this network influenced the last population census in Albania, by installing enumerators in Macedonian minority areas and by pressure, threats and bribes to force Albanian citizens to declare themselves Bulgarians.
-One of the measures of the “Bulgarian Memory” foundation for corrupting Albanian officials and for the assimilation of Macedonians in Albania, apart from the business with Bulgarian passports and illegal certificates of Bulgarian origin, are the various donations that this foundation, with the support of the Bulgarian embassy, makes in the areas where Macedonians live in Albania, representing Macedonians as Bulgarians and causing a revolt among Macedonians in Albania, MAEI states.
On behalf of the Macedonians in Albania, the party calls on the Albanian authorities to take decisive action against “this criminal network” which is supported by the Bulgarian Memory Foundation, which includes an investigation into their role in the census and the illegal issuance of certificates of Bulgarian origin.
– We also demand a ban on the activities and donations from the “Bulgarian Memory” foundation in the areas where the Macedonian community lives, representing them as Bulgarians, because these acts represent gross interference in the internal affairs of Albania and encourage ethnic intolerance. Macedonians in Albania are loyal citizens who contribute to the country through regular tax payments. We call on the government to invest in the development of the regions where Macedonians live. These areas, among the poorest in Albania, have been neglected for more than 30 years, the letter states.
It is assessed that investing in the areas where the Macedonian community lives is key to “improving living and working conditions and preventing our fellow citizens from becoming victims of denial and assimilation attempts by external forces”.
The same letter was addressed to the Head of State Bajram Begaj, several ministries, the Ombudsman, the Commission for Combating Discrimination, as well as to the international representatives in Tirana.