site.btaForeign Minister Mitov: "I Find Sergei Lavrov's Claims Highly Irresponsible"

Foreign Minister Mitov: "I Find Sergei Lavrov's Claims Highly  Irresponsible"

Sofia, May 21 (BTA) - In a statement on Wednesday, Bulgarian
Foreign Minister Daniel Mitov called "highly irresponsible"
claims made by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov that "a
split of the Republic of Macedonia between Albania and Bulgaria
was being discussed ". Lavrov made this statement in the Council
 of the Federation, the upper house of the Russian Federal
Assembly.

Mitov said: "Everybody is well aware of the difficulties the
Republic of Macedonia has encountered while establishing and
strengthening its state independence and sovereignty. All this
time Bulgaria was the country which offered the strongest
support for the independence of the Republic of Macedonia and
became a guarantor of its territorial integrity." He recalled
that Bulgaria was the first country to recognize the Republic of
 Macedonia - a decision of "key importance for stability in
Southeastern Europe".

"Any attempts to call into question the European policy in the
region and the territorial integrity of the Republic of
Macedonia are unacceptable. The stability of all countries of
Southeastern Europe is of paramount importance to us and
attempts by countries outside the region to undermine it through
 such claims should stop," the Bulgarian Foreign Minister said.
"Bulgaria will continue to be a guarantor of the independence
and territorial integrity of the Republic of Macedonia, and
there must be no doubt about this."