North Macedonian officials have strongly condemned a statement by Bulgaria’s far-right leader, who called for North Macedonia and Bulgaria to unite into a single state based on an idea recently floated by the US president-elect, Donald Trump, for the union of the USA and Canada.

The leader of Bulgaria’s far-right political party Rilindja (Prerodbas), Kostadin Kostadinov, said on Thursday that “there is nothing more logical than two states with a common history, a common origin, a common language and a common people, as Bulgaria and Macedonia to become a single state”.

This statement was condemned as “shameful and dishonest” by the president of North Macedonia, Gordana Silanovska-Davkova.

“On the contrary, the intention to express it unilaterally in this way actually means disrespect, means non-recognition”, said Gordana Silanovska-Davkova.

The Ministry of Labor and Foreign Trade of North Macedonia strongly condemned the statement of Kostadinov, who is also a current deputy in the People’s Assembly of Bulgaria, saying that this statement “expresses clear territorial claims against North Macedonia”.