Soros Open Society Foundation*-funded Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) specializing in cheap tricks and publicity has once again blamed Putin and Kremlin for “interfering into internal affairs of Macedonia,” “disseminating information and misinformation within Russia’s interests,” “destructive propaganda,” “soft power,” “intelligence,” “Macedonia’s isolation from the West,” “recruiting former and active officers of Macedonian army and Interior Ministry,” “influencing Macedonian Mass Media for publishing information in support of Russia” etc.[1]
The most serious allegations were made against Russian Ambassador Oleg Shcherbak, representatives of the Skopje Office of Rossotrudnichestvo federal agency for CIS issues and compatriots, and Russian journalists accredited to operate there. They blamed the Kremlin for “using cultural interaction methods to promote idea of Pan-Slavizm and united orthodox church.” [1] As a proof they point at establishment of thirty associations of Macedonian-Russian friendship and a Russian Culture Center in Skopje with the support of the Embassy. Soros and his team still fear that the orthodox Slavonic peoples may unite. Such trends are evident not only in Slavic language-countries where religion is Orthodox Christianity, but also in the Christian states that were once part of Byzantine and Russian empires: Greece, Cyprus, Georgia, Armenia, Romania, Moldova etc.
Perhaps, Soros is not happy with reconciliation of Bulgarians and Serbs due to the Orthodox Slavonic idea. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers, officers and civilians were killed within 60 years, from 1885 to 1944, in four wars for the territory of Macedonia and Western Suburbs of Bulgaria (populated with Bulgarians, but necessary to Serbia to expand its territory to Greece). As many people were killed in the Bulgarian-Greek armed conflict over Macedonia and Thrace. Actually, Soros is afraid that Balkans stop being European and even global “powder keg.”
It is clear to everyone that among Balkan countries, Macedonia has the highest explosive potential. One of the key reasons behind that is that Macedonia avoided war during the collapse of Yugoslavia and the victims of confrontation in the spring of 2001 and crossfires in 2015 cannot be compared with what happened in Croatia, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. There is still potential for extremism and terrorism. As Russian writer Anton Chekhov wrote: “If in the first act you have hung a pistol on the wall, then in the following one, it should be fired. Otherwise don't put it there." Perhaps, Soros thinks that pistol on the Macedonian wall shot, but there are still bullets left in it and they should be shot till the last one. What holds them to do it is the Kremlin, indeed.
There is still danger of an ethnic-and-religious war in Macedonia. To be fair, there has been such potential since 2001. Fatalities happen with frightening regularity, but Russian or world community are not always informed about it (the same happens on the Line of Contact in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh)). Bulgarians from Tetovo and Albanians from Bitola have been exchanging their houses for a long time already. The northwest of Macedonia is turning into a monoethnic Albanian territory. So far there are no chances to stop that process.
However, provocative news items on OCCRP website may deprive the Bulgarian majority of support by the only Big Power that does not want Bulgaria and Macedonia to lose territories densely populated with Muslims and Bulgarians to be wiped off the map. During the War of 1877-1878, which was a Liberation War for Bulgarians, (and not only during it), Russia sacrificed 200,000 people for the two countries to exist.
The website has published a document allegedly representing a report by Vladimir Atanasovski, the new, young, 34-year-old Director of Administration for Security and Intelligence. Little is known about him. He was born in Delčevo and may be a relative of Ljubčo Georgievski, he first vice president and former prime minister of Macedonia. The latter comes from the same town (he received a Bulgarian passport and lives in southwestern Bulgarian regional center Blagòevgrad). He was engaged in financial intelligence, anti-corruption activities and money-laundering prevention. His predecessors Sašo Mijalkov and Ljubco Andonovski had to leave that post because of political situation. Little is known in Skopje about religion of freshman Atanasovki. Let’s wait and see. The report contains compromising material about Macedonian politician, Serbian by origin, Marko Milačić.
In response to the accusations that he met Russian diplomats, Marko Milačić replied with a zinger that he met their American colleagues too. What can be more typical for a politician’s activity than meetings with diplomats and politicians? He called it politically motivated allegations saying the activity of Macedonian special service is nothing but part of bigger propaganda. [1] Honorary consuls of the Russian Federation in Orchid and Bitola were mentioned too.
OCCRP sponsors are U.S. Department of State, USAID, National Endowment for Democracy (NED), and, finally, Soros’ Open Society Foundation*. All they are fed from the same budget.
Vladimir Milcin, long-term executive director of Open Society Foundation* in Skopje and Soros’ man in Macedonia complains to Bulgarian Mass Media for being “one of the favorite targets to attack.” [2] The fact that yet in 1990 (when the author got acquainted with him), both the types of the Skopje nationalists, the Bulgarian and Macedonian ones, accused him of cooperation with Yugoslavian special services. After Tito’s partisans executed 22,000 representatives of Bulgarian elite in 1944 and jailed or exiled another 144,000, all the intellectuals who survived, with no exception, cooperated with the State Security Administration (UDBA in Yugoslavia) and The Counterintelligence Service (KOS). Their recommendations determined their promotion under Tito.
Vladimir Milchin recognizes that Open Society Foundation* funded purchase of fuel and medicines for young Republic of Macedonia. “I received money to create independent mass media, educational programs for Gypsies. I established 30 NGOs that worked against former prime minister Nikola Gruevski. However, those who carved out a career for themselves at Soros’ Foundation, later left for Austria, Germany, Canada. Among them was President Gjorge Ivanov who is chasing us now,” Milcin said. [2]
Recall that active Tito’s men started working against USSR just after WWII. Therefore, many of their successors at Soros’ Foundation and again ruling Social-Democratic Union of Macedonia (SDUM) have come out as Russia’s enemies and taken a pro-Western stance.
The report contains accusations against Serbian special services who are trying “to undermine rapprochement efforts of Skopje and West” [1]. They even say that Russian intelligence officers in Macedonia are controlled by their colleagues and leaders deployed in Bulgaria and Serbia. [1] They say, “Serbian special services support anti-Western groups and pro-Russian forces having an image of nationalists!” [3]
First, it is not clear what nationalists in Macedonia are anti-Western and pro-Russian ones. Is it possible that both Bulgarian and Macedonian ones are in the same camp? It is impossible, since they are ready to rip each other’s throats out.
Especially on memorable dates such as October 9 and January 11 when Bulgarian national-revolutionaries from IMRO committed acts of revenge shooting dead Yugoslav King Alexander Karađorđević and Skopje prefect Velimir Prelić. Every year on these two days, Bulgarian nationalists hold commemoration events, while Macedonians round up them prompting clashes. Are all them Russophils? It is hard to say if new Minister of Foreign Affairs at SDUM’s government, former IMRO activist Nikola Dimitrov took advantage of those assumptions or just had to respond to them. As report and undisputable evidences were published saying that special services officer Goran Zivaljevic was present during pogroms in Macedonian parliament on April 27, 2017, minister said: “Serbia interferes into internal affairs of Macedonia. I will try to close that issue with Serbia without scandals. However, it is not good a start for them and for us. In the People’s Assembly, there was a coup attempt that failed. Your officer cannot be part of the crowd that broke into the parliament. And you say you never interfere into our internal affairs?! There is no brighter example of interference into internal affairs of another state!” the Macedonian minister said. [4]
One doesn’t need to think that Nikola Dimitrov was influenced by Soros’ Foundation or U.S. special services. First, anti-Serbian attitudes are tradition in Dimitrov’s family. As minister of culture, minister of science and education, ambassador of Macedonia to Moscow, his father – professor, doctor of historical sciences, fought for emancipation of history and culture of Macedonian Bulgarians from Serbian-Macedonian influence. Due to those efforts, he enjoyed the highest authority among Skopje intellectuals with Bulgarian self-conscience. Starting his diplomatic career, the son too fought against Belgrade’s patronage over Skopje. Within long years, he insisted on his anti-Serbian policy. Now, it is time to enforce it.
Like his father, Nikola Dimitrov earlier belonged to IMRO. Later he started criticizing its leadership harshly. In 2015, he joined rallies organized by then oppositionist SDUM. His evolution stopped on the position of Foreign Minister at SDUM’s government. The major reason of that evolution was rivalry of Dimitrovs family with the ruling clan in IMRO. Yet fathers and uncles started that rivalry at the very beginning of Macedonia’s independence. As was mentioned above, the first government of Macedonia under IMRO, Culture Minister was Dimitr Dimitrov. Interior Minister was Jordan Mijalkov – uncle of former prime minister and current leader of IMRO Nikola Gruevski and father of former head of special services Sašo Mijalkov. Jordan Mijalkov was killed in a mysterious air crash.
One can still hear different views about him in Skopje. Some say he was a true Bulgarian patriot and an agent of special services in former Yugoslavia. The fact is that his successors Gruevski and Mijalkov advocated rapprochement with Serbia and indirectly with Russia too. Dimitrov is holding a pro-Western course.
All forecasts of developments in Macedonia are risky. Let’s wait and see.
Notes:
1 www.ria.ru/world/20 170 605/1 495 813 694.html
2 www.offnews.bg/news/Analizi-289/Kakva-beshe-rolyata-na-Dzhordz-Soros-na-Balkanite651 101. html
3 www.news.bg/int-politics/occrp-ruskata-agentura-v-makedonia-raboti-za-izolirane-na-stranata-ot-zapada.html
4 www.news.bg/press/predlagat-darzhavata-da-finansira-veroispovedaniata-borisov-razgovarya-s-minyorite-ot-obrochishte-rusiya-destabilizira-makedoniya-razkritiya-na-OCCRP.html
Georgy Kolarov
*Организация, деятельность которой признана нежелательной на территории РФ