51% of Bulgarians believe that Macedonians are very close to them in ethnic terms, or even the same nation. This is according to a poll conducted by the Institute of Politics. A substantial part of the respondents in the poll are aged from 26 and 35, or 65+. In the poll, 78% of respondents contend that they have neither relatives nor friends in Macedonia. Elderly respondents have more memories of and relatives in Bulgaria’s western neighbor. The Treaty of Friendship signed by Bulgaria and Macedonia has had a strong impact on the attitudes and interest of Bulgarians to Macedonia. 85% of the polled contend that the past has unnecessarily divided the citizens of the two countries. For91% of Bulgarians the language that we speak is one and the same or with common roots. However, 43% believe that Macedonia has the right to its own language. Close to 80% of polled Bulgarians support Macedonia’s accession to the European Union.