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Bulgarian diplomacy finds it increasingly difficult to trust Skopje

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Photo: EPA/BGNES

On Saturday, February 4, Bulgaria and the Republic of North Macedonia ‎celebrated 151 years since the birth of Gotse Delchev in a situation of strained ‎relations between the two countries. According to information from the ‎Bulgarian Ministry of the Interior, the North Macedonian authorities have not ‎allowed Bulgarian citizens into the territory of North Macedonia, an "unofficial ‎prohibited list" is also reported. ‎

The Bulgarian delegation, led by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of ‎Internal Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria Ivan Demerdzhiev, laid a wreath at ‎the grave of Gotse Delchev in the Church of St. Spas in Skopje.‎


According to Demerdzhiev, there were various attempts at provocation, but the ‎Bulgarian side maintained the most correct behavior possible in such situations. ‎‎‎"The mutual respect that we declare to the people of North Macedonia and the ‎assurances we received imply exactly that - to give everyone the opportunity to ‎come and honour the memory of Gotse Delchev", noted Demerdzhiev and ‎pointed out, that the relations between the two nations do not imply such ‎draconian measures as the Bulgarian citizens witnessed at the border.‎

‎"The reasons for not allowing Bulgarian citizens to bow before the memory of ‎Gotse Delchev on February 4 in Skopje are extremely unconvincing and ‎violate previously given assurances." This was stated to bTV by the Deputy ‎Minister of Foreign Affairs and spokesperson of the ministry, Kostadin ‎Kodzhabashev.‎

Kostadin Kodzhabashev
‎"The attitude of the authorities North Macedonia is humiliating and ‎unacceptable towards the Bulgarian people and Bulgaria," said the ‎spokesperson. “We firmly believe that the actions of the Macedonian ‎authorities have caused serious damage to the restoration of trust between ‎Skopje and Sofia. It is definitely becoming increasingly difficult for us to ‎recognize in the behavior of the authorities in Skopje a desire to build the ‎necessary trust, friendship and cooperation”.‎

Kodzhabashev stressed that Sofia will keep diplomatic channels open. He ‎commented that there is no case of imposing a veto on the European ‎integration of North Macedonia in the EU, because it has not actually started. ‎In order to begin, North Macedonia must enroll Macedonian citizens with ‎Bulgarian self-awareness in its Constitution.‎

‎"Bulgaria will always react when the rights and security of Bulgarian citizens ‎and those citizens with a Bulgarian identity are affected. This is our categorical ‎request and the Macedonian side is very well aware of this insistence of ours", ‎the Deputy Minister also pointed out.‎

Compiled by Ivo Ivanov

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