The Foreign Ministry will Demand the Access of Bulgarian Citizens to North Macedonia to be Ensured

Bulgaria will demand with a note to provide access to people traveling to North Macedonia for the worshiping of the Gotse Delchev memorial on February 4. Representatives of the Bulgarian embassy there will also take part in the celebrations. This was announced by the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nikolay Milkov, during a briefing where he reported on the work done by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs during the mandate of the caretaker government.

"It is crucial to ensure the safety and tranquility of the Bulgarians there. Ensuring unhindered worship and these celebrations on February 4 is an element of that.

We want to achieve de-escalation. We do not shy away from such dialogue. Our Prime Minister will have a telephone conversation with the Macedonian PM Kovachevski, one of the main elements of which will be ensuring the security of Bulgarian citizens there in general, as well as regarding what is about to happen on the fourth.

We strive for such a de-escalation, but it should not return to the situation of a week ago, because that would be concretizing the repression," Milkov pointed out.

The foreign minister pointed out that if North Macedonia impedes the access of Bulgarian citizens, it would be unprecedented.

"If this happens, it will be unprecedented. I have no information that two member states have declared their citizens persona non grata. This will be unprecedented and will require an unprecedented response," he said.

Bulgaria will seek assurances from the authorities in North Macedonia that the local institutions will fulfill their functions.

"Bulgarians and people with Bulgarian self-awareness do not trust the Macedonian institutions. Such complaints that they...