Latest News from Macedonia
No Quarantine for Bulgarians in Need of Medical Treatment in Turkey
From May 20, 2020, Turkey will freely allow all Bulgarian citizens in need of treatment in Turkish hospitals to come in the country with up to two escorts without being placed under a 14-day quarantine. We were informed about this by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkey with a note sent to our embassy in Ankara.
Turkey to open doors to 31 countries for health tourism
Turkey will accept patients from 31 countries as of May 20 as it loosens coronavirus restrictions, according to the country's Health Ministry.
An official letter from the ministry lists acceptance conditions for patients, entry to the country, admission to hospital, treatment, discharge and isolation rules.
Citizen of Northern Macedonia Crossed the Bulgarian Border Illegaly and Damaged 2 Police Cars
A 39-year-old citizen of Northern Macedonia crossed the Bulgarian border illegally disobeyed the police and hit a patrol car in Kyustendil.
Violations of social distancing, travel restrictions rise on Thursday
The police fined 31 people for violating social distancing a health safety measures, as well as another 80 for leaving their area of residence without permission on Thursday, showing a small rise from the previous day.
Wildly Wrong: North Macedonia’s Population Mystery
This is the latest in a series of articles about the demographic crisis facing Central and Southeast Europe.
See also: Bye-Bye, Balkans: A Region in Critical Demographic Decline
Week in Review: Turning Up the Heat
(Dis)United
Goce Delcev, the early 20th century revolutionary, could easily be a historical figure to unite Bulgarians and Macedonians. Unfortunately, he seems to be becoming a bone of contention between the governments in Skopje and Sofia.
Teen injured in hit-and-run in northern Greece
A 12-year-old boy was injured when his bicycle was hit by a passing car in the city of Naousa, central Macedonia.
The incident took place on Tuesday night, according to state-run news agency ANA-MPA. The boy was transferred to the Ippokratio Hospital in Thessaloniki for treatment, although it was not clear what his injuries were.
Local police is investigating the incident.
Μinister proposes opening of four Greek border posts instead of six
A deputy minister said only four border crossings out of six in northern Greece should open for tourists as the government prepares to ease restrictions on travel, saying the others lack the necessary infrastructure to conduct customs and possible health checks on arriving visitors.
Greek Hotels Want Easier Access for Tourists through Bulgaria
Greek hoteliers are offering the government special measures to ensure easier access for tourists through Bulgarian border crossings, BNR reports, quoted by novinite.bg.
Within days, the government will adopt a final framework for ferry travel, strictly following the social distance measures.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel Called on Kosovo and Serbia to Reach an Agreement by the End of 2020
German Chancellor Angela Merkel called on the leaders of Kosovo and Serbia to "roll up their sleeves" and reach a mutual agreement.
During virtual talks at the EU-Western Balkans summit, Merkel spoke with Aleksandar Vučić and Hashim Thaçi and called on them to reach an agreement by the end of this year, BGNES reported, citing the Ina news agency.
Bulgaria Asks Committee on Resolving Historical Issues with North Macedonia
Bulgaria's Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva has asked the Committee on resolving historical issues between Bulgaria and North Macedonia to resume work, albeit remotely. Recently, there have been over 100 publications about Bulgaria in North Macedonia. The anti-Bulgarian theme is present in the pre-election situation in the country.
The Cabinet Allocates nearly BGN 1.5 Million in Aid to 12 Countries and UNICEF for the Fight against COVID-19
The Council of Ministers has allocated BGN 860 568 to international organizations with a leading role in the fight against COVID-19. These include the International Committee of the Red Cross, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, UNICEF and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
Four arrested, many fined for flouting coronavirus-related safety rules on Wednesday
Four people were arrested on Wednesday for violating rules on operating their businesses amid the pandemic and numerous fines were issued for ignoring health rules over the last 24 hours, according to police data issued on Thursday.
Officers recorded 38 violations of minimum safety distance and face mask rules nationwide on Wednesday.
Heads of EU and Western Balkans Countries will Meet Virtually
Heads of State or Government of the EU and the Western Balkans will hold a video meeting to discuss the spread of Covid-19 and misinformation. The meeting is not set to set a date for the start of accession talks with Northern Macedonia and Albania, as it was originally intended, if the meeting had taken place in Zagreb.
Just 25 fines issued on first day of relaxed lockdown
Greeks by and large appeared to comply with measures designed to protect the public from coronavirus infection during the gradual easing of lockdown measures, as the Hellenic Police (ELAS) issued just 25 fines on the first day of the new relaxed rules.