site.btaBulgarian Ambassador Doykov Makes Demarche to Serbian Foreign Ministry

Bulgaria's Ambassador to Serbia, Petko Doykov, has made a demarche and delivered a protest note to the Foreign Ministry in Belgrade. This move was prompted by the Serbian border authorities' refusal to allow the Bulgarian intellectual and public figure, Edvin Sugarev, to enter Serbia on November 8 and by the confiscation of his books from the Bulgarian Cultural and Information Centre in Bosilegrad by the local authorities, the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry said on its website.

Meeting with Acting Assistant Minister for Bilateral Cooperation Irena Sarac, Ambassador Doykov said Bulgaria expects to receive official information as to what provoked the Serbian authorities' actions against the Cultural and Information Centre in Bosilegrad and Sugarev, a former Bulgarian consul in Nis.

Doykov also recalled that respect for human rights in general, and ensuring freedom of expression in particular, are key conditions in the process of European integration.

On Thursday, the Serbian Ambassador in Sofia, Zeljko Jovic, was summoned to the Foreign Ministry by the head of the European Affairs General Directorate, Yordan Parvanov. The Bulgarian side expressed a strong protest and deep concern over the hostile actions of the Serbian authorities towards the Bulgarian intellectual.