site.btaUPDATED Sofia Expects EU Candidate Country to Protect All Citizens, Witnesses Attempts at Silencing Macedonian Bulgarians

MEP Andrey Kovatchev described as "comical" the explanation of the North Macedonia's Foreign Ministry that he was not allowed on the territory of that country on May 6 because he was travelling with people who pose a risk to public peace and security. He told BTA that the main issue is whether or not there is a blacklist of European citizens who are not allowed into the Republic of North Macedonia. He argued that the authorities in Skopje were obviously worried by the Bulgarian and European reactions to this case.

Caretaker Foreign Minister Ivan Kondov Tuesday summoned the Ambassador of the Republic of North Macedonia to Bulgaria, Agneza Popovska, to a meeting at the Foreign Ministry.

A group travelling to a Bulgarian military cemetery near Novo Selo in the Republic of North Macedonia on May 6 was barred from entering due to "non-implementation of the conditions for entry in the Republic of North Macedonia as provided for by the Law on Foreigners" because the Interior Ministry in Skopje knows some of the persons in the group pose a risk to public security. MEP Andrey Kovatchev is not one of those persons but the competent authorities made this decision on account of the group accompanying him, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of North Macedonia said.

European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi Monday wrote on Twitter that the European Commission condemns the refusal of North Macedonia’s authorities to allow Bulgarian MEP Andrey Kovatchev in the country on May 6. “We

The Bitola Prosecution Office has brought charges against the chairman of the Ivan Mihailov Association in Bitola, Lupcho Georgievski, who is accused of a repeated offence of inciting hatred or intolerance on national, racial, religious and other discriminatory grounds, as well as for dissemination of racist and xenophobic materials by electronic means, the local prosecution said.