At the Council of Europe summit in Reykjavik, Bulgaria’s Vice President Iliana Iotova raised the question of the systemic violation, by North Macedonia, of the human rights of Macedonian Bulgarians. She also acquainted the forum with the circumstances of the refusal of entry into North Macedonia of a Bulgarian MEP.

• Bulgarian MEP denied entry to the Republic of North Macedonia

“In North Macedonia there are black lists of Bulgarians who are not allowed on the territory of the country. They include, without any arguments adduced, a Bulgarian MEP. That is a gross provocation with regard to the common European values and everything that goes into the making of the community – unity, solidarity, mutual respect. The most dangerous tendency is the widespread hate speech targeted at a neighbouring country, a member of the Council of Europe and of the EU,” Iliana Iotova said, as quoted by the Bulgarian news agency BTA.

“The discourse used by Bulgaria towards North Macedonia is very much like the discourse Russia uses towards Ukraine,” retorted the Prime Minister of North Macedonia Dimitar Kovačevski at the forum.

Meanwhile, at a security forum in Belgrade, the President of North Macedonia Stevo Pendarovski admitted there were Bulgarian citizens who were denied entry to North Macedonia. “We make an appraisal of each individual, the reason why they should not be allowed in, including of some MEPs. Individuals demonstrating irredentist views towards our country are not going to be allowed to enter,” President Pendarovski said.