Updated at 8:22 with comments from Josep Borrell
Bulgaria has returned its ambassador to Skopje following escalating tensions with North Macedonia that have erupted over the past three weeks.
Bulgaria withdrew its ambassador for consultations in Sofia after an assault on the secretary of the Bulgarian cultural club with the controversial name “Tsar Boris III” in Ohrid Hristiyan Pendikov. The authorities in Skopje described this step as “disproportionate”.
The crisis flared up further after the calls of the President of North Macedonia, Stevo Pendarovski, not to allow some Bulgarian MEPs and politicians into the country due to claims of Russian influence and destabilising intentions. This was met with a perceived death threat against the Macedonian president from a Bulgarian MEP.
“As an expression of the desire of the Bulgarian side to find an approach to de-escalate the tension in bilateral relations, at the moment Ambassador Angel Angelov is in the Republic of North Macedonia and performs his functions in the neighbouring country,” the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.
EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell on Tuesday commented in written remarks published ahead of his meeting with North Macedonia foreign minister Bujar Osmani the Ohrid attack.
“We condemned the attack in Ohrid, the same way the authorities in Skopje did. […] At the same time, we hear unacceptable statements made by some nationalist politicians, inciting hatred and implying violence. This can only further escalate tensions and is not conducive to an atmosphere facilitating good neighbourhood and good relations”, Borrel warned.
“I strongly condemn any incitement to violence. Working together to promote an atmosphere of dialogue and mutual respect is crucial because this is the European way. This is the basis on which the European Union is being built,” he said.
Earlier, the US called on Bulgaria and North Macedonia to reduce tensions between them and resolve bilateral disputes.
“We call on Bulgaria and the Republic of Macedonia to reduce the rhetoric between them and quickly resolve their bilateral disputes. The future of the Republic of Macedonia is in the EU. The United States continues to support the full Euro-Atlantic integration of the country,” states the position of the State Department, published in the Macedonian edition of “Voice of America”.
During this week, the two countries are expected to discuss common measures that would calm the situation surrounding the celebration of the 151st anniversary of Gotse Delchev’s birth on 4 February in Skopje. Sofia warned that an “unprecedented response” would follow such a step.
The main Bulgarian requirement for North Macedonia to start EU membership negotiations is the inclusion of the Bulgarian minority in the Macedonian constitution. For now, its implementation seems impossible due to the resistance of the largest opposition party VMRO-DPMNE.
(Krassen Nikolov | EURACTIV.bg)
Source: euractiv.com
