North Macedonia’s border police refuse entry to Bulgarian GERB MEP

Andrey Kovatchev, a Bulgarian MEP from former prime minister Boyko Borissov’s GERB party (EPP), and three people accompanying him were refused entry to North Macedonia over the weekend.

Macedonian police said the individuals travelling to attend the Bulgarian military cemetery’s annual memorial service did not meet the conditions to enter.

Kovatchev, a spokesperson of the group of the EPP on enlargement, was accompanied by Milen Vrabevski and three other Bulgarians. Vrabevski is the chairman of the Bulgarian Memory Foundation.

Bulgaria’s Foreign Ministry said it was disappointed by North Macedonia’s decision, saying it “darkened” the day of celebration.

For years, the ceremony was held at the Bulgarian military cemetery in Novo Selo. Organisers always included the Bulgarian Embassy in Skopje, the Consulate General of Bulgaria in Bitola and the “Bulgarian Memory” Foundation.

North Macedonia commented on the situation, with Internal Affairs Ministry spokesperson, Tony Angelovski, stating that Kovatchev and Vrabevski did not fulfil the conditions for entering North Macedonia.

“The Macedonian police will not allow, now or in the future, for people to enter the country who are potential violators of public order and tranquillity and insult and belittle the citizens and the state,” Angelovski told Channel 5.

For the first time, this year’s ceremony included a joint service between the two Orthodox churches, attended by representatives of the military-diplomatic corps in North Macedonia and students from Bulgaria.

Bulgaria will officially raise the issue with the authorities in North Macedonia and with international partners, the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry said.

Kovatchev also said he had informed the European Parliament President Roberta Metsola and EU Enlargement Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi of the issue.

Reflecting on North Macedonia’s border authorities refusing him entry, the MEP said he “was extremely surprised”.

“Just a few days ago, I met with Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani. Therefore, the incident is absolutely unclear to me. It is an inertia from the past, an inertia in their services because their security service gives the lists of people who are not allowed to enter Macedonia. Kovatchev added.

(Krassen Nikolov | EURACTIV.bg)