Prime Minister of North Macedonia publicly attacked Bulgaria at an international forum

North Macedonia's Prime Minister, Dimitar Kovachevski, publicly attacked Bulgaria on the international stage by comparing it to Russia. Kovacevski and Bulgarian Vice President, Iliana Iotova, exchanged criticism at the Council of Europe summit in Reykjavik, Iceland on May 17. Yotova represented the country in another major European initiative to support Ukraine.

Prime Minister Kovachevski raised the level of tension with relations with Bulgaria with a harsh statement to European leaders.

"The way of talking widely used by Bulgaria towards North Macedonia, unfortunately, is very similar to the way the Russian Federation talks about Ukraine. It is unacceptable to use false and baseless accusations maliciously for political purposes at this crucial moment in Europe's history. North Macedonia is internationally recognised as a successful example of a functioning multi-ethnic society and democracy. All international human rights defenders have confirmed this fact in their reports. The accusations made at this meeting by the representative of Bulgaria are completely baseless and come from a country that shows disrespect for the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights and the Council of Europe's human rights standards," Kovacevski said.

Kovachevski's words came in response to Vice President Iliana Iotova. At the meeting of the Council of Europe, the largest human rights organisation on the continent, Iotova raised the issue of the rights of Bulgarians in North Macedonia.

Here are her words to the forum:

"I would like to address the issue of the rights of Bulgarians in the Republic of North Macedonia. I am talking about their rights, which are systematically violated, unrecognised, about Bulgarians who are subjected to torment and restrictions. I would like to remind you that the Republic of North Macedonia is about to start EU membership negotiations. Only a few months ago, a young man in the Republic of North Macedonia was beaten because he had declared his ethnic Bulgarian identity. Bulgarian clubs have been burned down, and a law has been passed which effectively bans their functioning.

Only a few days ago, a Bulgarian Member of the European Parliament was not allowed to enter the Republic of North Macedonia and prevented him from participation in a commemoration ceremony of a historic event and to pay tribute to a military cemetery. This shows a grave provocation against our European values, such as unity, solidarity and mutual respect. The most dangerous trend is the hate speech that is widespread as far as a neighbouring country that is a member of both the European Union and the Council of Europe is concerned - my country, Bulgaria.

I speak of these facts because, in the area of human rights, we cannot limit ourselves to documents and speeches. Any attempt to violate human rights should be defeated by our firm and decisive position and actions."

According to Kovacevski, Bulgaria's accusations are unfounded. His team declined BNT's invitation for an interview yesterday.

"We cannot ignore the fact that Bulgarian clubs are being set on fire, that young people are being beaten in the Republic of North Macedonia at the risk of their lives just because they have declared their Bulgarian identity. The rights of Bulgarians in Macedonia are still not guaranteed. Not only are they not yet written into the constitution of the Republic of North Macedonia but we will be very anxious, if one day this text becomes a reality, to see what its practical implementation is," Iliana Iotova, vice-president of the Republic of Bulgaria, told BNT.

In Reykjavik, Yotova represented Bulgaria in the fourth meeting in the 70-year history of the Council of Europe. At the meeting, member states announced that they believe in Ukraine's victory and will not stop helping it. The organisation, created to preserve peace, now wants to fulfil its mission in times of war.

European leaders once again condemned Russian aggression and reaffirmed their support for the Ukrainian people. They are determined to hold Russia accountable for the destruction and casualties of war. But not only in words, but also in practice.

The first step towards this is the establishment of an international register of war damage. Its aim is to establish a system of compensation for victims on the part of Moscow.

"At this crucial time, it is important for victims to be able to file claims for damages so that in the future they can be at least partially compensated for the suffering caused by this war," said Marija Pejčinović Burić, Secretary General of the Council of Europe.

With the signature of the Bulgarian Vice President, Bulgaria was one of the last countries to support the establishment of the register.

"All countries should be involved in the reconstruction of Ukraine, not just the richest countries within the European Union. As you can see, such trends are already emerging. And here is the place for our country to very seriously take part in this process," Iotova said.

In Iceland, Iotova also raised the issue of Bulgaria's entry into Schengen. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte did not commit to a timeframe.

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Will you support Bulgaria for Schengen?

"We have discussed Schengen many times, including with your president, of course. However, this is not up to us. We have to wait for the European Commission's next assessment to see if sufficient progress has been made. So we are not against Bulgaria joining Schengen. We just need to make sure that all conditions are met, Rutte said.

Iotova also discussed the issue with Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Bilström, whose country is currently holding the rotating presidency of the EU Council. Yotova wished that when the presidency is handed over to Spain in the summer, Bulgaria's and Romania's entry into Schengen should be written down as a priority.