Bulgaria will request with a note to provide access to the Bulgarian citizens who will travel to Macedonia for Goce Delcev’s birth anniversary on February 4. Representatives of the Bulgarian embassy in Macedonia will also attend the ceremony. This was announced today by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria, Nikolay Milkov, at a press briefing, BNT reported.

It is crucial to ensure the safety and tranquility of Bulgarians. Ensuring a smooth February 4 celebration is an element of that. We want to achieve de-escalation. We do not run away from such dialogue. Today, our prime minister will have a telephone conversation with the Macedonian PM Kovacevski, and one of the main elements will be the provision of security, both for the Bulgarian citizens there in general, and in relation to what will happen on February 4. We are advocating for such a de-escalation and it should not return to the situation of a week ago, because that would be concretizing the repression, Milkov pointed out.

The Bulgarian Foreign Minister pointed out that if Macedonia obstructs the access of Bulgarian citizens, it would be unprecedented.

If that happens, it will be unprecedented. I have no information that two member states have declared their citizens persona non grata. This will be unprecedented and will require an unprecedented response. Andrey Kovatchev is a rapporteur for the Republic of Macedonia in the European Parliament, he reminded.

Bulgaria will seek guarantees from the authorities in Macedonia that the local institutions, as it says, will fulfill their functions and do their work.