Bulgaria sent a note of protest to Macedonia after a low rent Slovenian think tank linked to the Zaev regime published a report critical of Bulgaria. Zaev has hired people from the IFIMES International Institute for Middle East and Balkan Studies as his advisers and the institute has frequently published glowing reviews of Zaev and his policies, even declaring his ally – grossly corrupt Special Prosecutor Katica Janeva – as best prosecutor in the Balkans.

In a report published in early March, IFIMES writes about Bulgaria as the “ugly face of the EU” and blames the country of failing to come to terms with its fascist past. It also details Bulgarian campaigns to assimilate Turks, “Bulgarize Macedonians” and violating minority rights. And in a more recent report, IFIMEs writes that Bulgaria discriminates against the Macedonian minority in that country, accused the Bulgarian Government of ties to the mafia and of issuing passports to Macedonians in a push to expand its borders.

As Zaev is officially linked to the institution through his advisers, the Bulgarian Government said that it will deliver a note of protest to the Macedonian Embassy in Sofia. Bulgarian MEP Andrey Kovatchev called on Zaev to sever ties with the IFIMES institute and its officials Zijad Becirovic, Bahtijar Alaf and Vlado Dimovski. Kovatchev also notes that Slovenian Socialist MEP Tanja Fajon, who recently submitted a failed amendment very critical of Bulgaria in the annual report on Macedonia, is close to this institute.
The Bulgarian Foreign Ministry also protested after a Bulgarian citizen was reportedly stopped at the border with Macedonia while trying to transport books for the Bulgarian Cultural Information Center in Macedonia. The books were an edition of the folk songs collected and published by the Miladinovci brothers in the mid 19th century and were titled “Bulgarian folk songs”.