Bulgarian nationalist politician Krasimir Karakacanov also joined the large delegation in Bitola, for the opening of a cultural center named after controversial WW2 commander Vanco Mihajlov.

Karakacanov was warmly welcomed by the small group of Bulgarians from Bitola who are operating the center. He built a career on insisting that Macedonia must accept the Bulgarian historic narrative and was behind the campaign to issue tens of thousands of passports to Macedonians in the hope to create a Bulgarian minority in Macedonia. Ultimately, the plan backfired, as only 3,500 people registered as Bulgarians in the recent census, and his nationalist escapades failed to gain Karakacanov a single seat in the latest elections.