Bulgarian activist in Macedonia Viktor Stoyanov announced that his “Macedonia” foundation will organize a mass gathering in Skopje, on February 4th, when the birthday of Goce Delcev is honored. This is what President Stevo Pendarovski was warning about yesterday, when he called on the Foreign Ministry to ban Bulgarian nationalist leaders from entering the country, to prevent provocations at Delcev’s grave in the St. Spas church.

President Pndarovski today told the Security Council that “we must not allow people from Bulgaria to cross the border and bow at the grave of Goce Delcev”. I can tell you all, get ready to come to Skopje on February 4th, so that we all bow at the grave of the Bulgarian national revolutionary Goce Delcev!!! Pendarovski’s statement destroys our bilateral relations and is more than hostile toward Bulgaria and the Bulgarians. He want s to ban us from bowing at Goce’s grave on his birthday!!!, Stoyanov declares while sharing contact details for all who wish to come, insisting that thousands of Bulgarians must follow him.

A gathering in Skopje to honor Mara Buneva in December was used by Bulgarian nationalist politicians to declare that Macedonia is Bulgarian land. This was followed by the severe beating of a Bulgarian activist in Ohrid, leading to new tensions between the two countries.