Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Foreign Ministry with strong position on attitude towards Bulgarians in North Macedonia

Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs

"The Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is monitoring with growing concern the developments in North Macedonia related to attempts to limit the right of association of Bulgarians in the country," said a statement by the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

He recalls the position of the Commission for the use of personal names in the country from yesterday, that the Bulgarian cultural club in Bitola cannot be called "Ivan Mihailov" - a decision that was later approved by the Minister of Justice. 

At the same time, the Central Registry rejected the request to harmonize the name of the association "Tsar Boris III" in Ohrid. All this gives the Bulgarian Ministry reason to point out that the decisions taken by the authorities in the  Republic of North Macedonia contradict the commitments made in the field of human rights and the obligation to ensure equal rights and freedoms for all citizens, including those who identify themselves as Bulgarians.
According to Vice President Iliana Iotova, there is not a single sign that North Macedonia’s government wants to put the brakes on hate speech towards everything Bulgarian in that country or that Skopje wants to take action against the so-called criminal acts. "The joint North Macedonia-Bulgaria historical commission is not functioning", Iliana Iotova said. 


Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Road Infrastructure Agency proposes restrictions on the movement of heavy trucks on motorways during holidays

The Road Infrastructure Agency (RIA) has proposed the introduction of temporary restrictions on the movement of heavy trucks weighing over 12 tons along the country’s busiest motorways — Trakia, Hemus and Struma— during official holidays in 2026. The..

published on 11/10/25 6:05 PM

Sofia City Court postpones the extradition case of the owner of a ship linked to the explosion in Lebanon

The Sofia City Court has postponed the extradition case of Igor Grechushkin, the owner of a cargo ship linked to the explosion at the port of Beirut in 2020, which claimed the lives of more than 200 people and injured thousands. The judges requested..

published on 11/10/25 5:33 PM

Experts and employers discuss opportunities for migrants in the Bulgarian labour market

A conference entitled 'Prospects for the Integration of Refugees and Migrants into the Labour Market' is taking place in Sofia today. The event is organised by the Sofia Municipality as part of a project. It will bring together key experts,..

published on 11/10/25 4:49 PM