Message from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
08 April 2024 News.jpg)
In connection with the refusal of the border authorities at the Delčevo border checkpoint to allow a representative of the Bulgarian community in North Macedonia and a Bulgarian citizen to enter the territory of the Republic of North Macedonia today because of his possession of 10 books, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria announces the following:
It is categorically unacceptable in the 21st century to witness actions by which the authorities of a state obstruct the exercise of fundamental rights for democratic societies, such as the right to free transfer and access to information. Even more worrying is the fact that these events are taking place in a country that has set itself the goal of integration into the EU and has publicly declared its commitment to the values and principles of this Union.
We consider it unacceptable to ban access to literature that is linked to persons and events from the common history of Bulgaria and North Macedonia, and we demand an immediate end to such actions.
It is noteworthy that this inexplicable act by the border authorities has been taken after Bulgaria has repeatedly called for the issue of bilateral relations not to be used as a hostage in the internal political processes in North Macedonia. We hope that this is not a deliberate provocation against the societies on both sides of the border.