Statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
15 June 2026 News
At around midday on 15 June 2026, an unidentified individual set fire to two diplomatic vehicles belonging to the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in Skopje, which were parked in front of the official entrance to the mission.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria strongly condemns this deliberate act of aggression, which endangered the health and lives of the staff of our Embassy in Skopje.
Had it not been for the timely intervention of the Bulgarian Consul, who extinguished the fire using a fire extinguisher, the damage caused by this deliberate act of arson could have been considerably greater.
We call for a swift and impartial investigation and for those responsible to be brought to justice.
This latest attack against Bulgaria and the Bulgarian community is the result of inflammatory political rhetoric that incites hatred, coupled with the failure of the competent institutions to respond adequately to previous similar high-profile incidents, thereby fostering a sense of impunity among the perpetrators. We recall that following the most recent arson attack on the Bulgarian Cultural Club in the town of Bitola, in the Republic of North Macedonia, the perpetrator, instead of receiving an appropriate sentence, was portrayed as a hero and subsequently featured in an election campaign.
The Bulgarian state will continue to make full use of all available mechanisms to counter attempts to create an atmosphere of fear among Bulgarians in the Republic of North Macedonia.
The Chargé d'Affaires ad interim of the Embassy of the Republic of North Macedonia in Sofia has been summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.