EU Condemns Entry Denial Of Bulgarian Official To North Macedonia - EU Commissioner

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 08th May, 2023) EU Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi on Monday condemned the denial of entry to a Bulgarian member of the European parliament by the North Macedonian authorities, calling the move a "very serious decision" and requesting clarifications.

On Sunday, the North Macedonian Interior Ministry said it prevented Andrey Kovatchev, the Bulgarian member of the European Parliament, and four others from entering the country the day before because they were "potential violators of public order," as relations between the Balkan states were continuing to deteriorate due to national and historical differences.

"We condemn the denial of entry of MEP @andreykovatchev to North Macedonia on the 6th May. We call on the government of North Macedonia to urgently clarify the situation," Varhelyi tweeted.

The EU commissioner called the denial of Kovatchev's entry to North Macedonia "a very serious decision."

Over the past several months, the bilateral relations between Bulgaria and North Macedonia have been complicated, with the two countries arguing over languages spoken there and common history. The distinctiveness of the Macedonian language has been disputed in Bulgaria where it is considered a dialect of Bulgarian.

Complications between the two nations have long been affecting their political cooperation. Since 2020, Sofia had been vetoing the official start of negotiations on Skopje's accession to the European Union and lifted its veto only in June 2022.