site.btaArson Attack on Bulgarian Embassy Vehicles in Skopje Draws Strong Reactions, Suspect Arrested

An arson attack on two diplomatic vehicles of the Bulgarian Embassy in Skopje on Monday prompted strong reactions from Bulgarian institutions, political parties and North Macedonia’s Government. Police have arrested a 44-year-old man on suspicion of setting fire to the vehicles.

The cars were parked in front of the embassy building on a busy street in the capital. The Bulgarian Foreign Ministry stressed that had the Bulgarian consul not intervened with a fire extinguisher, the damage caused by the deliberate arson could have been significantly greater. The Ministry described the attack as “a demonstrative act of aggression that endangered the health and lives of the staff at the Bulgarian Embassy in Skopje”. “We insist on a swift and fair judicial response to this case,” the Ministry said, adding that the attack was the result of aggressive political rhetoric fuelling hatred and of a lack of adequate institutional response in previous similar high-profile cases.

North Macedonia’s Government strongly condemned what it described as “vandalism and the unacceptable arson attack on vehicles with diplomatic status in the immediate vicinity of the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in Skopje”. It said such acts were an attack on security, diplomatic relations and international law and had no place in a democratic society. The Government said the competent authorities had launched intensive measures to establish the circumstances of the incident and identify those responsible, stressing that any attempt to provoke tensions, spread hatred or undermine public security would be met with the full force of the law. 

Bulgarian associations in North Macedonia also condemned the torching of the vehicles. Ivan Mihailov Cultural Club chair Ljupco Georgievski wrote on Facebook that the attack was “more than a criminal act” and described it as “the direct consequence of years of anti-Bulgarian hatred, political irresponsibility and the systematic demonization of Bulgaria and Bulgarians”. The Balkan Bridge Association said such vandalism and violence were unacceptable in a democratic and European society, while DELO Skopje described the act as directed “both against the Bulgarian State and against Bulgarians in the Republic of North Macedonia”. The Bulgarian Cultural and Information Centre in Skopje also condemned the incident and expressed hope that those responsible would be punished to the full extent of the law.

President Iliana Iotova strongly condemned the arson attack, saying it was not an ordinary criminal act but an unacceptable attack on a diplomatic mission. She said the incident called into question the ability of the authorities in North Macedonia to guarantee the security of foreign diplomatic missions in line with their international obligations. “Such acts do not occur in a vacuum; they are a direct consequence of the cultivation of hatred and impunity,” Iotova said. She added that the speed and decisiveness of Skopje’s response would be a clear test of North Macedonia’s commitment to the rule of law, good-neighbourly relations and European values.

Democratic Bulgaria strongly condemned the arson attack, describing it as yet another act of hostility against Bulgaria. The coalition said it appreciated the timely response of Bulgarian diplomatic and consular staff, who acted promptly and with composure. It argued that the vandalism had been made possible by an escalation of anti-Bulgarian rhetoric and conduct by official authorities in North Macedonia in recent months, and called on responsible actors in Skopje to reconsider what it described as a course of confrontation with Bulgaria.

GERB-UDF reacted sharply. MP Georg Georgiev said the parliamentary group was outraged by “yet another act of gross vandalism against property belonging to the Bulgarian Embassy in Skopje”. He described the attack as a violation of the Vienna Convention and a manifestation of disregard for international law, calling on the Foreign Ministry to notify the European Commission and the European Parliament. Georgiev said the incident was not an ordinary act of vandalism and linked it to what he described as inadequately addressed hate speech against Bulgaria, Bulgarians and citizens of North Macedonia with Bulgarian self-identification.

Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova held a phone conversation with her counterpart from North Macedonia, Timco Mucunski, following the attack. Petrova wrote on X that Bulgaria strongly condemned the “unacceptable act” and expected “a prompt and thorough investigation, the identification of those responsible, and swift justice”. She added that Bulgaria would continue to use every available mechanism to counter any attempt to spread fear among Bulgarians in North Macedonia.

Parliamentary Committee on Policies for Bulgarians Abroad Chair and Vazrazhdane MP Angel Georgiev sent a letter to the Foreign Ministry calling for a response to the attack. He said the arson was “a hostile act directed against Bulgaria’s diplomatic mission and constituted a gross violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations”. Georgiev called for North Macedonia’s Ambassador to Bulgaria Agneza Rusi Popovskato be summoned for explanations, for an immediate investigation by the authorities in Skopje, for additional security to be provided for the embassy, for a protest note to be sent, and for Bulgaria’s National Assembly to be informed of all measures taken as soon as possible. “Silence or half-hearted reactions only encourage future manifestations of hostility,” he wrote.