site.btaSkopje Foreign Ministry Condemns Act of Vandalism against Bulgarian Embassy

The Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Ministry of North Macedonia has condemned an incident in which an individual who was not yet identified at the time of the statement, broke a glass door of the building of the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in Skopje, local media reported late on Sunday.

The individual attacked the Embassy in Skopje on Sunday. 

Later on Monday, North Macedonia's Interior Ministry said that it has arrested a 54-year-old man, identified as Sh.A., in Skopje for smashing the glass of the entrance door of the Bulgarian Embassy.

According to an earlier Facebook post by the Interior Ministry of North Macedonia, "through the video surveillance system, the [Bulgarian] Embassy's security officer noticed damage to the glass of the front door".

"Based on current findings, the damage was caused by a person who remains unidentified at this time, who struck the entrance door glass with their hand. Appropriate police measures were taken at the scene, and the competent authorities are working to clarify the case and establish all circumstances related to the incident. Measures are being taken to fully investigate the matter," the Interior Ministry in Skopje said.

Also on Sunday, the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry said that it "strongly condemns this act against the building of the Bulgarian diplomatic mission in Skopje, a symbol of statehood and the official presence of the Republic of Bulgaria in the Republic of North Macedonia." The Ministry described the act as "an unacceptable violation of the status of a diplomatic mission and a gross breach of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations."

The Bulgarian Foreign Ministry expressed deep concern that "such a brazen act" is the result of a systematic lack of response by the competent institutions of the Republic of North Macedonia to previous attacks and acts of vandalism against sites connected to Bulgaria and the Bulgarian community.

"We urge the competent authorities in the Republic of North Macedonia to take all necessary measures immediately to identify the perpetrator and bring them to full criminal responsibility, as well as to ensure the security of Bulgarian diplomatic and consular missions, their personnel and property.

The Sunday attack was condemned by two Bulgarian associations in the Republic of North Macedonia. The Bitola-based Association for Macedonian-Bulgarian Friendship strongly condemned "any act of violence against the Bulgarian diplomatic mission in the Republic of North Macedonia" and called for prompt and effective action by the competent authorities in North Macedonia to identify the perpetrator and ensure they face the full force of the law. The Balkan Bridge Association in Bitola said that they "denounce any form of violence or threats directed at diplomatic missions, which are symbols of dialogue, cooperation and mutual respect between states."