site.btaForeign Ministry Calls "Unacceptable" Ban on Access to Literature about People and Events of Bulgaria's and North Macedonia's Common History

The Foreign Ministry in Sofia Tuesday said it was unacceptable to see a ban on access to literature concerning people and events of the common history of Bulgaria and the Republic of North Macedonia, and insisted that such actions stop immediately. The position posted on the Ministry's website came in reaction to Monday's incident in which a representative of the Bulgarian community in North Macedonia, who has Bulgarian citizenship, was stopped from entering the Republic of North Macedonia by border guards at Delcevo checkpoint because he was carrying 10 books.

The Foreign Ministry said: "It is totally unacceptable in the 21st century to witness actions by which the authorities of a State hinder the exercise of rights fundamental  to democratic societies as is the right to free carriage of, and access to, information." According to the Ministry's position, it is even more worrying that these events are taking place in a country which has set itself the goal of integration into the EU and declares publicly its adherence to the EU values and principles.

It is noteworthy that the border authorities took this inexplicable step after Bulgaria had called repeatedly against using bilateral relations as hostage in the domestic political processes in North Macedonia, the Foreign Ministry further said. It expressed a hope that this was not a deliberate provocation against the societies on the two sides of the border.