Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Vessela Tcherneva on tensions between Bulgaria and North Macedonia: An escalation of this kind emerges when elections are in the offing

Vessela Tcherneva
Photo: BGNES

“There is a mechanism for bringing down tension between Bulgaria and North Macedonia and for identifying the acts of hate. It is clearly defined in a protocol between the foreign ministries of the two countries from 2022 but it is not being applied,” Vessela Tcherneva, advisor to former PM Kiril Petkov stated in an interview with the BNR.

In the words of Vessela Tcherneva, the exacerbation of bilateral tensions additionally is affecting the lives of Macedonian Bulgarians adversely. She described the fact that the Bulgarian ambassador has been summoned back from Skopje as an “ill-advised gesture” which undermines the weight Bulgaria carries within the EU.

“An escalation of this kind invariably emerges when elections are in the offing,” she said, adding there were parties on either side of the border which are taking advantage of the tension to boost their approval ratings.


Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Government resumes talks with unions and employers after freezing the 2026 budget

'The dialogue between employers and trade unions has been restored. Consultations will begin tomorrow at the Ministry of Finance to iron out all the details. The state is committed to supporting every Bulgarian citizen.' This was written by GERB leader..

published on 11/27/25 2:55 PM

NSI: Bulgarians' international travel increased 15% last year

Bulgarian citizens traveled abroad 829,300 times in October, which is 15% more than in October 2024 , according to the National Statistical Institute. The most popular destinations were Turkey, Greece, Serbia, Romania, Germany, North Macedonia,..

published on 11/27/25 2:39 PM

State-owned enterprises to combat corruption through an integrity officer

The National Assembly has introduced a new requirement for state-owned enterprises to implement corruption risk management systems, which will also include appointing an integrity officer. The measure is recommended by the Organisation for Economic..

published on 11/27/25 1:30 PM