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| A Macedonian policeman stopping a car coming at the border with Bulgaria, Deve Bair (archive) |
Three Bulgarian citizens who insulted Macedonian police at the Deve Bair border crossing with Bulgaria have been fined 300 euros each and banned from entering Macedonia for three years, according to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of North Macedonia. of North America
On Saturday, the incident occurred while a large number of Bulgarians were traveling to Skopje to participate in demonstrations marking the 151st anniversary of Goce Dellcev's birth, whose identity is held by both Macedonians and Bulgarians.
In the year 1900, Goce Dellchev led a Macedonian-Bulgarian resistance against the Ottoman Empire.
According to a statement, "the failure of the electronic control system at all border points" prevented Bulgarian citizens from entering North Macedonia.
The "technical problem" lasted more than four hours, making it impossible to enter or leave North Macedonia.
However, Ivan Demerzhiev, Bulgaria's Minister of Internal Affairs, stated that he "doubts that the technical problem was intentional" in order to prevent Bulgarians from traveling to Skopje. Demerzhiev took part in the demonstrations in support of Dellchev.
He stated that the Bulgarian side would provide Macedonian authorities with technical equipment on Monday to prevent "such problems."
In the meantime, an attack on its club in the Bulgarian city of Blagoevgrad has been announced by the Macedonian community group "OMO Ilinden Pirin."
"For the past 17 years, Macedonian clubs have been the targets of attacks in Bulgaria. Will the authorities this time refuse to investigate them at last? "Let's see if the Bulgarian police can locate the perpetrators," reads the post on OMO Ilinden Pirin's official Facebook page.
According to the club, the stones used in the attack only caused physical damage.
The club's opening in October of last year was marked by opposition from Bulgarian groups, which created a tense atmosphere.
When members of the Bulgarian minority in North Macedonia opened Bulgarian clubs in Manastir and Ohrid with the names: "In November of last year, tensions between North Macedonia and Bulgaria increased." During the Ottoman Empire, Bulgaria was ruled by "Vancho Mijallkov" and "Tsar Boris the Third" with the goal of "uniting the Macedonian lands with Bulgaria."