February 7 - Acting on an order of the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry, the Bulgarian Embassy in the Republic of North Macedonia has sent a note verbale expressing its deep regret about an act of vandalism perpetrated after the joint commemoration on February 4 in Skopje of the 150th anniversary of the birth of revolutionary Georgi (Gotse) Delchev, the Bulgarian Embassy in Skopje told BTA.

The Bulgarian side expresses its deep resentment at the desecration of the state symbols, including the Bulgarian national flag, placed on the wreaths laid by the members of the official delegation led by Bulgarian Foreign Minister Teodora Genchovska, the note reads.

The incident concerns tearing of the three-color ribbons of the wreaths laid by the Bulgarian delegation at Delchev's grave in the St Spas Church in Skopje. The act was carried out by unknown perpetrators immediately after the departure of the Bulgarian delegation.

A video of what happened was uploaded on social media.

The note says that the act violates the spirit of friendship and good-neghbourliness, and the efforts of the two countries to intensify the bilateral dialogue.

Bulgaria calls on the competent authorities in the Republic of North Macedonia to track down and punish the perpetrators. /ZH