Bulgaria on Sunday condemned the vandalism of a glass entrance door at its embassy in Skopje, calling the incident an unacceptable attack on a diplomatic mission and urging North Macedonian authorities to identify and prosecute the perpetrator.
Bulgaria’s foreign ministry said an unknown individual damaged the glass door of the embassy in the North Macedonian capital on Saturday afternoon, citing video surveillance footage that captured the incident. No injuries were reported.
The ministry described the act as a violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and said it expected the host country to ensure the security of Bulgarian diplomatic and consular premises, staff and property.
North Macedonia’s interior ministry said the incident was reported at 3:55 p.m. local time and that police were working to establish the identity of the suspect. According to the ministry, preliminary findings indicate that the damage was caused by a single individual who struck the glass door by hand before leaving the scene.
Authorities said an investigation was under way and that all necessary measures had been taken to clarify the circumstances of the incident.
Relations between Bulgaria and North Macedonia have long been strained over historical interpretation, language and identity issues, which have periodically spilled over into diplomatic tensions. Sofia has previously accused Skopje of failing to adequately respond to attacks and vandalism targeting Bulgarian-linked institutions and members of the Bulgarian community in North Macedonia. The latest incident comes amid fragile efforts to stabilise bilateral relations as North Macedonia seeks to advance its European Union accession process, in which Bulgaria plays a key role.