North Macedonia's Interior Ministry said on May 7 that it prevented a Bulgarian member of the European Parliament and four others from entering the country a day earlier because they were "potential violators of public order," as relations between the Balkan neighbors continue to simmer over national and historical differences. MEP Andrey Kovachev was en route to an event in eastern North Macedonia to honor Bulgarians who died during the Balkan Wars early last century. Bulgaria quickly expressed its "strong disappointment" at the snub. Kovachev has stirred the pot before on Sofia-Skopje and other regional relations. To see the original story by RFE/RL's Bulgarian Service, click here.
Bulgarian MEP Denied Entry At Border To North Macedonia Over Threat To 'Public Order'
Bulgarian Member of the European Parliament Andrey Kovachev (file photo)