It is high time that the Republic of North Macedonia launched an effective investigation and criminal prosecution of all attacks against Bulgarians there. This is the only way for the country to achieve European integration, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev told journalists on Tuesday. He was asked to comment on Monday’s attack against journalist and doyen of the Bulgarian community in North Macedonia Vladimir Perev in Skopje.

“I have made it very clear to both the President and the Prime Minister [of North Macedonia] that the case of Vladimir Perev is a good reason to finally start this process, because both the motive and the perpetrator are clear,” the head of State added.

On Monday, Perev said in a publication on the Tribuna website that he had been verbally and physically attacked in a shop in Skopje. Perev, who is 80 years old, was struck in the face; his glasses were broken. He quoted the insults directed at him by “a young and strong man” in the queue at the shop: “You Bulgarians should go back to Bulgaria… I do not want to hear the word ‘Macedonian’ coming out of your filthy Bulgarian mouth… If I ever hear you talk about a Macedonian or refer to yourself as a Macedonian, I will kill you…”

Perev reported the incident to the police, and it was registered by the law enforcement authorities.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Bulgarian Embassy in Skopje are in constant contact with Perev, one of the most respected representatives of the Bulgarian community in the Republic of North Macedonia, the Ministry said in a position released on Monday evening.

Since the attack, the Bulgarian diplomatic mission has been providing him with the necessary assistance, the Foreign Ministry’s position reads. Minister Georg Georgiev spoke with Perev personally on the phone and emphasized that Bulgaria will continue to be his support in this difficult moment.

“We strongly condemn yet another act of hate violence against a Bulgarian in the Republic of North Macedonia – a phenomenon that is unfortunately fuelled by the current socio-political atmosphere and anti-Bulgarian rhetoric. We carefully note the questions raised by Mr. Perev in his article in Tribuna and share his opinion that the case is not only a cause for reflection on the rights of Bulgarians in the country, but also an important test of the reaction of law enforcement agencies and their approach to hate crimes,” the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry said.

“We expect the competent authorities in the Republic of North Macedonia to take timely and effective action to investigate and bring justice. We would like to remind you that the country’s EU path requires full and conscientious implementation of the 2022 European compromise, including respect for common values and guaranteeing the rights of Macedonian Bulgarians,” the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry said further.