Leaked diplomatic note adds new strain to Bulgaria – North Macedonia ties

North Macedonia has summoned Bulgaria’s ambassador in Skopje after the publication of a diplomatic note containing details of a private trip to Bulgaria by the wife and minor son of Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski, opening a fresh dispute between the two neighbours at a time of already tense relations over Skopje’s EU path.

Foreign Minister Timčo Mucunski said the Bulgarian ambassador was called to the foreign ministry on 23 June, where North Macedonia expressed “a high degree of dissatisfaction” and demanded both an explanation and a thorough investigation into how the document had become public.

According to Mucunski, Skopje has also informed representatives of the country’s strategic partners and NATO about the case, which he described as unacceptable in bilateral relations and particularly troubling because it involved the family members of a senior office-holder.

“For us, this is an unacceptable way of interaction, especially when it concerns the movement of family members of public officials. Security is the first priority,” Mucunski said, adding that foreign dignitaries and their families regularly travel through North Macedonia, including for private purposes, without such documents ever being made public.

He said the disclosure raised concerns not only because of the breach of diplomatic practice but also because personal data linked to Mickoski’s wife and minor child had appeared in the public domain.

The controversy centres on a photograph published on Facebook of what was presented as a diplomatic note sent by North Macedonia’s embassy in Sofia. The document reportedly requested the facilitation of a transport corridor for Mickoski’s wife and son, who travelled to the Bulgarian ski resort of Pamporovo earlier this year, and, if possible, police escort for the duration of their stay.

According to reports, the note also contained approximate border-crossing times, the identities of members of the security detail accompanying the family, the vehicles used, communication devices and the weapons carried by the escort team.

Mickoski described the publication of the document as a “radicalisation” of relations between the two countries.

Mucunski did not directly accuse Bulgarian institutions of leaking the document, but said that if such information had come from North Macedonia’s own foreign ministry and involved the family of a foreign representative, his first step would have been to apologise.

He also referred to the recent arson attack on Bulgarian diplomatic vehicles outside the Bulgarian embassy in Skopje, saying North Macedonian institutions had acted “as quickly as possible” and that he and the deputy foreign minister had immediately established communication with Bulgarian representatives.

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The Bulgarian foreign ministry, however, denied that it had disseminated the diplomatic note or any other official correspondence linked to the visit of family members of a foreign official.

In a statement, Sofia said the information circulating publicly concerned a verbal note dated 6 January 2026 and related to events that had long since passed. It added that the material could not be used as grounds for conclusions that there was any immediate security threat to citizens of Bulgaria or another country.

The ministry also stressed that it attaches “particular importance” to the protection of diplomatic correspondence and strictly observes established international rules and practices in this field.

The dispute comes against the backdrop of broader political tensions between the two countries over North Macedonia’s EU accession process.

Mucunski said contacts with Bulgarian officials had intensified over the past month and described this as positive, saying neighbouring states should communicate even when relations are difficult. He described his meeting with Bulgarian Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova as useful, as well as talks between North Macedonian President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova and Bulgarian President Iliana Iotova, and separate parliamentary-level contacts.

At the same time, he said the central issue in these discussions remained what Skopje sees as obstacles on its European path.

According to Mucunski, the two sides continue to hold fundamentally different positions on North Macedonia’s obligations in the accession process, and Skopje is seeking guarantees that the country will not be drawn into a permanent process of bilateralisation.

“This is precisely the problem we have been talking about for a long time,” he said, arguing that even if constitutional amendments and an action plan were adopted, the country could find itself facing the same dispute again within weeks.

The Bulgarian side rejects the characterisation of the issue as a bilateral blockade. North Macedonia’s EU path has been made conditional: the July 2022 Council Conclusions – reached under French Presidency – constitute the comprehensive roadmap for the country’s accession. Both the Prespa Agreement with Greece and the 2017 Treaty with Bulgaria are explicitly incorporated into the Negotiating Framework adopted on 18 July 2022 and operational since the first Intergovernmental Conference the following day. They include commitments on hate speech, historical reconciliation and the rehabilitation of victims of the communist period.

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Sources: EUalive’s partner BGNES, BTA

Caption: North Macedonia’s Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski reacts during a joint press conference with European Council President Antonio Costa (not pictured) in Skopje, North Macedonia, 02 June 2026. Costa is on an official visit to North Macedonia as part of his tour of the Western Balkan countries. EPA/GEORGI LICOVSKI