The Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced this afternoon that it "condemns the public desecration of the Bulgarian national anthem at the football match between the representatives of Bulgaria and North Macedonia in Skopje".

- The speech of hatred against Bulgaria and Bulgarians from the stands of the national stadium in Skopje represents an unequivocal denial of the basic values ​​of modern democratic societies and clearly contradicts the European principles and norms of behavior, states the Bulgarian MFA.

The statement adds that "the reaction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of North Macedonia, which condemns the hate speech during the football match, has been noted", but at the same time calls on the authorities in Skopje to take decisive steps "to eradicate anti-Bulgarian aggression" on the public space of the state".

- We remind you that with the 2017 Agreement and the bilateral protocols signed in 2019 and 2022, both countries are categorically committed to taking effective measures against hate speech. Maintaining the progress made in recent months in political dialogue requires that such events become a thing of the past forever. Only in that spirit will the two countries be able to open a new page in relations, based on mutual respect and good neighborliness, added the statement of the Bulgarian MFA.

Eight hours before the reaction in Sofia, the Macedonian MFA came out with its own at 10:XNUMX this morning reaction, in which he stated that he was sending a public reaction and condemnation for "yesterday's expression of hate speech that he could observe during the football match between the national teams of North Macedonia and Bulgaria", after a large number of fans at the "Todor Proeski" arena before the start of the match the meeting they whistled the anthem of Bulgaria.