North Macedonia's MFA warns Sofia over high‑level reception of Iva Mihailova

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade announced it will inform the European Union and the Council of Europe about the case after reports that Iva Mihailova left North Macedonia and received a high‑level reception in Sofia. The ministry said the handling of the episode by Bulgarian institutions undermines efforts to build trust and contradicts commitments to develop good‑neighbourly relations.

"The high‑level reception of a person against whom judicial proceedings are underway sends a seriously wrong message. Nationality and possession of another citizenship must not serve as protection from accountability before competent institutions. Everyone has the right to a fair trial. No one has the right to be exempted from the law. We will inform our international partners about the case, especially the institutions of the European Union and the Council of Europe. Such actions, for which there are previous examples, directly undermine trust between the two countries and raise serious questions about consistency in respecting shared European values," the ministry said.

Sequence of events and official records

As an EU member, the ministry said, Bulgaria is expected to act in line with core European principles — respect for judicial proceedings, cooperation between the competent institutions and equality before the law. The ministry added that actions creating an impression of institutional shielding from criminal responsibility are incompatible with those principles.

Bulgarian media reported on the morning of the incident that Mihailova, who is on trial in North Macedonia over a traffic accident with fatal consequences, crossed the border to Bulgaria together with her lawyer. Mihailova told local outlets that there was nothing illegal in her leaving the country; her lawyer declined to say at which border crossing they crossed.

Authorities in Skopje have published contradictory official records: the Interior Ministry had her on a stop‑list, yet their systems show no recorded exit from the country. The ministry also said Bulgarian police have not registered a legal entry for Mihailova.

"We remain committed to developing good‑neighbourly relations based on mutual respect, trust and European principles. We expect the same responsibility from the Bulgarian side. Respect for justice is not a matter of political choice, but a fundamental European obligation," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade added in its statement.

Photo: press material from the event