The Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not received any official confirmation from Serbian authorities concerning the alleged “arrest of Bulgarian spies” or the “dismantling of a Bulgarian spy network” in Serbia. Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev addressed the claims made by Aleksandar Vulin, according to BGNES reports.

Vulin, former Deputy Prime Minister of Serbia and ex-director of the Serbian Information and Security Agency (BIA), who remains a close ally of President Aleksandar Vučić, publicly accused Bulgaria of running a spy network in Serbia. In his statements, circulated by Serbian media, he referred to Bulgaria as an “occupier” and suggested it should “light candles and ask for forgiveness” from Belgrade.

Minister Georgiev stressed that Serbia is not only Bulgaria’s immediate neighbor but also home to an indigenous Bulgarian minority due to historical developments. He noted that Bulgaria approaches its bilateral relations with Serbia based on principles of good neighborliness and constructive cooperation.

“The statements by Aleksandar Vulin, head of the parliamentary ‘Socialist Movement’ and chairman of the Supervisory Board of state-owned Serbiagaz, show how easily our bilateral ties can be targeted by malicious political campaigns,” Georgiev said.

BGNES recalled that over recent years, prominent Serbian politicians, including Vučić and Vulin, have repeatedly made disparaging remarks about Bulgaria. In northwestern Serbia, an orchestrated campaign of anti-Bulgarian rhetoric has portrayed Bulgarians as “monsters.” Vulin has also publicly declared the cessation of Serbia’s EU accession negotiations and support for its entry into BRICS, and he has received high honors from Russia. According to Vulin, “nothing can stop the hegemonic project in the Balkans called the ‘Serbian World.’”