Bulgaria and North Macedonia to Build Cross-Border Railway Tunnel Linking the Two Nations
Bulgaria and the Republic of North Macedonia are set to take a significant step toward enhancing their regional connectivity
Spaska Mitrova lives in Macedonia, holds a Bulgarian passport and perceives herself as Bulgarian. Photo by BGNES
Macedonia's Supreme Court has deprived Bulgarian mother Spaska Mitreva of her child, Bulgarian MEP Dimitar Stoyanov has alarmed.
The Supreme Court has overturned last years' ruling of the Court of Appeals that returned little Suzanna to her mother's custody.
Mitrova now has to return the child to her former husband, Voislav Savic, within two months.
The Bulgarian mother has been struggling to win back her child for several years, her efforts being backed by Bulgarian authorities.
On Tuesday, MEP Dimitar Stoyanov will meet with Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov and President Rosen Plevneliev to discuss potential legislative mechanism that could help Mitrova win back her child.
In October 2010, the Court in the town of Gevgeli awarded custody rights to Mitrova, but the prosecution appealed.
In March 2009, the same Court ruled to give custody rights to the father of 3-year old Suzanna and Mitrova's estranged husband, Serbian Voislav Savic.
The trial was opened anew following an express ruling of the Skopje Court of Appeals, which respected Mitrova's claim.
The infant was taken away from the mother by force, following a series of contradictory court decisions.
The young woman holds a Bulgarian passport and perceives herself as Bulgarian. She was sentenced and served time in a Macedonian prison over charges she did not allow her husband to see Suzanna. She was released on parole, but then the parental rights case began.
Mitrova has been the cause of diplomatic scandal between the two countries since 2009.
In the aftermath of the news about the Court's rule in March 2009, the Bulgarian Foreign Affairs Ministry expressed deep concern over the way the custody trial was held, defining it as non-transparent and staged in the conditions of a very negative public environment, which included physical force, detention, and depriving the mother of her right to see her child.
The Ambassador of Macedonia to Sofia, Alexander Vasilevski, was summoned the next day to the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry to provide clarifications about the Macedonian position regarding the Gevgeli court rule.
In mid-March 2011, the Bulgarian Members of the European Parliament from all political groups decided to notify EU Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood, Stefan Fule, about Mitrova's case.
About a month after Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev controversially allowed Vladimir Putin to cross Bulgarian airspace, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has now taken a firm stance against Moscow
The 102nd anniversary of the Republic of Türkiye was celebrated in Bulgaria with a special program rich in friendship, culture, and art
Vietnamese Communist Party leader To Lam has called on Bulgaria to simplify visa procedures for Vietnamese citizens to encourage more visitors to the country, during his official visit to Sofia
President Rumen Radev described the relationship between Bulgaria and Hungary as an example of an “exemplary partnership,” highlighting the close cooperation between the two countries
Bulgaria’s President Rumen Radev urged Hungary to persuade North Macedonia to adopt constitutional changes as a prerequisite for EU membership
H.E. Arthur den Hartog is the new Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Bulgaria
Bulgaria's Strategic Role in the EU's Drone Wall Defense Initiative
When Politics Means Violence