North Macedonia expels Russian diplomat

Facing pressure from EU members, the Bulgarian ambassador to the EU explained on Tuesday (11 May) to the EU ministers his country’s decision to veto the start of neighbouring North Macedonia’s accession negotiations.

The EU does not want to escalate tensions with Russia by expelling Russian diplomats, the EU’s chief diplomat Josep Borrell said on Monday, after a meeting of EU foreign ministers. “Everybody agreed on the need not to continue an escalation….

“Our approach is philosophical. We understand that Bulgaria is a small country and it has to develop. The EU provides funds and helps. But I don’t think that’s a reason to sacrifice relations with Russia,” Russian Ambassador to Sofia Eleonora…

In today’s edition of the Capitals, find out more about tensions mounting over immigrants in Italy and France maybe dropping their referendum on environmental preservation, and so much more.

Presidents of Bulgaria and North Macedonia Rumen Radev and Stevo Pendarovski are to travel to Rome next week to pay tribute to the work of the holy brothers Cyril and Methodius, credited for the creation of the Slavic glagolitic alphabet….