Diplomatic tensions escalated between North Macedonia and Bulgaria after the Bulgarian ambassador to Skopje, Zhelyazko Radukov, refused to accept a formal protest note from the Macedonian foreign ministry on September 16.

The note was issued in response to the absence of the Macedonian national flag during a meeting between North Macedonia's President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova and Bulgarian President Rumen Radev in Sofia on September 13. The meeting had previously been seen as a positive step towards mending relations between the neighbouring countries after Bulgaria blocked North Macedonia’s EU accession progress. 

Siljanovska-Davkova visited Bulgaria to attend a performance of Giuseppe Verdi's Nabucco by the Macedonian Opera and Ballet, which opened the new season at the Sofia Opera. The Macedonian delegation included Foreign Minister Timco Mucunski and Minister of Culture Zoran Ljutkov. 

The president used her visit to Sofia to meet with her Bulgarian counterpart. The discussions were focused on resolving the long-standing tensions that have persisted since Bulgaria's veto of North Macedonia’s EU accession talks in 2020.

After the meeting, Radukov was summoned to the Macedonian foreign ministry to receive the protest, but according to official sources, he declined the note, though its contents were communicated to him verbally. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed to MIA that the protest will be sent through formal diplomatic channels, branding the incident as a "serious diplomatic blunder”.

Sources from North Macedonia’s foreign ministry said that the cabinets of both presidents had agreed there would be no photographs taken in non-working rooms, and that the Macedonian flag was displayed during the working lunch. According to the ministry, the Bulgarian side deviated from this agreed protocol.

Radukov, speaking to broadcaster Sitel, dismissed any notion of provocation by the Bulgarian side, insisting that the meeting between the two presidents was informal and therefore did not violate any protocol.

The absence of the Macedonian flag during the meeting raised concerns in Skopje, with Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski saying that the delegation chose not to react immediately due to the deaths of two Bulgarian military pilots just before the meeting, in a gesture of respect.

Radev, responding to the controversy, clarified that Siljanovska-Davkova’s visit was neither a state nor a working visit, suggesting this was why the flag protocol was not followed. "We had a very honest and constructive conversation in a friendly atmosphere," Radev said, adding that he hopes for future engagement between the two countries and that Siljanovska-Davkova will soon return to Bulgaria for an official state visit.

Despite Radev's clarification, the incident has sparked a wider discussion about the strained relations between the two countries, which have been fraught since Bulgaria vetoed North Macedonia’s EU accession talks. The diplomatic fallout over the missing flag is seen as symptomatic of deeper tensions, as both countries struggle to resolve longstanding issues.