North Macedonia's foreign minister Timcho Mucunski said the government should not influence court decisions in the case of Iva Mihaylova. He spoke at a press conference in Sofia during an international ministerial meeting on Corridor 8. Skopje has offered to let Bulgarian medical specialists with the right expertise come to North Macedonia and check her treatment.

This report follows our earlier story on Vazrazhdane MP Angel Georgiev, who was refused entry to North Macedonia over unpaid court costs. He was travelling to Kochani, where the trial of Mihaylova continues.

Mihaylova holds both North Macedonian and Bulgarian citizenship.

Mucunski said the court case and Mihaylova's health are linked. The court system ordered her to be held in custody, and only a court can rule on whether that was lawful. The minister did not comment on the procedures themselves.

North Macedonia is a candidate for EU membership and aims to uphold the rule of law and good governance. For that reason, Mucunski said, the government cannot interfere in decisions of the prosecutor's office and the courts.

North Macedonia's health system gives every citizen the care they need, including Mihaylova, Mucunski said. He said nothing stops Bulgarian medical representatives from seeing the conditions and making sure she gets such care. The minister stressed that the offer is a goodwill gesture, not an obligation for North Macedonia.

Mucunski said that where the two governments lack trust, it must be built. Representatives of the Bulgarian government have raised the issue at earlier bilateral meetings.