Ilinden

Defence Minister Krasimir Karakachanov will discuss issues pertaining to bilateral cooperation in the military sphere with Macedonia's Defence Minister Radmila Sekerinska in Skopje today, reported Mediapool.

Minister Karakachanov will raise the question of holding a joint exercise between the special forces of the two countries scheduled for the next year.

143 illegal Roma barracks and 6 illegal houses in the Zaharna Fabrika quarter of Sofia are being demolished this morning, BTV announced.

There is no tension among the Roma at the moment - about 500 people live in illegal buildings. They are dangerous, they are built on a communal terrain.

Every year on 19 August, in the locality of Petrova Niva homage is paid to the victims in the 1903 Ilinden-Preobrazhenie Uprising of Bulgarians in Macedonia and Thrace against the Ottoman Empire, reported bTV. 

The events in the summer of 1903 culminated at the feasts of St. Elijah (Ilinden) and Transfiguration of Christ (Preobrazhenie).

Today is the second day of the historic visit of the Bulgarian delegation to Macedonia.

After the signing of the Friendship, Cooperation and Neighborhood Treaty yesterday, Prime Minister Boyko Borisov and the other Bulgarian representatives will put wreaths in front of Gotse Delchev's grave in the church of St. Spas in Skopje.

 Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva will leave for Skopje on August 1, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria said.
She is part of the official Bulgarian delegation led by Prime Minister Boyko Borisov that will visit Macedonia in August 1-2.

Bulgaria marks on July 20 Ilinden - the Day of St. Elijah or Iliya and the Name Day of Iliya, Iliyan and Iliyana.

Elijah or Iliya was a prophet in Israel in the 9th century BC. According to the Books of Kings, Elijah raised the dead, brought fire down from the sky, and ascended into heaven in a chariot.

Bulgarian road carriers on Wednesday said they will set up a permanent "counter-blockade" on the border with Greece unless farmers on the other side of the border end their protest.

Their announcement was made by Bulgaria's Transport Minister Ivaylo Moskovski in a press conference at the Kapitan Andreevo border crossing.

Protesters have renewed blockade at two of the checkpoints along the border between Bulgaria and Greece.

The Kulata-Promachonas and Ilinden-Exochi checkpoints are closed to trucks, the interior ministry informs.

The blockade at Ilinden was staged at 22 o'clock (EET) on Tuesday, while Kulata was closed at 5 o'clock on Wednesday.