Head of State Rumen Radev held a telephone call with his German counterpart the President of the Federal Republic of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier. The Bulgarian President congratulated his German counterpart on the priorities of the German presidency of the Council of the EU, directed at promoting fair social changes in the economy, society and the labor market and offering support to the industry and the SMEs in conditions of crisis.

The two shared the stance that the Western Balkan countries’ European prospects and those of the Republic of North Macedonia are of key importance for strengthening the stability and are an important sign of the development of the whole region. To this end, a long-lasting and sustainable progress of the Republic of North Macedonia is necessary in establishing good-neighborly relations with Bulgaria, President Radev said. The Head of State noted that our country expects clear legally binding guarantees that the unity of the Bulgarian nation and our cultural and historical heritage, as key elements of our national identity, will never be called into question by external factors.

Bulgaria is a responsible EU member state and will not allow unresolved bilateral problems undermine the unity of the Union, Rumen Radev further said. In the President’s opinion, the most appropriate option to avoid such a situation is to ensure that chapter 35 of the Negotiating Framework for the Republic of North Macedonia’s EU accession incorporates the National Framework Position, unanimously adopted by the National Assembly a year ago, with clear-cut criteria and time limits, which should be met throughout the negotiation process. If such a decision is impossible, our country will work to reach a bilateral agreement with the Republic of North Macedonia, in which all bilateral issues will be resolved in the spirit of friendship and good-neighborly relations.