The European integration of the Republic of North Macedonia requires achieving real results in the bilateral dialogue with Bulgaria, rather than attempts at exerting influence or pressure through third countries. This is what President Rumen Radev said today at a meeting held at 2 Dondukov street with the special envoy of the Republic of North Macedonia’s government Vlado Buchkovski.

We are open to partnership and we expect that the Republic of North Macedonia shows an unswerving political will which will promote the work of experts and will prove that the good-neighborly relations between our two countries are real, the Head of State said.

Bulgaria has never called into question the democratic right to self-determination of the citizens of the Republic of North Macedonia. However, a nation’s identity cannot be built on the hatred towards another one, particularly a fraternal country, the President noted. Rumen Radev said that Bulgaria principally and consistently supports the Republic of North Macedonia’s European prospects, however, it cannot allow unresolved bilateral issues to be brought into the European Union.

The Bulgarian public is very sensitive to the signals sent by the state institutions of the Republic of North Macedonia regarding the bilateral relations, the President further recalled. In the Head of State’s opinion, putting aside the language of hate towards Bulgaria in our southwestern neighbor, in the public media, changing the contents of textbooks, the work of research institutions and the inscriptions on historical monuments and in museums, will be a real contribution to building good-neighborly relations. Rumen Radev called for an active bilateral dialogue on all levels between Bulgaria and the Republic of North Macedonia, in which viable solutions will be sought in the spirit of trust and understanding.

The two shared the stance that the friendship between the people on the two sides of the border should be firmly established also between the two states. “No hatred exists between our citizens. We owe the future generations the commitment to resolve the contentious issues,” Vlado Buchkovski said and called for boosting the cooperation between Bulgaria and the Republic of North Macedonia in areas of mutual interest such as the economy, transport, tourism, education and science.