Head of State Rumen Radev held a telephone talk with President Emmanuel Macron of France. The European perspective of the Western Balkan countries, the consequences of hostilities in Ukraine and the changed security environment in Europe were the focus of the conversation.

It is in the interest of the stability of United Europe that each EU membership applicant upholds European values related to the rights of its citizens and Bulgaria expects clear results from the Republic of North Macedonia in this direction before agreeing to start negotiations, the Bulgarian Head of State said during the talks.

Radev also pointed out that Bulgaria and the Republic of North Macedonia had agreed to draw up a roadmap outlining short-term and long-term goals, the implementation of which would push forward the process of European integration for our south-western neighbour, but there are no results in this direction yet. This country's expectation for legally binding guarantees to be enshrined in the negotiating framework for the Republic of North Macedonia and to guarantee the implementation of the commitments undertaken by North Macedonia was also noted by the President. Radev also stressed that the non-implementation of the Bilateral Treaty on Friendship, Good Neighbourhood and Cooperation by North Macedonia, 5 years after signing, requires concrete steps and results, the implementation of which would restore and strengthen our trust.

President Macron expressed France's readiness to support Bulgaria so that our Air Force does not lose its defence capabilities until Bulgaria receives the prepaid F-16 fighter jets.