Bulgaria’s President Radev met with North Macedonia’s special representative Buckovski

The European integration of the Republic of North Macedonia does not require attempts of influence and pressure through third parties, but achievement of real results in the bilateral dialogue with Bulgaria, Bulgaria’s President Rumen Radev said at a meeting with the Special Envoy of the Government of the Republic of North Macedonia Vlado Buckovski, held in the Presidency on December 10.

"We are open to partnership and we expect the unwavering political will of the politicians in the Republic of North Macedonia to encourage work at the expert level and to prove that good neighbourliness between our two countries is a reality," the head of state said.

Bulgaria has never challenged the democratic right to self-identity of the citizens of the Republic of North Macedonia, but the identity of one country cannot be built on hatred for another, especially for a fraternal country, the President added.

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Rumen Radev noted that Bulgaria in principle and consistently supports the European perspective of the Republic of North Macedonia, but cannot allow unresolved bilateral issues to be carried over into the European Union.

“The Bulgarian society is extremely sensitive to the signals sent by the state institutions in the Republic of North Macedonia regarding bilateral relations," the President reminded.

According to him, a real contribution to good neighbourly relations would be the abandoning of the language of hatred towards Bulgaria in the Republic of North Macedonia’s public media, in the content of textbooks, in the work of scientific institutes and inscriptions on historical monuments and museums. Rumen Radev called for an active bilateral dialogue at all levels between Bulgaria and the Republic of North Macedonia, in which, in a spirit of trust and understanding, workable solutions should be sought.

The two agreed that the friendship between the citizens of the two countries should be permanently established at the interstate level as well.

"There is no hatred between our citizens. We have a duty to future generations to close the controversial issues," Vlado Buckovski said, calling for co-operation between Bulgaria and the Republic of North Macedonia to continue to develop in areas of mutual interest such as economy, transport, tourism, education and science.