Bulgaria’s caretaker PM met with Portugal’s Foreign Minister and EU Enlargement Commissioner Várhelyi

Bulgaria’s caretaker Prime Minister, Stefan Yanev, on May 21, met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Portugal, Augusto Santos Silva and the EU Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi.

The main topic of the meeting was the European perspective of the countries of the Western Balkans in the context of the process of enlargement of the European Union. The focus of the discussion was the challenges before the accession of the Republic of North Macedonia and the opportunities for improving the dialogue with Bulgaria.

In view of Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the guests expressed their readiness to mediate in the negotiations on the disputed issues between the two countries. Caretaker PM Stefan Yanev confirmed the Bulgarian position regarding the European perspective of the Republic of North Macedonia, noting that so far no positive trend can be outlined in terms of overcoming key contradictions. Yanev stressed the need for the disputed issues to be resolved, as the topic is extremely sensitive and nationally significant.

Caretaker Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria, Svetlan Stoev, for his part, said that there is a will to overcome the differences, but this approach should be reciprocal, emphasising the key importance of the real practical steps in bilateral relations.