Bulgaria tells Skopje: Trust comes through implementation.
Bulgaria supports North Macedonia’s European perspective, but the conditions for its progress remain unchanged from 2022. Bulgarian Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova made the statement following a bilateral meeting with her North Macedonian counterpart Timcho Mucunski in Sofia, a BGNES reporter said.
“We held a constructive bilateral meeting with Minister Mucunski. The meeting was requested by the Republic of North Macedonia, and I accepted. Bulgaria supports North Macedonia’s European perspective, while the conditions for it remain unchanged from 2022. We expect both the constitutional amendments and all other elements of the agreed consensus to be fulfilled,” Petrova stressed.
She said she had asked Mucunski to present Skopje’s assessment of the timeline for fulfilling its commitments.
“From their side, the view is that a sense of trust needs to be built. For me, the main way to build trust is through the implementation of commitments. I hope we will see positive steps in this direction,” the foreign minister said.
Petrova noted that the other Western Balkan countries, including Albania and Montenegro, are demonstrating political will to advance on their European path.
“I hope the same will happen with North Macedonia,” she added.
The foreign minister was categorical that Sofia is not imposing any additional conditions on Skopje.
“We have no expectations other than those set out in 2022, and we expect them to be fulfilled. Implementation is the best guarantee,” Petrova stressed.
She explained that the EU accession process is based on clearly defined rules and criteria, while decisions are taken by the member states in accordance with the agreed negotiating framework.
“No member state can give a candidate country guarantees about the continuation of the process. What it can offer is the political willingness to adhere to the commitments undertaken. Bulgaria has demonstrated that willingness,” the minister said.
During the meeting, Petrova also raised the issue of the medical treatment of Iva Mikhailova.
“For us, North Macedonia’s readiness to receive our doctors was positive news. It is important that this leads to treatment as quickly as possible. This is a humanitarian case that should be approached precisely from that perspective,” she stressed.
The minister clarified that there are still no specific deadlines, as work is underway with medical teams to carry out the necessary examinations.
“What matters most to all of us is for Iva to have prompt access to adequate treatment. There must be one ultimate outcome – she must recover,” Petrova said.
The foreign minister also commented on the return of the remains of Tsar Samuil, clarifying that the issue had not been discussed with Mucunski.
“This is a great triumph for Bulgaria and something we can all be proud of. I see this act as having a unifying role, rather than as something that should be directed negatively towards North Macedonia,” she said.
Minister Petrova expressed hope that Skopje would take the necessary steps to implement the agreements and take advantage of the renewed momentum for European Union enlargement. | BGNES