President Stevo Pendarovski received the Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria, Kiril Petkov, who is paying an official visit to the Republic of North Macedonia.
The meeting discussed the possibilities for advancing bilateral cooperation in several areas of common interest, given that North Macedonia and Bulgaria are close neighbors and allies in NATO. In that regard, the President expressed support for the dialogue between the two governments, the specific proposals, as well as the intentions to intensify talks in the coming period in order to achieve measurable results in the interest of citizens.
Regarding the open issues between the two countries, the President pointed out that it is necessary to restore trust between the two governments, which will contribute to the strengthening of the good neighborly relations and political dialogue on more sensitive issues. Overcoming the mutual misunderstandings is important for the smooth running of the Macedonian European integration processes, as well as for neutralizing of the growing Euro-scepticism and the negative tendencies in the region.
President Pendarovski stressed that the Republic of North Macedonia, in the spirit of good neighborliness and respect for the principle of equality between the two sides, has a strong political will to continue the dialogue, in order to find a compromise solution to open issues.
He added that the start of accession negotiations between the Republic of North Macedonia and the European Union will be beneficial for the prosperity and stability of the entire region. It will additionally affect the promotion of cooperation in the economy, trade, infrastructure, as well as cooperation in the fields of education, health and culture.
