Bulgaria opens the door to dialogue with Skopje but rejects ultimatums

Bulgarian President Ilijana Jotova said Sofia was ready to hold talks with North Macedonia, but stressed that the dialogue must take place without ultimatums and in line with European Union policy.

Her reaction came after messages from North Macedonian Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during the latter’s visit to Skopje.

Jotova said she was “moderately optimistic” about future developments and announced that she would ask Bulgarian Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova Chamova to deliver the diplomatic note received from North Macedonian Foreign Minister Timcho Mucunski. The document calls for a bilateral meeting to be held in Sofia.

Skopje’s initiative followed von der Leyen’s visit on October 2. According to Mickoski’s statements, the European Commission president had advised him that the first step should be a request for an official meeting with Bulgarian representatives. Following this, Mucunski sent Sofia the diplomatic note regarding talks with his counterpart.

Prime Minister Mickoski has also called for more direct involvement by the European Union in the dialogue between the two countries. He has argued that a clear and lasting agreement is needed to define obligations that can be implemented by both sides.

The Bulgarian president did not support this approach. She stressed that Skopje should not treat the issue as a purely bilateral problem, since Bulgaria is part of the European Union and the process must follow European enlargement policy.

During her stay in Skopje, Ursula von der Leyen reaffirmed that constitutional changes are essential for North Macedonia’s continued European integration and for the opening of the “Fundamentals” cluster. According to her, once the process is unblocked, the country can move forward toward a “roadmap” for the next stage of integration.

A possible meeting between representatives of Skopje and Sofia is expected to take place next week, within the framework of the ministerial meeting on Corridor 8.

It is still unclear whether this renewed diplomatic contact will produce concrete steps toward unblocking North Macedonia’s European integration process. (INA)