Kyuchyuk: Relations with North Macedonia are deteriorating, we aim to share borders with countries that uphold our values

Relations between Bulgaria and the Republic of North Macedonia are undergoing continued deterioration, Bulgarian MEP Ilhan Kyuchyuk, the European Parliament’s former rapporteur for North Macedonia, said on BNT’s “More Than a Day” program.

According to him, there is a lack of sincerity in North Macedonia regarding the direction the country should take. Kyuchyuk said that if the goal is membership in the European Union, the two main political parties must reach an agreement and build public, political and social consensus on the issue.

“What we are seeing is the opposite: regression and withdrawal. This serves no one, including Bulgaria. We want to share borders with countries that are part of the same value system as us,” said the MEP from the “Renew Europe” group, BNT reports.

Commenting on the case of Iva Mihajllova, who is accused of causing a traffic accident that resulted in one death and whose Macedonian and Bulgarian passports have been confiscated, Kyuchyuk described it first and foremost as a humanitarian matter.

He said the Bulgarian state was using every available avenue to protect the young woman, as doctors in Skopje had determined that her condition was becoming increasingly complicated. According to him, Bulgarian doctors, including some of the best specialists in the field, had expressed their willingness to travel and assist in her treatment, but North Macedonia categorically rejected the request.

“We will not allow you to interfere in our internal affairs,” was the Macedonian side’s response, according to the MEP. Kyuchyuk stressed that the case could not be treated as an internal matter, but as a humanitarian problem, since it concerns a young woman who needs to recover./Telegrafi/