Mucunski: Positions with Bulgaria on key issues remain far apart

On the sidelines of the Ministerial Meeting in Sofia, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Timcho Mucunski met with his Bulgarian counterpart, Velislava Petrova Chamova. They discussed bilateral relations, North Macedonia’s path toward the European Union, the lack of trust between the two countries and the need to overcome it through dialogue, as well as the Action Plan for Minorities.

After meeting with Petrova Chamova, Mucunski also held a separate conversation with European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos.

Speaking to the media after the two meetings, Mucunski said his conversation with the Bulgarian minister was constructive and took place in a positive spirit, but added that the two countries’ positions on key issues remained far apart. He said the parties had agreed to continue dialogue on all matters of mutual interest.

“The positions of North Macedonia and Bulgaria on issues related to European integration are still very far apart, but today’s meeting with Bulgarian Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova Chamova was constructive and took place in a positive spirit. It was agreed that dialogue between the two countries would continue on all issues of mutual interest,” Mucunski said in Sofia.

He said there was a high degree of distrust between the two sides regarding North Macedonia’s European integration process, particularly as to how predictable it is.

“In my view, today’s meeting was constructive and took place in a positive spirit. I must also be absolutely transparent and clear: it is not as though we have resolved any key issues. Our positions are still very far apart; there is no doubt about that. But we spoke in a positive spirit about developing dialogue between the two countries in the coming period, and that dialogue will obviously continue,” Mucunski said.