Petrova: Bulgaria stands by the 2022 agreement, with no renegotiation with Skopje

Bulgaria’s Foreign Minister, Velislava Petrova Chamova, told parliament that Sofia does not accept constitutional amendments with delayed implementation and will not review the terms of the 2022 agreement with Macedonia. The position was made public one day after her meeting in Sofia with her Macedonian counterpart, Timcho Mucunski.

According to Petrova Chamova, Bulgaria’s demands toward Skopje remain unchanged: guaranteeing the rights of Bulgarians and amending the Constitution to include them.

“Have we reached an agreement on constitutional amendments with delayed implementation? The answer is ‘no.’ The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stands by the 2022 agreement and categorically rejects the possibility of any bypassing, renegotiation or agreement with certain member states on any kind of arrangement that would change the terms of the agreement reached. Bulgaria is not participating in the renegotiation of the agreement with Skopje. We do not need renegotiation and a new agreement because they are unacceptable to us,” said Bulgaria’s Foreign Minister, Velislava Petrova Chamova.

Mucunski and Petrova held the bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Conference on Corridor 8, where they also discussed the dispute between the two countries. Mucunski described the conversation as constructive and held in a positive spirit, but stressed that the positions of the two sides remain significantly far apart. Regarding European integration, he said there is a high level of mistrust, which from Skopje’s perspective is linked to the predictability of the process and its experience so far with bilateral demands.

The meeting was also widely covered by Bulgaria’s leading media outlets. Despite describing the atmosphere as positive, BGNES, BNT and BTA conveyed as the main message that there has been no change in the positions of the two sides or in Sofia’s conditions for Skopje’s European integration./Alsat/