Sofia accepts Skopje’s request for a meeting, but the format remains unclear

The Bulgarian government has confirmed that a meeting with representatives of North Macedonia will take place, following a request from the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The meeting is expected to be held tomorrow in Sofia, as part of the gathering on Corridor 8, but it has yet to be determined whether it will be a full bilateral meeting or a brief conversation.

Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski said that Skopje received official confirmation of the meeting yesterday, while the format would be clarified later. “We will see how it will be organized and what form it will take, whether it will be a pull-aside or a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Corridor 8 summit. Our position is clear: the situation we are in can be resolved only through dialogue. We support good neighborly relations and aim to become part of the European Union as soon as possible, a goal we have deserved for a long time,” he said.

Mickoski insists that Bulgaria is using its status in the EU to impose a veto on bilateral issues, without taking into account North Macedonia’s reforms and progress. He said that the plan for gradual integration, which includes three conditions, is encouraging: two have been fulfilled by the country, while the third must be confirmed by the European Union.

Bulgarian President Ilijana Jotova urged Mickoski several days ago to reconsider his position and become more familiar with European policies. She also objected to presenting the dispute between the two countries as a bilateral issue. In response, the prime minister said that Bulgaria had forgotten European values since joining the EU.

“I thank her for the advice. I spent many years of my youth in the European Union and know it well, as well as the values of Adenauer, Schuman and De Gasperi. But apparently, some member states, made comfortable in their chairs in Brussels, forgot these values after joining,” Mickoski said.

The meeting in Bulgaria has been scheduled between the foreign ministers, Timço Mucunski and Velislava Petrova Chamova. The initiative to hold it came after a request from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, made following her visit to Skopje last week. /Alsat/