We are thankful for Germany, as the current holder of the EU presidency, for being strongly engaged in meeting the common goal – holding of the first intergovernmental conference to mark the official opening of the negotiations with North Macedonia.

It is considered as a crucial signal for the whole region and for the EU’s credibility that is in everyone’s interest, the government says Tuesday in a statement following Monday’s meeting in Berlin of Deputy PM Nikola Dimitrov and Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani with Bulgarian Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva.

The meeting was hosted by Germany’s Foreign Minister Heiko Maas and Minister of State for Europe Michael Roth. During its six-month EU presidency, Germany has been stressing that its objective is to make sure the first intergovernmental conference between North Macedonia and the EU takes place by the end of December.

The government says that frequent contacts and high-level meetings are aimed at establishing better understanding with the neighbor Bulgaria, adding the communication leads toward improved understanding, increased confidence and aligning the positions.

“We abide by and are committed to the 2017 Treaty, which offers a framework and instruments for managing bilateral issues,” notes the government voicing hopes that historical issues considered as shared history could be solved by the joint commission on historical and educational issues and that solutions are strengthening the countries’ friendship and cooperation.

“We are confident that our three goals: to take care of our national interest and the right to self-determination of the Macedonian people, our European future and opening of the accession negotiations with the first intergovernmental conference in December, and good neighborly ties based on mutual understanding and respect and fully compatible,” concludes the government.