The foreign ministers of North Macedonia and Bulgaria next week are expected to meet to set a date for holding the second intergovernmental conference, where the action plan should be adopted, PM Zoran Zaev has announced.
“I expect probably next week or earlier our minister Osmani to meet with his counterpart Zaharieva in order to set the date for the first intergovernmental conference, because there is nothing disputable in the action, i.e. sectorial plan for cooperation. I expect them to set the date for the second intergovernmental conference after the first one was held in 2019,” Zaev told Monday’s news conference.
According to him, it will help create an overall climate for settling other open issues.
After the government adopts it, he added, we will start to implement these provisions quickly because they are beneficial for the Macedonian people, the Bulgarian people and will help create a climate for settling the other open issues, which I believe could be solves as soon as possible.
The PM explained that the action plan is defined at a sectoral level and is separate from the work of the joint commission on historical and educational issues and the political issues, which are the subject of negotiations between the two countries.
On Monday, German Ambassador Anke Holstein stressed that Germany remains committed to the start of North Macedonia’s EU accession talks. Discussions are underway at the highest level between the German government, stakeholders and the Portuguese EU Presidency, according to her.
“We encourage North Macedonia and Bulgaria to work together in the future on setting a positive agenda to prove their cooperation, taking a step toward holding the first intergovernmental conference with the EU, said Ambassador Holsten, expressing optimism and assurance in the successful outcome of these activities.
The action plan comes as a result of Skopje and Sofia sharing ideas and the document contains projects in the field of education, culture, infrastructure, sports. It is aimed at restoring trust between the two countries and accelerating efforts for implementing the Friendship Treaty.
Bulgarian Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva in a recent interview commented on North Macedonia’s EU integration perspective and the Skopje-Sofia relations. Speaking to Sofia daily 24 Chasa, she says Sofia has always supported Skopje, even in its most difficult times, and will continue to do so.
“I did not want to see so much talk over the media, which led to harsh rhetoric, since it is difficult to deny words that have already been spoken. I understand that we oftentimes speak to our own audiences but it is not right to win election campaigns in the 21st century by speaking against any neighbor. It cannot continue like this,” says Zaharieva.
She adds it is no secret that Belgrade is very influential in Skopje and there are certainly tendencies to bring the Serbian language, businesses and institutions closer, a trend that has been present for the past 30 years.
