Media outlets are free to speculate, but I don’t think it’s useful to add to speculation. What’s important is that discussion resumes, EU Ambassador to North Macedonia David Geer told a press conference on Friday after being asked to comment an article published by Politico, claiming EU has reached compromise over Bulgaria’s demands toward North Macedonia.

An agreement, he added, has to be reached regarding the negotiating framework, a reference point in the EU accession process, in order to organize the first intergovernmental conference and start the process.

“I hope this happens as soon as possible,” Geer said.

Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani stressed in regard to Politico’s article that media aren’t reporting anything new regarding Bulgaria’s position, adding that we’re not a part of the debate going on inside the EU.

“Personally, I think that if Bulgaria affirms the right to self-determination, it will encourage social stakeholders and especially commissions of historians to approach historical events scientifically and come up with ways to honour historical figures,” Osmani said.

He stressed that politicians can only issue encouragement, but not interpret decisions.

“There’s no way to interpret historical events other than jointly by historians and based on historical information,” Osmani noted.

Regarding commissions’ activities, Minister Osmani said that working groups are communicating daily, as much as they can amid the pandemic.

“They’re openly discussing a set of issues, which we believe will relieve both sides’ worries, elaborate on different expectations and approaches. Working groups will resume activities,” the FM added.

He underlined that concrete measures have been taken and it would be a shame not to make use of dynamic relations between politicians and commissions.