Daniel Lohrer of the “Change Continues” coalition, considered the most serious candidate for foreign minister in the new government in Sofia, told BTV radio that December 14 is not a realistic deadline for reaching a full agreement with Northern Macedonia.

Lorer believes that if only history is left to move the negotiations between Bulgaria and Northern Macedonia, it will not be a good enough result for both sides.

According to Lorer, additional discussions will be opened regarding the economic progress between the two countries.

“Respect for the rights of Macedonian Bulgarians is of paramount importance,” he said, noting that negotiations were imminent based on facts, not speculation if those rights had been violated. “Talks on history will go hand in hand, so that both Sofia and Skopje will be satisfied.”

He assessed that the joint historical commission between Skopje and Sofia does not propose progress and both sides feel dissatisfied with what is happening and a new formula should be found. Its function, he says, should be to help, but not to be unique in that process.

Lorer adds that the dispute was deep and those discussions should go their way and that is happening among all neighboring nations in the Balkans.

“The road, not only to Northern Macedonia, but also to Albania and other countries in the region is towards the EU and Bulgaria would like when Northern Macedonia enters that process, that it will happen without the rights of Macedonian Bulgarians being violated. “On the other hand, there should be an economic program that will ensure economic prosperity, and we have a lot of concrete plans for that to happen,” he said.

Asked if he would be nominated for Bulgaria’s foreign minister, Lorer neither denied nor confirmed it.