Treaty on Friendship with Bulgaria provides the framework for resolving all differences between the two countries, the problems should be addressed and not swept under the rug, Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani said Wednesday who had working breakfast with the Bulgarian Ambassador to North Macedonia Angel Angelov and German Ambassador Anke Holstein.
The event was organized as part of the activities within the joint presidency of North Macedonia and Bulgaria with the Berlin Process.
“The Friendship Treaty (signed in 2017) provides the framework, and defines the instruments how to overcome all existing differences. I think there should be no second thoughts about talking to friends and neighbours in regard to all the issues that affect both countries and both societies,” Osmani told reporters.
He said the Friendship Treaty does not prejudge that a common solution will be found on every issue, but still the approach is to discuss all dilemmas.
“I think that sweeping problems under the rug does not mean they will go away, but only makes them bigger and harder to resolve in the future. We should openly and friendly express our sensitive things regarding open issues and we should also listen and remain open and sensitive to the Bulgarian side on all issues, I think it will be easier to reach a common understanding of everything that concerns relations. I am optimistic. We are all aware of the stakes we have in this process, the importance of the process and the fact that the strategic priority for both countries is for the region to move towards the EU,” Osmani said.
He said that talks with Bulgaria are being held on a daily basis regarding any differences, refusing to go into details about this communication, and added that working groups should be allowed to continue the talks.
Osmani noted that treaty is not a unilateral act, whose function ends at the moment of signing, but framework to resolve the differences.
“This means that if during the implementation we have different expectations or different views regarding the dynamics of implementation, I think we should sit down and look at any issues within the framework,” he said, adding that the treaty does not mean a solution in itself, but provides an opportunity to hold honest talks with neighbours.
“I think this is the new approach, this is the new European spirit and believe me it will be much more useful for all of us compared to the period before the Friendship Treaty, when there was no framework, no instruments, so there was no progress on any issue,” Osmani said.
In regard to the comments of MEP Andrej Kovachev that it is not enough for the country to just admit that it has no territorial claims to Bulgaria and that it is not a sin if we open EU accession negotiations in six months, Osmani said that he believes that the statements of politicians and office holders should not be censored, but it is important that there is communication between the two countries.
“I believe that a new era of cooperation and friendship with Bulgaria is opening up and that we should gradually overcome the differences from the past and implement European cooperation in our bilateral relations,” Osmani noted.
He underlined that the Berlin Process should be used to further deepen relations, but also the role that the two countries currently have as co-chairs in the region, adding that Bulgaria is a serious supporter to the European agenda of the region, and the Sofia Summit was very important step in the European agenda of the region.
