Mickoski confirms Sofia meeting; says North Macedonia will send message that only dialogue can bring a solution

Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski confirmed that Bulgaria has formally agreed a bilateral meeting between North Macedonia's Foreign Minister Timcho Mucunski and his Bulgarian counterpart Velislava Petrova-Chamova, scheduled for tomorrow in Sofia on the margins of the Corridor 8 ministerial meeting.

Asked by reporters about the encounter, the prime minister said the format of the meeting has not yet been decided and will be arranged by the host.

Message: only dialogue can resolve the current situation

Mickoski spelled out the substance North Macedonia intends to bring to Sofia: that the country seeks good-neighbourly relations and remains committed to reaching its strategic goal — membership in the European Union.

“Our messages are clear – that only through dialogue can we reach a solution to this situation in which we currently find ourselves, that we are for good-neighbourly relations and that we want as quickly as possible to realise our strategic goal, and that is membership in the EU,” the prime minister said, repeating the core line the government plans to present.

He also noted that, until yesterday, he did not have high expectations for the planned meeting between Mucunski and Petrova-Chamova. Mickoski added remarks on the European Commission’s recent announcement to remove the veto for bilateral issues, saying the EU had recognised the abuse of the mechanism by some member states.

Photo: Arhiva