Mucunski: Positions with Bulgaria on EU path remain distant, dialogue to continue

North Macedonia's minister of foreign affairs and foreign trade, Timcho Mucunski, held talks in Sofia focused on bilateral ties, Skopje's EU accession process, mutual distrust and the need to overcome it through continued dialogue, as well as the Action Plan on minorities. The discussions took place on the margins of a ministerial meeting in Sofia.

Mucunski met his Bulgarian counterpart, Velislava Petrova Chamova, and afterwards held a separate meeting with EU Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos.

Constructive tone, but positions remain remote

After the talks Mucunski described the meeting with Chamova as constructive and held in a positive spirit, while stressing that the two countries' positions on substantive issues are still far apart. "The positions of North Macedonia and Bulgaria regarding issues connected to European integration are still very distant, but today's meeting with Bulgarian Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova Chamova was constructive and held in a positive spirit, and it was agreed that the dialogue between the two countries should continue on all matters of common interest," Mucunski said in Sofia.

He added that there is a high degree of mutual distrust concerning the predictability of North Macedonia's EU accession process. "Today's meeting was constructive, in my view held in a positive spirit. I must be absolutely transparent and clear: it's not that we solved any substantive issue, the positions are still very distant, there is no doubt about that, but we spoke in a positive spirit about developing a dialogue in the period ahead between the two countries and that dialogue will undoubtedly continue," Mucunski said.

Mucunski also highlighted a recurring source of Macedonian scepticism: repeated bilateral demands coming from Sofia over the years. "We are a country toward which, over the years, there have constantly been some bilateral demands, and as soon as one bilateral demand was closed, a new one would open. So that distrust exists. We are also firmly committed to the positions that issues related to language, identity, history and culture must not burden our European path," he emphasized.

The minister framed Bulgaria's stance as strategically supportive of North Macedonia's progress on the EU path, but said overcoming the accumulated lack of trust will require sustained, transparent talks. He confirmed the two sides agreed the dialogue should continue across all topics of mutual interest.

Photo: press material from the event