site.btaForeign Minister Zaharieva Confirms Sofia's Readiness to Seek Sustainable Solution to Outstanding Issues with North Macedonia

December 9 (BTA) - "I confirm Bulgaria's readiness for continued talks on finding a sustainable and lasting solution to the remaining outstanding issues in our bilateral relations and to finding a way out [of the situation], so that the negotiating framework for the Republic of North Macedonia could be approved and real EU accession negotiations could start," Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva told a news conference here on Wednesday after conferring with the Special Representative of the Government of North Macedonia for Bulgaria Vlado Buchkovski.

Zaharieva said that referring to Bulgaria's non-approval of the negotiating framework as a "veto" is incorrect. "Undoubtedly, our relationship is at a delicate stage," she pointed out, adding that Sofia position is basically prompted by Skopje's failure to honour the 2017 Treaty. "We have been alerting our neigbours about that for at least a year and a half now," the Deputy PM said.

"We are extending a hand to you so as to find mutually acceptable and lasting solutions and to open the path to a new relationship based on trust," she pointed out. "Wishing to become a member of a family implies being a friend of the members of that family. While you aspire to join in, it is absurd to focus on discrediting another member of that family. The idea of enlargement is to make the Union stronger rather than weaker, bringing outstanding bilateral issues into it. I can assure you that our entire Government is ready to work for finding a solution towards overcoming the built-up mistrust and be together genuine members of this family."

The Foreign Minister said that Bulgaria assesses Prime Minister Zoran Zaev's decision to appoint Buchkovski as Special Representative for Bulgaria as "a positive step".

Prof. Buchkovski expressed satisfaction with the constructive talks. "I am convinced, and we assured Minister Zaharieva, that we are determined in our intention to implement the Friendship and Cooperation Treaty," he said at the news conference. "We admit that mutual trust has been eroded, and I am glad to find that Bulgaria regards my appointment as Special Representative as an extra effort on our part to restore the lost trust," Buchkovski said.

Replying to a question, Zaharieva said that Bulgaria remains committed to its position and that it cannot possibly approve the negotiating framework without the guarantees it wants being part of it. She argued that the allegation that Bulgaria contests North Macedonia's identity as "manipulative and moreover completely untrue." The Deputy PM said that elections in the Republic of North Macedonia continue to be won by anti-Bulgarian rhetoric only and this cannot go on. "As long as one generation after another continues to be brought up, building their sense of self-identity on the basis of rejection and hate of a neighouring country, this will not change," she added. She argued that the right to self-identity should apply to all citizens of that country, including those who identify themselves as Bulgarians.

"Using the [Joint Multidisciplinary] Commission on Historical [and Educational] Issues for political purposes should stop," the Foreign Minister urged.

* * *

Conferring with Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Krassimir Karakachanov here on Wednesday, Prof. Buchkovski said that, in the opinion of the Macedonian side, the two neighbouring countries must continue their dialogue and that restoring mutual trust should be sought precisely through dialogue, the Government Information Service reported.

Karakachanov expressed satisfaction with the desire for dialogue and restoration of mutual trust expressed by the guest and said he was perplexed at the ongoing anti-Bulgarian rhetoric by a number of media and politicians in North Macedonia.

The Deputy PM stressed that the Bulgarian people will not agree to any compromise either with the historical facts and Bulgaria's common history with Macedonia until 1944 or with the blood of over 200,000 people who perished for the freedom of their brothers in Macedonia rather than as its occupiers.

"Bulgaria has no claims to the way part of the Macedonian society identify themselves, but this self-identification cannot be at the expense of misappropriating parts of Bulgarian history and identity," Karakachanov said. RI/LG

//