site.btaMacedonia Proposes Strategic Partnership Agreement to Bulgaria

Skopje, February 16 (BTA correspondent Antoan Nikolov) - Macedonia proposed a strategic partnership agreement to Bulgaria. The initiative was unveiled by President Gjorge Ivanov as he received Bulgarian President Rumen Radev on the first day of his official two-day visit to Macedonia. "We want our relations to be a model of excellence for relations among the countries in the Balkans," said Ivanov.

He said that his country has already signed such agreements with the US and Turkey.

He also said that a Treaty of Friendship, Good-neighbourliness and Cooperation that Bulgaria and Macedonia recently ratified, has created a climate of greater openness and cooperation.

He was adamant that a treaty of good-neighbourliness with a country which is a member of the EU and NATO, is the strongest proof that the Constitution of Macedonia has no texts on territorial claims.

President Ivanov said that President Radev and himself discussed the EU strategy for the Western Balkans, for which he said the credit goes largely to Bulgaria. He also said he believes it is realistic for his country to start accession talks with the EU during the Bulgarian Presidency and receive an invitation to NATO membership at the Summit in July.

The two heads of state discussed the need to enhance regional cooperation. Ivanov told Radev that in April he will be hosting a meeting of the Brdo-Brioni Process for enhancing cooperation in the Western Balkans - and Bulgaria's support would be a confirmation that this initiative is going in the right direction and is producing results.

The two sides also discussed joint business projects and infrastructure connectivity between Bulgaria and Macedonia. Ivanov argued that it is important to step up the completion of Corridor VIII and the rail link between the two countries, in order to support business relations between the two countries.