site.btaNorth Macedonia's PM: Bulgarian Government Violated Bilateral Treaty First in 2019

Prime Minister of North Macedonia Hristijan Mickoski Tuesday told a news conference that in 2019, the Bulgarian government was the first to violate the bilateral Treaty of Friendship, Goodneighbourliness and Cooperation, because instead of supporting North Macedonia, Sofia obstructed his country's EU integration by imposing a veto on the accession negotiations. "Otherwise, if they wish to pay tribute to the image and work of Macedonian hero, ideologist, and revolutionary Gotse Delchev, they are welcome here. This is a free and democratic country," he added, commenting on the words of Bulgarian Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev that North Macedonia's government had not invited Bulgaria to jointly mark Delchev's 153rd birth anniversary.

On Tuesday, politicians in North Macedonia laid wreaths and flowers at the sarcophagus of Gotse Delchev in Skopje. The anniversary was marked also by a delegation of the Bulgarian Embassy, the Bulgarian Consulate General in Bitola, the Bulgarian Cultural and Information Centre, and representatives of Bulgarian organizations in North Macedonia.

Mickoski also said that there currently are no important details to share with the public, but he believes the process should be given a chance. He was asked whether talks had been held or an invitation to talks had been sent to the new Bulgarian government. "We do not intend to bang our heads against the wall and we will not sign everything put on the table at any cost. You know our positions and policies, we have legitimacy given to us by the people, and we have to listen to the people. Those politicians who do not listed to the people end very badly," the Prime Minister noted.

Asked about his election campaign promises on the EU accession negotiations, he replied: "I said that I would fight, that I would do everything possible to ensure a negotiation position better than the catastrophic one I inherited from those who criticize me today. However, I have never said that I would do that in the first several weeks of months [of being in office]. The term in office I was given by citizens is four years, after which new elections will be held. Whether they are happy or not with my work as a prime minister depends on the citizens, and they will show it in the elections. We fulfill everything we have promised very, very carefully, and we will continue to fulfill it. The key promises: higher salaries, higher pensions... We are doing everything we have promised and are fighting to restore everything they [the previous government] have stolen. We will restore what they sold, too. That is my obligation to the citizens, and I will continue to act that way as a prime minister together with all ministers," Mickoski told the news conference.