site.btaUPDATED In New York, President Commends Parliament for Adopting Declaration on Dialogue with Skopje

Speaking to Bulgarian reporters in New York where he is attending the UN General Assembly session, President Rumen Radev touched upon the issue of the decoupling of Albania and the Republic of North Macedonia on their way to EU accession. Radev congratulated the Bulgarian parliamentary committee on foreign policy, as well as the Bulgarian MPs for adopting a declaration that deplores the disruption of dialogue with the Republic of North Macedonia by statements of Skopje officials against Bulgaria.

"This is the way Bulgaria should treat this issue. In no case should we descend to the level which the events and comments over Albania and North Macedonia have reached," the head of State said. He added that Bulgaria should take a "reasonable stance" and called on Bulgarian politicians for "restraint and reason".

Radev commented that these are "logical consequences of what is happening in the Republic of North Macedonia and Albania and of the policy of the government in Skopje, as well as of the path they have chosen".

"I have long warned that there is insufficient knowledge of international law and the specifics of the path towards European integration, as well as deficits in our relations," Radev said. "We are ready to help, but there has to be an awareness of what the EU actually means and how it should work in order for the Republic of North Macedonia to achieve its goal," he added. He said the Skopje government is going in the opposite direction, but also expressed hope that "the necessary choices will be made".

According to the President, including Bulgarians in the Constitution of the Republic of North Macedonia remains "a top priority".

"The 2022 negotiating framework says very clearly that only when the Republic of North Macedonia includes the Bulgarians in its constitution, will the accession negotiations start," Radev said. 

The head of State put an emphasis on his meeting with his counterpart of North Macedonia, Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, in Sofia on September 13. "That was a friendly and open meeting," Radev said. "We discussed many important topics related to our cooperation," he added. In his words, the attacks came from other sides and he has good relations with North Macedonia's presidential institution and Siljanovska-Davkova.

President Radev led a Bulgarian delegation to the 79th session of the UN General Assembly in New York during the forum's high-level week. It began on September 24 and will continue until September 30.