Jotova: Bulgaria open to dialogue with North Macedonia, but without ultimatums and without retreating from European policy

The President of Bulgaria, Iliana Jotova, declared that Sofia remains open to dialogue with North Macedonia, but warned that the talks should be held without ultimatums and without retreating from European policy, as Faktor reports. The statement was made in Blagoevgrad, during the marking of the 114th anniversary of the liberation of Gorna Dzhumaya, in response to the diplomatic note that Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski sent to Sofia, with which he seeks a bilateral meeting of foreign ministers — an initiative that, according to reports, was suggested by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during her visit to Skopje.

"We are always open to talks with the Republic of North Macedonia, but talks without ultimatums and without retreating from European policy. Bulgaria is a full member of the European Union and we cannot allow a state that has taken the European path not to accept the values and virtues of the EU," Jotova told reporters, as Bulgarian media convey.

She added that it is not the first time that advice has been given to the government in Skopje from such a high level in the EU. Jotova said she does not yet know the details of the face-to-face conversation between Mickoski and von der Leyen, but expressed hope "that this time she will have been extremely determined", according to the Bulgarian news agency BTA. She also warned that within about two weeks the European Commission is expected to review the progress report on North Macedonia.

For the Bulgarian president, for the dialogue to be serious, Mickoski must carefully study European enlargement policy and give up presenting the issue as a merely bilateral problem. "For a serious conversation, Mickoski must read European policy on enlargement very well and forget that this is a bilateral issue," she declared, as Bulgarian media write.

Jotova also demanded a solution to the case of Iva Mihajlova, saying that Bulgaria has raised this issue in the highest European and world institutions. She said she has written personally to President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, but for three months has received no reply, the BTA agency reports through Bulgarian media.