The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria and the Republic of North Macedonia chaired the second meeting of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission
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“From today we will start a new path, which the Republic of North Macedonia deserves to walk in the best way, with our help and with the help of all EU member states.” This is what Foreign Minister Teodora Genchovska told her counterpart Bujar Osmani during the second meeting of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission under Article 12 of the Treaty of Friendship, Good-Neighbourliness and Cooperation between the Republic of Bulgaria and the Republic of North Macedonia, which was held in Sofia.
Minister Genchovska stressed that the key condition in supporting our country on this path remains the rule of law and the respect of the 2017 Treaty. The meeting reviewed the Treaty and outlined measures for its full and effective implementation in the next period.
After the end of the talks, the two foreign ministers signed a protocol of the meeting, which outlines the deadlines and the topics on which the Republic of North Macedonia has to take concrete steps. Minister Teodora Genchovska stressed the need to put the agreements and understandings into practice.
“It is important for the Republic of North Macedonia that our two countries are not only allies in NATO, but also close partners and friends in the EU”, Bujar Osmani said. He stressed that the communication between the two sides should take place at all levels – from the highest political level to relations with ordinary citizens.
The meeting was attended by the co-chairs of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission and representatives of the two governments. It was acknowledged that progress has been made in a short time on horizontal policies. The focus of the talks was the deepening of energy and transport connectivity, as well as cooperation in the fields of justice, tourism and culture.
Bulgaria is not backing down on its position on the official language of the Republic of North Macedonia under the so-called French proposal, Teodora Genchovska further said. Our first diplomat said that the experts from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs remain ready to continue the interaction with their counterparts from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of North Macedonia at the level of working groups.
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