Minister Nikolay Milkov had a telephone conversation with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of North Macedonia Buyar Osmani
12 August 2022 News
Minister Nikolay Milkov had a telephone conversation with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of North Macedonia Buyar Osmani.
In a constructive spirit, the two interlocutors discussed the current developments in the bilateral dialogue. There was a general assessment of the key importance of the progress achieved in recent months in relations.
Minister Nikolay Milkov thanked for the congratulations on the occasion of his appointment to the post and emphasized that the caretaker government will continue to work to establish good neighbourly relations with North Macedonia and implement the agreements reached through concrete steps and priorities. He confirmed Bulgaria's consistent support for the European integration of the Republic of North Macedonia.
The recent positive developments in the bilateral dialogue provide a favourable opportunity to direct additional efforts towards utilizing the existing potential for deepening practical cooperation in areas of mutual interest. Concrete steps in this direction are outlined both in the 2017 Agreement and in the bilateral Protocols under Art. 12 signed in June 2019 and July 2022.
In this context, Minister Milkov emphasized the importance of continuing and expanding the work of the formed Interdepartmental Groups for cooperation with the Republic of North Macedonia.
The Bulgarian Foreign Minister recalled that one of the agreements in the Protocol of July 17, 2022 is for the two countries to agree on a calendar of joint celebrations for the period 2022-2023 for the five common historical figures, for which there have been recommendations since 2019 by the Joint Multidisciplinary Commission on Historical and Educational Affairs. The Bulgarian side proposes to start identifying appropriate dates and ways to mark them.
During the conversation, the two interlocutors exchanged opinions regarding upcoming important international forums, foreign policy events and current topics.
Ministers Milkov and Osmani agreed to maintain close contacts and to hold a meeting as soon as possible.