site.btaUPDATED Foreign Minister Milkov: “We Are Interested in Bringing Back Positive Agenda in Relations with North Macedonia”

"We are interested in bringing back the positive agenda in bilateral relations," Bulgarian caretaker Foreign Minister Nikolay Milkov said at a news briefing after meeting with his visiting counterpart from the Republic of North Macedonia, Bujar Osmani. 

"We are in a period in which both countries are exposed to external impacts from the crises hitting us," Milkov said. He said among them is the situation in the energy sector and security threats. 

"Our relations have gone through periods that today can be described as complex," he added. 

"It is a paradox to have a vision for the development of the region and at the same time to have an atmosphere that is not positive in our relations. This is what we are trying to overcome," Nikolay Milkov further said. 

He said that Bujar Osmani and himself also discussed the issues of cultural clubs and the inclusion of Bulgarians in the Constitution of the Republic of North Macedonia. 

Milkov further said: "We also touched upon the positive things in our bilateral relations, which had remained a bit in the shadows. I would like to mention, first of all, the achievement of trade in goods amounting to over EUR 1 billion, which is unprecedented. Trade has never before been on this level, which shows not only the existence of trade cooperation, but also the mutual penetration of our economies, of investment activity. We also discussed the steps that will lead to a further increase in trade."  

He added that during his talks with Bujar Osmani, the two discussed Bulgaria's role as a gas hub in the Balkans. "We also touched upon a number of other positive topics in our bilateral relations, related to the intention of the Republic of North Macedonia to purchase electricity from Bulgaria," the Bulgarian Foreign Minister added.