No change in Bulgaria's position on North Macedonia

Bulgaria is open to dialogue with North Macedonia and expects work in the spirit of sincerity and constructiveness from its closest neighbors. This was what Bulgarian Minister of Foreign Affairs Svetlan Stoev said after a meeting in Sofia with European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi and Portugal’s Foreign Minister Augusto Santos Silva.

He pointed out Bulgaria's consistent support for the European integration of the countries of the Western Balkans, but in compliance with the principle of good neighborliness and the necessary guarantees for the implementation of the 2017 Neighborhood and Friendship Agreement, Stoev said.

The visit comes weeks before a meeting in Brussels, at which North Macedonia and Albania hope to receive approval for their negotiating frameworks.

European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi pointed out that Bulgaria was a leading Member State in terms of policy development towards the Western Balkans.

Prior to the meeting with Stoev, Várhelyi spoke on his own initiative with GERB leader Boyko Borissov and the focus was also placed on EU enlargement to the Western Balkans, it was reported.