“If we do not resolve the issue with Bulgaria now, while Zaev is Prime Minister, we will enter a new uncertainty,” the Macedonian government’s special envoy to Bulgaria VladoBuchkovski told Deutsche Welle.
“We will lose a lot of time again, and we no longer have time to wait! We have been waiting for Bulgaria to have a political government for too long. Prime Minister Zaev remains in the position to close this negotiation process with the new Bulgarian Prime Minister. It is extremely important for setting the time frame for finding a compromise solution and lifting Bulgaria’s blockade. Let us not forget that the next EU presidency, France, has presidential elections in April. Therefore, we do not have much time before their campaign starts. At the Sofia Forum, I emphasized that the window of opportunity is open now”, Buchkovski said.
“I personally am not afraid of who will lead the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry in the new government. He must follow government policies. The positions of the new governing coalition were made public during their transparent negotiations. We definitely expect a constructive approach from the Bulgarian side and a change in the methodology of implementation of our Friendship and Cooperation Agreement, with intensive work of joint working groups in various fields – economy, infrastructure, education, culture, human rights, but also intensified work of the joint expert commission on historical and educational issues,” Buchkovski added.
