Macedonian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade TimchoMucunskisaid during his visit to Sofia that strong identities should not be built through denial or attack on other identities, but through respect, cooperation and a European approach to diversity.
“We are hostage to an incorrect and unprincipled blockade of our European path and that is what we want to explain to our colleagues in Bulgaria. No one has any interest in what is happening at the moment. Both countries lose economically, politically, and the citizens and peoples of both countries also lose when this type of mistrust is created,” said FMMucunskias part of the Macedonian delegation to the Summit of Heads of State and Government led by President GordanaSiljanovskaDavkova.
Speaking about relations between Macedonia and Bulgaria, Mucunski assessed that the two countries have a common interest in moving forward, instead of remaining trapped in issues that have been creating divisions for years.
“I’m convinced, as a human being, that strong identities do not need to be built through attacks on other people’s identities. On the contrary, in Europe in the 21st century we should have the capacity to celebrate our differences, to respect each other and not to be tied down to issues related to history, identity and language,” Mucunski said.
The FM stressed that the European future should be a space for cooperation, not for deepening differences. According to him, both Macedonia and Bulgaria have a lot to gain from a process that will bring them closer to common European goals.
“Both our country, but also your country, have a lot to gain from that process. We have the most positive intentions to cooperate in the areas of defense and security, economy and education,” the minister stressed.
Mucunski pointed out that as a university professor he participated in numerous international conferences, including in Sofia, and that his experience shows that there is room for understanding and cooperation between the people of the two countries.
According to The Macedonian head of diplomacy, the events of recent years have artificially created divisions between the peoples of Macedonia and Bulgaria, although the real interests of both countries are related to the future, European integration and practical cooperation.
“What is important is to have an eye on the future, and not to remain trapped in issues of the past. Issues related to identity, history and language, because we have a future that should unite us,” Mucunski said.
In his address, a special place was also given to the need for mutual trust as a basis for better relations between the two countries. Mucunski assessed that the agreed solutions from previous years should be seen through the prism of cooperation, and not as an occasion for new divisions.
“We need to function in a system that will mean mutual trust,” the minister said.
Mucunski’s message comes at a time when Macedonian-Bulgarian relations are once again part of the broader debate about the country’s European path, constitutional changes, identity issues, and Bulgaria’s role in the European Union enlargement process.
By coming to Sofia, Mucunski attempted to frame the debate in a different way: not as a clash over the past, but as a question of whether the two countries have the political capacity to build trust, cooperation, and a shared European future.
