We need dialogue with Sofia and I have asked for a meeting with my Bulgarian counterpart Vesislava Petrova Chamova at the coming meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Sweden, Macedonian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Timcho Mucunski told reporters on Thursday.
“Despite everything that has happened in recent days, my position was quite clearly articulated and heard by the public regarding that unusual and truly unpleasant episode from the other day,” Mucunski said when asked about the brief meeting with Petrova Chamova at which she used the offensive term “North Macedonians”.
When asked by the press about the opposition’s stance that the issue of Bulgaria is a European, not a bilateral problem, Mucunski said that he was surprised that the positions of Sofia and the main opposition party coincided.
The Macedonian FM added that there was no response from the Bulgarian side for the time being, but expressed optimism that the country would receive a positive response.
“Just as I want to believe with optimism that the opposition will develop maturity after today’s press conference, I am also optimistic that we will receive a positive response. We must have a dialogue, no matter how much we disagree, no matter how much we sometimes have diametrically opposed views on various topics. First as people, and secondly as representatives of countries that share borders, that have key projects between them. We must have a dialogue. That does not mean that dialogue should not mean leniency on every topic. Yes, those are two completely different things, but there must be dialogue,” Mucunski underscored.
