Bulgarian President Rumen Radev called on Macedonia to change history books and monuments and to protect the rights of Bulgarians and to fight “hate speech” in the media against Bulgaria. These are some of the conditions that Bulgaria puts before Macedonia before it will possibly allow the opening of EU accession talks.

Radev said that Bulgaria remains interested in seeing Macedonia join the EU, but that the obligations need to be met. He also warned his own countrymen that the pressure on Bulgaria is growing, as foreign countries are asking it to end its veto.

Zoran Zaev’s envoy to Bulgaria Vlado Buckovski also said that the pressure on Bulgaria is growing. “We have a agood chance, but it is not wholly up to us. The Bulgarian side also needs to enter into the resolution of this problem with pragmatism and rationality”, Buckovski said.

Bulgaria currently does not have a proper Government, and is due to hold its third general elections this year in October – along with the presidential elections.