Bulgaria will not change its position towards Macedonia in the coming months, the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry told “Trud.bg”.

In the coming period, Bulgaria will continue its efforts to explain to our partners the Bulgarian problems regarding Macedonia. We expect a realistic approach of solidarity and understanding from the next presidency, the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry said.

When asked by “Trud.bg” what activities Sofia will undertake in the next 6 months to find a solution for Macedonia, the ministry said that it would be unreasonable to expect a change in the Bulgarian position.

This position goes beyond party consensus and with 84 percent public support. Let us not forget how many Bulgarian citizens are heirs of refugees from Vardar Macedonia. According to the Ministry of Justice, 88,450 Macedonian citizens also have Bulgarian citizenship. No Bulgarian government can give up on these people, says the Bulgarian ministry.

Regarding the possible signing of an annex to the good neighborhood agreement, the Ministry says that this alone cannot resolve open issues in relations with Macedonia.

There is already a Good Neighborhood Agreement which in 2017 was ratified by both parties and submitted to the UN, which Macedonia is not implementing. There is no reason to believe that another signed document will change this practice of non-compliance with international obligations, the ministry said.

The Bulgarian Foreign Ministry, however, claims that Bulgaria’s interest is not to delay Macedonia’s EU accession process, but to finally resolve open issues in relations and successfully continue the integration process of all Western Balkan countries.

It added that by delaying the adoption of the negotiating framework, Bulgaria was defending its national interest and national position.