Macedonian Foreign Affairs Minister Bujar Osmani told the BGNES agency that new efforts will be made in an attempt to break the Bulgarian veto against Macedonia’s EU accession talks, even after officials in Sofia announced that the veto holds. Macedonia was hoping that with a new majority in the Bulgarian Parliament and with President Radev re-elected, the veto could be lifted in time for the December 14th European Council.

Even after the outpouring of sympathy on both sides after the disastrous crash of a Macedonian bus in Bulgaria on Monday morning, which Zoran Zaev said will positively influence relations between both countries, the intent to keep the veto was confirmed by Bulgaria’s Ambassador to the EU Rumen Aleksandrov.

We expect that the Bulgarian Government is formed in this coming period, and we will begin talks. I believe that there are good chances to reach solution in December. We have no other alternative than to have good neighborly relations with Bulgaria, Osmani said.

Bulgaria demands major concessions from Macedonia in the area of Macedonian national identity and history.