A written annex to the Agreement, but with content from the Bulgarian Framework position, requires Bulgaria’s Minister of Defense Krasimir Karakachanov, Bulgarian media report.

I support the basic conclusions of the Minister of Foreign Affairs Ekaterina Zaharieva that the bilateral agreement between Bulgaria and Macedonia is not respected by the Macedonian side. As a result, Sofia’s trust in Skopje is currently lost, due to systematic non-fulfillment of the obligations undertaken by the Macedonian side.

This was stated by the Minister of Defense Krasimir Karakachanov in a statement issued by the press center of the Ministry of Defense, Bulgarian media report.

I remind you that since October 2019 there is a Framework position, established by the Bulgarian Parliament, which clearly defines the terms and conditions under which Bulgaria will support Macedonia’s membership in the EU.

The Macedonian side has not met a single condition of the Framework Position, especially the conditions for achieving progress in the work of the Joint Historical Commission, which was practically unilaterally blocked by the Government in Skopje.

It remains completely unacceptable for me for Macedonia to receive support for starting negotiations with the EU by finding any compromise with the 1999 Declaration, signed between the two countries, or without clear recognition by Skopje of the Bulgarian roots of the modern Macedonian language and history after 1944, Karakachanov said in the statement.