We expect our allies, including our friend Bulgaria, to be of help rather than not to be of any help, Defence Minister Radmila Sekerinska said Thursday in response to a statement by her Bulgarian counterpart Krasimir Karakachanov that Bulgaria is not against, but believes it is not the time to hold an intergovernmental conference to start Macedonia’s EU accession talks.

Such statements, Sekerinska believes, do not help and are not in the spirit of the Good Neighbourly Agreement with Bulgaria.

If there is one thing we have learned in these 30 turbulent Balkan years, it is that emotions are not a good ally in resolving bilateral issues. We show that we can be friends with all our neighbors. We also show that we are ready to invest in such an allied relationship and we will continue to build such a policy. We expect our allies and our friends to be of help to the region rather than not to be of any help. The only way to help this region is to give it a chance to have a better and European future, Sekerinska told a news conference.