President Radev: "Dialogue between Sofia and Skopje Alone Will Speed up North Macedonia's Progress to EU"

Bulgarian President Rumen Radev said here on Thursday that North Macedonia's faster progress to the EU depends only on dialogue
with Bulgaria. 

"Everybody should realize by now that the acceleration of the European perspective of Bulgaria's closest neighbour depends only on the commitment and the results of the dialogue with Bulgaria," said Radev on his way into a two-day European Council  meeting.

"Let it be clear: the people of North Macedonia are our brothers and we are duty-bound to help them as we have always done. Bulgaria remains open to quick and productive bilateral negotiations in the interest of both countries' citizens," said the head of State.

He said that Bulgaria has succeeded in its insistence that "go-ahead" for the start of accession negotiations with Skopje and Tirana to be removed from Thursday's agenda of the EU Summit.

"In the past month and a half, Bulgaria has come under incredible pressure from its European partners to give the go-ahead for the start of negotiations with North Macedonia at Thursday's European Council", said the President.