Every step that deepens our cooperation should be supported. There are many positive signals from this visit, said today the President of Bulgaria, Rumen Radev, answering a journalist question about the visit of the Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov of the Republic of Northern Macedonia, reports BTA.

Regarding the results of the visit of the Bulgarian Prime Minister to Skopje, Radev pointed out that he was informed yesterday with Petkov.

- I hope, as I said yesterday from the parliamentary rostrum, along with all efforts to improve connectivity, investment, economy, cooperation, not to forget the main issues that need to be resolved and will actually unlock the door to start negotiations, said Radev.

Radev also expressed hope that the authorities in Skopje would show wisdom and political courage to resolve these issues, especially, as he said, the rights of Macedonian Bulgarians, so that "we can open the door to start membership negotiations".

"As a responsible EU member, we must integrate partners, not problems," Radev said.

According to Radev, as reported by BTA, the constitutional systems of the two countries are radically different and while the Bulgarian Constitution provides for the protection of individual rights, the Macedonian Constitution is based on the protection of the collective rights of parts of the peoples.

"All claims that if Bulgaria demands the rights of Macedonian Bulgarians to be enshrined in the Constitution, on the other hand, as reciprocity, Northern Macedonia can claim a Macedonian minority in Bulgaria, are absolutely unfounded," Radev said.