"We are not running away from open issues, but we can not allow relations between Northern Macedonia and Bulgaria to be based only on those issues," he said today. Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs Bojan Maricic on the sidelines of the conference BGMK2030 "Civic contribution to building trust, unity and alliance"Asked to comment on Bulgarian President Rumen Radev's statement that it is good that working groups and memoranda on infrastructure and the economy are being set up, but that "those difficult political key issues need to be addressed first".

- We believe that there is potential in many other areas, in fact, these working groups were formed where results can be shown through concrete forms of cooperation, to bring citizens closer, to change the atmosphere so that we can solve all open issues, including these, but in no case, neither in the meetings, nor in them did we avoid open questions, said Deputy Prime Minister Maricic.

He stressed that the two countries can not achieve the goals of increased cooperation, melting the ice and achieving success, if they do not take concrete steps and show concrete good will.

- I see this today's event, today's conference as one of the series of events that take place in the last two weeks and that contribute to that positive energy, good will, to get a concrete expression between the Republic of Northern Macedonia and the Republic of Bulgaria. It is not enough for state institutions and politicians to make efforts, it is very important for intellectuals, universities and all other social actors to contribute. In that sense, I really welcome this event and I think it has a great effect and will have a great effect if it continues in this series, said Maricic.

He emphasizes that both governments and how states are obliged to nurture and educate young people in a European spirit and with European principles, because, as he said, only then can we have sustainable good relations, good relations in the long run and problem solving in a European spirit.

- I think that such events help to educate and nurture the young generations in that European spirit and to solve all differences and all problems through an open dialogue and with good will from both sides. I am convinced that on both sides of the border in our country and in Northern Macedonia and Bulgaria, the majority of people are in good faith. It is time in this period for those people of good will, who I am convinced are the majority, to work together, to work as allies to achieve results, to restore relations to the level they deserve and to start negotiations with the EU as soon as possible. he said.

Answering a journalist question, Maricic stressed that it is not good to bid with time limits on the request for inclusion of the Bulgarian minority in the Constitution.

- Determining and publicly expressing any deadlines so far have not helped us at all in the talks. We are still at a stage where we are presenting positions on both sides in which we are looking for ways to open issues on which we have different positions to resolve and put them in a plan that will lead us to improve relations. and removing obstacles to starting negotiations. We, our Government, have repeatedly stated publicly that due to our concept of the Constitution established in 2001 with the Ohrid Framework Agreement, we have no problem to include in our Constitution other communities that have not been included so far, such as the Croatian, Montenegrin and Bulgarian communities. community. So, there is a clear political will for that. Our position is that this should be done before we join the EU. It remains in the next period in talks and open dialogue with Bulgaria to find a way, but also a timeline that will be most appropriate for that, he said.

Deputy Prime Minister Maricic announced that in the next few weeks they will have a meeting with the opposition

- As Prime Minister Kovacevski mentioned, yesterday there was a telephone conversation between him and the leader of the opposition. I am convinced that in the next period, in the next few weeks, there will be a meeting with the opposition. In fact, our Government and SDSM have always been open for dialogue and in the past when two-thirds and two-thirds laws and constitutional changes were needed, we convinced ourselves and worked with the opposition, so it will be this time, said the Deputy Prime Minister.