The roadmap, the short and long name of the country, non-interference in internal affairs and the negotiating framework, which is the work of the EU with Bulgaria, are the concrete steps we are working on and I believe we will work by the end of the year, said today Prime Minister Zoran Zaev. question what are the concrete steps that the Bulgarian state leadership asked Skopje to fulfill yesterday, at the meetings with EU Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Varhei.

- I believe that all these months we are building additional friendships, trade is growing, we have mutual investments in both countries, cooperation between institutions is more visible, infrastructure between the two countries is improving more and more because it is not only legally formal to agree, but it is also important to improve the overall cooperation and infrastructural connection between the two countries, said Varhei.

He clarified that first it is necessary to have a diplomatic note which will describe that the short name is the same as the long name, ie Northern Macedonia is the same as the Republic of Northern Macedonia, and that we have no territorial claims, that we do not interfere in internal affairs, and for minority rights, pointing out that because they are citizens of the Republic of Bulgaria and have their rights as people, as individuals to claim their rights as in the Republic of Northern Macedonia, it is organized in all European countries.

This, he added, includes sectoral cooperation between institutions in all areas, including infrastructure, education and labor and social affairs, as well as culture, sports and health. According to Zaev, it is important to react in preventing hate speech, above all the institutions themselves to take care through all their activities to build friendship, and not to provoke certain hostilities, but also to act through talks, appeals, when works for private entities.

He expressed readiness for Bulgaria to be the second partner of the country, besides Greece, which will take care of the Macedonian sky.

Regarding the monuments, Zaev said that many of the monuments in Bulgaria and Northern Macedonia should be in a friendly spirit, so that, he pointed out, fascism must not have an ethnic dimension.

- In some of our monuments it has already been done. Where the Bulgarian fascist occupier stood is now a fascist occupier, because you can not blame a nation for that, for participating in the third pact at that time or something like that. So in that part where you ask about changing names, museums and the like no, we have no need. We museums are fine, but certain monuments, certain textbooks in Northern Macedonia and Bulgaria, ie on both sides, we will have to teach the next generations in the spirit of friendship, said Zaev.

When asked by a journalist whether the history textbooks will be changed, Zaev said that there is no, but there is talk of terms where the name of the friendly nation stands, that is Bulgaria related to the fascist occupier.

- Nowhere in Europe is the name of the nation mentioned, the fascist occupier is mentioned and in that spirit, in the spirit of friendship, cooperation and good neighborliness, we normally expect it to be done. We have recognized certain weaknesses in the Bulgarian textbooks, they are also ready for the Bulgarian side to do the same, because that is how friendship is built, because neither the grandchildren and the children of previous generations, nor at that time you can qualify an entire nation for a certain commitment. , said Zaev.

EU Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Varhei visited Sofia, where he spoke with the Bulgarian leadership, and the topic of the talks was the European integration of Northern Macedonia. The Bulgarian leadership reiterated Bulgaria's position on the issue of Northern Macedonia, urging Skopje to show concrete steps and guarantees for fulfilling the Good Neighbor Agreement.

Source: MIA