As soon as they met, Macedonian Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski and Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov agreed on one of the contentious issues. At a joint press conference, they announced that they had agreed that Bulgaria would no longer oppose the use of the short name Northern Macedonia and would not insist on using only the official "Republic of Northern Macedonia", Skopje's Nezavisen newspaper reported.
This was one of the most important achievements of the first meeting of the two prime ministers, which was unencumbered by conditions, so much so that it went in another direction - there was great optimism that the dispute would be resolved, that good neighborliness is most important for both peoples. that the negotiations will intensify and that they will go so fast that, according to Petkov, "success can be declared every week."
The agreement on the use of the short name was one of three achievements, apart from convening an intergovernmental conference on January 25th in Sofia and setting up working groups. Petkov and Kovachevski confirmed that they are determined to completely change the course of the dispute with the fact that they reached an agreement on the short name before meeting, saying that the UN has already been informed of this decision by verbal note.
"Northern Macedonia and Bulgaria are two close neighboring countries, and Macedonians and Bulgarians are two close and friendly nations. "That is why today, as two prime ministers of very close countries, we have agreed that we are entering into an intensive dynamic of resolving open issues in order to secure a new future faster," Kovachevski said, announcing the decision.
"This means that Bulgaria will no longer impede the use of the short name." In any international or bilateral process and will notify the United Nations. At the same time, Northern Macedonia through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also sent a verbal note to the UN on the use of the full and short name, which explicitly confirms that both names are equally valid and confirms the absence of any suggestion of "Bulgaria's territorial integrity." "Kovachevski said.
"This is the first step in the new chapter. Such steps inspire optimism for the future. "Such steps lead to stronger ties and co-operation between the two countries and the two peoples," Prime Minister Kovachevski said, announcing that other steps would be agreed on January 25th in Sofia.
The other important announcement was made by Kiril Petkov, announcing that the Sofia-Skopje airline will start in 60 days.
"Today we clearly state that the Sofia-Skopje line will be a reality. What we are committed to is to have the exact specifications within 30 days, and in 60 days this line will be put into operation. So, we will start working with accurate results and when we give people on both sides the opportunity to travel freely, to do business freely, "said Petkov.
On other contentious issues, such as the mention of the Macedonian language and the continuation of the work of the Committee on Historical Affairs, the prime ministers were less specific. Asked to name the language and people of the country, Petkov said indirectly that identity and language are issues resolved by the 2017 Treaty of Friendship and Good Neighborliness.
"We have a very clear definition of language in our neighborhood agreement. I want to say very clearly that there is a very clear definition of language in the Neighborhood Agreement. This is the issue that Bulgaria respects and we are proud to have recognized the independence of Northern Macedonia and at the same time we respect the self-determination of all citizens in Northern Macedonia and the use of all your languages, as in the Constitution. "We have full respect for that," Petkov added. He made it clear that from now on the focus will be on why it is so important for the two countries to have good neighborly relations, instead of focusing on problems.
Kovachevski said historical issues would be in the background, and the two governments' goal would be to bring peoples closer together.
"Regarding languages, we are a country recognized by Bulgaria, with Macedonian language, with signed bilateral agreements governing the manner in which these agreements are signed, the Macedonian language is part of the UN Charter and other institutions and organizations of which we are members. ", Added Kovachevski.
With regard to the Committee on Historical Affairs, he said that it would continue to work within one of the agreed working groups and that it had its own work plan.
"They need to inform what has been agreed and how it has been agreed." "All issues related to historical issues will be in the background and in the first place is building, bringing citizens together, which will give us an incentive and arguments to reach an agreement with Bulgaria and start negotiations with the EU," Kovachevski said. He also announced that all these issues related to history will henceforth be in the background and in the first place will be the strengthening of cooperation, which, as he said, "will give us arguments to take the last step towards reaching an agreement with Bulgaria. and to obtain consent to start negotiations with the EU. "
The most discussed issue in recent days about the Macedonian minority in Bulgaria was not mentioned at the press conference, but apparently the most interested Bulgarian journalists who were trying to find out who was behind its reopening - the United States or political circles in Skopje.
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