“Nobody is standing in the way of North Macedonia’s self-determination but not by means of historical lies and anti-Bulgarian rhetoric,” said Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva. “Their self-determination after 1944 must not be founded on anti-Bulgarian lies. The basis of our agreement is our common history. Nobody is contesting Macedonia’s right to state and national self-determination. That is a human right,” Minister Zaharieva said.

The Bulgarian foreign minister added that all EU declarations on the launch of negotiations with Skopje bear reference to the treaty of friendship and goodneighbourliness concluded by the two countries. Minister Zaharieva once again urged the joint commission  on historical issues between Bulgaria and North Macedonia to resume its work.