The Bulgarian Head of State Rumen Radev insisted on immediate concrete actions by the Bulgarian government and the European institutions for the observance of the European principles in the enlargement of the European Union.

"The new government in our neighboring country has clearly shown that the biggest fear of the political class in the Republic of North Macedonia is to recognize the very existence of the word ‘Bulgarian’ in the country,” the Bulgarian president told journalists after participating in a forum on the Green Transition. He was asked to comment on the rhetoric of the new government in North Macedonia regarding Bulgaria, and in particular Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski's statements that Skopje would request negotiations with Bulgaria for a change in the negotiating framework.

In the afternoon hours of June 25, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Bulgaria published on its official page a position in which it defined as unacceptable the stated intention of the new government of North Macedonia to reject the legitimate request of part of its own citizens for guaranteeing rights and freedoms on par with all other communities in the country, including through their inclusion in the constitution.

The position of the MFA states that Bulgaria "recalls that the European consensus reached in the summer of 2022 between the 27 EU Member States and North Macedonia itself clearly outlines the steps to achieve real progress in the process of European integration of the neighboring country. Also, the principle of unanimity in the EU enlargement process is established in the Treaty on European Union and is embedded in the negotiating framework of all previous and current enlargements".

"Expressing ideas of renegotiation of already undertaken international commitments would only lead to further distancing from the start of negotiations for EU membership", the position of the ministry reads. It also recalls that "as a result of unnecessary provocations and confrontation with neighboring countries, North Macedonia has already lost much time in the process of opening accession negotiations". For this reason, Sofia defines as "unacceptable" the stated intention of Skopje not to adhere to international commitments and signed agreements.