The expert groups of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria and North Macedonia held a meeting

A meeting of the expert working groups of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria and the Republic of North Macedonia took place on October 2 in Skopje, the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said on its website.

During the meeting, the two sides exchanged information on the progress of the implementation of the commitments undertaken under the Treaty of Friendship, Good Neighbourliness and Cooperation, and the Protocols of the meetings of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission held under Article 12 of the Treaty.

During the talks, special attention was paid to the main themes of the bilateral political dialogue, the activities to deepen inter-institutional cooperation and communication, with a view to consolidating mutual trust, the statement said.

On August 1, 2017, a Treaty of Friendship, Good Neighbourliness and Cooperation between the Republic of Bulgaria and the Republic of Macedonia was signed, which entered into force through the exchange of instruments of ratification between the Ministers of Foreign Affairs on February 14, 2018, recalls the information on bilateral relations on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

On 24 June 2022, the 47th National Assembly decided to support the opening of the path for the accession of the Republic of North Macedonia to the EU. By its decision, it gave a mandate to the Council of Ministers to approve the Negotiating Framework for the Republic of North Macedonia and the Council Conclusions proposed by the French Presidency of the Council of the EU, as well as to sign the Protocol of the Second Meeting of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission under Article 12 of the 2017 Treaty of Friendship, Good Neighbourliness and Cooperation. A key issue for Bulgaria is also the guarantee of the rights of the Bulgarians in the Republic of North Macedonia, including through the implementation of their legitimate demand for inclusion in the Constitution on an equal footing with the other peoples in the country, the information notes.

The second meeting of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Article 12 of the Treaty, held on 17 July last year in Sofia, reviewed the implementation of the Treaty and adopted measures and actions for the next period. The results of the meeting are set out in the Minutes.

Bulgaria remains among the most active supporters of the European integration of the Western Balkans, including the Republic of North Macedonia, the information on the Foreign Ministry's website further notes.