21.05.2021
Prime Minister Stefan Yanev met Augusto Santos Silva, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Portuguese Republic, and Oliver Várhelyi, Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement.
The main point of the meeting was the European perspective for the countries in the Western Balkans in the context of the European Union enlargement process. The focus of the discussion was the challenges to the accession of the Republic of North Macedonia and the opportunities to improve the dialog with the Republic of Bulgaria.
Given that Portugal holds the Presidency of the Council of the EU, the guests expressed their willingness to mediate in the negotiations on the disputed issues between the two countries.
Prime Minister Stefan Yanev confirmed the Bulgarian position regarding the European perspective of the Republic of North Macedonia as he noted that so far there has been no noticeable positive trend to settle the key controversies. Mr. Yanev stressed the need to resolve the disputed issues as the matter is extremely sensitive and of national significance.
On his part, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria Svetlan Stoev said that there is will to reconcile the differences, however, the approach should be reciprocal, and emphasized the key importance of real practical steps in bilateral relations.
