Macedonia, Bulgaria 'Should Focus on Future'

Milososki and Mladenov told a joint press conference that their meeting aimed at discussing the signing of a mutually acceptable agreement on friendship and cooperation.

“Priorities should be defined. Macedonia and Bulgaria need to determine whether the priority is to have a railroad line and more mutual investments or to give importance to smaller and sometimes insignificant historical issues,” said Milososki.

Mladenov publicly assured Skopje that Sofia has no hidden agenda regarding the proposed friendship document and that for the Bulgarian state Macedonia is an independent and sovereign country, as well as a neighbour and friend.

“Bulgaria has no territorial claims towards Macedonia and I believe that Macedonia has no territorial claims towards Bulgaria. We hope that Macedonia will join the EU and NATO in due time and these questions will be irrelevant,” Mladenov said.

He underlined that Bulgaria, as a NATO and EU member, would continue its support for Macedonia with respect to its development and Euro-Atlantic integration.

Media recently revealed that Sofia has offered Skopje a draft friendship treaty suggesting increased cooperation in many fields and pushing for the elimination of hate speech between the people and media of both countries. Skopje has said it is reviewing the document.

However, some ethnic Macedonian organisations oppose the treaty, expressing concern that it will be based on unequal terms and give Sofia the more privileged position.

Bulgaria was the first state to recognise Macedonia’s independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, and the country recognises its neighbour under its constitutional name (i.e. the Republic of Macedonia rather than the Former Yugoslav Republic Of Macedonia – in contrast to countries such as Greece which insist that Macedonia should change its name in order to avoid any references to possible territorial claims).

However, Sofia has not recognised the existence of a Macedonian language separate from the Bulgarian and many Bulgarian historians say that the Macedonians are part of the Bulgarian nation.

In addition, the Macedonian minority in Bulgaria often complains that it is being unfairly treated by the state while Sofia has objected to Skopje’s treatment of Bulgarians living in Macedonia.