Bulgaria's Foreign Minister criticizes North Macedonia's lack of political will

Bulgarian Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova has stated that there is a lack of political will in Skopje to implement the obligations established by the 2022 European compromise. In an interview with the Bulgarian newspaper ‘Standart’, Petrova argued that confrontational and anti-Bulgarian rhetoric is hindering North Macedonia’s path toward European Union integration.

Petrova emphasized that Bulgaria is not imposing new conditions but is instead seeking the fulfillment of previously agreed-upon frameworks. She noted that the 2022 compromise was a significant achievement achieved through broad inter-institutional consensus in Bulgaria. The Minister suggested that trust between the two nations can only be built through a constructive approach and the fulfillment of commitments, specifically regarding the inclusion of Bulgarians in the Macedonian constitution.