Sofia, 17 July 2022 (MIA) - Bulgaria is the country that strongly supports the European integration of the Republic of North Macedonia and Albania. We wish them success on the path they wanted to embark on for a long time. I hope with joint efforts and with our support the citizens of North Macedonia will join the EU, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Teodora Genchovska stated Sunday after the signing of the bilateral protocol in Sofia. North Macedonia's Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani said he hoped a new chapter in the relations between the two countries is being opened today. "It is a historic opportunity that after 17 years of being a candidate country, the Republic of North Macedonia gets the chance to start negotiating with the EU as early as the day after tomorrow, which kickstarts the final phase of our process to join the EU. We hope the bilateral process with Bulgaria and the accession negotiations will enable closer cooperation between our countries. We expect Bulgaria to support us along this road," Osmani stated after the signing of the document. Both ministers said the five sectoral groups have made progress urging it to be implemented into practice. Experts from the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry continue to work with expert groups set up by North Macedonia's Foreign Ministry. "It's evident that those who were engaged have made utmost efforts to enable projects, memoranda paving the way for the relations between our two countries to open new chapter. People and the institutions will connect in all sectors in order the cooperation to become closer based on mutual trust," said Osmani. The second meeting of the joint intergovernmental commission, co-chaired by Osmani and Genchovska, was held before the signing of the protocol. The signing of the protocol and the holding of the meeting of the intergovernmental commission took place after the French proposal was approved by the government and after the adoption of the conclusions in the Macedonian Parliament.