Sofia, 9 May 2024 (BTA/MIA) - Bulgaria’s President Rumen Radev said Thursday it will soon become clear whether North Macedonia’s newly elected president Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova and the party that held a strong lead in Wednesday’s parliamentary elections will stay on the European course or take a different direction.

He spoke to the media after he laid flowers at the Monument to the Unknown Soldier along with Vice President Iliana Iotova to commemorate the 79th anniversary of the victory over Nazism in World War II.

"It will very soon become clear whether this country wants to progress towards Europe," Radev said, adding that his stance on the Republic of North Macedonia has always been clear and consistent.

The Bulgarian President noted that he has always supported the European integration of North Macedonia as long as it complies with the principles of good neighbourliness and the Copenhagen criteria in particular.

In Radev’s view, this implies that the Constitution should be amended, the rights of Macedonian Bulgarians respected, the hate speech that dominated the election campaign rejected, and the Bulgarian cultural and historical heritage of the Bulgarians in North Macedonia respected and protected.

Photo: EPA