Skopje, 11 August 2021 (MIA) – Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani said Wednesday that “unfortunately” news coming from Bulgaria is not encouraging and that political government should be formed to settle differences between Skopje and Sofia and unblock the EU integration process of North Macedonia. “We expected that after the second attempt, [Bulgaria] would have formed institutions, which would have allowed us to communicate and seek solutions. However, despite recent developments, the countries’ foreign ministries have continued communicating, experts from the two ministries have had direct communication to discuss issues opened at the Sofia meeting and presented as a chance for establishing roadmap to settle differences,” Osmani said reiterating that Bulgaria has to form political government in order a solution to be found. Bulgaria is likely headed to its third parliamentary elections in a year after There is Such a People (TISP) – the party that won the July poll - withdrew its ministerial nominations a day before MPs were to vote on the new cabinet. We, he stressed, are ready to resume negotiating as we continue to pursue EU reforms at home. “We’re also expecting predictability in Bulgaria so that political talks can resume,” Osmani told a news conference pointing out the EU-Western Balkans Summit on Oct. 6, organized by Slovenia’s EU presidency, as “an exceptional opportunity to crown the success and send a serious message to the Western Balkans that the EU perspective is restored.” North Macedonia, the top diplomat said, continues to meet membership criteria despite the EU perspective of the region not being in its best shape. In less than a year, North Macedonia delivered 100 alignments with the EU Common Foreign and Security Policy. “The level of alignment with the EU for the first time is over 95 percent… In times when the EU itself cannot secure consensus to give the green light for our EU integration bid, we’re clearly demonstrating that the country is a strong and principled partner and that there’s no dilemma that we belong in the EU,” Osmani said.