Skopje, 18 January 2022 (MIA) – Bulgaria has accepted to use the short name North Macedonia as well as the long one, the Republic of North Macedonia. The country has already informed the United Nations it will not obstruct the use of that name in international processes. North Macedonia by sending a verbal note to the UN has confirmed that the use of the short name has no implications on Bulgaria’s territorial integrity. This was announced by the Prime Minister of North Macedonia, Dimitar Kovachevski, and his Bulgarian counterpart Kiril Petkov at their joint press conference in Skopje. “Removing the issue involving the short name North Macedonia from the negotiating table through a friendly relationship from both sides to me is the first major step in our new chapter. Such steps introduce optimism for the future. Such steps lead to increasing cooperation between the countries and between the two nations,” PM Kovachevski said. Petkov and I gave our word, he stressed, to improve the relations between the two countries by using the new energy and through a fresh approach based on mutual respect. “We both share the same goal to create conditions for a better future of the citizens of the Republic of North Macedonia and Bulgaria. Petkov’s visit today coincides with the 30^th anniversary since Bulgaria’s recognition of our country under the constitutional name. Bulgaria was the first country in the world that recognized us thus making a friendly act amid extremely complex political conditions. 30 years later, we’re opening a new window of cooperation that we believe will produce another friendly act in the spirit of good neighborliness – support for our EU integration process,” stated Kovachevski. North Macedonia and Bulgaria, he noted, are two close neighboring countries and Macedonians and Bulgarians are two close nations. “That is why, today, as two prime ministers of two very close countries, we have agreed intensive dynamic to solve open issues in order to ensure quickly a new future,” Kovachevski said. According to him, the next step is to finalize the cross-border cooperation agreement 2022-2029. A key project in this field is the opening of the Klepalo border crossing aimed to facilitate movement, transport and trade. The Prime Minister also announced that the two governments next week, on January 25, will hold a session to agree other steps so as to improve the countries’ cooperation. “Working groups will be set up to work on concrete projects to strengthen cooperation and establish strengthened trust and to build relations towards a more prosperous future. These groups will work together and put forward joint projects and activities,” said PM Kovachevski. On his part, Bulgarian PM Petkov said he had friendly talks with Kovachevski where they agreed that the countries should strengthen their good neighborly relations. “I’m very pleased to say that from now on, good neighborliness will be measured with real goals and results. I’m happy for the progress made today and that I can say North Macedonia,” he stated. The PM announced that a Sofia-Skopje flight “will become a reality in two months’ time.” My counterpart and I, Petkov said, have pledged to maintain this dynamic in order to constantly improve relations and good neighborliness. Saying the two governments will hold a session next week, Petkov announced that each one of the working groups will meet each week. “This way we will show the two nations in the two countries that good neighborliness is measures in practice, not only by what the politicians are saying,” he told the news conference. https://youtu.be/m5rGPIhKVa8