Skopje, 6 October 2022 (MIA) – Both countries should accept the two truths – that World War II ended more than 70 years ago and that the Cold War ended more than 30 years ago, Deputy PM for European Affairs Bojan Marichikj told a meeting of the Joint North Macedonia-EU Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on Thursday. “It seems that we have not learned the lesson that all misfortunes on the Balkans over the past 30 years arose from the failure to accept these two truths. This is a burden on both sides of the border. The battle between North Macedonia and Bulgaria is neither national nor ethnic, it is a battle between those forces who want to see these countries to live in peace, friendship and a common European future, and those who want to make profit from the eternally frozen or heated conflicts between our nations and countries that are neighbors and very close by nature,” said Deputy PM Marichikj in response to a speech by Bulgarian Member of European Parliament (MEP) Angel Dzhambazki on the North Macedonia-Bulgaria relations. Marichikj said goodneighborly relations and enhancement of regional cooperation are high on the Government’s agenda, since this is in the interest of both North Macedonia and Bulgaria. “What remains is the commitment to implement bilateral agreements in good will and to further strengthen goodneighborly relations with less emotion, more facts and joint activities. It is important to see efforts on both sides of the border. This is the only way to stable partnership. Everything else will be seen as blackmail and pressure, leading to frustration and outbursts as witnessed at the recent football match in Skopje,” noted Marichikj. Regarding the accusations of separatism by the Bulgarian MEP, the Deputy PM said North Macedonia is a NATO member, a proven partner, a country that has not harassed any neighbor. “Our citizens even think that the only theme of European integration is goodneighborly relations and that European integration is there only to appease all neighbors. We know this is not the case, but such is the perception,” said Marichikj.