Sofia/Skopje, 25 January 2023 (MIA) – Bulgaria’s Foreign Minister Nikolay Milkov said Wednesday that Bulgarian Ambassador Angel Angelov will remain outside North Macedonia until “Sofia sees signs of change”.  

Milkov and Angelov were heard at a closed session before the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs. In a statement to the media, Milkov said “if North Macedonia continues to behave like this, it is possible that Bulgaria will impose a veto again”.  

“In order to continue its European path, Macedonia must respect the commitments undertaken within the framework of the European proposal. There is no need for Bulgaria to do anything, but to ensure compliance with the commitments that Macedonia has undertaken. There are no deadlines in the proposal itself, they may not be met for decades, which means that negotiations will not begin,” said Milkov.  

The Bulgarian Foreign Minister added that Sofia remains open to dialogue if projects for the protection of Bulgarians in North Macedonia are considered.  

“If that doesn’t happen, we can stop all other intergovernmental projects,” Milkov said.