Sofia, 23 July 2021 (MIA) – The dialogue between Bulgaria and North Macedonia must continue in the future, to achieve the only and common goal – the country to start negotiations with the EU, Bulgarian caretaker Foreign Minister Svetlan Stoev said Friday. Stoev noted that during the meetings with officials from North Macedonia at the Dubrovnik Forum, Bulgarian Deputy Foreign Minister Rumen Alexandrov suggested that talks between Bulgaria and North Macedonia continue and no time be wasted in the bilateral dialogue, MIA’s Sofia correspondent reports. “Alexandrov is currently in Slovenia, where Macedonian Deputy PM Nikola Dimitrov is as well and if he requests, he can meet and talk to his Bulgarian counterpart. Emotions get in the way, a pragmatic policy needs to be built between Bulgaria and North Macedonia,” Stoev pointed out. He stressed that changing the Constitution of North Macedonia is one of the ways to resolve issues with members of the Bulgarian national community in the country. “We treat the Republic of North Macedonia as a sovereign state, with everything that arises from such a relation,” Stoev said, adding that the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry “must be given a broader framework for maneuvering during the negotiations process.” The Bulgarian Foreign Minister pointed out that Bulgaria treats North Macedonia with respect, but the country, according to him, needs to see the reality. As an example of good neighborliness he pointed to the Scandinavian countries, which, he noted, have reached real understanding and partnership. “Denmark and Norway were one country until 1905, and today they have overcome the past and are very close,” added Stoev, who was Bulgaria’s ambassador to Copenhagen before being appointed Bulgarian Foreign Minister. In response to MIA’s question, Stoev said there was no need for Bulgaria to designate a special envoy for North Macedonia, following the example of the country which appointed former prime minister Vlado Buchkovski as special envoy for Bulgaria. The Bulgarian Minister also raised the question why the country hasn’t appointed an Ambassador to Sofia for 18 months now, adding that just as his Macedonian counterpart Bujar Osmani “can call the Bulgarian Ambassador to Skopje and see him within 10 minutes,” he’d also like to be able to call and talk to North Macedonia’s Ambassador to Sofia. Asked when Sofia would fulfill its promise to donate COVID-19 vaccines to North Macedonia, Stoev told MIA Bulgaria must have a functioning Parliament for that to happen. Commenting on the ‘Mini Schengen’ meeting, which includes North Macedonia, Albania and Serbia, Stoev said it was good to have regional formats, but it’s important that there’s no politics in them. “Connectivity of the region is good, as long as it’s not used for political purposes,” Stoev added.