Skopje, 27 January 2026 (MIA) - The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade (MFAFT) on Tuesday issued a statement in response to the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry's statement earlier in the day, expressing regret that "this institution is increasingly positioning itself as a reviewer of statements by Macedonian political representatives, rather than as a partner in a substantive and European-oriented dialogue." 

"Regarding today's statement published on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria, we express regret that this institution is increasingly positioning itself as a reviewer of statements by Macedonian political representatives, rather than as a partner in a substantive and European-oriented dialogue. At the same time, we explicitly state that we have neither the intention nor the need to be part of the internal political or electoral processes in the Republic of Bulgaria - whether through comments, interpretations, or through being included in daily political narratives," reads the Macedonian Foreign Ministry's statement. 

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade calls on Bulgarian institutions to be guided by the principles of good neighbourliness, mutual respect, predictability and institutional communication, as principles that also represent fundamental European values ​​and standards.

"Because Europe is built with trust and results, not with labels and political qualifications," the statement adds. 

The Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement earlier on Tuesday expressed deep disappointment over the "continued non-constructive approach of Skopje and the lack of openness in communication with the public." According to the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry, the statement made by Foreign Minister Timcho Mucunski about an initiative by larger and more influential EU member states to organize a meeting between him and his Bulgarian counterpart is manipulative.

"This is not the first time that official Skopje has made such vague and manipulative claims. The European consensus of 2022 was adopted with full unanimity by all EU member states, as well as by the Republic of North Macedonia itself. In this sense, we once again draw attention to the fact that the dialogue is institutional between the candidate country and the European Union. The implementation of all measures set out in the consensus, aimed at progress in the process of European integration, depends solely on Skopje," reads the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry's statement. 

It adds that Bulgaria has always been open to dialogue on all other issues. "Unfortunately, Minister Mucunski demonstrates an unwillingness to engage not only in words but also in practice in conducting such a frank dialogue. The most recent example of this is the declined invitation for his visit to Sofia on November 25, 2025, to commemorate the work of St Clement of Ohrid, a significant historical figure from the shared history of the two countries," the Bulgarian Ministry said. 

As regards assessments made by Minister Mucunski concerning Bulgaria’s approach to the presented draft plan on the rights of communities, the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry notes that the draft was rejected by the Bulgarian community in North Macedonia as unacceptable due to "absence of fundamental principles guaranteeing the protection of human rights." 

"We expect the legitimate demands of our compatriots in North Macedonia to be heard," the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry adds. 

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Timcho Mucunski in an interview with Sitel TV on Monday said there have been serious initiatives during last month from several larger and more influential EU member states alongside the EU leadership to organize a meeting between him and his counterpart Georgiev. Mucunski said that unfortunately, there has been no positive response from Sofia.

"As a Government, we were asked to propose several dates, and we said - set the date, but unfortunately, there was no positive feedback from Sofia. Brussels has recently rolled out yet another initiative to organize a meeting. Again, we are available," Mucunski pointed out.