Bulgaria is the first country to recognize the independent Republic of (North) Macedonia in January 1992, but relations between the two countries are not at the necessary level for allies in NATO, one of which is a member and the other is a candidate for EU membership, believes the future ambassador of the Republic of North Macedonia to Bulgaria Krum Efremov, who today presented his intentions for his diplomatic work in Sofia to the parliamentary committee on foreign policy and foreign trade, BTA reported.
According to the media in the country, during the hearing, Efremov indicated the need for a “change in approach through de-escalation in relations and creating a positive climate” with Bulgaria.
„The unresolved issue of the Republic of Bulgaria's obstruction of the negotiations for our country's accession to the EU represents the greatest challenge. In the coming period, the state will remain committed to finding a solution through dialogue, with goodwill, security and guarantees, and not by repeating the stalemate, which is not in the interest of both countries,”, the media in the country quote the words of the future ambassador to Bulgaria.
He stressed that at every opportunity, Bulgaria continues to reaffirm its commitment to the European consensus of July 2022, which is a condition for North Macedonia's progress in the EU membership negotiations and insists on changes to the constitution and implementation of the Treaty of Friendship, Good Neighborliness and Cooperation signed in 2017.
A priority in the work of Krum Efremov as the Ambassador of North Macedonia to Bulgaria will be to strengthen cooperation in all areas, as is clear from his hearing.
“The development of political bilateral relations will be a significant focus and segment in our cooperation, such as organizing meetings at all levels - both at high, as well as at the expert level - is very important from the point of view of awareness and perception of additional opportunities for greater cooperation”, says Efremov.
In his intentions, he also indicates that special attention should be paid to strengthening cooperation in the field of tourism, as well as cooperation in the field of energy and gasification, specifying also the interest of North Macedonia in opening three new border checkpoints with Bulgaria, with the one between Berovo and Strumyani being in the most advanced phase.
At the meeting of the parliamentary committee on foreign policy and foreign trade, the country's future ambassadors to Norway, Sweden and Romania were also heard, which passed "with not particularly great interest and without additional questions", specifies TV Sitel.
Efremov is a career diplomat and was the ambassador of North Macedonia in Kiev during the beginning of the war in Ukraine.