President Rumen Radev said today that he expects the desire for dialogue expressed by his counterpart in North MacedoniaGordana Silianovska – Davkova, to become a consistent policy. “We expect the Republic of North Macedonia to fulfill all the commitments it has made to us on a bilateral basis and to the European Union so that we can fully build our relations,” he stressed ahead of his meeting later today with its president North Macedonia.

Silianovska – Davkova is in Bulgaria for the Sofia tour of the Skopje National Opera and Ballet who will perform Verdi’s Nabucco on the stage of the Sofia Opera and Ballet.

As Radev stated, the government of North Macedonia has not yet left the pre-election rhetoric behind. “Let passions calm down and return to realism, and it (realism) is very clear – our relations will continue to be built on the basis of agreements and conclusions of the Council of the European Union,” he stressed.

Music and culture are areas that bring people closer, and Bulgaria has always been open to dialogue with North Macedonia, he noted, speaking to reporters from the Graf Ignatievo Air Base in south-central Bulgaria.

“Bulgaria expects this dialogue not only to contribute to our cultural approach, to strengthen economic cooperation and tourism, but also to finally resolve the open issues between us,” Radev said. He also noted that the participation of North Macedonia’s leadership in Transport Corridor 8 will be a clear indication of Skopje’s real European ambitions for more connectivity and security in the region.