January 18 (BTA) - Meeting here on Tuesday, the foreign
affairs ministers of Bulgaria and the Republic of North
Macedonia, Teodora Genchovska and Bujar Osmani, welcomed the
renewed dialogue between their countries' governments, as well
as the importance of continuing the active high-level
communication. They are convinced the new dynamics in contacts
will exceed the necessary upgrade of bilateral ties.
     
The meeting was held within Tuesday's visit to Skopje of
Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov and a government
delegation led by him.

The talks between Genchovska and Osmani focused on the
forthcoming joint sitting of the two governments to be hosted by
 Sofia on January 25, as well as the introduction of new
dynamics in the bilateral cooperation through the creation of
working groups in specific areas for potential progress. In this
 way Bulgaria and North Macedonia will give a clear signal that
there is strong will to find mutual understanding in the spirit
of goodneighbourliness and European values.

Minister Osmani said that the visit takes place on the 30th
anniversary of the first recognition of his country's
independence, which came exactly from Bulgaria. He added that
this is also the first visit of Bulgarian Prime Minister Petkov
to the Western Balkans as a whole, which sends a very strong
message for the bilateral relations and the importance of the
process' dynamics. He expressed the belief that there is now a
new approach to overcoming the challenges Bulgaria and North
Macedonia are facing.

It is important to plan specific steps for cooperation through
initiatives, activities and projects for which the two
countries' foreign ministries and other institutions will
contribute, Osmani also said.

The two ministers confirmed that the EU integration of the
Western Balkans is of national interest both for the candidate
countries and the Member States.

Regarding economic cooperation, the ministers praised the growth
 in bilateral trade by 30 per cent registered in 2021, and
expressed the hope that this year will see a continuation of the
 positive growth rate of their economies and bilateral trade, as
 well as of the positive trend in new investments, which needs
to be backed by both countries, the Foreign Affairs Ministry of
North Macedonia reported.

Bulgaria's Government Information Service reported that during
the meeting, Minister Genchovska said her country's position on
the EU integration of the Republic of North Macedonia is clear:
to support this integration, Bulgaria needs specific results and
 guarantees for lasting and irreversible implementation of the
2017 Treaty of Friendship, Goodneighbourliness and Cooperation,
as well as observation of the rights of citizens who identify
themselves as Bulgarians. "For us it is of key importance to put
 a stop to hate speech, and we rely on your help for the
protection of the rights of Bulgarians living in the Republic of
 North Macedonia within the constitutional and legal order in
the country," Genchovska is quoted as saying.

The two ministers discussed specific steps in the development of
 bilateral ties. Genchovska stressed the importance of direct
communication, the parliamentary dimension and the interaction
between the two countries.

She described as an important and positive signal in the
bilateral dialogue the sending of a note to the UN by the
Republic of North Macedonia regarding the use of the country's
shorter name, North Macedonia, which was a long-awaited step by
Bulgaria.

Minister Osmani said that after the meeting with his Bulgarian
counterpart he is a bigger optimist. He expects the joint
working groups to be determined by January 25 so that they could
 begin work on the very next day.

Among the discussed topics was also the conclusion of
Pan-European Transport Corridor 8 as a project of importance for
 bringing the two countries' citizens closer together and for
collective security, the Government Information Service said.

Later in the day, the Executive Director of Bulgartransgaz EAD,
Vladimir Malinov, met with the management of Skopje-based
National Energy Resources JSC to discuss ways to deepen
cooperation between the national gas transmission operators of
Bulgaria and the Republic of North Macedonia in the context of
the development of the regional market in natural gas, the
Bulgarian company reported.

The building of a second gas interconnector between the two
neighbours, linking the towns of Petrich and Strumica, as well
as the expansion of the existing capacity for cross-border gas
transfer and the partnership in building a liquefied natural gas
 terminal at Alexandroupolis, Greece will be the main projects
in which Bulgartransgaz will cooperate with National Energy
Resources.

The executive directors of the two companies concurred they
should promote their cooperation in view of achieving an
integrated regional market in natural gas.

Meeting with North Macedonia's Transport and Communications
Minister Blagoj Bochvarski, his Bulgarian counterpart Nikolai
Sabev said: "Bulgaria will create all necessary conditions for
the citizens of North Macedonia to travel quickly and
conveniently to our mountain and Black Sea resorts."

Sabev noted that the planned resumption of flights will put the
two capitals just 20 minutes apart. He vowed that his government
 will do everything to encourage Bulgarian air carriers to fly
between Sofia and Skopje.

He also promised expert help in designing the Deve Bair
cross-border railway tunnel as part of Corridor 8 between the
Black Sea and the Adriatic Sea.

Sabev and Bochvarski discussed the upgrading of crossings on
their countries common border and the building of a new one at
Klepalo, between the municipalities of Strumyani and Berovo. The
 host assured the Bulgarian minister that Skopje has a will to
complete the railway link between the two countries as soon as
possible.

BTA correspondent Marinela Velichkova contributed to this story.
 DS/VE

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