Sofia, January 24 (BTA) - The Prime Minister of the Republic of North Macedonia, Dimitar Kovacevski, arrived an official visit to Sofia January 24 and 25 at the invitation of his Bulgarian counterpart. A joint meeting of the governments of the two countries will be held on the second day of the visit.

The official welcoming ceremony for Kovacevski was held in St. Alexander Nevsky Square in central Sofia in the early afternoon on Monday after which the two prime ministers laid wreaths at the Monument to the Ss. Cyril and Methodius in front of the National Library.

The visit follows a visit to Skopje by the Bulgarian government leader on January 18, when the two sides declared a will to open a new chapter in bilateral relations by broadening cooperation into practical areas and addressigng sticking points.

The Bulgarian government has expressed hope that the two visits will be a key step in establishing dialogue between Sofia and Skopje.