Skopje, February 11 (BTA special correspondent Ivan Lazarov) - A joint government delegation from Bulgaria and North Macedonia Friday flew to Skopje Friday with the first of renewed direct flights between the two countries' capitals. On board the plane of Bulgaria's GullivAir airline were Bulgarian ministers Nikolay Sabev of Transport and Communications and Hristo Prodanov of Tourism, and parliamentary Tourism Committee Chair Ilin Dimitrov, and North Macedonia's ministers Blagoj Bocvarski of Transport and Communications and Goran Milevski of Local Self-Government, and Razmena Durovic, State Secretary at the Economy Ministry.

BTA Director General Kiril Valchev was also on board.

The delegations were welcomed at the international airport in Skopje by Economy Minister Kreshnik Bekteshi and Bulgarian Ambassador to North Macedonia Angel Angelov.

Tourism Minister Hristo Prodanov said that the launch of the air service was not a political act but an economic project with high potential. He recalled that in the pre-COVID 2019 over 500,000 citizens of the Republic of North Macedonia visited Bulgaria. "As many Bulgarians visited North Macedonia, which is a sign of the great potential," said Prodanov.

Later on Friday, the delegations held bilateral political and business meetings, which will also be attended by tourism business representatives.

The newly launched air service between Sofia and Skopje will begin to operate regular flights from March 27 2022, said North Macedonia's Transport Minister Blagoj Bocvarski. "Macedonian and Bulgarian tour operators will begin to work jointly for the launch of other destinations. Looking at the way of cooperation between the two countries, I believe that they will be successful too," said Bocvarski.

Bulgarian Transport Minister Nikolay Sabev said after the three-way meeting between the operators of the airports in Sofia and Skopje and the owner of GullivAir, which will operate the flights between the two capitals an agreement was reached that the two airport operators will support the air service by reducing airport fees.

The air fare is ye to be determined.

After a meeting of the joint government and business delegations between Bulgaria and North Macedonia Sabev said that every effort will be made to complete the road to the Klepaloto boder crossing by the end of 2022. The Bulgarian stretch is long 13 km long but its construction should be authorized first by the Environment Ministry.RY,LN/DS,PP