Balgarianovinite.com Timco Mucunski, North Macedonia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, has requested an official bilateral meeting with Bulgarian Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova during the upcoming NATO foreign ministers’ meeting in Sweden on May 21-22.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Mucunski said he had requested the meeting despite “everything that has happened in recent days”. One of the topics he wants to discuss with Petrova is what he described as “non-European conditions” being imposed on North Macedonia, referring to constitutional amendments linked to the country’s EU accession process.
“We must maintain dialogue, regardless of how much we agree or how diametrically opposed our positions may sometimes be. Dialogue does not necessarily mean concession. These are two completely different things,” Mucunski said.
He added that Sofia has not yet confirmed the meeting, but said he remained optimistic that the request would receive a positive response.
The first encounter between the two foreign ministers in Brussels earlier this month caused tensions in North Macedonia. Petrova described it as “a good first meeting”.
Speaking in Brussels on May 11, Petrova said Bulgaria’s position since 2022 had not been a bilateral issue but part of discussions between the European Union and a candidate country. She expressed expectations that Skopje would take steps showing political readiness to continue on its European path forward and used the term “North Macedonian”, prompting North Macedonia’s Foreign Ministry to summon Bulgaria’s ambassador to Skopje, Zhelyazko Radukov, the following day for an oral protest.
In a Facebook post on May 11, Mucunski said he and Petrova had not held an “official bilateral meeting” but rather “a brief conversation on the sidelines of an event, in the presence of several colleagues”.
“At the same time, I would like to note that the use of the term ‘North Macedonian’ in relation to the Macedonian people is inaccurate and inappropriate. Macedonians are Macedonians. This is not a matter of politics, but of elementary respect for the identity and dignity of a people,” Mucunski wrote. North Macedonia’s Foreign Minister Has Requested Official Meeting with Bulgarian Counterpart 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-05-14 16:33:48 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law