Bulgarian President Rumen Radev said today that he expects the desire for dialogue expressed by his North Macedonian counterpart, Gordana Siljanovska-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", said Radev before his meeting with the president of North Macedonia Siljanovska-Davkova.

The latter is in Bulgaria for the Sofia tour of the Skopje National Opera and Ballet, which will perform Verdi's "Nabucco" at the Sofia Opera and Ballet.

According to Radev, the Government of North Macedonia has not yet moved away from the pre-election rhetoric.

"Let the 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," Radev said.

He emphasized that music and culture are spheres that bring people together and Bulgaria has always been open to dialogue with North Macedonia.

"Bulgaria expects that this dialogue will not only contribute to our cultural rapprochement, promote economic cooperation and tourism, but also finally resolve open issues between us," said Radev.

He commented that the commitment of the leadership of North Macedonia to the 8th Transport Corridor will be a clear indication of the real European ambitions of Skopje for more connections and security in the region. /BTA