A busy schedule spoiled the meeting between President Rumen Radev and North Macedonian Head of State Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova in Rome, the two delegations announced.
The two presidents are visiting the Vatican and Rome on the occasion of May 24.
The lack of any meeting is a precedent since 1 August 2017, when the Treaty of Friendship, Good Neighbourliness and Cooperation between Sofia and Skopje was signed, BGNES reported.
BGNES reminds that last year the President of the National Assembly Rosen Zhelyazkov and the Speaker of the Macedonian Parliament Talat Jaferi together laid wreaths at the Bulgarian and Macedonian plaque in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, where the Slavic books received official recognition from Pope Adrian II. The two also made a joint statement to the media.
However, there was not enough time today, Radev and Siljanovska said.
"My message to the President of the Republic of North Macedonia is that Bulgaria expects a change in the rhetoric and an end to hate speech as soon as possible. The Republic of North Macedonia must show that it really wants to be part of a united Europe by fulfilling all the requirements that are asked of it by the EU, as has been the case for every member state," the Bulgarian President said.
He described as a positive sign that the President of North Macedonia had shown willingness for a meeting, but "the agenda was extremely busy and it did not take place".
"Only through dialogue will we strengthen our trust. My appeal is for this meeting to take place as soon as possible," Radev said and specified that it was the turn of the North Macedonian president to come to Bulgaria. "I have been inviting the President of North Macedonia to come to Bulgaria for a long time, for years," he added.
Gordana Siljanovska, for her part, said she would meet her Bulgarian counterpart "at the first possible moment".
"Today there was readiness for a meeting on both sides, but it did not take place due to a discrepancy in the agendas of the two delegations. It (the meeting) is planned for a future occasion. As soon as possible, at the first possible moment, we will implement it," Siljanovska said after an audience with Pope Francis.
The North Macedonian head of state pointed out that the Pope had expressed support for Skopje's European path, as well as for the entire Western Balkans region.
"We have unbreakable historical ties with the Holy See through important figures from our shared past. We thank Pope Francis for the pleasant and constructive conversation," Siljanovska wrote on her Facebook account after meeting the Pope. /BGNES
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