"Bulgaria is the country that strongly supports the European integration of the Republic of North Macedonia and Albania.

We wish them success in the path they have wanted to follow for a long time.

I hope that with joint efforts and with our support they will reach what the citizens of North Macedonia most want, which is EU membership", said the Bulgarian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Teodora Gençovska, after signing the bilateral protocol in Sofia.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bujar Osmani, said that today a new chapter opens in the relations between the two countries.

"For us, it is a historic opportunity that after 17 years of candidate status, the Republic of North Macedonia will have the opportunity to start negotiations with the EU the day after tomorrow, which begins the last phase of our membership in the EU.

We hope that the bilateral process with Bulgaria and the membership negotiations will enable closer cooperation between our two countries.

We expect support from Bulgaria in this way", Osmani said after signing the Protocol.

Experts from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria continue to work with groups of experts from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of North Macedonia.

"It can be seen that all those who were involved invested as much as possible to have projects, memoranda with which the relations between our two countries open a new chapter.

People and institutions will be connected in all sectors for closer cooperation, based on mutual trust", said Osmani.

Before signing the Protocol, the second meeting of the joint intergovernmental commission was held, which was co-chaired by Ministers Osmani and Gencovska.

The signing of the protocol and the holding of the meeting of the intergovernmental commission follow yesterday after the Government approved the proposal-negotiating framework of the French presidency with the EU, after the approval of the conclusions in the Assembly of Macedonia.