Bulgaria Offers Friendship Treaty to Macedonia

Good neighbourliness and friendship are part of a draft treaty Bulgaria has offered to Macedonia.

Vesela Cherneva, a spokeswoman for the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry, said Macedonia is reviewing the proposal.

The draft proprosal suggests increased cooperation in a number of fields, including the economy, infrastructure, energy projects and the fight against organised crime. Also, there is a focus on eliminating hate speech between the people of both countries.

Cherneva said that the ongoing custody battle involving a Macedonian who holds a Bulgarian passport will be kept within the legal sphere and will not be politicised. This seemingly trivial case strained relations between Bulgaria and Macedonia last year and prompted accusations of hate speech. The trial is set to continue in Macedonia on March 11.

The Bulgarian government is also planning to reconsider its role in the Western Balkans region, Cherneva said.