Bulgaria backed Macedonia for EU membership - Bulgarian PM

Bonn, December 10 (MIA) - Bulgaria has supported Macedonia in Brussels to obtain a date for start of negotiations and we hope this will be appreciated. Our position resembled the agreement we've made with Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski, says Bulgarian Premier Boyko Borisov in an interview with Deutsche Welle radio - Macedonian language program.

Considering claims that Bulgaria was reserved, even against Macedonia to get a date for membership talks, Borisov says those who report these information want to deteriorate Bulgaria's relations with Macedonia. - But they will not succeed, the PM states.

The Bulgarian PM fell short of responding whether the country has the chance to get a date for negotiations in the course of Spain's EU presidency. Borisov welcomes the visa liberalisation for the citizens of Macedonia as of Dec. 19, saying he expects the visa-free regime to enable them to see that EU membership is beneficial and to become closer friends with Bulgaria.

- I salute our Macedonian neighbours who will travel freely throughout EU as of Dec. 19. Then for the first time they will understand how different is the time in which they lived in and how the situation has changed. They will understand that is better to be in EU and NATO and to foster neighbourly ties. I hope that after Dec. 19 Macedonians will understand that they should become closer friends with Bulgaria, urges Borisov.

Asked about his last week's address in the Parliament referring to the relations with Macedonia, where he failed to mention the existence of Macedonian language and to state whether the language was a problem between both countries at a Q&A session with MPs, PM Borisov says it is not an issue for his country. He deems he gave a balanced response, presenting a clear position in relation to Macedonia, which had been previously agreed with country's president.

- Every country has internal political issues. There are people in Macedonia and in Bulgaria who see backwards in history, but they need to be pushed aside. Bulgaria has no issues with the Macedonian language. Our only concern is Macedonia and Bulgaria to become developed European countries. Emphasis should be put on the advancement of the economic climate, trade, services, etc..., stated Bulgaria's PM Borisov, who takes part at a congress of the European People's Party (EPP) in Bonn where he met with his Macedonian counterpart Nikola Gruevski at its sidelines.