Skopje, 16 July 2024 (MIA) — Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski said a meeting with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis at the NATO Summit in Washington had not been arranged although he was ready to sit down and talk with anyone.

"I guess our schedules didn't allow it," Mickoski said in a Sitel TV appearance on Tuesday evening.

Asked if there had been any attempts to meet with him, he said there had been none.

"No. There were none. We were sitting in the same rooms and at the same place, some 50-100 meters apart, sometimes even closer than that, but there was never any need for that kind of meeting. If there ever is, there is no problem. I am willing to sit down to talk with anyone," Mickoski said.

"But I guess our southern neighbor's prime minister's schedule was too busy. I guess he couldn't find the time to meet with me," Mickoski said.

The prime minister refused to share details from the meetings during the Alliance's summit. "As for what happened there, I cannot say what was said and how it was said," he said, "except to stress that the Alliance is united, unanimous in all decisions that were made there and that have been made publicly available."

Regarding his reaction to Mitsotakis' "forcing him to use the constitutional name," Mickoski said he could not say whether or not there had been any "forcing" but that he had been, as he said, in a comfortable position listening to the discussions. 

Mickoski said he had given three speeches, which he said he believed added value to the NATO summit and garnered the attention of the participants.

On his meeting with caretaker Prime Minister of Bulgaria Dimitar Glavchev and the relations with Bulgaria, he said they were "relaxed and coordinated." The countries were "partners in a common structure, with different points of view on some things."

"This is not a sin. I have my arguments, I guess they have their arguments. I am ready to debate, to discuss things. To present my arguments, to hear their arguments," Mickoski said, adding that he saw no way of unblocking the country's EU path while Bulgaria was led by a caretaker government.

He said he had spoken on the phone with caretaker PM Glavchev a few days ago to coordinate the countries' efforts to fight a fire burning on both sides of the border. The fire, he said, had been brought under control.

Asked if the country could start its negotiations with the EU during the Hungarian presidency, Mickoski said the government was ready to talk.

"We are ready to talk. We have our own position and I cannot accept the position of changing the Constitution to include several hundred of our fellow citizens who say they are part of the Bulgarian community here. What is the reason? Why should we do that?", Mickoski said.

Regarding the fact that the constitutional amendments are part of the Negotiating Framework, the PM said that was an ultimatum. "So if it is in the Framework, I should accept it? This isn't right," Mickoski said.

He also recalled the 14 European Court of Human Rights judgments for the Macedonian community in Bulgaria, whose rights were partially or completely denied, he said. mr/