Sofia, 17 December 2021 (MIA) – After meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels on Friday, Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Kiril Petkov said Sofia needs to upgrade its position towards Skopje with working groups, which should not be a political act but real work. According to Bulgaria’s PM, the position towards North Macedonia was clear and enshrined in the coalition agreement. “History is important, but it cannot be the only topic. The Bulgarian interest must be protected, but it must also be upgraded. We need to talk about infrastructure – Sofia’s railway line with Skopje must finally happen. In economic terms, it is good for Macedonian businesses to be able to sell on the Bulgarian market and, accordingly, for Bulgarian businesses to be on the Macedonian market,” said Petkov. According to him, everyone in the Balkans was divided, when instead so much can be gained from such a process. Petkov added that he wanted to meet with the next Prime Minister of North Macedonia after taking office. The Bulgarian government delegation also met with the Commission’s Vice-President and Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis.