Skopje, 20 January 2022 (MIA) – Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski said he hopes relations with Bulgaria will be improved significantly by June and July and the country will be a step closer to settling the outstanding issues. Relations between the country were at a historic low before Bulgarian PM Kiril Petkov’s visit to Skopje this week, he said. Kovachevski said his meeting with Petkov took place in “positive spirit” during which they discussed ways to restore trust. “We mostly discussed how to restore trust and how to engage not only institutions but also stakeholders in the society so they can contribute in a positive way and to building of projects worthy for the future and the standards for living,” he told Kanal 5 in an interview Thursday evening. Asked when the bilateral dispute might be settled, PM Kovachevski said he wouldn’t be tied to a timeframe. “I’m an optimist, a rational one who believes in meeting the goal. What we start doing with the Bulgarian PM is meeting the goal,” he stated. We, the PM noted, should get to a solution fast, but we should in no way rush things. National interests will not be harmed, Kovachevski insisted. “I’ve already said several times that the language of the country and the identity of the people are not up for discussion. They are defined,” the PM said adding that the resolution adopted by North Macedonia’s Parliament will be respected. Kovachevski confirmed that the governments of North Macedonia and Bulgaria will hold a joint session in Sofia next week. The goal is, he added, not only politicians but also business officials, academics, youth organization representatives to be also included in the work of the working groups, which will convene at weekly basis so as to strengthen bilateral cooperation. Asked about demands that the Bulgarian minority should be included in the national Constitution, PM Kovachevski said he has always supported the rights of smaller communities. “However, there are procedures, namely constitutional changes. It takes time and a wider consensus in Parliament. We could discuss the procedure and when it might be done, however, it should be done through dialogue in the country and as part of the talks we have with Bulgaria,” Kovachevski told the interview.