Skopje, 13 July 2021 (MIA) – I agree that issues should be resolved bilaterally, either in Skopje or in Sofia, Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said on Tuesday in response to Bulgarian President Rumen Radev’s statement that Bulgaria’s policy regarding North Macedonia depends on open and constructive dialogue between the two countries. “President Radev has said on several occasions that issues can’t be resolved in Brussels or Washington and I agree – we should resolve them bilaterally, either in Skopje or Sofia. Friendly encouragement to find solutions is always welcome. At the working meeting on June 17, we addressed details important for both sides. We remain hopeful that Bulgaria will form a Parliament and a political government that will have executive power in the country,” Zaev told a press conference stressing hope for timely implementation of the roadmap, set to benefit citizens in both countries. The Prime Minister also told reporters that he wants Bulgaria to form a government for the sake of its citizens, adding expectations that North Macedonia expects it to make progress towards solving the dispute. “I hope Bulgaria will form a government. The second election has changed the situation a bit, but a third vote won’t. Political practice advises against being without government for a longer period of time. Knowing the results, my expectations are divided. For the time being, there are no coalitions that would support the formation of a joint government, i.e. parliamentary majority,” Zaev said during the news briefing. In regard to Slavi Trifonov’s comments about the “North Macedonian in space”, PM Zaev underlined that the government won’t be issuing reactions over statements made by every party leader, but didn’t reject the action completely because “we’re Macedonians living in North Macedonia speaking the Macedonian language.” He added hopes that the comment is a result of ignorance. “We’re Macedonians speaking Macedonian, just as our friends are Bulgarians speaking Bulgarian. I expect a correction, as after all, we’re talking about the political party that received most support from Bulgarian citizens. It’s our duty to build friendships and promote good relations that will benefit future generations,” Zaev noted. https://youtu.be/zSWr8G3nymY