Jotova: 'We're Ready to Talk, But No Ultimatums' — Siljanovska Adds It's Not Just About Constitutional Changes
Bulgarian President Jotova said Sofia is open to talks with Macedonia without ultimatums or concessions, while after the meeting President Siljanovska-Davkova added the issue involves protocols too, not just constitutional amendments.
Bulgarian President Natalia Jotova, after meeting President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, said Sofia is "ready for talks with North Macedonia, but without ultimatums or concessions from EU policy." She stressed that the agreed constitutional amendments must be implemented, urging Mickoski "not to forget this is a bilateral issue."
Siljanovska-Davkova, for her part, said after the talks that "it's not just a matter of constitutional amendments, but also protocols" — a statement that widens the scope of the disputed issues beyond what has so far dominated public debate. In the same statement, she also mentioned demands tied to the historical commission, while Jotova, from the Bulgarian side, raised hate speech as one of the open issues.
Prime Minister Mickoski, commenting on the parallel contacts, stressed that his talks with German Chancellor Merz and French President Macron were "completely different" from the Siljanovska-Jotova conversation, saying he remains optimistic about the European path, without offering a concrete list of next steps following these high-level talks.
MKNews Hub · Macedonia · October 5, 2026
