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Skopje – Bulgarian President Rumen Radev, in his first comment after a meeting with Macedonian President Gordana Siljanovska Davkova, which caused reactions due to the omission of the Macedonian flag in their joint photograph on Friday in Sofia, emphasized that her visit was neither official nor work-related.
Radev stated that he had a very sincere and constructive conversation with the President of the Republic of North Macedonia in a friendly atmosphere.
– I expect this expressed desire for openness to be taken up by the Government of RSM, but let it be clear that this was neither a state nor a work visit. I hope that in the near future the President of the Republic of North Macedonia will make a state visit, which with all the official meetings according to the protocol will also contribute to the further development of our relations. If we follow the protocol, it is my turn to go there, Radev said.
The meeting, Radev added, was very constructive and in a friendly spirit. – This is indeed a good start to fully help the Republic of North Macedonia, Radev noted.
Dimitar Stoyanov, an advisor to President Radev and a former minister, told BNT that „the visit of the President of the Republic of North Macedonia was on the occasion of a cultural event and was neither state nor work-related. – Therefore, the Macedonian flag was not put up in the hall because for such visits it is not necessary to strictly follow the state protocol, Stoyanov said.
Due to the photographing in front of the Bulgarian flag of Radev and Siljanovska Davkova at the meeting in Sofia, Bulgarian Ambassador in the country Zhelyasko Radukov was handed a protest note today by the Director of the Directorate responsible for the region.
Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski said that the Macedonian delegation did not immediately react to the non-placement of the state flag out of respect for the two pilots who lost their lives in a plane crash on the same day.
From the Cabinet of President Siljanovska – Davkova on Saturday, they announced that they would seek an explanation for the photograph in front of the Bulgarian flag taken in the Office of the President of Bulgaria, although, as they emphasized from there, this move and act was neither foreseen nor agreed upon.
The meeting of Radev and Siljanovska Davkova was part of the activities of the Macedonian President during her visit to Sofia on the occasion of attending the performance of the Macedonian opera in Sofia with „Nabucco“ as a step of cultural diplomacy. (September 16, 2024 MIA)