Republic of Macedonia Mends Ties With Bulgaria Eyeing EU
- Deal seeks to ensure Bulgarian support for Skopje’s NATO path
- Balkan neighbors agree to overcome historical disputes
Boyko Borissov and Zoran Zaev exchange documents in Skopje, Republic of Macedonia, on Aug. 1, 2017.
Photographer: Georgi Licovski/EPAThis article is for subscribers only.
The Republic of Macedonia signed a friendship accord with Bulgaria in a bid to improve ties between the Balkan neighbors and revive efforts to join the European Union and NATO.
The former Yugoslav republic’s prime minister, Zoran Zaev, and his Bulgarian counterpart, Boyko Borissov, signed the pact Tuesday in Skopje, Macedonia’s capital. Bulgaria had demanded the agreement “on friendship, good neighborly relations and cooperation” as a condition of backing Macedonia’s ambitions to become an EU and NATO member.