President Radev: Bulgaria and North Macedonia Don’t Need Any Mediators

"We do not need any mediators. No one knows our history better than we do," Bulgarian President Rumen Radev told journalists on Thursday during his Rome visit with North Macedonian President Stevo Pendaovski with whom he said he had an in-depth conversation.

Radev's comment comes after Portugal offered historians in the EU a chance to participate in the Bulgarian-Macedonian Commission on Historical Affairs.

"It is up to us to have a frank constructive dialogue, based on historical documents, on primary sources. The steps we have to take do not go through the other European capitals and from there to put pressure on Bulgaria," Radev said.

Radev and Pendarovski were in the Italian capital to take part in the traditional celebrations of Saints Cyril and Methodius.

"During these two days, my colleague Radev and I realised that we can speak the same language, I'm not talking about the Macedonian and Bulgarian languages. I am talking about the European language, which alone can bring a better future for our two countries," said Pendarovski, who pointed to their joint visit being proof of a new dynamic in relations between Sofia and Skopje. /Antoinette Nikolova | EURACTIV.bg