Bulgaria is consistent in its support for the European and Euro Atlantic future of the western Balkan countries and is ready to share its experience in the process of their integration. National Assembly president Mihail Mikov has made this statement at his meeting with the Defense Minister of Macedonia Zoran Yolevski. The Bulgarian Minister of Defense Angel Naydenov and the head of the parliamentary defense committee Yanko Yankov were present at the talks, held on 22 July 2014.

The defense minister of Macedonia Zoran Yolevski noted that it was his first visit abroad after his appointment as minister and was expression of his desire for continuing and expanding the good bilateral cooperation.  Yolevski also said the membership of Macedonia in NATO will promote the security and prosperity in the region and added the experience of Bulgaria as a country which had successfully passed through this process would be extremely useful to Macedonia. Minister Yolevski pointed to the possibilities opened by the bilateral agreements for cooperation in the field of defense.
 
The president of the National Assembly Mihail Mikov expressed confidence that the process of useful and good neighborly cooperation will be further deepen and said relations between the parliaments of the two countries were having special place in it. He stressed in particular the participation of Bulgaria and Macedonia in the newly founded Parliamentary Assembly of the Process for Cooperation in Southeast Europe. Mihail Mikov added, this format for cooperation between the parliaments will provide Europe and the European Union with complementary base for development and interaction in the region, and will facilitate the process of accession of the western Balkan countries.

Defense minister Angel Naydenov noted that the ministers of defense of the two countries had agreed in general to create a temporary commission which is to be charged with locating the sites and  the restoration of Bulgarian military monuments and memorials on the territory of Macedonia.  He further said, at the talks with Zoran Yolevski, they had discussed issues concerning the bilateral cooperation in the military field between the two countries, their participation in a number of regional initiatives and the support of Bulgaria for the integration of Macedonia in the European Union and NATO.