Bulgaria's PM Kiril Petkov (L) and North Macedonia's PM Dimitar Kovacevski (R) stand for the national anthems during a welcoming ceremony in Skopje, Jan. 18, 2022.

Video. Sofia trip sparks hope of improved Bulgaria-North Macedonia relations

The previous Bulgarian government had blocked North Macedonia's bid to join the EU. But now there is fresh hope that relations between the two countries can be improved.