Bulgaria has set conditions for canceling the veto blocking North Macedonia's accession talks with the European Union, and is working on whether Brussels can guarantee those conditions will be met, Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov said on Thursday.

Speaking after a meeting with EU enlargement commissioner Olivér Várhelyi, Petkov rejected accusations by his former coalition ally that he was willing to lift Bulgaria's veto in disregard of national interests, Reuters reported.

"Bulgaria has three clear conditions if we are to see progress on the issue with North Macedonia," Petkov told reporters. "We are working together to see if it would be possible for the EU to be a guarantor for these conditions."

Sofia is pushing for North Macedonia to accept constitutional guarantees protecting the rights of Bulgarians living there and to make progress on some historical disputes.

In 2020, Bulgaria refused to approve the framework for talks on North Macedonia's EU membership because of disagreements over history and language.

Várhelyi, on his fourth visit to Bulgaria in the past six months, expressed disappointment that no solution has yet been found to break the deadlock over plans for northern Macedonia's accession.

Bulgaria's EU and NATO allies are pushing for a deal that would strengthen Skopje's European prospects at the next EU summit later this month and help limit Russia's influence in the Western Balkans amid the war in Ukraine.

"The fact that I keep coming back means there is still no solution, which is very frustrating," Varhelyi said.