Bulgaria's Foreign Ministry issues an announcement in response to the statements by the Prime Minister of North Macedonia

With regards to the public statements by the Prime Minister of the Republic of North Macedonia, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria insistently reminds that the European consensus reached in the summer of 2022 between the 27 Member states and North Macedonia itself, clearly defines the steps to be undertaken by the neighboring country in order to achieve real progress in its EU integration process. It should be also noted that the principle of unanimity in the enlargement policy has been stipulated in the Treaty of the EU and it has been laid in the negotiating frameworks of all previous and current enlargements.

Raising ideas for re-negotiation of already undertaken international commitments would only lead to a new distancing from the start date of the EU membership negotiations. We recall that due to unnecessary provocations and confrontation with neighboring countries, North Macedonia has already wasted too much time in the process of opening the accession negotiations.

Unacceptable is the declared intention of the new government of North Macedonia to reject the legitimate request by a part of its own citizens to guarantee their rights and freedoms at an equal footing with all other communities in North Macedonia, incl. through their inclusion in the constitution of the neighbouring country.

Equally unacceptable is the declared intention of North Macedonia not to adhere the international commitments and the agreements signed by the country.

Such behavior is incompatible with any advance on the EU path. It raises concern that in its policy towards the Bulgarian people and towards Bulgaria, the current government in Skopje risks to be trapped in the dogmas of a bygone era, which have been renounced by all democratic societies

The Bulgarian position has been clearly defined in a Decision by the National Assembly from 24 June 2022, which was approved by all political parties. This position expresses the will of the Bulgarian citizens to support North Macedonia in the process of fulfilling the EU membership criteria, under the condition that the neighbouring country aligns to the highest standards in the sphere of human rights and it implements in good will all undertaken international commitments. This all-national position will not be changed.

Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs

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