Bulgarian Foreign Ministry Issues Statement Following EP Vote on Report on North Macedonia's Progress toward EU Accession

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs acknowledges the resolution adopted by an overwhelming majority in the European Parliament, which prevents the institution from being drawn into attempts at political instrumentalization by the Republic of North Macedonia aimed at circumventing the commitments arising from the so-called European compromise of 2022. his is stated in an official position of the Ministry on July 9.

• European Parliament Adopts Amendments to Remove References to "Macedonian Language and Identity" from Report on North Macedonia's Progress towards EU Membership

Earlier today, all references to language and identity were removed from the European Parliament’s annual report on North Macedonia's progress toward EU accession.

The report was adopted during a plenary session in Strasbourg with 461 votes in favour, 121 against, and 107 abstentions out of 689 MEPs present in the 720-seat assembly.

In the context of EU enlargement, the ministry emphasised that issues of identity and language should be addressed within academic and scientific discourse. By nature, such matters fall outside the scope of institutional assessment of a candidate country’s progress based on objective and measurable accession criteria, the Foreign Ministry said.

With its decision, the European Parliament reaffirmed its role as an impartial and independent body committed to monitoring the reform progress of the Republic of North Macedonia. Particular importance is placed on findings related to the rule of law, the protection of fundamental rights and freedoms, the functioning of democratic institutions, the implementation of key reforms, the fulfillment of contractual commitments, as well as the influence of external actors. These are the areas that should remain the focus of the authorities in Skopje if lasting European integration is their true objective, the statement reads.

Bulgaria Has a Strong Voice in Europe, Says Foreign Minister Following EP Vote on North Macedonia

Bulgaria consistently supports the European perspective of all countries in the Western Balkans region, based on objective membership criteria and the strict application of the principle of merit. Deviations from the established conditionality, as well as attempts to use European institutions for short-term domestic political gains, not only delay the accession process but also undermine trust among countries in the region. This has a negative impact on good neighbourly relations, which are a horizontal and indispensable element of the European Union accession process, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs adds.