Bulgaria’s PM Petkov and European Enlargement Commissioner Várhelyi discuss North Macedonia's bid for EU membership

Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Kiril Petkov and European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi gave a press conference on June 9 after their meeting in the Council of Ministers, where North Macedonia’s bid to join EU was discussed.

"Because this morning and in recent days, I have heard all sorts of false claims that the Bulgarian government had two foreign policies, I want to clearly state to the Bulgarian public and to Commissioner Várhelyi that Bulgaria has three clear requirements if there is to be moving forward on the North Macedonia issue", Petkov said.

These requirements are:

• Compliance with the Framework Position adopted by the Bulgarian government;
• Signing Bulgarians in the constitution of North Macedonia so that their rights can be protected;
• Implemntation of the Good-neighbourliness and Cooperation Treaty.

These have been our discussions before and now and we are working to see if it is possible for the EU to be a guarantor of these three conditions, the PM clarified.

For his part, Commissioner Oliver Várhelyi described as "frustrating" that there is still no solution to the problem.

"As I come back again and again, it means that there is still no solution, which is very frustrating for us, if I can put it frankly, because we cannot go further with the process of accession of the Republic of North Macedonia. All member states have to approve it. After all the talks that have taken place in Sofia and Skopje, the European perspective for the Republic of North Macedonia will not only be clarified, but also strengthened."

June is an important month on the European Council calendar and we would like to see an agreement soon, Várhelyi said.