EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell and US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken called for progress in the negotiations on North Macedonia’s accession to the European Union after the Bulgarian parliament lifted the veto on the negotiations,
KYIV.UkraineGate. 9 . July . 2022 | World News .
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“We welcome a compromise proposal that takes into account the interests and concerns of both North Macedonia and Bulgaria, based on mutual respect, trust and understanding. The sovereign decision of the Parliament of North Macedonia will be essential moving forward. This spirit of constructive compromise on which European integration is built , should continue to inspire all participants in this historic process,” the joint statement said .
Details
Borrell and Blinken emphasized that “at this critical moment in European history, marked by the Russian Federation’s unjustified aggression against Ukraine, the advancement of Albania and North Macedonia on the path to the EU is the key to strengthening the cohesion and stability of the entire European continent.”
Context
Bulgaria, which previously blocked North Macedonia’s bid to join the EU, has backed a French proposal that could lead to a mention of the Bulgarian minority in the preamble to the Macedonian constitution, RFE/RL’s Balkan Service writes .
The French proposal, which was backed by parliamentarians in Sofia last month, would reportedly require Macedonia to commit to some of the half-dozen demands put forward by Sofia, including more effective implementation of the 2017 Friendship Treaty.
Bulgarian officials, including President Rumen Radev, have reportedly narrowed Sofia’s demands to a mention of the Bulgarian minority in the preamble to Macedonia’s constitution, a vague concession on language and a commitment to fight hate speech.
Macedonian critics, including a leading opposition party, blasted the proposal as a national betrayal that threatens to “Bulgarize” their country, which declared independence from the former Yugoslavia in 1991 and has been a candidate for EU membership for 16 years.
Critics say the inclusion of Bulgarian demands in North Macedonia’s negotiations with the European Union is a huge risk, giving Sofia an indefinite veto over membership.
Parliamentary talks in North Macedonia over a French proposal to unblock Skopje’s talks with the EU were postponed on July 7 amid several nights of clashes over possible concessions on sensitive cultural and historical issues.
Albania and North Macedonia, although official candidates for EU membership, have been in the “waiting room” for years, blocked by corruption and asylum issues and, in the case of Skopje , a veto by neighboring EU member Bulgaria.
Source: Ukrgate
