site.btaUS Envoy to Western Balkans: Bulgaria Not Raising New Conditions for North Macedonia's EU Entry

US Special Representative to the Western Balkans Gabriel Escobar told the Voice of America that Bulgaria has assured him that it will not raise any new conditions for North Macedonia's entry to the European Union. Escobar said the Bulgarian government wants to see progress with regard to the roadmap that already exists. The United States wants to work with all parties concerned to ensure that the conditions which are already there are fulfilled.

Sofia expects Skopje to name the Bulgarians in North Macedonia in the country's Constitution as a condition for holding a second intergovernmental conference to open EU accession talks with North Macedonia.

Escobar went on to say that he has no information about any arrangements between the government in Skopje and former North Macedonia prime minister Nikola Gruevski about the constitutional amendments, as alleged by opposition leader Hristijan Mickoski.

Escobar also said in the interview that the challenges related to the rule of law and corruption are perhaps the greatest problem of the Western Balkans.