site.btaPM Glavchev on Sofia-Skopje Relations: "If Anybody Seeks EU Accession they Should Observe the Rules"

"If anybody wishes to accede [to the EU], they should observe the rules," Bulgarian caretaker Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Dimitar Glavchev told journalists here on Monday. He was approached for comment about the situation concerning North Macedonia, after the VMRO-DPMNE Party won the parliamentary and presidential elections, campaigning on a strong anti-Bulgarian rhetoric, and the party's leader Hristijan Mickoski defied Sofia right after the elections last week.

"Our position is consistent," Glavchev said further. "The rules apply to all countries aspiring to join any organization whatsoever. In this case, this is the European Union. Whoever wishes to become a EU member state must comply with the requirements set by the other Member States. This is our position," the PM said.

Glavchev recalled the good-neighbourliness treaty concluded between Bulgaria and North Macedonia on August 1, 2017 and said that "we have consistently supported its European perspective - not just theirs but of all Western Balkan countries." "The condition remains unchanged, if anybody wishes to accede, they should observe the rules," Glavchev added.

Earlier on Monday, Glavchev issued a statement, circulated by the Government Information Service, saying that "Bulgaria does not accept statements and behaviour contrary to both the 2017 Treaty of Friendship, Good-neighbourliness and Cooperation and the agreements in principle between the European Union and the Republic of North Macedonia."

The statement was prompted by the oath taken in Skopje on Sunday by Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova as North Macedonia's newly elected President. In it, the head of State used "Macedonia" instead of "Republic of North Macedonia", which is the country's official name agreed with Greece under the 2018 Prespa Agreement. During her campaign, Siljanovska-Davkova has repeatedly stated that she will not call her country "North Macedonia".

"Bulgaria has repeatedly and clearly stated its position that arrangements made must be strictly honoured. We recall that the Republic of North Macedonia is a NATO member country, which implies obligations and responsibilities to match," Glavchev stated.

"We are convinced that the European perspective of the Republic of North Macedonia will depend entirely on its comprehensive abidance by the arrangements agreed by all in July 2022," the statement further reads.

The reference is to the Negotiating Framework for EU accession negotiations with North Macedonia, approved by the European Council on July 18, 2022 and based on the so-called "EU French Presidency proposal", aimed at addressing a number of moot points between Sofia and Skopje over language, history and the rights of ethnic Bulgarians in North Macedonia. Among other things, the proposal required the country to commit to amending its Constitution recognizing a Bulgarian minority and to abandon anti-Bulgarian hate speech as a precondition for the start of accession negotiations.