site.bta117 POLITICS - PRESIDENT RADEV - NORTH MACEDONIA - COMMENTS

117 POLITICS - PRESIDENT RADEV - NORTH MACEDONIA - COMMENTS

President Radev: Next Month
Could be Pivotal for Development
of Bulgaria-North Macedonia Relations


September 18 (BTA) - The next month could turn out to be pivotal for the development of relations between Bulgaria and North Macedonia, because the Council of the EU may decide to start negotiations on the Republic of North Macedonia's (EU) membership, said here on Wednesday President Rumen Radev at the start of his meeting with the Joint Multidisciplinary Commission of Experts on Historical and Educational Issues between Bulgaria and North Macedonia.

Radev said that if the members (of the Commission) manage to provide guarantees within the remaining month that all outstanding issues will be resolved, such as events, persons, revision of textbooks, museum and memorial plaque inscriptions, stances taken by public media outlets, then the Bulgarian Government can continue its policy of unconditional support for the Republic of North Macedonia's EU membership. If this does not happen, however, the Government must take measures to draft a new national position with clear requirements and criteria that protect the Bulgarian national interest, which are to be included as mandatory conditions in the negotiations framework for North Macedonia's EU membership. The Bulgarian Parliament must also be familiarized with this new position, Radev added.

According to him, the last meeting of the Joint Multidisciplinary Commission on Historical and Educational Issues between Bulgaria and North Macedonia raised concerns. The President believes that the Commission's speed and progress are lagging far behind the development of North Macedonia's European integration process.

Radev noted that Bulgaria must continue to support the Republic of North Macedonia's European and Euroatlantic integration. IG/MY


/МЙ/