site.bta"No Convictions Have Been Handed Down in Hate Crime Cases," Bulgarian MEP Volgin Says Addressing North Macedonia's Foreign Minister

During a debate in the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs, Bulgarian MEP Petar Volgin addressed North Macedonia’s Foreign Minister, Timcho Mucunski, saying, "Your country has failed to honour the commitments it made in the 2017 treaty with the Republic of Bulgaria, as well as those under the 2022 European compromise. Instead, you use anti-Bulgarian rhetoric and a confrontational approach". "How do you expect these actions to speed up your country's EU accession process?," Volgin asked, as quoted by his press service on Monday.

"You have talked a lot about what you have done to join the EU. But let me tell you what you have not done," said the Bulgarian MEP, who is a member of the Europe of Sovereign Nations Group elected on Vazrazhdane’s ticket. "Two years have passed since the European compromise was reached under the French Presidency of the Council of the EU, yet you have taken no concrete steps to implement any of the agreements. And all you are doing is moving further away from starting EU membership negotiations," he said.

Volgin added that both Sofia and the European institutions have firmly rejected the idea of the constitutional amendments to include Bulgarians in North Macedonia’s basic law being enforced only after the country's accession to the EU.

The MEP brought up the case of Hristian Pendikov, who was assaulted in Ohrid in January 2023 for identifying as Bulgarian. "Two years later, the legal case is going nowhere," Volgin said, adding that "no convictions have been handed down in hate crime cases".

"We have working groups […] I believe we are managing," Mucunski said as quoted in the press release. When asked about Corridors VIII and X, he noted that they are very important to North Macedonia. "Our government will invest in all corridors," the Foreign Minister said.