site.btaSofia Blasts Skopje for Declared Intent to Flout International Commitments and Signed Agreements

The intention of the Republic of North Macedonia not to abide by its international commitments and signed agreements is unacceptable, the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday, reacting to the statements of North Macedonia’s Prime Minister.

The newly elected Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski said that if there is a desire and political will, the negotiating framework for the country’s accession to the European Union can be changed.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria recalls that the European consensus reached in the summer of 2022 between the 27 EU member states and North Macedonia itself clearly outlines the steps to achieve real progress in the process of European integration. Also, the principle of unanimity in the EU enlargement process is enshrined in the Treaty of the European Union and has underpinned the negotiating frameworks of all previous and current enlargements," the Foreign Ministry said.

The intention of the new government of North Macedonia to reject the legitimate demand of some of its own citizens to guarantee their rights and freedoms on an equal footing with all other communities in North Macedonia, by including them in the constitution, is unacceptable. Such an attitude is incompatible with progress on the European path. It raises serious concerns that in its policy towards Bulgarians and Bulgaria, the current government in Skopje risks being caught in the dogmas of a bygone era, rejected by all democratic societies.

Ideas to renegotiate existing international commitments would only lead to a new delay of the start of the EU membership negotiations. The Foreign Ministry recalls that as a result of unnecessary provocations and confrontation with neighbouring countries, North Macedonia has already lost too much time in the process of opening accession negotiations.

Bulgaria's position is clearly laid out in a resolution of Bulgaria’s National Assembly of June 24 2022, supported by all political parties. It is an expression of the will of the Bulgarian citizens to support North Macedonia in the process of fulfilling the EU membership criteria, provided that the neighbouring country adheres to the highest human rights standards and fulfils its international commitments in good faith. This nationwide position will not be changed, the Foreign Ministry's position added.