site.btaNorth Macedonia PM Mickoski: European Integration Process Is Two-Way Street

Prime Minister of the Republic of North Macedonia Hristijan Mickoski said in an interview for Alsat M TV on Tuesday night that the process of European integration is a two-way street. Mickoski said that the question is not whether the politicians in North Macedonia have the will to vote on the amendments, which would include the Bulgarians in the country's Constitution, so that North Macedonia could start real negotiations to join the EU.

The Prime Minister said: "The people, the political parties have repeatedly shown their will over the last three decades, the question is whether Brussels has the will to solve this problem. Because if there is a will in Brussels, there is a way." He stated that the EU's plans for his country should be made public and added: "We have fully synchronized foreign and security policies with the European Union. We are constantly monitoring the processes led by the EU. But, unfortunately, the last two and a half decades, since we officially started this journey towards full membership, have been fraught with many challenges. These challenges are artificial, and these challenges always concern and affect the Macedonian identity, all of them, without exception. Many times in the past the Macedonian identity has been affected and concessions have been made at the expense of the Macedonian identity."

Mickoski reiterated that the Government in Skopje is ready to talk to the Bulgarian Government regarding its proposal to have the constitutional amendments enter into force with delayed effect once North Macedonia becomes an EU Member State. He said: "We have a proposal that has been explained repeatedly and is logical. Let us finish the negotiations and see what we will do and how we will do it. Let us see what happens with the rulings from Strasbourg concerning the Macedonian community in Bulgaria, let us see definitively about the Macedonian identity, about the language, etc. We have a lot of open issues to discuss. We are prepared, we want to discuss and debate and find a solution. That is why I said where there is a will there is a way, but it takes two."