site.btaDecision to Separate Albania, North Macedonia in Their Path towards European Integration Sends Bad Message to Citizens of North Macedonia, Hristijan Mickoski Says

According to the Prime Minister of the Republic of North Macedonia Hristijan Mickoski, the decision of the Permanent Representatives of Member States to the EU that Albania's path towards European integration is diverging from that of North Macedonia, sends a bad message to the citizens of North Macedonia.

Mickoski told local media that his country has done "many things that nobody else has done and which have nothing to do with the Copenhagen criteria" on its way to the EU.

"We are the only case where bilateral treaties are conditions in the negotiating framework. I regret that the previous government accepted everything and, while robbing its own people, waved the European flag. I share the opinion of the vast majority of Macedonian citizens that we should no longer accept conditions based on national concessions without guarantees. For me, this is a dictate. If that is the condition for [North] Macedonia to continue negotiating, no thanks. These are not the European values that my generation fell in love with," Mickoski said.

According to him, double standards are being applied to North Macedonia, while he suggested talks "as long as necessary" to find a solution, which is now missing.

"And if we say that treaties must be implemented, the Treaty of Friendship, Good Neighbourliness [with Bulgaria] does not say that we must include Bulgarians in [our] constitution. Is it so difficult to accept our proposal and to enact these constitutional changes when the Bulgarian parliament ratifies the protocol for our accession to the EU. It is obvious that someone does not have honest intentions", Mickoski added, wishing Albania success in the negotiations and said that "maybe one day" the paths of Albania and North Macedonia will meet "somewhere along the trajectory of European integration".