site.btaBSP - United Left Welcomes Postponement of North Macedonia's EU Accession Report

BSP - United Left welcomes the postponement of North Macedonia's European Union accession report, said MP Gabriel Valkov at a joint press conference with Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev, GERB-UDF MP Toma Bikov and There Is Such a People Deputy Floor Leader Stanislav Balabanov at the National Assembly, the parliamentary group's press centre reported on Thursday.

Valkov stressed that the Bulgarian Socialist Party's MEPs, together with the Party of European Socialists, had fought for the postponement of the document, which reports on North Macedonia's progress in the EU accession process.

"I congratulate all Bulgarian MEPs from all parties for taking this initiative together and making this effort together. Just as the National Assembly unanimously adopted a declaration on Friday, the MEPs unanimously stood on a national position that defends the Bulgarian national interest, for which I thank them," Valkov said.

On Wednesday, the EP Foreign Affairs Committee decided to delay the vote on the report, following a proposal by rapporteur Thomas Waitz. The vote in the parliamentary committee is scheduled to take place on June 24 and in the EP plenary in Strasbourg in July.

"There was quite intensive political debate around this report. I must say that I absolutely stand behind my report. All groups have been involved into the negotiations. All groups have participated in forming these compromises. This is a report of the EP and the European Union to the state of accession when it comes to the country of North Macedonia. This report is not there to solve bilateral issues between Bulgaria and North Macedonia. But the treatment of minorities is a European issue," Waitz said.