Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs Nikola Dimitrov in an interview with BBC Radio, which MIA reports, says that for the first time in several years, the EU has managed to reach a consensus to confirm its commitment to the enlargement, reminding that at the previous summits – the one in Zagreb and the one in Sofia – only the European perspective was discussed.
-In that sense, at least now we have a political signal, but what will be necessary to restore people’s trust that it is actually possible, that there really is a European future for our region, in addition to the nice words, is action. Probably the biggest turning point for returning on the path will be the start of the accession negotiation with my country, North Macedonia and with Albania, he said
In regards to Bulgaria’s blockade for the start of the EU negotiations, Dimitrov pointed out that in 21 century Europe, the issue of the language that we speak in, that is, the mother tongue of the ethnic Macedonians in North Macedonia is an issue for the people in the country, and not an issue of another country, nor an issue of an international organization.
-We invested much in our relations with Bulgaria, we signed the Friendship Treaty basically saying – we the Governments will work looking to the future, in order to increase our cooperation, Bulgaria will help us on our European integration path, and as for the issue of the history, we formed a Commission of historians to discuss these parts of our history that are common and that connect the two peoples, the two countries, pointed out Dimitrov, but added that Bulgaria is making the friendship that we establisheddifficult, because, as he said, “it’s nor friendly to bring into question the language of your neighbour”.
-It is not very friendly to block something that is so important to the people in North Macedonia- our European future. It really is difficult in a way to continue to call them friends, said Dimitrov.
He outlined that the solution to the dispute with Bulgaria has to be European.
In terms of the position of other members of the Union in regards to the enlargement, for instance the Netherlands and France and their concerns for the rule of law, Dimitrov says that the question of those leaders is legitimate.
-Their question is: these new six countries, will they bring more problems or will they bring more solutions? The other perspective is; this is a region surrounded by member states. We are in the same boat economic wise. Three-fourths of the region’strade is with Europe, three-fourths the of foreign direct investments that come into the region are from EU member states. If Europe is a house, and the Western Balkans are a room that is not part of the household rules that is not included in the electricity system, water supply, air conditioning and so on, it is not good for the very room, but it is also not good for the entire house, said Dimitrov in an interview with BBC Radio, which was reported by MIA.
Translation: N. Cvetkovska
