The new Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov In an interview with Bloomberg TV, he promised to end the diplomatic stalemate over Northern Macedonia’s accession talks with the European Union, which halts the country’s EU ambitions, state news agency MIA published.
Bulgaria, according to the US financial media, has blocked Northern Macedonia’s talks on joining the 27-member bloc over historical and linguistic allegations, while claiming that the rights of Bulgarian citizens in the country are being violated. Petkov, a 41-year-old alumni of Harvard Business School who was elected to fight corruption last year, says he wants to shift the debate from historical disputes to focus on infrastructure and economic development.
We need to put all the discussions on all the win-win situations between the two countries. “If both sides start talking about the good sides, the readiness to reach an agreement on important issues will be easier,” Petkov said.
Northern Macedonia, a republic of 2 million landlocked people, according to Bloomberg, has faced regional resistance on its path to Western integration. To join NATO in 2020, the country had to change its name to resolve a dispute with Greece, which it has accused of territorial claims to its own region of Macedonia. Now, it’s further, she faces pressure from Bulgaria, where the issue has received public support. More than 70 per cent of Bulgarians say northern Macedonia must resolve its disputes before advancing to the EU.
Given that Petkov’s coalition partners are also expressing a reluctance to offer concessions, Bloomberg estimates that his task will be difficult. The Bilateral Commission of Historians has been debating for years, with no progress in sight.
Petkov says the working groups will meet more frequently to make progress on the issue over the next six months, providing a basis for Bulgaria to reconsider its position. To facilitate change, he says he will push for a pan-European mechanism that protects against discriminatory treatment of ethnic groups.
– I have a strong will and I believe that the interest of both countries is to continue the path of Northern Macedonia to the EU… So, the faster we progress with these steps, the faster we can come with more specific deadlines, said Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov.
