MIA has asked for a comment from the European Commission about the process of the signing of the Frontex agreement between the EU and North Macedonia after the use of term “Macedonian language” has been disputed.

The European Union is in the process of signing border management agreements with the Western Balkan countries as the region is considered one of the strategic points in the fight against illegal migration. Most of the countries are located on the so called Balkan migration route, MIA’s Brussels correspondent reports.

In the past two years, the EU has signed border management agreements with Albania, Montenegro and Serbia.

The Frontex agreement is yet to be signed with North Macedonia after being initiated in 2018. Bulgaria is blocking the signing.

“The reference to the Macedonian language is the only remaining obstacle to the signature of the agreement,” a European Commission spokesman told MIA.

The Commission at this point is not able to comment whether the issue could be solved soon and whether it could have any security implications for the EU.