The EU’s latest draft-conclusions on enlargement contain the phrase “misinterpretation of history” as requested by Bulgaria in the past few weeks, MIA reports from Brussels.
The German EU Presidency thus far refused to give in to demands, but the latest draft-conclusions, delivered to EU ambassadors on Tuesday, mention the phrase.
However, the wording isn’t found in the section dedicated to North Macedonia, but in the document’s preambule referring to the entire region.
It seems to be the last possible compromise for now, should Bulgaria choose to accept it. North Macedonia has no say in the matter.
Paragraph 8 of the draft-conclusions, set to be discussed Wednesday afternoon at EU ambassadorial level, focuses among other issues on regional reconciliation.
“The Council underlines that there is no place in the EU for inflammatory rhetoric or glorification of war criminals, from any side. Statements and actions which negatively impact on good neighbourly relations and the peaceful settlement of disputes, must be avoided. The Council recalls the Prespa agreement between the Republic of North Macedonia and Greece and the Treaty on Friendship, Good-neighbourliness and Cooperation between the Republic of North Macedonia and Bulgaria and stresses the importance of their continued implementation. These two major steps should put an effective end to any claims based on misinterpretation of history,” read the EU’s latest draft-conclusions.
The Council noticeable uses the country’s full name when referring to the Republic of North Macedonia, another one of Sofia’s demands.
The phrase “misinterpretation of history” appeared for the first time in EU conclusions for North Macedonia during Bulgaria’s EU Presidency in 2018, after the country signed agreements with Greece and Bulgaria.
The diplomatic “victory” for North Macedonia lies in the fact that the wording doesn’t appear in the paragraph on the country, but instead in the preambule.
The phrase didn’t appear at all in the document’s previous versions, which also made use of the short name – North Macedonia.
Bulgaria has insisted that using the country’s short name entails risk of irredentism.
