Prime Minister Zoran Zaev is set to meet early on Wednesday with European Council President Charles Michel, presenting Macedonian arguments for a formal start of the EU accession negotiations, MIA reports from Brussels.

PM Zaev’s visit comes only a week after he met with European Council President Ursula von der Leyen and EU High Representative Josep Borrell in the EU capital.

Zaev is expected to reiterate the arguments over the necessity of holding the first intergovernmental conference with North Macedonia by the end of Portugal’s EU Presidency, towards improving EU’s credibility both in the country and the region in general.

North Macedonia and Albania got the green light from all 27 member-states to start accession negotiations back in March 2020, but Bulgaria has blocked the adoption of the negotiating framework due to bilateral identity-related dispute. Majority of EU members have openly said they do not support Bulgaria in its move, but Sofia has the veto right and the decision can be adopted only through the consent by all 27 member-states.

The PM has told his EU interlocutors that North Macedonia would not accept the start of EU accession negotiations at the price of the Macedonian identity and language.

Zaev took part late Tuesday at a working dinner of Western Balkans leaders with EU High Representative Borrell, focusing on the geopolitical aspect of EU-Western Balkans relations, but also the prospects of all six states from the area, a process that has recently slowed down.

“The Republic of North Macedonia has fulfilled all its obligations arising from the criteria for starting the final negotiation process over its accession to the European Union. The European Commission recognized this in its reports on the country’s progress to the European Council and the leaders of EU member states, making it very clear the country had an unconditional recommendation to start negotiations,” Zaev said ahead of the working dinner.