Former United States Ambassador to Bulgaria and one of the co-authors of the Ohrid Framework Agreement, James Pardew, said in an interview with Deutsche Welle that Bulgaria must defend and not oppose North Macedonia’s EU membership, stressing that the time of harassing North Macedonia is over.
“I follow events in the Balkans. And I feel close both to Bulgaria and North Macedonia. I think it’s a mistake for the Bulgarian government to block North Macedonia’s EU accession process. Quite the opposite: Bulgaria should be a defender, not an opponent of North Macedonia’s EU membership, as part of its long-term national interest. I am sure that the State Department supports the speedy resolution of problems between Bulgaria and North Macedonia, although this is mainly a topic of concern for the European Union and its members,” Pardew said.
Regarding the possible outcome of the situation and whether it’s possible for the two countries to reach an agreement soon, the former Ambassador stressed that Bulgaria’s long-term national interest is having good neighbourly relations, based on joint democratic values. EU membership, Pardew noted, encourages this.
“Bulgaria and many people in North Macedonia share a common history and culture, but Bulgaria is a more advanced nation and has the advantage of EU membership in pursuing its goals. The two countries are natural allies and can work together for a prosperous future if they turn their backs on some of the less important issues,” Pardew said.
Nationalists in Bulgaria, he added, watched Greece use its EU membership to put pressure on North Macedonia and they decided to implement the same strategy. But the time of harassing North Macedonia is over, Pardew stressed.
Issues regarding language and history, he added, are not reason enough to justify hostile relations between the two countries. At the end of the day, North Macedonia is a sovereign country and no one can force one nation to change its history.
“Let historians and experts resolve controversial issues. In the meantime, Sofia should support North Macedonia’s EU candidacy, instead of blocking it,” Pardew told DW.
