Bulgaria will not give the green light to the first EU-North Macedonia intergovernmental conference and start of accession talks until it gets legal guarantees – both from Skopje and in the context of EU accession negotiations that current policies will change, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva said on Wednesday.
“Bulgaria’s national interests regarding North Macedonia have been a matter of public and political consensus for generations and were reaffirmed by the Oct. 10, 2019, Declaration of the National Assembly. This document is an example of continuity and inter-party consensus, rarely seen in other countries. It has also given us the confidence to defend our national interests in talks with Skopje,” Zaharieva told Bulgarian MPs during a briefing on latest developments in Sofia-Skopje relations.
Zaharieva, BGNES reported, stressed that Bulgaria will make efforts to restart relations, adding that it has always demonstrated consistency, predictability and transparency.
“Despite our efforts for good-neighbourliness, Skopje is yet to change the essence of its policy towards Bulgaria. Their obligations towards us have not been met, while Skopje has carried on supporting minority, historical and language claims. There’s a long list of examples showing violations of bilateral documents on their part,” Zaharieva said.
According to her, Macedonians are still in the grips of totalitarian thinking, as evidenced by the celebration on the anniversary of former Yugoslav President Josip Broz Tito, hosted by the mayor of Skopje.
“While most of the other former Yugoslav republics are honoring the countless victims of Tito’s regime, Skopje is glorifying its legacy,” the Bulgarian FM noted.
Moreover, she pointed out as other examples of delays in bilateral relations the administrative obstacles for Bulgarian business in North Macedonia, the delayed construction of transport corridor 8, the anti-Bulgarian rhetoric in media and the distorted media representation of the Bulgarian position.
“We leave our door open for communication and are ready to enter bilateral talks with North Macedonia,” Zaharieva underlined on Wednesday.
