Bulgaria Urges North Macedonia to Fulfill Full European Consensus for EU Accession

Bulgaria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Georg Georgiev has said the inclusion of the Bulgarians to the Constitution of North Macedonia is the first but not the only condition for the beginning of the country’s negotiations for membership in the European Union, adding that this is not an issue of bilateralization but implementation of the European consensus, CE Report quotes MIA.

“It is very important to know that the amendments to the Constitution and the addition of the Bulgarians as a constitutive nation is not the sole condition. It is not good to leave out things in that whole discussion with the potential goal – which I hope isn’t the case – if the amendments occur and the condition for the constitutional amendments is implemented in line with the European consensus, for someone to say ‘see, we told you, the Bulgarians don’t ask for just one thing’,” Georgiev told Brussels 1.

Apart from the constitutional amendments, Georgiev said the “European consensus” also includes the implementation of the Treaty of friendship, good-neighbourliness and cooperation with Bulgaria and the protocols from it, as well as the Action Plan for the protection of the rights of minorities.

“All of this should be a fact, otherwise the European consensus won’t be fulfilled, the Council’s resolutions won’t be fulfilled, and if this isn’t the case then there can’t be an opening of the first Cluster which includes human rights,” Georgiev said.

The constitutional amendments, according to the Bulgarian Minister, will only open the country’s path to the European integration and North Macedonia will have to implement other conditions set by the EU.

Georgiev also said he doesn’t understand why the Macedonian politicians “remain silent in front of their citizens and present the constitutional amendments as the sole demand, instead of as the first in the process”.

“That’s why, with all good intentions, I tell my colleagues I really don’t want people to think that this is being done with prejudice or any ulterior motives. On the contrary, there are very clearly laid out conditions through which the process can advance,” Georgiev said.

The Bulgarian Minister added Sofia’s position is “crystal clear” and won’t change, noting that nothing can overrule the “European consensus reached in 2022 for the integration of the Western Balkans within the EU, which is backed by the entire Union”.