site.btaForeign Minister: EP’s Resolution on North Macedonia’s Progress Stops Internal Political Exploitation

With its resolution on the annual report on North Macedonia’s progress towards EU membership, the European Parliament (EP) did not allow it to be instrumentalized for the purposes of the internal political debate of a candidate country, Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev said Wednesday from the parliamentary rostrum. He was speaking during the plenary debate on the fourth no-confidence motion against the cabinet of Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov over failures in the environment sector.

Earlier on Wednesday, the EP adopted the annual report on North Macedonia’s EU accession progress during a plenary session in Strasbourg. The report was approved with 461 votes in favour, 121 against, and 107 abstentions out of 689 members who voted.

Georgiev thanked Bulgarian political party leaders, including GERB leader Boyko Borissov, Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov, Bulgarian MEPs, and representatives of all parties who contributed efforts to ensure that reasonable arguments were heard.

He stressed that such a report should not go beyond the EP competencies, and no legislative body can or should interpret topics related to scientific discussion.

“What we have done together, united in our efforts, is to show that the debate on EU enlargement must continue but based on the principle of merit. We have also demonstrated why the topic should not be exploited solely for confrontation and why the voice of member states is important and constructive in such significant moments. It is crucial to hear the voices of EU countries to achieve positive results. Until a few weeks ago, this topic was used in our domestic political context to accuse the government of foreign policy inactivity. Now, what we have achieved, and I am proud as Bulgaria’s Foreign Minister, is the fact that Bulgaria, as a strong voice in Europe, can express opinions and uphold common European positions. When we are united, we succeed in what is important, essential, and pragmatic,” Georgiev said.