site.btaPM Zhelyazkov: Bulgaria Is Not Setting New Conditions for Republic of North Macedonia’s EU Path

Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov said in an interview for Bulgarian National Radio on Sunday that the Bulgarian Parliament is not setting new or different conditions, “we are simply insisting that the agreed prerequisites for the Republic of North Macedonia to begin EU accession talks be respected.” Zhelyazkov responded to a question on whether Bulgaria might make a gesture by withdrawing its demand that Bulgarians be included in the Republic of North Macedonia’s Constitution. “I don’t believe such a discussion even exists,” he added.

“We have no unresolved bilateral issues with them. We have a Treaty of [Friendship,] Good Neighbourliness [and Cooperation] and a signed protocol to it. The fact that the protocol is being challenged before the Republic of North Macedonia’s Constitutional Court is part of the domestic political choreography being performed in Skopje, and even before the European Council,” Zhelyazkov said.

“Bulgaria is not expressing any position other than that of the European Council: that the constitutional amendments must be adopted and that all provisions outlined in the protocol, which are part of the 2022 compromise [French] proposal, must be respected. We are not setting any conditions different from those in the 2022 proposal. If the authorities in Skopje want to join the EU, they must follow this path, which reflects the position of the European Union itself,” Zhelyazkov added.

Asked whether an additional bilateral protocol between Bulgaria and the Republic of North Macedonia might be possible to reassure Skopje that there will be no further “blockages”, the Prime Minister replied that there can be no greater guarantee than the unanimous decision of the Bulgarian National Assembly. “Our colleagues in Skopje must understand that we stand by this position because it is based on principle. We will not change anything, neither by turning this into a bilateral dispute nor by seeking invisible influences or interactions with major geopolitical players around the world,” Zhelyazkov added.