site.btaGERB-UDF MP Bikov Comments on North Macedonia EU Progress

GERB-UDF MP Toma Bikov expressed regret regarding “ill-intention from the government of the Republic of North Macedonia”. He gave a joint statement in the National Assembly with Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev and with MPs from the ruling coalition: Gabriel Valkov from BSP - United Left and Stanislav Balabanov from There is Such a People.

The Parliament's Committee on Foreign Affairs  agreed on Wednesday to postpone the vote on the progress report of the Republic of North Macedonia towards the EU at the proposal of rapporteur Thomas Weitz. A committee vote is scheduled to take place on June 24, and a vote in the plenary hall of the EP in Strasbourg will take place in July.

There was a tense political debate around this report, Weitz noted.

GERB MEPs, especially Andrey Kovachev, made enormous efforts to ensure that the report on the Republic of North Macedonia was objective and constructive, said Bikov.

“We expect and wish that the Republic of North Macedonia will begin negotiations with the EU, but only after we see that the anti-Bulgarian forces, which are also anti-European, are put in a position not to lead the state. We hope that this will happen sooner rather than later. The inclusion of Bulgarians in the Constitution is important not because it will solve all problems, but because it will mark the beginning of a process in which Bulgaria and the Republic of North Macedonia will be good neighbours with good relations and people on both sides of the border will be able to live in harmony and together," commented Bikov.