site.btaBulgarian Foreign Ministry: North Macedonia's EU Accession Will Not Be Delayed If Skopje Fulfils Its Commitments

The Republic of North Macedonia's approach toward EU membership depends on that country's actions and will not be delayed if RNM fulfils its commitments to European values and good neighbourly relations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement sent to the media.

We are ready to proceed to the signing of the Protocol under Article 12 of the Treaty of Friendship, Good Neighbourliness and Cooperation with the Republic of North Macedonia. It is time for the responsible bodies in RNM to show, not in words but in actions, their commitment and desire for the European future of their country and the entire region, reads the position of the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry.

The statement defines as historic the decision of the National Assembly that Bulgaria will back the greenlight on RNM's accession to the EU under specific parameters.

In this context, the National Assembly expects the Council of Ministers to approve the Negotiating Framework and the draft Council Conclusions, formally proposed by the current French EU Council Presidency, and to sign the minutes of the second session of the Joint Intergovernmental Commission under Art. 12 of the Treaty of Friendship, Good Neighbourliness and Cooperation with the Republic of North Macedonia, focusing on the main parameters agreed in principle with Skopje, reminded by our Foreign Ministry.

The decision of the Bulgarian National Assembly would not be possible without the firm commitment of France, as rotating President of the Council of the European Union, and the other Member States of the European Union to the stability and prosperity of the Union and the Western Balkans. The approach proposed by the Presidency aims to find mutually acceptable solutions that are in the interests of the European Union and the Western Balkans, including in the light of Russia's military aggression in Ukraine. The decision was made thanks to the consistent efforts of the Bulgarian institutions over the years and especially in recent months; efforts that take into account in the first place the national interest, but also European values and priorities.

The parameters of the decision of the Bulgarian Parliament are based on the proposal of the French Presidency and do not set conditions beyond those already discussed across the European Union and during bilateral negotiations with the Republic of North Macedonia, the Foreign Ministry says, pointing out that the decision reflects the broad support of the parties in Bulgarian Parliament for the European future of all six Western Balkan countries.