The French president is confident that the compromise reached will be accepted by both sides
French President Emanuel Macron has expressed confidence that a compromise solution has been found to the dispute between Northern Macedonia and Bulgaria, which could pave the way for the start of Skopje’s EU accession talks.
“On the issue of the accession process of Northern Macedonia (to the EU) we continued our consultations with the authorities of Northern Macedonia and Bulgaria, as our commitment to the European perspective of the Western Balkans is to be able to open the first chapters with Northern Macedonia. and Albania. On the basis of these consultations, I am convinced that we have found a compromise solution that meets everyone’s sensitivities. “In the interest of Bulgaria and Northern Macedonia, accepted by all,” Emanuel Macron told a news conference after the NATO summit in Madrid.
He expressed confidence that this compromise would be accepted by both sides.
“The President of Bulgaria and the Prime Minister have already confirmed that they accept the proposal. Acceptance will require consultations in Skopje. “This solution brings security, predictability and certainty for overcoming the legacies inherited from the past,” said the French president.
The Government of Northern Macedonia, in a statement, confirmed that it has received a relevant proposal from the French EU Presidency on this issue.
“This proposal is a basis for starting wide-ranging consultations inside, first within the governing coalition and then with the President of the Republic, the Parliament and the opposition, as well as with the civil society and all the involved bodies in the country. “As we promised, we will take this decision regarding our future together, in accordance with the strategic interests of the country and all its citizens”, reads a statement of the government of Northern Macedonia.
European Council President Charles Michel, in a post on social media, hailed the French EU presidency’s efforts for an agreement between Skopje and Sofia and spoke of a “solution” that could pave the way for the start of accession talks. EU talks with Northern Macedonia.
“The solution is to address the concerns that have been raised. We are closer than ever: now is the time to say yes,” added Charles Michel.
Two weeks ago, the French presidency of the EU submitted a proposal for resolving the disputes between Bulgaria and Northern Macedonia. The proposal was accepted by the Parliament and the Government of Bulgaria, while it was rejected by the Government of Northern Macedonia in its “existing form”.
The President of Northern Macedonia, Stevo Pentarovski, in a recent statement from Madrid, where he attended the NATO summit, said that the French Presidency of the EU (which ends today) submitted an “amended proposal”, which, according to he is “much better” for Northern Macedonia, compared to the original proposal, two weeks ago.
For the past year and a half, Bulgaria has been blocking the start of Northern Macedonia’s EU accession talks due to open ethnic, linguistic and historical differences between the two countries, which has provoked strong reactions from Skopje and led to a cooling of relations. This attitude of Bulgaria “entices” Albania as well, as the position of the EU is that the candidacies of these two countries should proceed together and should not be separated.
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