Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani warned today from Skopje that countries such as Russia, China and Turkey could replace the EU’s role in the Western Balkans if the EU does not reach out to the region.

“We should reach out to those peoples who want to be with us, with the Europeans, especially with our friends from the Balkans. Unresolved issues must be resolved in order to respect European accession rights. If we don’t do that there will be someone else who will want to replace us, I mean Russia, China and other parts of the world, I mean Turkey. We are politically convinced that the Balkans are an integral part of the EU,” said Antonio Tajani, after the meeting he had today in Skopje with his North Macedonian counterpart, Timco Mutsunski.

The meeting also examined the European path of North Macedonia, which remains stagnant, as Skopje has not fulfilled the part of an agreement concluded two years ago between North Macedonia and Bulgaria – on the basis of a relevant EU proposal – which provides for the amending the Constitution of North Macedonia in order to include the Bulgarian minority living in the country.

This agreement has been opposed by the right-wing ruling party of North Macedonia, VMRO-DPMNE, which, throughout the past period of being in the opposition, did not consent to the agreement “passing” through the Parliament, where a 2/3 majority is needed for the changing the country’s Constitution.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of North Macedonia, Timco Muchunski, today repeated the proposal of his country’s government to consent to this amendment of the Constitution, on the condition that it enters into force when North Macedonia joins the EU, which is categorically rejected by both Bulgaria and and the EU.

Both Brussels and Sofia have repeatedly stated that Skopje will be able to open the chapters of accession negotiations with the EU, after North Macedonia first amends its Constitution.

North Macedonia’s relations with Bulgaria have deteriorated particularly since VMRO-DPMNE took power in Skopje last June. The two countries have historical, ethnic and linguistic differences that span decades.

The president of North Macedonia, Gordana Silianovska, is expected to go to Sofia on Friday, September 13, where she will have a meeting with the president of Bulgaria, Rumen Radev.

In addition, North Macedonia’s relations with Greece are also experiencing a test due to the objection of the new leadership of North Macedonia to call the country by its constitutional name and insist on using the term “Macedonia”, in violation of the Prespa Agreement.

The Italian Foreign Minister traveled to Skopje from Podgorica, where earlier today he had meetings with the political and state leadership of Montenegro.