Thewesternbalkans
The Foreign Minister of the Republic of North Macedonia, Timcho Mutsunski, was heard yesterday by the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs. In his opening words, he stated that his country is ready to seek solutions with Bulgaria in good faith.
Mutsunski devoted part of the time to the relations between our two countries and recounted personal memories related to Bulgaria, which he gave as an example of the depth of shared ties built over generations. Now these ties are threatened by political moves in recent years, which have brought mistrust between the two peoples, undermined the foundations of our good neighborliness, he commented.
“The Bulgarian veto over the continuation of the EU enlargement process is extremely painful, sends discouraging signals, affects mutual respect and allows bilateral issues to influence the enlargement process,” he added.
“Our people and government remain committed to dialogue and reconciliation. We are ready to look in good faith for solutions that are consistent with the past and contribute to building a better future. It should be a joint effort that requires mutual respect and understanding. We call on Bulgaria to share this effort with us in building relations within the true spirit of European cooperation,” Mutsunski pointed out.
“We changed our national flag, we changed the constitution several times, we changed the name of the country. These decisions were not easy, for us they were sacrifices, but we were encouraged to believe in the European promise. We were convinced that through dialogue and concessions we would achieve a brighter future in the European family. After the changes were made, outside voices hailed them as an act of courage and a step forward for the entire region. The events that followed did not fulfill the promises, and every time we overcame one obstacle, a new one appeared before us – unfair, unexpected and disheartening,” summed up the minister.
“We have resolved the issue of the name of our country, posed by Greece, with the Prespa agreement. Immediately after that, a new obstacle appeared, unrelated to our reforms and progress, nor to our readiness to join the EU. This undermined confidence in the process and affected citizens’ expectation that the sacrifices made would lead to the promised future. EU membership is not only a political goal, but an opportunity for profound change. We will continue to fully comply with European security policy,” added Mutsunski, who spoke to the MEPs in Brussels in English.
Comments: The representatives of the institutions in Brussels are unanimous that the Republic of North Macedonia must fulfill its commitment to constitutional changes, after which the country’s path to the EU will be much easier. However, the North Macedonian proposal for constitutional changes with deferred effect is not a solution and will not be accepted. At the moment, there are no guarantees that Bulgaria will not impose a veto and will not block North Macedonia on its path to European integration again. Despite Sofia’s insistence that the problem is already between the RNM and the EU, pointing to the terms of the negotiating framework, high-ranking officials in Brussels emphasize that the issue is bilateral and must be resolved between Sofia and Skopje. The sought solution is related to the possibility of legal guarantees that after the entry of the Bulgarian minority into the RNM constitution, Bulgaria will not block Skopje with any request in the future. Media publications are already claiming a Franco-German proposal for a “creative solution” that would allow for a settlement of the problem with Bulgaria and continuation of North Macedonia’s path to membership.
