“Corridor VIII should connect us, not divide us. It can boost trade, mobility and regional development and provide North Macedonia with better connections to both the Adriatic and the Black Seas. After so many years of plans and promises, citizens on both sides of the border should finally see the railway line actually being built.“ This was stated by Bulgarian MEP Kristian Vigenin during the 25th meeting of the EU-North Macedonia Joint Parliamentary Committee in Skopje.
Vigenin participated as a member of the European Parliament delegation in the two-day talks with the Parliament of North Macedonia, as well as in meetings with the Head of the EU Delegation Michalis Rokas, the Speaker of the Parliament Afrim Gashi, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Aleksandar Nikoloski, representatives of civil society, the diplomatic corps and the main political forces in the country.
Vigenin believes that good roads, modern border crossings and reliable railway connections are crucial for the free movement of people and goods between North Macedonia, Bulgaria and the EU, and stressed that the implementation of transport projects has remained too slow for too long. He also drew attention to the announced intention of the European Commission to accelerate the construction of the so-called A middle corridor that will connect Central Asia and the South Caucasus with the European Union, with Bulgaria being assigned a significant role in this project.
The meeting discussed the state of the media and the civil sector. In his speech, Vigenin emphasized: “Free media and a strong civil society are not just formal requirements that should be noted as fulfilled in the accession progress report.“ He noted the positive changes in media legislation, but pointed to the ongoing problems with pressure and threats against journalists and the risks of self-censorship. Vigenin expressed concern about the tone of the public debate: “Disagreements between neighbors are inevitable. Hate speech, threats or persecution of citizens because of their identity are not.“
He pointed out the case of Iva Mihaylova as particularly sensitive and asked the Macedonian authorities to commit to resolving it, as access to adequate healthcare is a fundamental human right that cannot be violated. “Given that Macedonian doctors themselves have clearly expressed the opinion that they cannot provide the necessary care, Iva Mihaylova should be allowed to receive treatment in Bulgaria or another member state.“, Vigenin insisted.
The progress in the process of North Macedonia's accession to the EU was taken into account in the conclusions adopted by the Joint Parliamentary Committee, which once again emphasized the need to implement the commitments made in the 2022 Negotiating Framework, the most important element of which is the constitutional changes.
“Europe can support reforms. But it cannot implement them instead of the candidate country“, Vigenin concluded, specifying that the country's further progress depends on objective and measurable results and the necessary domestic political decisions.
Later, the Bulgarian MEP also participated in the opening of the Citizens' Forum “Citizens at the Heart of EU Enlargement“, organized by the European Parliament and the Parliament of North Macedonia.
For contact with the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the EP:
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