The lack of political will to fulfill the commitments made is hindering and blocking North Macedonia's progress towards the European Union.
This was stated today in Sofia by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Velislava Petrova-Chamova, BGNES reported. She explicitly emphasized that the agreements reached are not an ordinary bilateral case, but a pan-European issue.
Minister Petrova-Chamova expressed regret that four years after reaching the agreement at the European level, which was also supported by a decision of the parliament in Skopje, the texts still cannot be implemented in practice. According to her, the main reason is the lack of political courage in the neighboring country. "If a policy is based entirely on an antithesis, and not on a pro-European thesis, it is normal to seek a way out of such arrangements," commented the Bulgarian Foreign Minister.
Asked about the risks of foreign intervention in the Western Balkans and the promotion of the dangerous concept of a "Serbian world", mentioned in the latest report of the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, Petrova-Chamova noted that many countries have an interest in maintaining conflicts in the region. She added that building a foreign policy on confrontation will not take Skopje far, and a way out of the situation requires mature political leadership.
Regarding the comments about the language concerns of Macedonian President Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova during her visits to Sofia, the Bulgarian Foreign Minister clarified that she had not personally met with her. However, she shared details about her communication with her Macedonian counterpart Timcho Mucunski: “In my conversations with the Foreign Minister, I speak Bulgarian and we get along great.“
Petrova-Chamova was categorical that Sofia is not setting any new requirements beyond those already agreed upon at the European level. She reminded that a decision of the National Assembly from 2025 is in force, which clearly declares that Bulgaria insists only on the strict implementation of the European consensus from 2022. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs hopes that the authorities in Skopje will focus their efforts on creating a positive public climate, instead of making constant attempts to avoid responsibility.