Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport of North Macedonia Aleksandar Nikoloski said that regarding the changes to the constitution “there is nothing new”.
This is how he answered a question in an interview with Channel 5 TV regarding the words of the US Ambassador to Skopje, Angela Ageler, who stated that she was sure that the government was working on the issue of constitutional changes.
According to Nikoloski, VMRO-DPMNE has clearly stated its position that it does not accept changes to the constitution “under Bulgarian dictate”.
“We also said what our expectations are, regardless of whether they are related to the historical and political continuity of our people, whether they are related to the uniqueness of the Macedonian language, whether they are related to attempts to turn history into the main tool for blocking negotiations, we clearly stated things. We clearly stated that Bulgaria does not implement the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg and that we insist that it (Bulgaria) implement them. We have clearly stated that we insist that it recognize a Macedonian minority, which would be part of the Council of National Minorities, as it is in Bulgaria. Our positions are clear. We have not said or done anything different from what we were saying as the opposition“, said Nikoloski.
According to him, the way out of the situation in which North Macedonia is is “the new wave of optimism regarding enlargement, which prevails in the EU, due to the situation with Ukraine”.
“I am very precise in what I say. "I'm not saying the European Commission, I'm not saying Brussels, I'm saying several larger and more powerful countries that are members of the European Union should agree to enlargement and if they agree to put pressure on Bulgaria not to block us... From what I know, those (countries) that were against enlargement two or three years ago are still against it, only now they are using a slightly softer rhetoric because of what is happening in Ukraine," said Nikoloski, according to whom "there is no will in Sofia to unblock the process." of North Macedonia's European integration.
When asked about the message of German Minister Johann Wadeful, who, after his visit to Skopje, where there were no statements, wrote on his Instagram account that progress in relations with Bulgaria is particularly important for further success in the accession process of North Macedonia, Nikoloski said that the previous government in Skopje had maintained relations with Sofia, but nothing had been achieved.
According to Nikoloski, the protests in Sofia show that the situation there is unstable, and during elections “the Macedonian issue is very attractive to certain political elites”. The minister reiterated that in order to unblock the process of North Macedonia's European integration, pressure from “several serious EU member states” is needed. on Sofia.
“I have no doubt that the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, that the European Commissioner (Marta) Kos, that the President of the European Council (Antonio) Costa want (North) Macedonia to start negotiations with the EU tomorrow. They want and are working to make this happen, but the question is whether those who really have the power, and in politics power plays a big role, are putting pressure on Bulgaria or not“, said Nikoloski.
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Source: www.bta.bg