Yotova: Until Bulgarians are included in the Constitution of the Republic of North Macedonia, there will be no progress towards its European membership

Until Bulgarians are included in the Constitution of the Republic of North Macedonia, there will be no progress towards its European membership. This is not only Bulgarian, this has long been European policy. This was stated by President Iliana Yotova at a meeting with the President of the European Council Antonio Costa. The two spoke within the framework of the 62nd Munich Security Conference, with the focus of their meeting being the enlargement of the European Union to the Western Balkans, the press service of the head of state reported.

President Yotova noted the worrying signals that the leadership of North Macedonia is trying to find a lobby among European countries in order to bypass the first cluster of accession negotiations, which is based on human rights. “There is no way Bulgaria will agree to such a change. I hope that by June, when the next EU summit for the Western Balkans is held, a solution will be found to the issue with North Macedonia, if the country still wants to join the union“, the Bulgarian head of state emphasized.

At the Munich Conference, President Yotova also spoke with Nikolay Mladenov – the High Executive Representative for Gaza of the Peace Council, created by US President Donald Trump. “Mr. Mladenov assured me that more clarity on the functioning of the Peace Council will be provided at the meeting in Washington on February 19. “At what level will Bulgaria be represented, it is very difficult for me to say. I will not be present, then I will have to issue decrees for a caretaker cabinet and scheduling the elections for the National Assembly“, Iliana Yotova told Bulgarian journalists.