The European Commission is looking for opportunities to simplify EU accession procedures in order to avoid the risk of bilateral issues affecting the process in this very sensitive geopolitical context. This was stated by EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Koss in a hearing before the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, BTA reported.
She expressed her readiness to cooperate in the dialogue between Skopje and Sofia. We have a political goal for accession negotiations with the Republic of North Macedonia (RNM) to start in substance as soon as the necessary constitutional changes are introduced. Bulgaria and the RNM must start negotiations and find a solution to this bilateral issue, I am ready to cooperate if necessary, Koss said.
The European Commissioner noted that negotiations are already underway with Albania on 24 chapters. Koss indicated that she has called on Serbia to continue reforms and restore public trust. She said she had told Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic that his trip to Moscow for the May 9 celebrations was complicating his country's European efforts.
Kosovo's European path lies in the normalization of relations with Serbia, Kos said. She called for the rapid formation of new Kosovo institutions after the recent elections.
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the political stalemate continues, but the EU door remains open, the European Commissioner pointed out. Montenegro is making rapid progress in its negotiations with the EU, with six chapters closed and negotiations expected to be completed by next year, Kos added.
Turkey remains a strategic partner for the EU, and it is in the common interest for the country to remain committed to European values, she added. According to her, the authorities in Georgia are moving the country away from the European path and creating threats to the foundations of democracy in the country.
We must definitely take the next steps with Ukraine and Moldova now, everything is ready and in the hands of the EU Council to start negotiations, said Kos. If we want peace and security in Europe, we must be independent and complete the unification of Europe, this is not only a moral obligation. Enlargement becomes part of European unification and is an economic catalyst. Countries applying for accession must carry out reforms, have sustainable democratic institutions and economies, Kos added. She expressed hope that in the next four years at least one more country will be accepted into the EU.
In response to the words of the European Commissioner related to Bulgaria, MEP Andrey Kovachev (EPP/GERB) objected that there is no bilateral problem between Sofia and Skopje. The negotiating framework with the RSM was approved by 27 EU countries and the candidate country, he noted. I regret that the citizens of the RSM are wasting so much time due to the non-implementation of the EU Council conclusions of 2022, he added.
Stanislav Stoyanov (ESN/"Vazrazhdane") added that in 2022 Bulgaria lifted the veto on the RSM accession process. If we are talking about bilateral problems, the two countries are the RSM and the EU, he said. Stoyanov announced that he had requested, as shadow rapporteur, an investigation into the leak of information on the preparation of an EP report on the progress of the RSM. We came across serious violations, it turns out that the RSM is actively working on compiling the document, Stoyanov explained.
Ivaylo Valchev (EKR/ITN) said he was shocked how an amendment to the report, which he proposed in writing, was commented on the next day by the RSM prime minister.