The delayed effect of the constitutional changes is one of the key factors for us. We think that this is a rational approach that will give us a sense of security that we will not have bilaterality on the part of Bulgaria again, but we must also talk about reciprocity, not from a constitutional and legal point of view, but about reciprocity in terms of respect for the rights of minorities in our neighbor.
This is what North Macedonia's head of diplomacy, Timcho Mutsunski, said this evening, BGNES reported from Skopje.
"With maximum respect for the representatives of the official government of our neighbor Bulgaria, but it is a fact that at the moment of their functioning they cannot take serious political responsibility, because they have no legitimacy from the citizens, but only to organize the holding of elections, after which we wish our neighbor to have a political government. After the formation of such a political government, we will conduct a proactive dialogue," Mutsunski told Sitel TV.
He recalled that in the previous period these ideas were propagated in communication with all key partners of the country, both economic partners and partners from EU member states.
- We are talking about finding an appropriate solution, a solution that will be sustainable and a solution that will provide predictability, both for our European integration path and in protecting confidence in the EU. Because once again postponing the process of the country's accession to the EU due to some bilateral dispute, due to additional bilateralism from a neighbor, will be a blow to the legitimacy of the Union both in our country and in the region, Mutsunski stressed and added that it is "necessary to found a common rational solution that, he said, would have built-in guarantees for them not to face similar challenges again and to move forward together based on principles of merit."
He said that "against Bulgaria there are 14 decisions of the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg on the right of association in the form of associations of citizens on the territory of a country that is a member of the EU and is bound by an international agreement arising from the Council of Europe".
-And from this point of view, we will have institutional communication both on a bilateral basis with Bulgaria, with the member states and with the institutions in the EU, convincing them that this model of delayed implementation and the expectations that our neighbor Bulgaria will respect the basic values of the EU. This is in the common interest of both us as an acceding country and the EU, which wants to have a reliable enlargement process, Mutsunski also said.
Asked what his impressions are in the EU and outside the EU that it is possible to change the terms currently included in the Negotiating Framework, he says that together with our diplomatic network we need to work to convince our partners that this decision is good for us, for Bulgaria and for the European Union.
- My first impression is that seriously interested parties in the EU see our approach as a logical and proactive approach. It is our duty to be firm in our positions, to present rational solutions, not to yield like our predecessors to any pressure, but to speak on an equal footing, respecting the arguments of others, but standing up for our own when we think they are just, noted the head of North Macedonian diplomacy.
"Our position is absolutely in favor of any renegotiation of the Negotiation Framework for Northern Macedonia for membership in the European Union, we are absolutely against it. Postponing human rights - the inclusion of Bulgarians in the Macedonian constitution - is absolutely unacceptable. We will not accept these proposals."
This was stated specifically for BGNES by the current Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ivan Kondov, who is expected to become an acting minister in the new cabinet. "We do not consider that these proposals are the way things can happen. I have also said this during my participation in the EU Foreign Affairs Council - the framework cannot be renegotiated and the agreements must be implemented," emphasized Kondov.
When asked by BGNES if he sees external interference from a foreign country in North Macedonia, which wants to block relations between Sofia and Skopje, on the one hand, and the European process, on the other, Kondov replied: "In principle, it is clear that Russia has an interest in blocking I cannot say that there is evidence of direct interference, because this was the election platform of VMRO-DPMNE. The way in which politics is conducted (in Skopje) - favoring relations with Serbia and blocking on the development of Corridor #8, with the idea of transferring funds to Corridor #10, which leads to Serbia - it is obvious that there is some influence of third parties". | BGNES
