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Radev hastened Macedonia’s EU integration following pressure from Greece




Rumen Radev and Iliana Yotova received certificates from the CEC for their election for a second term. PHOTO: RUMYANA TONEVA

However, discounts if compliance with the friendship treaty enters Skopje’s membership negotiating framework

WITHand speeding up the process of northern Macedonia’s EU integration, President Rumen Radev spoke on Monday after receiving a certificate from the CEC that he had been elected for a second term as head of state.

At the same time in Sofia, but at a meeting with Prime Minister Kiril Petkov, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis demanded that EU enlargement with northern Macedonia and Albania be accelerated.

Political parties in Bulgaria should achieve a clear consolidation of what needs to be done so as to speed up the process of integration of Northern Macedonia, but

subject to the Bulgarian national interest,

set Radev as the task for the National Security Advisory Council announced by him. The president announced he would convene the CIS at the end of last week after attending the Brussels European Council, where one of the informal topics was Bulgaria’s veto of Skopje’s talks with the EU.

The CIS will be convened in the first half of January, Radev announced.

“It is important to understand that defending the rights of Macedonian Bulgarians, creating the conditions for their full inclusion in the public, political, cultural, economic life of the country is a matter of great importance for Bulgaria. “Language hatred must end, there must be greater cultural, infrastructural and economic connection between the two countries,” Radev said after the ceremony at the CEC.

We expect EU intergovernmental conferences with Albania and Northern Macedonia to be convened soon, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said at the same time after talks with Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov. Intergovernmental conferences are the start of EU candidate accession talks.

“Because of the growing challenges, a just path in the Western Balkans to the EU benefits us all. Greece has always been a lever for the region’s progress towards the EU.

Greece supports countries candidates

but without forgetting that they must meet the criteria set for their entry into the EU – above all good neighborliness, “said Mitsotakis after talks with Kiril Petkov. The Bulgarian prime minister, who announced a new approach to northern Macedonia a week ago, chose not to comment on the topic yesterday.

Petkov, who plans to visit Skopje after the election of a new Macedonian prime minister earlier this year, has proposed new working groups to start work in January on economic issues and building common infrastructure. According to the Bulgarian Prime Minister, this approach will yield results within six months. However, Skopje wants talks to start even faster. As in recent interviews, Macedonian Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani has insisted that this be done in January.

“In the current course of the talks, this six-month deadline is too long to bridge differences and too long to start negotiations on Northern Macedonia, because trust in the EU cannot last another six months and regional dynamics are difficult to maintain. an additional unpredictable six months and that if there is political will, January could be the next opportunity to bridge the gap, “Osmani said yesterday after meeting in Skopje with Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Siarto.

Northern Macedonia also disapproves of a compromise option,

in which the country’s negotiating framework should be approved, but without specifying a date for the start of negotiations, as proposed by Bulgaria.

The Treaty of Friendship, Good Neighborliness and Cooperation between Bulgaria and the Republic of Northern Macedonia and the Prespa Agreement between Greece and our southwestern neighbor should be included in the negotiating framework for Northern Macedonia’s membership in the European Union, Rumen Radev suggested yesterday. Mitsotakis. The two shared the view that the European integration of the Republic of Northern Macedonia is in the interest of the entire region, but the process should be linked to respect for European values ​​and the commitments made in bilateral agreements, the presidency said.

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