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Bujar Osmani PHOTO: Reuters
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“Russian aggression affects both you in the Republic of Bulgaria and us in the Republic of Northern Macedonia, so we must unite to consolidate the region,” said Macedonian Foreign Minister in Macedonian in response to a question from Bulgarian MEP Alexander Yordanov, who wanted to know. why bilateral issues would be resolved more easily once negotiations begin than to be resolved now. “We need a common future in the region, and in these unpredictable times, the challenges are common to both us and you.”
In the afternoon, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Northern Macedonia, Bujar Osmani, addressed the MEPs, members of the Foreign Affairs Committee, and received their unequivocal support for the start of membership negotiations with the EU immediately, MIA reported.
Osmani reminded MEPs how long Northern Macedonia has been in the waiting room, the degree of coherence with the necessary EU reforms, as well as Macedonia’s unwavering support for sanctions against Russia over the war against Ukraine, BTA reported.
He warned, among other things, that a new postponement of these talks would not only have implications for EU confidence in the country and the region, but could also have an impact on the security situation at a time when Russia is trying to interfere and influence the internal situations of the EU allies. He also reminded that Moscow had once tried to interfere in the internal affairs during the Prespa Treaty, producing a number of fake news.
“Our European aspirations must finally be taken seriously, Northern Macedonia with its civic and political wisdom avoided all wars in the former Yugoslavia and later, in 2001, showed that it does not want aggression, that it knows how to create peace, coexistence, respect for human rights and the rights of minorities. And we do not intend to stop the war for the acquisition of European values, Osmani told MEPs.
The Minister also shared with them the results of the latest public opinion polls in northern Macedonia, which clearly show a decline in citizens’ enthusiasm for the EU.
“The figures you have shared are alarming, and I believe that, as the EU, we have a huge responsibility to restore confidence,” said Green MP Tineke Strick.
Almost without exception, the MEPs present demanded an immediate green light for the start of talks with northern Macedonia, as well as with Albania, and some also called on the member state, which is blocking the talks due to bilateral issues.
Strick called on the Bulgarian government to immediately approve the start of negotiations, while Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman David McAllister addressed Sofia without mentioning her by name.
“The time has finally come to start membership negotiations with this country that has been waiting for so many years, we are making promises after promises and now we are calling on our dear member state to finally give the green light,” McAllister said before closing the meeting.
The Bulgarian MEPs themselves at these two meetings showed a more constructive attitude than usual. The provocative far-right MEP Angel Djambazki, who never misses an opportunity to make burning statements about northern Macedonia, had technical problems this time and failed to get involved.
Socialist MEP Elena Yoncheva asked the minister to say whether Bulgarians in northern Macedonia would be included in the constitution and whether there was “strong political will” to do so.
Given that negotiations between Skopje and Sofia are still ongoing, Osmani did not provide an answer to this question, but told Bulgarian MEPs that it is time for both sides to turn to the future.
Osmani also said that if negotiations do not begin in the coming weeks, political enthusiasm will suffer, but not the European aspirations of northern Macedonia.
“That is why we need a solution in the coming weeks under the French Presidency, more than ever there is an understanding that enlargement is above all a security policy, not just a matter of trust, but of consolidating security in the region and the continent,” he said. Ottomans in Brussels.
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