Skopje, Macedonia del Norte – The president of the European Council, António Costa, asked Macedonia del Norte on Thursday to change its constitution to include the Bulgarian minority As a way for the country to continue its path to the complete membership of the European Union.
The EU began membership conversations with Albania and Macedonia del Norte in 2022, since the war in Ukraine forced a rethinking of the block enlargement process.
Macedonia del Norte’s offer was Delayed by a dispute with Bulgaria About the history of Balkans, language and culture. To break the dead point, the previous center of Centro left in the capital, Skopje, accepted a Bulgarian demand to insert a reference to the Bulgarian ethnic minority into the Macedonia Constitution of the North. However, that administration lacked the parliamentary majority to implement the change.
Costa said that the small country of the Balkans should now deliver what was previously agreed.
“I know how difficult it is to achieve. Now is the time to conclude everything and open a new page. I visited Bulgaria two weeks ago and there is no room to ask for anything else,” Costa told journalists at a press conference in Skopje, along with the country’s prime minister, Hristijan Mickoski.
Mickoski, on the other hand, said that the expansion of the block must be based on merits, not on bilateral issues. His conservative government, who came to power last year, said he will only amend the Constitution if Bulgaria first approves the members of the EU of Macedonia del Norte.
“We have a problem, and it should be a two -way street. If only one side offers, it is not realistic,” he said. “We have done enough with difficult decisions so far. We have changed the flag; we have changed the name … On the other hand, they (Bulgaria) have an equal delivery to zero.”
Costa is visiting six Western Balkan countries, which are in different stages on their way to the EU complete membership. Montenegro and Albania have been at the forefront, while Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo and North Macedonia are delayed.
