For now, Bulgaria will not lift its veto on Skopje

Bulgaria will not veto the start of negotiations for North Macedonia’s accession to the European Union, and it is highly unlikely that Skopje will achieve its goal of advancing the process under the rotating presidency of Germany, which ends at the end of the year.

The information is also confirmed by Bulgarian sources.

On Monday a meeting of the permanent representatives of the EU member states was held to consider the conclusions to be adopted by the foreign ministers on December 8.

The conclusions eliminated the possibility of including a date for holding the first intergovernmental conferences with Albania and North Macedonia due to Sofia’s veto on Skopje. The dates will be included in the negotiation framework itself in your vote, diplomats explained.

At today’s meeting, Bulgaria reiterated that it will not give North Macedonia the green light for the next Council of Ministers on December 8.

Given the situation, there is no great hope for an intergovernmental conference and the start of talks with North Macedonia this year, MIA said, citing a Western diplomat.

The United States and the European Commission have called for a speedy resolution of the dispute, but public opinion in Bulgaria is in favor of a tough policy towards Skopje, and coalition partner IMRO is unlikely to drop the issue before the elections.

Albanian opposition: Bulgaria has territorial claims over North Macedonia

The leader of the opposition Alliance of Albanians, Ziyadin Sela, commented that “Bulgaria still has territorial claims over North Macedonia.”

The issue that Bulgaria has recently opened, with the non-acceptance of Macedonian identity and language, from my point of view, what is not said in this case is that Bulgaria continues to have territorial claims over Macedonia, said Ziyadin Sela.

He also said that the Skopje-Sofia dispute basically contains the issue of various historical figures, but the problem is bigger than that, and the Albanian political factor is not involved in issues of such importance at all.

On Sunday, the Macedonian prime minister said “we will enter the EU as Macedonian speaking Macedonian.”

“All difficulties, occupations and blockades have been overcome and overcome due to the desire for a better tomorrow and a better life. So it is now, we are looking towards Europe, this is the only way to our better tomorrow,” said Zaev.

To lift her blockade, Sofía insists that a new document be signed with the Neighborhood Agreement as of 2017 with specific commitments and guarantees for its implementation. Skopje has indicated that it is willing to take such steps, but negotiations are ongoing.

The other EU member states did not comply with the Bulgarian requirements and refused to include them in the North Macedonia negotiating framework. This, as well as Skopje’s refusal to make concessions, caused Sofia to veto it.

VMRO-DPMNE: Macedonia tears in Sofia

VMRO-DPMNE, for its part, announced that it would continue the protests this week.

“We continue together with the people against the sale of the motherland. People are waking up and there is no turning back. Zoran Zaev’s shame is not an ordinary shame. We will not allow Zoran Zaev to change history, but send him a message to let it go down in history, “he added. Party.

On Saturday, VMRO-DPMNE leader Hristian Mickoski said he had information that “Macedonia is being trashed this weekend in Sofia” and SDSM asked what foreign interests Hristian Mickoski was working for, Nezavisen Vesnik reported, quoted by BTA.

“With what structures of the Republic of Bulgaria does he cooperate intensively during this period? Hristian Mickoski is obliged to appear before the citizens and say who gave him this information. If they called Mickoski personally or through intermediaries. If he knew that something was being prepared Dangerous for the state, why didn’t you inform the responsible institutions? The weekend is over here. We didn’t separate, nor were there any official representatives in Sofia. “said SDSM spokesman Kostadin Kostadinov.

He said that falsehoods were spread and conducted en masse, fake news was spread, conflicts, intolerance and divisions among citizens were encouraged.

“Just like when the Prespa Treaty (with Greece) was signed. And then lies were spread about the Macedonian identity, just to show that it was confirmed and recognized. The Macedonian identity is not spoken, cannot be talked about. No it is spoken, nor will be spoken ”, said the spokesman of SDSM.