At an extraordinary online session on Friday, the Bulgarian government reaffirmed its position on the negotiating framework for Macedonia and Albania’s EU accession talks, which are to be discussed at a meeting of the General Affairs Council on November 17, the government’s press service said.
Bulgaria is among the strongest advocates of the European Union enlargement process. Our country raised the topic high on the EU agenda during its presidency of the European Council in 2018. The European perspective is the strongest motivation for the transition to democratic governance and market economy in the Western Balkans, according to a brief statement from the government meeting.
No further information or details were released regarding the established position, but Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Krasimir Karakachanov told Bulgarian lawmakers yesterday that Bulgaria’s conditions were still valid.
At the last meeting of the EU ambassadors on 6 November, Bulgaria opposed the adoption of the negotiating framework for Macedonia. Sofia informed Brussels that it was unable to accept the proposed negotiating framework and the accompanying draft declaration, explaining that they did not provide the necessary guarantees for meeting the Bulgarian conditions. Bulgaria has remarks on the non-implementation of the Good Neighborhood Agreement, on historical issues, but also on the Macedonian language and identity.
The EU General Affairs Council, which is due to adopt the negotiating framework, was originally scheduled for November 10, but was postponed to November 17, giving Skopje, Sofia and the German presidency as mediator extra time to move their positions closer and reach a mutually acceptable agreement, which would remove Bulgarian reserves.
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